Happy 2015!!!

Hello Dear Friends and Family!  We hope you all have had a wonderful season of celebrating our Lord Jesus Christ and all He has done for us!  And now, we pray that your new year will be full of His hope, comfort, peace, provisions, and blessings, as we all strive to follow and serve Him wholeheartedly in 2015! 

We have sure had a wonderful season of focusing on the greatest gift we have ever received . . . the coming of our Savior! In this incredible act of love, God made a way for our salvation, and has given us such a wonderfully abundant life in Christ!  We could never rejoice and thank Him enough!!

Our hearts are full with thanksgiving for this season of celebration with family and friends.  It has been delightful!

On the Saturday night right before our church's Christmas Talents Program, we were invited to join some new friends to a really special evening in Longview called Journey to Bethlehem. This journey is "an outdoor, walk-through experience that tells the story of Jesus’ birth from the vantage point of a Jewish  family 2,000 years ago traveling to pay their taxes in their ancestral hometown."​  The journey included a live camel, horse, donkey, and sheep!  They had us journey through many different scenarios . . . like a bustling little town with craftsmen and vendors of all kinds, a home to rest in for a while, the town gates which were fiercely guarded by Roman soldiers, the tax collector's area, the shepherds being spoken to by the angel, and lastly, the living nativity scene.   It was really an awesome experience!  And one of the most special blessings was hearing our new friends sing and play their instruments while we waited for our "journey."

Then, the following Friday, we were very blessed to have Papa Bob and Meemom fly in from Arizona.  We kicked off this first evening with them with a nice warm, home-cooked meal and birthday cake for dessert!

 Papa Bob and Meemom with Lydia and Brielle at church on Sunday morning. 

 That evening, we went out for Chinese food and looked at Christmas lights in town.

Brielle "warming up" to Papa Bob!

 

 The next few photos were taken Christmas Eve.

We were blessed to go to our church's little candlelight service.

 Cousins/nieces Cassidy and McKenna arrived from Oregon on the 23rd!

What's a girl to do when she receives TWO special and adorable Christmas dresses?

Wear them both, of course!

But first, a few more photos leading up to Christmas!

The first night McKenna and Cassidy arrived, they came over for a visit and we played toss-the- snowballs-in-the- bucket game that the Neufeld's gave us!  

 Then, Brielle enjoyed being pushed around in her baby's stroller by Joseph,

while we tossed snowballs at him!

 Of course, we got in a few games of "Reverse Charades!"

Looks like something dreadful in the sky!

 

Not sure what Valerie and Daddy are doing here, while most of the rest of our family appears to be wondering too!

I think here they are being a certain large statue in New York?

Gotta be an animal of some sort  . . . but which one?

Okay . . . so this is quite a blurry picture . . .but I just had to include it, as it was one of the funniest moments of the game.
Kyle took the lead in acting this certain animal out.
He appeared to be "howling," so naturally, Victoria, the guesser, was guessing animals like coyotes, wolves, etc.
Kyle became a bit frustrated, and the other team members wanted to "pass" the card, as Victoria couldn't get past the "howling" type animals.  Kyle then exclaimed . . . "NO!  We can still get this!"  and then, went down on his knees and began "flapping his wings."  Victoria right away shouted, "TURKEY!!!"  
Then, Kyle became very exasperated . . . . for he was a ROOSTER, of course!!!

  We love your acting, Papa Bob, and we love you!!!!

 Christmas Eve morning, Valerie made cinnamon rolls!

YUM!   

(The kids could hardly wait! The wait seemed like FOREVER! ;-)

Almost . . . but they still need the icing!

 

 

Every day, the kids enjoyed a chocolate treat on their advent calendars!  

 And of course, there were lots of other treats being made and enjoyed!  

 

  

 Christmas Eve, after the candlelight service, the kids opened one gift. 

 Could Joe's smile be any bigger?! ;-)
Thank you, Papa Bob and Meemom!

Awesome glow sticks!

Thank you, Grandpa!

 Very unique and fun helicopter thingy.

Thank you, Caroline!

Going shoppin'!!!

Thank you, Grandpa! 

Early Christmas morning . . . . stockings! 

 Then, after a big Christmas breakfast . . .

it's time to open gifts!

 

 Chemistry set from Papa and Grammie!

(It is proving to be very fun!)

 Meemom, McKenna and Cassidy open their mugs from us!

 Can you tell we're having oh so much fun with our baby GIRL????

 She had to try on this adorable outfit from Meemom and Papa Bob,

and her baby is wearing several beaded necklaces that Lydia made and gave to Brielle!

 

On a side note, this special rocking horse was given to Lydia on her first birthday by Papa Bob and Meemom.
It has been through a lot of kids and several moves, and it is still in great shape. 
Such a well made rocking horse!

 

 Victoria dreamed up a super fun idea for Timmy and Joe this year,

and the quadruplet siblings all jumped in to help gift them with a start in their first entrepreneurial endeavor . . .

breeding and selling meat/pet rabbits!

The quads purchased these two does from Richie and Lydia,

and will be able to use their bucks for breeding when they are around 9 months old!

They've already started a website . . ."Bowes Bro's Bunnies!"

 Speaking of Lydia and Richie . . .

they joined us for Christmas dinner and the rest of the afternoon!

 

Interspersed throughout our visits, inevitably

a game of "Reverse Charades" would break-out!  

(Not pictured in any of the following photos . . .

Cassidy, happily holding "Cookie" the rabbit;

and Valerie, savoring every moment of sleeping Brielle in her lap.

They were enjoying being the sole guessers. : -)

Go McKenna!!!!

 Both of the next two things have water in common!

Can you guess what they are?

 Can't remember what they are acting here . . . but thought all our faces were funny!

 Another unknown . . .

 I think Daddy is trying to be a Christmas tree in this one! : -)

 Are they warming their hands over a fire?

(I (Robyn) do think he's HOT! : -)

But you might never guess what he is acting out here!

(Tanning bed!)

 What's going on here?

I would say even us girls don't have much experience with these . . .

(high heels)

 Not sure on this one . . .

 GO Daddy!

 GO Richie and Meemom!!!!!

 GO Papa Bob!!!!

 Then, our annual scrabble tournament commenced  . . .

 starting with two teams of four.

 And a cute little helper.

 Then, went down to these four.

Don't let the smiles fool you . . . it was actually a very serious competition! ;-)

  Lastly, on Sunday after Christmas, Kelley and Louis came to visit and Meemom treated us all to another Christmas dinner!

 Even though it seems like a lot of pictures,

there's always many more "Kodak" moments I wish we had captured!

We had sooooooooo many special memories made, though!

 

Now, Papa Bob and Meemom are back in Arizona :- (

and we are settling back in to the new year!

 

We now look forward to all the good things God has planned for us in 2015!