When I woke up this morning there was snow on the ground and rain in the air.  Knowing it wouldn't last the day I woke up the kids and told them to get out there while it was around.  The boys said, "no thanks - I'd rather do school."  Lona's response, "I don't want to get up."  I promptly went downstairs and left for working out, leaving the kiddos in bed and John getting ready for work.
I was informed at workout that school was cancelled but that has never been an issue for us at home.  We can do school rain or shine, but preferably not when it is nice out.  When I arrived home I found the snow gear out but didn't hear anything stirring except the gerbils.  The dog almost never gets up before 10am.  I made the coffee and was getting ready to go upstairs to take a shower when Lona, in full ski gear, knocked at the back door wanting in.  Surprise. 

She was outside alone with the dog in the dark trying to make a snowman.  She hadn't even had breakfast yet.  I decided then and there to be spontaneous and call a snow day.  Isaac's french class was cancelled and so was Awana.  We had nothing pressing to do. 

Quand je se reveille ce matin, il y a de la neige sur la terre et la pluie dans l'aire.  Je demande aux enfants s'ils voulussent aller dehors pour jouer dans la neige.  Les garcons dirent "non, merci."  Lona dit "je ne  veut pas me reveiller".  Alors j'ai quitte la maison d'aller faire la forme physique.  La, j'ai decouvert que les ecoles sont ferme pour la jour au cause de la neige. 

Quand j'arrive a la maison, je trouve des vetements du neige par terre mais il n' y a pas de bruit dans la maison.  Je me fais du cafe et commence de montre en haut quand quelqu'un a frappe a la porte derrier.  C'etait Lona.  Elle etait toute seule dans la jardin sans lumiere pour fabriquer un homme de neige. Elle n'avait pas manger le petit dejeuner. 

Alors parce que la classe francais a ete decommandee pour la jour j'ai decide d'avoir un jour dans la neige.  Parce que nous finissons nos classes un mois plus que les etudiants aux ecoles, je pense pourquoi pas?

December has come and gone, a new year has arrived  and yet there is so much from December that I still want to write about.
Decembre etait partir, un annee nouvelle a commence mais il y a quelleque choses qui se passent en decembre qui sont importante. 
 13 events of December:  13 choses importante en decembre:
1.  My Mom's visit:  Brief, hectic and wonderful. We went to dance rehearsals and a recital, soccer games, shopping and ice cream. We were able to visit, speak french, watch movies and open presents.  La visite de ma mere.  Nous sommes allee de voir Lona en ballet, Job et Isaac en football, faire du shopping, parler en francais, et voir des films.








2. A rare visit from John's Dad.  we drug him to soccer games too.   John worked on his computer during his free time and the kids played the piano for him and Pat.  Une visite avec le pere de John.  Nous lui prennons avec nous de voir Isaac jouer le football.

3. The rainy weather.  We all were silently hoping for snow.
Le pluie.  Nous esperons de neige mais il seulement plui.
4. Christmas lights:  walking and driving around our own neighborhood and others for the lights.  Les lumieres de Noel, nous faire des promenades de voirs les lumieres.






5. Opening on present on Christmas Evening and trying to send the kids off to bed so we could set up a present for the morning.  Ouvrire un cadeau de Noel le soir avant le Noel apres allons a l'eglise.

6.  Stuffing stockings:  this year I put in personal sugared cereal cups so John and I could sleep in but they didin't want to go downstairs without us.
Les chausettes de Noel.  Je lui mets de cereal du sucre pour les enfants.
7.  Opening presents in the dark before the sun came up - it was different last year. 
Ouvrire les cadeaux dans l'obscurite parce que c'etait trop tot.  C'est different l'annee passee.




8.  Going to a friend's house for brunch, singing and games on Christmas Day.  Allez chez un ami pour le petit dejeuner a Noel.  Nous avons manger, chanter et jouer.
9.  Skiing at Mount Baker.  We hung out on the rope tow (it's free) and were soaking wet in 2 hours.  We had lunch, played with the dog and went home.  Faisez du ski a Mount Baker juste pour deux heures au cause de pluie.
10.  Receiving an unexpected surprise from my Grandparents.  Nous avons recu un cadeau a mes grandparents.  C'est vraiment un surprise.











11.  My new kitchen faucet.  It makes me smile while washing dishes.  We still have a broken dishwasher (It's been broken since before my Mom arrived in December).  Unfortunately my new faucet broke and we were washing dishes in the laundry room until the faucet was replace.  But all is good now.
Une nouvelle robinet de cuisine.  Il me fait plaisir.  Il faut que je lave les vaiselle parce que mon lave-vaiselle est casse mais ma robinet me fait sourire.
12.  Wrapping presents for Reach Out.  There were more kids there than any other year and we were done around 3:30.  Isaac, Job and Lona have an automatic job of gathering wrapped presents and placing them on the correct family number.  Envelope les cadeaux pour les enfants qui n'avait rien pour le Noel. 

