Circus

For the past several years, Grandma and Grandpa have given us circus tickets for Christmas.  I was beginning to wonder if this might be our last year--if maybe it was becoming old news for the kids.  I am happy to report that the kids enjoyed it as much as ever this year.  In fact, Jeremiah enjoyed it more than ever before.

There is an hour-long pre-show where you can go down on the circus floor and watch some of the performers up close.  We decided to watch the pre-show from our seats this year.  We could see more of what was going on that way.  Once you're on the floor, you tend to get stuck in the crowds and can't see as much.



This was still during the pre-show.  Jeremiah got much more animated after this:

Big opening musical number:

If you ask Jeremiah about the circus, the first thing he'll tell you about is the elephants.

He also really enjoyed the tigers.

All three boys laughed out loud during the clowns' routines.  Jeremiah was shrieking with laughter during a particularly slapstick portion.  It was also interesting to see his understanding of the whole thing.  At the end of a lengthy tightrope performance, he said, "Nobody falled off!"--evidence that he understood the physics and gravity of the whole situation.

Based on the enjoyment of this year's circus, I'd say we'll be asking for tickets again next year.  Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa

Joshua's Baptism

Joshua got baptized yesterday to show everyone that he has trusted Jesus to be his Savior.

Our church has a special afternoon baptism service for kids so they can make it a bigger celebration than is possible during the regular church service.  Each child had a video-taped interview telling how they came to accept Jesus.  Then they were baptized.  Afterward there was a cupcake reception for the kids and all their guests.

(By the way--it took place in the auditorium of our children's ministry area, which is decorated to look like a garage--hence the hubcap on the wall.)

Pastor Rob (children's pastor) talking about interviewing Joshua, and how he had to wait for Joshua to get his deep thoughts out:

Joshua watching himself on the big screen, getting ready to hold his nose:

Going down--picturing Jesus' burial:

 and back up again--picturing Christ's resurrection:

They must have had Joshua in mind as they planned the reception menu, because in addition to cupcakes there was cheese:

 I should have gotten a group shot of everyone who came to celebrate with Joshua, but I didn't.

Mom and her boys:

Grandma and Grandpa:

Meredith:

Mr. Allan (Andy was there, too):

We are very thankful for God's work in Joshua's life!

Guy Time at the Zoo

Last weekend I went to visit my parents in (COLD) Missouri.  Meanwhile, it was 70 degrees in South Carolina, so Daddy took the boys to the zoo on Sunday afternoon.

The boys are asleep and Tony is out running as I type, so I have no narration for these pictures.

 (I'm guessing Jeremiah is roaring like a lion.)

Fun Dip

Jeremiah was getting ready to eat Fun Dip the other day, and he handed me the candy stick that you are supposed to use to dip in the powder.  I told him he needed it to get the powder, and he said, "It will be easier to lick it."  As you can see, he stuck with that plan.



Christmas #4 (The Last One!)

A few days after Christmas we headed to Tony's brother's house for our final Christmas celebration.

Every year we take a photo of all the cousins together.  This was one of our more successful years:

(Ben, if you ever see this, I apologize that this was not the best shot of you.  It was the only one with everyone looking at the camera.  Also, you were making that face.)

Also, it appears my younger children are Santa-hat challenged.

I have noticed while editing these pictures that Joseph is very expressive when he opens gifts.  Not all of the pictures of this made it onto the blog, but there was one similar to this at every gift-opening event:

Of course, because there was still snow on the ground, Joshua wanted to go out and play in it:

(See the wagon lying on its side?  Noah stood in it and rode it down the hill like a sled.)

It was interesting to see the combinations of cousins that played together throughout the day.  Eventually the three year olds paired up:

And with that, our Christmas marathon ended!

Christmas #3

Christmas Eve day we travelled to Grandma and Grandpa's house, and this is where my Christmas documentation began to fall apart.  For example, we ate the traditional Christmas waffles at Tony's Uncle Bob and Aunt Judy's house on Christmas morning.  I took my camera.  I never took it out of its case.  Then we went back to Grandma and Grandpa's house and opened gifts.  We took some pictures and got a few good ones, but then my camera began to act up and the batteries started getting low.  So, while we had a great time there, I have very few pictures to show for it.

Joshua wanted to have a snowball fight as soon as we got there.  Unfortunately, this part of the state got a lot less snow than where we'd started the day.  Still, the boys managed to talk Grandpa into a snowball fight every day we were there:

(By the way, the good thing about snowball fights with Grandpa is that the kids aren't throwing at each other and getting angry with each other.  They are ganging up on a common "enemy.")

Grandma fills a stocking for everyone:

Joseph and Joshua painted ice cream bowls for Grandma and Grandpa's gifts.  Here is Grandma with hers:



We also played Wii and played cars and read books and played games and watched football.  You'll just have to try to picture all those things in your mind.

One more Christmas to go!

Christmas #2--Whitener Christmas

It's a multiple-post day--don't miss the snow post below this one!

Our first stop in Missouri was Grammy and Granddad's house for Christmas with my family.

After 13 hours on the road, we needed a little time to wind down before bed:

A couple days into the visit, it was time to open gifts.  The three oldest grandsons read from Luke 2:

(I don't recall anything particularly humorous in the Christmas story, but Joseph and Alec seem amused.)

The present opening was chaotic enough (and in not great light for photography) that we don't have any spectacular pictures of it.

Here's Grammy:

Granddad:

And, look! I was there:

The little kids playing with some of their new treasures:

The big kids:

(Can you tell my boys don't own DS's?)

(Tony and my brother and sister-in-law managed to avoid the camera.)

Grammy playing one of the boy's new board game with the crew.

Not until I was editing this photo did I notice that Joshua had borrowed someone's DS.

On Christmas Eve morning, as we were preparing to head to Grandma and Grandpa Campbell's house, Grammy and Granddad got about 4 inches of snow:

A few days later when we returned to Grammy and Granddad's, there was still snow left for sledding:

That toboggan is the one my brother and I used as kids.

I, for one, could not believe that Tony sent Joseph down this hill toward that concrete bench.  He did tell him to steer around it:

If you could hear Jeremiah, he was saying, "Are you all right, Joseph?  Are you all right?"  (He was.):