It's Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Benson's note to Jesus, we didn't have enough H/U combos, so a sideways C had to do the trick!

Merry Christmas everyone! I think it's been TOO long since I last blogged. Since the last post, Nate safely traveled to and home from Mississippi with work, Benson turned four months old, and we celebrated his first Christmas out here. I can't stop thinking of and thanking God for so many blessings. So, I'll try to slow myself down long enough to share with you... God is so faithful, and here's proof!

A couple weeks ago, we were able to enjoy a date, Benson joined us, to a Hershey Bears hockey game! He did so great, and loved watching the guys skate around on the ice. He finally succomed to exhaustion in the third period with a few head bobs, and complete snoozing, even snoozing through the loudness of a 'hat trick'. This was fun for me. I've been to hockey games in Europe, but never here. I learned a lot from Nate.

Doesn't he look intrigued???

Nate traveled to Mississippi a week ago for work. Often times on his trips, he has fairly decent delays and this trip was no exception. He got stuck in traffic due to an accident on the way to Baltimore. Thankfully, his flight was late, so he didn't miss it. Then he got stuck coming home with a delay, and another, and anotherin Atlanta that *could have* been long and frustrating, resulting in him not getting home for many days due to the storm we had, but God got him home safely that night! We did great here at home, but I stayed up too late every night hanging out with friends :) It was good for me, though and I'm reminded how much I love my girlfriends!

Benson had his four month doctor appointment and he is GROWING! He is now 24.5" tall (36.13%), weighs 16lbs, 4oz (78.58%), and his head is 16.34" (31.55%). The doctor commented how solid he is. He's not actually very fat, except those thighs and cheeks... He also commented he might be a linebacker in the making, which would probably make Grandma Frisky very happy :)

Friday night, shortly after Nate got home, we got sad news from friends and I don't think I've ever cried so deeply. I love how God knits our hearts together, allowing us to weep when He does. You know who you are, and we love you and we believe God with you and for you!!!

Saturday morning we got up early to play in the snow. I couldn't wait to drive in it and Nate obliged. We drove to the mall, which was thankfully very slow due to the storm, then drove to Ephrata, a town 15 miles away or so to go to Ten Thousand Villages to buy Benson an ornament for Christmas. Since he's named after a missionary in Kenya, we decided to buy an ornament for him from Kenya. http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/baobab-tree-ornament. Because of where Nate works, we even got a nice discount - thank you Jesus! Afterwards, we went on a hunt for a wagon for Benson, but ended up just taking a nice, long drive down snowy roads that had barely been traveled on, we even got to drive through a covered bridge in the snow - I was delighted! Now, if it would just keep snowing, that would be nice :)

Sunday church was cancelled so we enjoyed relaxing a bit in the morning, then had our dear friends Rick and Carla over for lunch. These two really know how to love people and we feel inspired by them every time we're even close to being in their presence. They're that cool. They gave Benson his first Christmas present and gave us a couple of steaks (do they know how to get into our hearts or what???).

After lunch, we packed up our snow gear to head to the Weaver's house in Strasburg. I love old friends, don't you? Not OLD like that, but friends I have known for 10 years or so and who I love and appreciate so much. We went sledding and I didn't get hurt! I did, however, manage to somehow end up backwards going down the hill (not on purpose), taking out a bush, and even crashing into Erin's lane as we were racing and knocking her from her sled. I love her laugh. It makes me smile even thinking of it. Benson enjoyed his first sled ride (with dad, since I can't be trusted)...

This week has been busy with lots of work and fun (I got to get out to a great ladies Bible study Christmas feast party) and preparing our hearts for Christmas. I was reading earlier this week the account of Jesus' birth in Matthew 1, 2, and 3. I was struck by how obedient Joseph was. If you want to be inspired, read the passages and think about how the Word says the Lord told Joseph to do something and he did! It doesn't say he pondered it, waited and worried, but that he "got up" and did what God told him to. I want that faith, that obedience and that love for God. I haven't been able to stop thinking about that this week. I'm so glad Joseph obeyed God to stay with Mary, to move to protect Jesus when God told him to.

We enjoyed Christmas Eve by making cookies for our neighbors - yummy sugar cookies with orange rind and an orange rind icing. YUM!

We celebrated Christmas with Nate's family last night - complete with the traditional feast of shrimp, ham, waffles, blueberry sauce, fruit, veggie tray, cookies, and I'm sure some other stuff. It's a weird menu, but they used to have Christmas day brunch, then moved it to Christmas Eve and kept the menu the same. I like the weirdness. Benson had fun opening gifts, dressing as a cow for the Christmas story, and listening to our nieces play Christmas carols on the piano. We enjoyed singing together, reading of Jesus' birth, and receieving/giving gifts! I had a surprise with my gifts because I couldn't remember what I had on my list! Angie spoiled me! Benson was blessed with a hat grandma made for him, a rattle, a fun wood tool set and Global Babies book, and Nate got tools! We are so blessed to be part of such a great family!All the grandkids with the hats grandma made for them!

Okay, people... Seriously, how cute is this??? Nate's mom made head-pieces for Released Time last week to act out the Christmas story and we used them last night. Benson makes a cute cow, don't you think???

This morning, we woke up early - I made homemade wheat cinnamon rolls - thank heavens for quick rise yeast ;) and we opened gifts while they baked. Nate blessed me with Peridot earrings and necklace (Benson's birthstone), Benson got blocks, a couple Bibles (one of which I think I want to read front to back - the pictures are awesome - so expressive!), and I crocheted him a little blanket (about a foot square (ish, because really, it's not that square!), Nate got an impact and regular drill, gloves, and a hat.

I'm missing my mom and Gretchen this year, but look forward to seeing them in just over two weeks in ARIZONA! This will be a first for us in Sedona, and a first for Nate in California and Arizona. It'll be fun to show him some of my old stompin' grounds! We are so fortunate for the trip, Nate will be out in California on work, I had a flight voucher from my trip home from my "world tour" in January that paid for almost half of my ticket that we got for WAY CHEAP. We'll get to see my best friend and her hubby for a couple days then drive to Arizona to meet mom and Gretchen. I can hardly wait!

I better run now - we're headed back to mom and dad's for Christmas lunch with Grandma, Grandpa, and great Aunt June!

More pictures on our picasa site: http://picasaweb.google.com/nateandjenny.blogspot.com

Many blessing and much love to you this Christmas!