So Long, Christmas

I can’t believe its done!  So much time and energy getting ready for the big day and then its over, just like that!
We did have a great Christmas this year, but I still felt rushed at times to buy, wrap, or just stay organized.  Part of me wants to take the family somewhere in the mountains over the holidays and just hang out together.  Get away from all the commercialism and busyness. 
Anyway, here are some pics from the Kicks family Christmas;

PJ night sponsored by Aunty Mandy

Hannah with her animals

Hot Wheels, of course!

CARS mania (sleeping bag)

And last, but not least, our biscuit tradition on Christmas morning

Merry Christmas

My friend Rusty introduced me to this song and I can’t get it out of my mind.
Click on the title to listen to it: (scroll down to "Behold the Lamb of God" # 

Labor of Love

It was not a silent night
there was blood on the ground
you could hear a woman cry
in the alleyways that night
on the streets of David’s town

And the stable was not clean
and the cobblestones were cold
and little Mary full of grace
with the tears upon her face
Had no mother’s hand to hold

It was a labor of pain
it was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
with every beat of her beautiful heart
it was a labor of love

Noble Joseph at her side
Callused hands and weary eyes
there were no midwives to be found
In the streets of David’s town
in the middle of the night

so he held her and he prayed
Shafts of moonlight on his face
But the baby in her womb
He was the maker of the moon
He was the Author of the faith
That could make the mountains move

It was a labor of pain
it was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
with every beat of her beautiful heart
it was a labor of love
for little Mary full of grace
with the tears upon her face
it was a labor of love

A Montage

I have so much to catch up on that this poor entry will have to be the catch-all…so lets see where I shall begin….

At the beginning of November David and I went on a mini-vacation to Chicago.  Mutual friends of ours were getting married and we had not been back to Moody or Chicago since graduation so we thought this a good excuse for a fun, quick visit.

Chicago is still as beautiful as ever!   We walked the streets, ate at some of our favorite places and reminisced like crazy.  We were able to visit Moody, see some dear friends and laugh at how old we felt watching the youngsters walk around campus.  It was a great trip and one I would love to take yearly!

One of our favorite places for popcorn-Garretts!

On To Other News…

My big girl just got glasses-isn’t she a cutie!?

And here’s crazy Jonah racing around the house

Thanksgiving

Here’s Hannah with her Pilgrim hat at her school’s Thanksgiving Assembly;

 

Every year for Thanksgiving we spend the week in St Louis with David’s family.  We had a great time and of course took a day to visit the zoo!

fa la la la laaa, la, la, la!

This year we didn’t seem as rushed to get the decor and tree up for Christmas and yet I still don’t have that "perfect " picture of the kids for the cards that should have gone out already!

OK, so I’m fairly caught up for now-hopefully it won’t be so long between posts again, but you never know…