Hodge-podge

Here are some pictures Peter took at the Phoenix zoo a couple weeks ago...

My neighbor and I hosted a "Happy Birthday Jesus" party for the kids on our street... ok, all I did was have a decently clean house and she did all the work...it was great! :)

 Telling the Christmas story

 We had a pretty good turnout! 13 kids I think?

Michaela did a great job decorating this yummy birthday cake!

The girls had a great time re-connecting 

 Oh, so much tastiness on one plate!

On a different note, I find it sadly amusing that my last post had the best shot yet we've taken of the twins- great smiles, clear shot... and then Monday evening Tirzah fell face-first off of Anne's ladder, I believe bouncing off the ladder with her face, maybe hitting her forehead as well. She had a red spot on her forehead, one under her eye, a cut tongue, but worst of all she chipped the corners off 3 of her teeth and loosened another one! She was a good girl at the dentist yesterday where they put her on a soft food diet for a couple of weeks while we wait to see how damaged the teeth really are (if nerves were severed the teeth will turn kinda black) and maybe file the sharp edges down a little. So for the next few years at least, this will be one more distinguishing factor between her and Berea! I was bumming about it this morning and thinking about how funny she looks, when I remembered the Cars 2 movie where at the end of the movie one of the cars is given an offer to remove her dents...she refused the offer saying she wouldn't trade the dents for the world- because the dents to her had become memories. It was a good reminder to keep the right perspective of things. I wonder if maybe that's why Jesus kept his scars even in his resurrection body. Have a very Merry Christmas and I hope you remember in this season why Jesus came as that little baby!

Anniversary Party

 Laura, Grace and I put on a celebration of our parents' anniversaries last weekend. Ed and Judy celebrated their 45th and my parents their 40th! Sorry about the dim pictures- Christian had to take the pictures without a flash due to migraine sufferers in attendance.

 In our church's fireside room (fireside not pictured) :)

 Faith and Gary came up!

Surprise!

 Not sure what I was saying...

 The three dads, probably watching the lights fall off the ceiling. The Millers were our adopted parents when the Youngs and Vaughans were out of town- and were instrumental in my and Christian's getting together. 

  Sisters!

The three moms

 For future reference, packing tape doesn't hold lights onto ceilings very well..

 Ya serving up the bubbly

 Watching the slideshows... I can't put the Vaughans' one up since it's a huge file and I have slow internet! But you can check out the Youngs' one on Grace's blog.

  Andy somehow managed to avoid the camera very well, but he was there with his lovely wifey! And he made some great coffee, of course. :)

And I had to include Kale'a hamming it up at her daddy's birthday party. :)

That's Amore!

"When the moon hits the sky..." Christian was tinkering with the new lens (purchased in preparation for a wedding he's shooting soon)... I'm impressed, anyway. :)

Zoo!

It's been more than three years since we've been to the zoo, so Grace got a bunch of us to all go together- 16 in all, I believe? And we actually had a 1:1 ratio of adults to kids, which was REALLY nice for me considering 5 of the 8 kids were mine! Our old school buddies (Jeff, from ICA and SWC and Adele from SWC) came up with their little girl to hang out, too- so that was extra fun; besides having Marmie/Boppa and Auntie Faith- all of whom have been overseas the last few years!

 E wrestled this komodo dragon down...

 Somebody got a little carried away with their food...

 Auntie Beef and Marmie with reluctant twins

 Boppa and the older kids enjoying a break

 Cute squirrel monkeys (I wonder why it's not "monkies"?)

 Judah was such a good boy!!!

 Ahhh...this is the life!

 "You talkin' to me?"

 Auntie Faith was very brave to let Elijah use her camera!

 Yee-haw

 Tirzah was very suspicious all day, telling the animals to go away. :)

 Berea enjoyed it a little more.

 Cutie Anna

 Auntie Grace, etc. up in the crow's nest scoping out the savannah

"Are you sure that glass is really going to keep the animals away from me???"

 The bigger kids loved the carousal. The littles, not so much.

Fun day! Thanks, fam., for all your help!!!