Christmas at the Farm

I don't really like New Year's resolutions, but one of my little hopes for this new year is that I'll be more faithful to blog briefly several times a week. I want this to be a story of our lives but when things get busy, I forget to write. I'm going to take the next few days to write about the past couple of weeks since a lot was going on and I don't want it to be left out of our story. By the time our children's choir Christmas program was FINALLY over (that story will come later), there was one shopping day left before Christmas dinners began. The first dinner was held at the farm on Saturday (22nd) by Nee-Nee and my mom's siblings and their families. Like always, we ate well, visited briefly, opened kids' presents, and said "good-bye" for another year. It always feels rushed and that bothers me. Why do we hurry through time with our family? Maybe we don't care enough.

On a good note, my siblings and their families, along with my parents stayed at the farm for several days where we had a great time eating and visiting together! I always look forward to this, but Richard and his family didn't come this year. I love that there's no cell service and no internet, which helps us stay focused on each other. There IS t.v. but that's okay. We do lots of visiting and playing games which is so refreshing to me.

Schaeffer and Landon love playing together and do a lot less arguing the older they get. Alanna had everyone eating out of her hand--or at least pretending to--with her constant tea parties. She is such a little prissy thing and so adorable that it's hard to say "no" to her! We are hoping that by next year the Gottschall clan will include a little fellow from Bulgaria. We're praying for him already! Also, little Dean will most likely be at least 10 months old already! We can't wait to meet him, too!!

Thankfully we got our annual family picture the night before Megan and Aaron had to leave because Christmas Eve dawned with Marlena and me feeling quite sick. Not a fun start to the day, but it got better! For a few hours we had everyone there together except Richard and his family. I guess since we live away, we treasure the times we do have with our extended family. God has so blessed us with godly family--I love for my children to be around them.