Christmas at Meijer Garden

We headed to Grand Rapids another evening during Christmas break before Christmas.  We headed to Meijer Garden to view their Christmas around the world.  There are many Christmas trees all decorated for a different country with an explanation of the decorations.  We had fun finding the pickle on the German tree and going over memories about the Spanish tree.  Aunt Kathy and Mary met us there and we spent some time running around outside - the kids love the children's garden even in the dark and cold - and while we were out there the horse and wagon came by so they all took a turn petting the horse!  We got to see some of the Art Prize art work and spent a long time looking at a 'Where's Waldo' sort of art project made out of different articles of household supplies.  Another room had an electric train running through several rooms and buildings found in Grand Rapids made out of all natural elements.  Mushrooms for roof tops, acorn tops for chimneys, flower petals for shingles, etc.  Very well done.  Another great adventure!

Strange - maybe creepy - Santa sighting

The kids were outside playing one day before Christmas and I was inside doing who knows what, but I'm sure it was important.  Brandon came in to tell me that Santa was outside and wanted to take a picture with them but I had to come out to make sure it was ok.  I was a bit confused, so I asked a few questions.  Brandon again informed me that Santa was outside and told him to come inside to get his mom and the camera so that we could have a picture with Santa.  I obeyed and this is what I found when I got outside!  The guys car is even decorated with reindeer ears.  He has the real beard.  He drives around town offering up his picture services free so that parents don't have to go to the mall and pay for a picture.  At first, it was cute.  Then as he was driving away and turning around in several people's driveways, I realized how creepy it was and I wondered how easily someone like him could have wandered off with one of my kiddos.  I made sure he left the neighborhood before I went inside and I had a talk with my kids about never getting in the car with someone like that. Maybe he's just a nice old man doing something nice for the neighborhood, but I didn't pass up the teachable moment!

Church Christmas Program

Celebration church is linked with Calvin Church for our youth programs.  This is where all four kids go on Wednesday evenings.  Maria to a group called 'Little Peeps', Jessica to GEMS, Brandon to Cadets, and Anika to Middle School Youth Group.
We were asked to attend their Christmas program.  There were two practices, held during morning church service and then the performance was another morning service, so we didn't see the people of Celebration very much.
I enjoyed watching the kids and I think they enjoyed being a part of it.  They definitely enjoyed all the treats after each service!
Maria's group sang a song called 'ring the bells' and then each child said who they wanted to tell about Christmas.  Many said Grandpa or Grandma or mom and dad, but our little princess said she wanted to tell everybody who didn't know about Jesus.
Brandon and Jessica were a part of a handbell choir.  They held a certain color of bell and when the conductor raised their card color, they rang the bell.  A song was playing in the background and they were the accompaniment.  Brandon was rather disappointed that he didn't get to play his bell very often and Jessica had two bells that she played LOTS.  I could tell it was an issue, but I also pointed out to him that when he played his bell, very few others were playing, so even though it wasn't often, it was important.
Anika and three others read parts of Luke 2.
The overall story of the program was telling the Grinch about the real meaning of Christmas and each of these groups was just a part of it.
All in all a good day.

ring the bells

colored hand bell choir

reading Luke 2

Christmas traditions

painting the front door

The finished product

painting an ornament

cut out cookies

decorating the cut out cookies

The indoor light show

Christmas is the ideal season for traditions, although the kids remember just about everything we do on every holiday and inform us if we do them wrong the next year!
Every year (thanks spot for the idea) we paint our front door with powder paint mixed with dish soap.  Its fun to paint and it is fairly easily removed (by Anika and a friend).
We paint the kids' hand prints on the tree skirt and paint the year next to it.
Each kid chooses a ceramic ornament and paints it.  Matt paints an identical one for them so they have their own version and Matt's version of how it should be painted.
Sinter Klaas leaves an ornament and a candy cane in their wooden shoes under their beds.
We bake and decorate cut out cookies.
We attend light shows.  This year it was moved inside and wasn't nearly as fascinating as when it is on 14 different houses, but it was still pretty fun.  The mini golf course also does a light show which was quite enjoyable.
Usually, I print out a calendar with suggestions for what we should do every day.  This year, I just printed a huge list of possibilities and crossed off what we accomplished.  Quite a few!

