So long, Christmas...

Packing up the snowflakes.

Faith looks for one more snowflake.

She finds it and gives it to daddy.

Sunday afternoon was spent relaxing and taking down all of our Christmas decorations. The girls really enjoyed helping out. Next year, they'll practically be able to decorate most of the tree on their own. As a gift from the Walswick family, the girls received their very own little nativity set. Unlike the grown-up set, they'll actually be able to touch the pieces on theirs. Our first Christmas as a family was a busy time but incredibly special, too. Over the years, we look forward to teaching Faith and Grace more about baby Jesus and why we celebrate Christmas.

Splish, splash...

One of Faith & Grace's favorite things to do is take their nightly bath. Two words that come to mind is Pure Joy. The sweet, infectious, sounds of laughter are often followed by giggles, screams and hysterical fun-- all in the bath tub! We often say that if anyone is feeling a little down, they should just come over and witness our girls taking a bath. You can't help but smile and laugh along!

On another note, they practically brought their poor daddy to tears last night when they both said, "I love you," before going to bed. Well, it was more like, "Wub u."

A special delivery

On the morning of Christmas Eve, our doorbell rang so we thought it was one of our family members coming over for the day. It ended up being a delivery person and she had a very special package for Faith & Grace. It came all the way from Korea! The girls' foster family had sent them a Christmas gift and it arrived at the perfect time!

We eagerly put it under the tree and couldn't wait to open it, along with all their other gifts. The box contained 2 Cd's filled with Korean children's songs, a box of flashcards, a book, and a writing kit for kids. How incredibly thoughtful and kind of them to send this very special gift to our girls! We can't thank them enough. We look forward to teaching our girls more about their Korean roots and culture and these gifts will definitely come in handy. The girls received so many wonderful presents from our family and friends.

We thank and appreciate all of you! Our first Christmas with the girls was truly special and one that we will always remember.

Christmas Picture Parade

Merry Christmas!

Our first family Christmas card photo.

The best gifts.

Proud parents.

Grace eats an apple.

Faith has the fruit of the spirit.

The presents are wrapped, the stockings are hung, the cookies are made, and the car is packed! Rich and Emily are hosting their first Christmas in their new home today. We'll be heading to Orange County right after church this morning where we'll spend the day with my family. Tomorrow, all of Morgan's family will gather in our home to celebrate Christmas Eve. We hope you have a blessed Christmas with your loved ones as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Almighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

21 months old

They like to stand on the coffee table.

They use their little ottomans to climb on top.

Faith is now standing on a bucket.

Gangster Baby G.

Grace is trying to tickle Faith's belly button.

The girls are 21 months old today. Yikes! That means birthday #2 will be here before we know it! Our girls are becoming quite independent and adventurous, too.

Here's what's happening in the life of Grace & Faith:

Favorite food(s): pancakes, waffles, chicken tenders, broccoli, cheese, fig newtons, nuts, and apples.

Words: Too many to name--lately we've been hearing: Santa, ho-ho-ho, snowman, daddy, mommy, uh-oh!, baby, Elmo, nuts, broccoli, snack, cookies, cracker, hi, hello, bye-bye, nice-nice, Amen, truck, flower, sun, balloon, eyes, nose, ears, mouth, cheeks, toes, etc...

Playtime: They love to read, dance and spin around 'til they get dizzy and fall on the floor, listen to music, sing to and feed their baby, get chased, take all their toys out of their toy box and scatter them all over the house, follow me everywhere (my little shadows), climb on the coffee table and scare us half to death by jumping on it.
Sleep: Taking a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon and still sleeping 11-12 hours at night! Woo-hoo!

Cookies for Santa

Santa's bakery shop.

Our little bakers.

Daddy helps Gracie roll her dough.

Grace decides it's more fun to eat the cookie dough.

Look at our creation!

Grace finds the cookie she made.

Frosting is tasty!

Waiting for Santa.

The girls and I baked some cookies yesterday. They enjoyed using their very own little rolling pin and of course, the best part... sampling their finished work! Although I'm a terrible baker, we hope to make it a tradition to bake Christmas cookies every year. Sure hope Santa likes extra crispy cookies!