Merry 1st Christmas

Our family portrait (this was the best of over a hundred
hillarious shots...shiflet portraits are always so much fun to get!)

Emily and J.Michael so grown up!

Bubbie and Kathlena

Andrew and Bubbie

Is this not the cutest picture? I know I am
a little bias.

Our first Christmas was full of the wonder of seeing it for the first time through Andrew and Kathlena's eyes. We read through the story of Joseph and Mary and baby Jesus in Luke 2 each night the week before Christmas. While the kids didn't wake us tooo early they were quite eager to find out what was in there wrapped presents under the tree. We opened some on Christmas Eve, Eve, then on Christmas Eve and then again on Christmas morning before heading on the road for a week of visiting family.

Andrew's favorites were his crane truck and legos. J.Michael's were his erector and lego sets that he built the very next day. Kathlena had fun with some kitchen accessories like her mixer and coffee maker so she can be like Mom. Sweet Emily got more yarn for knitting blankets and a longed for new watch. Mom and Dad received the Clearplay DVD player that we have been wanting for our family movie nights. It works great and love that we can now watch movies without the excessive gore, language, and nudity.

Christmas Day Eve we headed to Hillsboro for Christmas with the Davis's (my parents and brother, a.k.a Nana and Doodad (Dewey) and Uncle Todd). We had so much fun as always visiting until late at night, playing games, and exchanging gifts. We also had fun taking pictures together in the plaid disney p.j.'s my mom got for all of us. Here are a few pictures.

First annual Davis-Shiflet Family Christmas

Plaid P.J. Portrait.

Grandparents and grandkids portrait.

...10 seconds before last picture.

Isn't red a good color for us?

On Friday we headed over to Garland to have Christmas with the Shilet side of the family. The kids of course excited to see their PawPaw and Grandmommie, Uncle Steve and his family and Uncle Paul. Emily and J.Michael immediately persuaded Grandmommie into a game of Monopoly.

Let the buying begin!

J.Michael "money bags" Shiflet was cleaning up this game.

Meanwhile, PawPaw was showing Andrew and Kathlena

how to build with these really cool blocks.

J.Michael and Daddy enjoy playing with one of their new toys.

J.Michael even managed to get me the photographer in to

the fun. I love this picture that smile says it all.

For those waiting....The Last Christmas

I share a love of Christmas music with my dear friend Mitzi who is patiently waiting for the birth of their 3rd child any day. This song reminded me of her today as well as many others I know of who are waiting for referrals, court dates, and paper work to move from one desk to another (Green Family)so that their children can come home to their new family. This song from Six Pence None the Richer called The Last Christmas is about the last Christmas without their child that is to be born later in the spring. May the Lord extend an extra measure of grace to those who are patiently waiting on their children to arrive by birth and adoption this Christmas.

I remember last year wondering if our longed for children would be home the next year by Christmas...praying that they would be and now here they are celebrating Christmas with us for the first time. Last Christmas seems so long ago and all of the agony of waiting seems to be a distant memory once you are home, holding them and loving them, but when you are in the midst of waiting at times it is unbearable. Unforeseen delays were the hardest for me to take and it seemed I would break...then after much prayer and encouragement from my sweet husband I would get back up and trust the Lord even more to move the current mountain(reason for delay) in front of us at the time. He was always faithful to give us the strength and perseverance to press on and He continues to do so as we raise our children.

It is also hard to believe that it has been one year ago since starting the blog. I have loved sharing our journey with friends, family, and friends of friends. I look back at this past year and stand in awe of what the Lord has done. We look forward to 2009 and all that the Lord will do in us and through us. Thank you sweet family and friends for walking along this journey with us.

Christmas Piano Recital

Emily and J.Michael have been hard at work learning their pieces for their Christmas Piano Recital. Their piano teacher Miss Sarah Hulin(she is the one sitting directly behind the kids in the video) has been teaching them piano in our home. She has been a tremendous blessing to our family and a great encouragement to Emily and J.Michael to pursue excellence, practice diligently and to be challenged by trying more difficult pieces to play. J.Michael played "Psalm 1 and O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" and Emily played "Amazing Grace, My Chains are Gone and What Child is this?" . Emily also did the arrangement for What Child is This which was challenging for her but it turned out beautifully. Great Job! I am so proud of both of you and your willingness to share your gift of music with the residence of Silverado Senior Living Center. It was truly a blessed night. Silverado Senior Living Center is a place for seniors with memory diseases. Most of whom we visited were unable to have coherent conversations with us but the music blessed them and seeing the little children and being hugged on brought smiles to their faces. We were so blessed to be part of this ministry...thank you Sarah!

*remember to click pause on the playlist music in the left sidebar so you can hear the video

I apologize for the shaky footage in advance...I had a little helpoor. Nana you may need to have your doggie bag handy!

It's begining to look a lot like Christmas

Christmas has been something we have been trying to explain to Andrew for the past month. He here's this word and that is all it is to him...a word. He has no point of reference, no idea what this time of year is about. Today we put our Christmas tree up and began to talk about the meaning of Christmas and what we as Shiflet's celebrate...the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We had fun putting ornaments on the tree one Shiflet tradition is to make ornaments each year and add to the tree. We have ornaments that Emily and J.Michael made when they were little and ones that have lasted from our very first Christmas together as a family, 14 yrs ago.

This year adding ornaments of Andrew and Kathlena's first Christmas. We also hang candy canes on the tree and each day we all get to choose one to eat! Yum...some of our favorites are Hershey's mint chocolate and Jolly Rancers candy canes.

Here are some small video clips of us decorating the tree:

Kathlena and the Christmas tree. Too cute hearing her say "christmas tree" We also let the kids decorate their rooms with lights. Kathlena calls these lights her Christmas tree and wants them on instead of her night light at bedtime and nap.

Placing their first ornaments on the tree.