Christmas Holidays!

Are you guys all enjoying your Christmas Holidays so far? I am! It's been a busy week but a lot of fun too, for myself at least.
Monday we stayed home and had a fancy dinner with just our immediate family. Everyone got a stocking with stuff like chocolate, candy, gloves, dinky cars (for the twins) and that kind of stuff inside. Then we watched "Eight Below" and "AirBud-VollyBall". My siblings liked them but I am not much of a movie person so I never know what to think of a movie when I watch one.
Tuesday we visseted some friends of our who live close by. We meant to stay for coffee in the morning and lunch. But...we ended up staying for all of the afternoon and much of the evening. Anyway, as you will have guessed, we had lots and lots of fun.
Wednesday Dad had to work again. Mom and I worked on hanging pictures on the walls. Most of this job hadn't been done since we moved. Now that it's done, it helps to make this house feel more like home. The wall paper boarders do too. Mom, Becca, and I, put up some of the boarders on Thursday. I love my bedroom the way it is now. Maybe I'll post some pics, if this comp. will let me.
Friday, Mom turned 40!!! We had a small party for her yesterday afternoon. Some of Mom's family and some of Dad's came. It was great. I took tons of pics of uncles, aunts, cousins and everybody. I might post a few later.
And today, has mostly been a day for relaxing. I took some 4wheeler rides and drives with the younger kids. For a few minutes I had to sit on it with Andrew and teach him how to drive. He kept on wanting to go faster than I thought he should go. That's the way it goes with a darring 7 year old and his safety-cautious big sister. Now I'm busy making olie bolen, which I can't wait to taste.
So that's been my week. On New Years day we have one more "fun" day and then it's back to school.

A song for Chistmas Day

Christians, awake ,salute the happy morn

Where on the Savior of the world was born.

Rise to adore the mystery of love

Which hosts of angels chanted from above;

Whith them the joyful tidings first begun

Of God Incarnate and the virgin's Son.

Then to the watchful Shepherds it was told,

Who heard the angelic herald's voice "Behold,

I bring good tidings of a Saviour's birth

To you and all the nations upon earth;

This day has God fufilled His promised word;

This day is born a savior, Christ the Lord."

He spake; and straitway the celestial choir
In hynms of joy unknown before conspire;
The praises of redeeming love they sang,
And heaven's whole orb with alleluias rang.
God's highest glory was their anthem still,
Peace upon earth and unto men good will.

To Bethl'em strait the enlightened shepherds ran
To see the wonder God had wrought for man,
And found, with Joseph and the blessed maid,
Her Son, the Savior, in a manger laid;
Then to their flocks, still praising God return.
And their glad hearts with holy rapture burn.

Oh,may we keep and ponder in our mind
God's wonderous love in saving lost mankind!
Trace we the babe,who hath retrieved our loss,
From His poor manger to His bitter cross,
Tread in His steps asisted by His grace,
Till our imperfect state God doth replace.

Then may we hope, angelic hosts among,
To sing redeemed a glad triumphal song:
He that was born upon this joyful day
Around us all His glory shall display.
Saved by His love, incessant we shall sing
Eternal praise to heaven's almighty King. Amen.

Blessed Christmas and best wishes for the new year to all of you! :)

I got my hair cut!

Before, and ... After.
 

More Snow!!!

 

"While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease."  

Weekend in Bowmanville

Last Saturday the whole Boekee family got together at Opa's house for our annual Sinter Claus party. It was tons of fun! All of the aunts, uncles, and cousins were able to make it, plus all the girl/boy friends except for one. Too bad I didn't bring my camera. The little kids are so cute and the big kids are so funny. We all love to play with each other, big kids and little kids. All the aunts and girl cousins wanted to hold Benjamin, he went from one set of arms to another. The food was great. We had plenty of it even though Mom's scalloped patatoes just wouldn't cook fast enough so we skipped them. Every year Tante Corrine makes a ginger bread house. We set it on a round table and every one crowded close. At the count of 3 a hundred hands smashed it to pieces and reached for the candy. Marie set up two contests, the kind where you have to guess how many candies are in a jar. John won the one for the younger children. Uncle Ed and Aunt Cathy brought a chocolate letter for every one.
That night our family stayed at Uncle Fred and Tante Caroline's house.(Thanks again for hosting us!) We went to their church in the morning and afterward had coffee and soup with them. We made it to Toronto Church that afternoon. ( Not before the service started though.) It was so sweet to see all our old friends again. After some visiting with them all we got on the road again and were home at 9:15
On Saturday afternoon Uncle Cor, cousin Puff, Jeremy and I went to see Beppe's tomb stone. We hadn't seen it before since its been there. It has been a year now since she past away. I was thinking on that fact the other night as I did my devotions and these verses came to mind:
Do not sorrow for the joy of the LORD is your strenghth. Neh.8:10

Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death. Psalm33:18,19a

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom.8:37-39