We have had a very full weekend. Two Christmas Parties, decorating and taking down for one party, dance class, a chess tournament and a trip downtown Bethlehem.

BP's Family Christmas party was held on Friday night. We all showed up and helped to put up decorations and get things ready. Then we showed up around 5:30 for the party. The kids always have fun at these. They were able to test a few of the game/activity booths during the set up. They came home with lots of stuff in their goody bags. Decorated cookies, crafts that they had made, toys and pictures of them with Santa. Lona keeps reassuring herself that it really isn't Saint Nicolas because he is dead and it is just someone dressed up like Saint Nicolas.

On Saturday, Lona had dance class and Job had to go with us. She is doing so well. I think she is having fun. John and Isaac went to a chess tournament. He had one of the lowest rating because he lost all his games last year at the only tournament he went to. This year he placed 4th out of 47 and helped his team take 2nd place. Yeah. We are very proud of the work he has put in to do this.

The tech department at BP had their Christmas Party on Saturday Night. John returned from the chess tournament in time to change and go to the party.

On Sunday after church we watched a very depressing Seahawks game. Then at night, the Seventh Day Adventist Church was hosting a walk downtown Bethlehem at their church. So since we hadn't done anything this weekend we decided to go. It was amazing. They had constructed little shops and inns and even a synagogue. People were all dressed up as Jewish people or Roman soldiers. We went into the synagogue and the "priest" talked to us about the time period, what he was wearing, the practices of the day, some meanings behind some of the Psalms and read a prophecy from the book of Micah. They handed out "gold" coins to pay our taxes to Caesar and to purchase things. We had to state what tribe we were from and from what line we came. The answer to those two questions are the tribe of Judah and the line of David. We could not enter Bethlehem unless we had the correct ancestors. It was amazingly well done. If they do this again next year we definitely want to go again.

Tonight (being Monday) we jsut hung out. John finished ripping all our cds onto our computer. It's for my Christmas present. It is an ipod but he says that there is more to it than that. There is a ton of music now on our computer. The boys made a pyramid tonight. I'm still trying to figure out my camera. I ordered the lens and it should be here sometime this week. I have a lot to learn. There is a photography course online that will be offered in March for 8 weeks. Its $250. I think that its a great deal. Maybe i may learn something. We'll see.