Day 23...A Christmas Letter from the Williams Clan!

We have been so blessed by our family and friends this year but most importantly by our God.

 Elijah is in the first grade at the Spanish Immersion School and impressed all of his family in Texas with how much he has learned.  He played soccer in the spring and flag football in the fall for the Titans, who were coached by his dad.  He is fascinated by science and Legos, and found out losing teeth (2 so far) is not as bad as it seems.

Yonatan has grown so much and continues to amaze us everyday.  He is in love with every animal he sees, which makes visits to the zoo exciting and frequent, and prays nightly for them.  He loves putting together puzzles and being very active.  Yonni will be starting soccer in the spring and is very excited to finally be able to play.

Frances continues to explore her passions and talents.  She started a photography business, Frances Williams Photography, this year; and continues teaching piano several nights a week, coordinating the worship services at the church, and of course supporting Scott’s ministry to the students.  Frances loves all of these things, but her greatest passion is being a mom and wife.

Scott continues to love his ministry at the Lexington Church of Christ with the students and congregation as a whole.  December marks us being at the church for six and a half years.  Scott has continued his odd habit of wearing kilts and going to Scottish Highland festivals to throw heavy things.  Although he enjoys soccer every year, he really felt fulfilled coaching Elijah’s football team this fall.

We can’t wait to see what God has in store for us in 2011 and prays that He blesses you this Christmas and in the New Year!

Day 22...

Yesterday was Elijah's first day home on break. We filled the day playing in the living room, having fun with Miles, finishing up with some final touches at church for Christmas eve, making sour cream cut out cookies, hanging out with the cousins, then a sleepover AND all the boys kept saying was, "3 more days" :

Day 21...

Last Day of school for 2010!! Whoo hoo :) Elijah's day ended with combing the 2 first grades at the Spanish Immersion School and having a Christmas party. They had cupcakes, a craft, a lesson on Kwanza, and a book exchange.

Day 20...My Favorite Tradition

The moment I saw this calendar in 2006, I knew this was going to be yearly tradition for the Williams' household. It began that year with Elijah opening a new door and learning little words every night to relate the story of Christmas, then the next year he was able to say phrases and it kept on getting better! Last year was Yonni's first year with this tradition, and it was a little rough remembering, but we still went with it. This year is a completely different story. Elijah practically has it memorized from last year and Yonatan just amazes us with how much of it he remembers every night. By Christmas Eve, both boys will read US the story of Jesus' birth and I know I will be all teary-eyed and hopefully video recording it.

Other than learning the story of Christmas, this calendar celebrates children from all over the world. Every night there is a different country that is brought to our attention and then we pray for the children of that country. Its super cool when we get to day 17 because that is when we get to specifically pray for the kiddos in Ethiopia. Of all the different little traditions we do every year, this one is by far my FAVORITE!

Day 19...

Today was our last morning with Grandma; we rushed her to the airport right after church. We then had a yummy lunch at mommy's favorite Red Robin, and then headed to the Bosh-Baker wedding. It was so pretty. Brittany's dress was gorgeous!! After the wedding, we had a fun time at the reception and then left a bit early so we could make it home so Elijah could get in bed since his vacay hadn't started yet. All in all, a good day.

Day18...

I LOVE days that we can just stay warm in our pajamas!  That's pretty much what happened today.  We had a lazy morning eating Star Wars pancakes and eggs.  Then as I baked cakes, Grandma Jo made a gingerbread house with the boys.  They absolutely had a great time helping out.  For the rest of the day, the boys read books, played legos, and watched some Christmas movies with Grandma.  Mommy and Daddy ran a few more errands, and before we knew it, it was time for a bath and bed.

Day 17...

Friday, Friday, Friday! Because Scott's mom was visiting us for the weekend, Scott and I spent the night away from the boys. We awoke this morning with a mission...to, START Christmas shopping for the boys. It was a LONG day, but very successful. We made it home by 5pm and then loaded Elijah, Yonni, and Grandma in the van and headed to Columbus for the Christmas Zoo Lights. This was a first for us, and other than becoming popsicles, we had a blast!! The boys got to pet a reindeer (and snap a photo with him), decorate cookies, drink warm cocoa, and just take in all the lights.

Day 16...

Thursday was a fun day. We got to go to Columbus and pick Grandma Jo up from the airport...she was going to be spending the weekend with us (and especially came for Elijah's Christmas concert).  Elijah's concert went great, he was really nervous for some reason, but was super cute up on those risers.  After the concert, Grandma took the boys home and Scott and I enjoyed a much needed night away!