Gingerbread houses

Brandon's class made gingerbread houses in class.  Graham crackers frosted around an empty milk carton then covered in candy. Parents were asked to join in the fun, so Matt went and made his own creation.

Jessica made a gingerbread house at GEMS.  These were serious gingerbread houses - made a day earlier with the true gingerbread cement like frosting.  Jessica decorated each piece of roof (both sides) with a different candy with every intention of eating each piece of candy during the remainder of the week.  She did pretty well, but at times a knife was needed to pry the candy off!

Christmas in Iowa

We made our Christmas trip to IA again this year for Christmas with the Zevenbergen side.  We always stay with my 'Dordt' family which everyone loves. We spent time with them on Friday evening and then on Saturday morning. Early in the afternoon we went to the mall to ride on the train and I saw my college classmate that works there.

riding the train in the mall

The afternoon and evening were spent with the Zevenbergen clan at the Dordt Alumni house.  It was a crazy bunch of characters, but lots of fun was had.  My kids look forward to being with their cousins, even if it is a short time.  We played games, we ate, we laughed.  I decided we've all raised a bunch of competitors.  They were making up their own game of who could land the plastic shaker egg on a pillow when thrown from the loft.  Seriously, we can't make this stuff up!

all 12 of them - who are these kids anyway!?

We spent 12 hours on the road on Friday and 12 more on Sunday.  We had safe travels, dry roads and plenty of technology to keep everyone busy.  Matt stayed home to take care of things here.  I loved listening to the books on CD we had gotten from the library.  To the point that if the kids wanted to talk to me,  I was rather annoyed!  I was listening to a  book for goodness sake!  But we made it home and then off to school and work again on Monday!  But the memories are forever!

Jessica's debut as guest conductor

We attended the local high school's Christmas concert at the Fraunthal Center.  Western Michigan Christian's Christmas Collage. Its a great concert every year.  Very well done, great musicians.
We commented on what a difference a year makes.  We attended this same concert last year.  Sat in much the same place.  Enjoyed it.  But this year was quite different.  Upon entering the balcony, our favorite place to sit, we recognized more than five families, sat across from our neighbors, behind our realtor, in front of a family from school, a classmate of Anika's sat with us, a classmate of Brandon's gave Brandon a look (4th graders!), and Matt spent all of intermission schmoozing all the people he knew in the balcony.  The first small ensemble contained Jessica and Maria's 'mom' from the musical they were in last spring.  The kids stayed awake for the whole concert.  We've made quite the progress in one year.
It was a wonderful concert again.  There is never a quiet moment.  One group finishes, and another group starts.  Its very entertaining.
At the beginning of the concert, we were reminded there would be a drawing for the guest conductor for the final song the band would play - 'Sleigh Ride'.  We didn't think much of it, but we did spend some time showing the kids what the conductor did, how she raised her arms and the instruments went up, how to conduct 4 beat time, etc.  At intermission, I was plotting who's name we could put in the hat.  Who did we know in the auditorium that I could put their name in, and they would get called up there! That would be so fun.  Matt looked at me and pointed at Jessica.  Jessica, our girl who shines on the stage.  I asked her if she would like to, and of course her answer was 'sure.'  So, Maria, Jessica and I went off to find the sign up hat. Brandon and Anika were far too embarrassed and Matt had to chat.  We found it, entered her name and headed back to our seats.
Intermission ended and the man came out with the hat, pulls the name and begins to read it.  At the same moment, Matt leans over to me, with Jessica in my lap, and starts to say Jessica's name to us.  As it turns out, the guy on the stage and Matt were saying the SAME NAME.  Jessica had been picked!  We headed back stage to receive her instructions.  They all looked at me and asked if I was Jessica, to which I pointed at her and said 'nope, she is!'  There eyes got bigger!  The high school students back stage thought it was great and we saw a few of the people from the musical which was fun.  Jessica was so nervous she headed to the bathroom three different times in between talking with the band director.  We got a box on stage so she could be seen and off she went.  The crowd audibly reacted when an 7 year old walked out there.  We have it on video and it is priceless.  She did a great job, the crowd loved her, the students kept playing, and the fake snow completely engulfed her at the end of the song.  It was a great memory!

On the way out Jessica informed me she no longer wanted to be in band.  I was quite surprised because I figured this would encourage band.  She told me she didn't want to play in band, she just wanted to be the conductor!