Christmas.

Quick Ella update:

She is a goofy little girl, a week and a half ago she decided she was done with being spoon fed.  She will barely let us feed her any food.  She wants to feed herself all the time.  She is only 11 months old.  What in the world am I in for when my 11 month old daughter is already acting to big for her britches.  Here she is investigating green beans.

She is walking really well and we have less crashes than we did a month ago.  She only says three things (Mama, Dada, and yeah) but she is beginning to understand so many things.  Words that she responds to when spoken: kiss (gives a kiss), bye (waves), yeah (claps), high five(gives high five), bottle (screams for it and runs to your leg), hug (gives a hug), come here (runs to you or away), baby (looks at you), where is the baby (gets out from behind the curtain peek-a-boo style), Ella (looks at you), no (usually responds with defiance), and a few others but those are my favorites.  Not sure when kids are supposed to start verbalizing things so let me know what your experience has been, when should she start saying bottle or other such stuff?


Christmas


Just want to encourage all you out there that celebrate Christmas to do something to remember Christ in your celebration.  As a family buy a gift that helps someone who is really in need check out samaritans purse they have an awesome catalog where you can buy anything from a months worth of food for an orphan or a water well that provides clean water for a community (they have gifts that range from just a few dollars to projects that cost much more), but I gurantee they have something that would fit into your budget and make a difference to someone.  I also I encourage you to read the Christmas story together as a family (Gospel of Luke chapter 2 verses 1-19).  If you don't have a Bible you can find it here or at http://biblegateway.com

Have a merry Christmas!

-CMA

Luke 2
The Birth of Jesus

 1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.  4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 14"Glory to God in the highest,
      and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

 15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

 16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.