Christmas Programs Continued...

We had our church Christmas program last Sunday evening. We had a great turnout (amazing how full church is when you involve cute little kids on the stage!). There were contributions from the little guys all the way up to the high school group. The middle schoolers didn't have anything, so Kam was off the hook this time. It was a neat time of celebration and joy. Troy had a speaking part for the younger kids. Katie helped direct the 4th and 5th graders and also was part of the high school dramatic production. (It's difficult to describe.) Also, a sidenote: Our amazing creative arts team designed and made this backdrop to go along with Scott's sermon series this month. It's incredible! We are blessed!

A good looking group!

Katie and the high school group. (She's in the back on a chair.)

Troy reading his part from the Children's Story Book Bible.

The Club 4-5ers looking cool.

More high school. (They were supposed to be serious!)

Surprise!

Scott surprised me with a night away for my birthday last weekend. We were able to stay at a nice place by the beach. (My favorite!) We ate great food and were refreshed by the cool ocean breezes. The weather was beautiful. We also enjoyed a lights tour in Newport. After a busy few weeks, it was great just to have time to spend together!

RCS Softball

Kamryn is so enjoying her season of middle school softball. She is one of the youngest players on the team, but is holding her own. She plays shortstop and has been getting some good hits. She has great coaches and is learning a lot, too. We're so thankful for our kids' Christian school education which carries over onto the sports fields too!

Pre-game prayer.

Mighty number 11!

They have a fabulous pitcher this year, which makes all the difference!

I like how they are all looking up!

Ready to go.

ACA Choir Concert

We'll we're officially into the Christmas concert season. We began with Katie's high school choir concert the other evening. They have a new director who is doing a great job. It's fun to see the connection she and Katie have. Katie really enjoys singing and using her gifts at school and church. They are a small group with a wonderful sound!

Softball in December!

It's so fun to say we're playing softball in December! Kam got asked to play on the 7th and 8th grade softball team at school. (She's a 6th grader.) They played their first game this afternoon and won! Kam tried her first slide of the season into third and wasn't so successful. She's got a pretty good scrape on her forearm. Anyway, the only bandages they could find were unicorn and hello kitty. (She still looked pretty tough out there, though!) The Cougars are off to a great start!

Gingerbread Creations

I don't know what it is this year, but it's taking awhile to get into the "Christmas Spirit." There's just been A LOT going on and not a lot of extra time or energy to spend on focusing on the season. In an attempt to spend some meaningful family time together, we put together some "gingerbread"houses the other afternoon. The kids hung in there and made some neat creations. Here's hoping for a less busy week and more chance to focus on the REASON for the season! (Not sure why I'm underlining, don't feel like figuring out how to fix it right now!)

The Curious Savage

Katie just finished another play at her high school. It was called "The Curious Savage." I'm not quite sure how to describe this play which took place in an insane asylum. Katie played the snotty daughter who was trying to find out where the crazy mother hid their inheritance. Her character was quite dramatic, to say the least. The cast did a great job again this time. Katie loves being involved in these productions. It's been a busy time of late night practices and hard work. Great job!

The cast in character.

All smiles!

Katie greeting friends on the last night.