Over this Christmas break, Job had the opportunity to play and practice on a select team.  These kids were nominated as being some of the best on their team.  His coach really deliberated on nominating Job but did and we took full advantage of it.  His team comprised of boys ages 9 and 10 (mostly 10). They had practices at the sportsplex and learned a lot.  Job's first tournament was on Sunday, Dec 26.  His team was split and placed on two older teams.  They played on the big field against older kids (mostly 12 year olds that had made the select teams).  I was a little worried.  I mean Job weighs all of 50 pounds and many kids were twice that, but he did fine.  They placed third out of four teams.  Not bad.  Then they played again on Wednesday against 12 year olds. They didn't split up the team and add them to older kids this time so it was their team of 10 year olds against 12 year olds.  They lost their games but still not by a lot.  They played their hearts out.  Their last tournament was on Thursday.  This was a U10 tournament.  Kids that were mostly 10 with a few 9 year olds.  They won all their games.  I saw the last one and it was exciting.  Job's team fought hard and won. This allowed them to play for the championship.  Job played defense, which meant that he had to keep on his man so that he didn't let the forward get by him and score. He got in there and would create a wall that kept kids from getting around him. Sometimes even using his arms to do a little pushing.  He would lock arms with his opponent while fighting for the ball, pulling it back and passing it across the field to his teammates.  The ball was back and forth, shots were taken by both teams and deflected or missed.  At halftime the score was in Job's team's favor.  Another 12 minutes of passing, shooting, deflecting and scoring by both teams.  At the end of the game it was 4 to 4.  This resulted in sudden death overtime of 6 minutes - first team to score wins.  The Rapids reds kicked off, but the Rapids white (Job's team) quickly gain possession of it.  Again it was back and forth, subs were sent in.  Job again was on defense.  The level of play increased.  The Rapids red had won game in a shoot out already and want to win this one bad.  The Rapids white stepped up their play and kept the Reds from scoring but they were able to score either.  They had plenty of shots but after 6 minutes nothing, still the score remained 4 to 4.  This meant that it would be decided by shoot out.  Three shots by each team, three shooters, one goalie for each team.  Job's team had an excellent goalie and three very hard kickers.  They made their first two shots and unfortunately for the other team, they did not.  Job's team the Rapid whites won 6 to 4 in a shoot out to become the u10 champions for the Christmas tournament.  Job has had a tough outdoor season and an even tougher indoor season so this felt good.  He is now a little excited to play soccer again.

Depuis la vacances pour Noel, Job avait l'occasion de jouer le football.  Les garcons sont les mieux sur ses equipes. Son entraineur n'etait pas sur que Job avait assi talent mais il demande s'il veut jouer.  Il dit oui et participe bien.  Son equipe avait des garcon qui sont 10 ans et quelque qui sont 9 ans.  Ils ont apprendre beaucoup et apres quelque practiques ils ont jouer dans trois tournoi.  En le premier tournoi, les garcons jouent dans deux equipes differents.  Les equipes sont pour les garcons qui sont 12 ans, alors petit Job joue avec et contre des garcons plus grands que lui.  L'equipe pris le troisieme place pour ca tournoi mais il y a seulement quatre equipes.  Le deuxieme tournoi, l'equipe de Job est seulement garcons qui sont 10 ans mais ils ont joue contre des equipes qui ont des garcons 12 ans.  Ils ont perdu tout.  Le dernier tournoi, l'equipe de Job joue contre des equipe de garcon de 10 ans.  C'est magnifique.  Le derniere match de tournoi, il finis 4 a 4, alors il faut joue 6 minutes plus.  Apres le 6 minutes, c'est 4 a 4 deja.  Il faut que trois garcon prennent de coupe contre le gardien de but pour chaque equipe.  Deux garcon sur l'equipe de Job met le ball dans le but mais le gardien pour l'equipe de Job arrete le ball pour l'autre equipe.  A la fin, l'equipe de Job gagne 6 a 4 et ils sont les champions pour ce tournoi.



Waiting their turn to rehearse.




Lining up to practice the grande finale. Attendre de practice le fin.



Inside Mount Baker Theatre Dedans le Theatre de Mount Baker



Holding the hoopla,



Mary played by Miss Taylor Mary, la mere de Jesus, Mademoiselle Taylor

This year Lona is part of a ballet company that produces a Nativity Ballet Recital.  It follows the story of Christ's birth.  She practiced almost every week from October until December 20.  The Saturday before there was a run through and then the day of there was another run through.  My Mom came for a visit and scheduled her visit to see Lona dance.  When I found out that it was going to be all of 40 seconds, I was a little disappointed but after seeing part of the program I was impressed.  I volunteered to help in the back so didn't get to see much more than 4 or 5 dances.  But the dances I did see I was blown away.  I think that this is going to be a must see for own family from now on.  John said that he was tearry eyed throughout the program.  Isaac told Lona that he was proud of her.  It was amazing.  One of Lona's teachers, Miss Taylor, was Mary in the program.  Afterwards we went for ice cream and Miss Taylor was there.  Lona told her how good Miss Taylor danced and beamed when she talked to her.  I appreciate the older girls that Lona looks up too and can be role models for her, even from afar.

Lona a practique pour la ballet chaque semaine depuis October.  L'histoire est la naissance de Jesus.  Lona etait une etoile pour l'histoire.  En samedi, il y a un grande repetition au studio et lundi, il y a un autre repetition au theatre.  Lundi soir est la ballet.  J'aide etape arriere alors je ne pouvais pas voir tout mais John me dit qu'il a apporte des larmes a ses yeux.  La production etait magnifique.  Une professeur de Lona etait Mary, la mere.  Elle est gentile et aimable et Lona pense bien a elle.  Apres la ballet nous sommes alles pour manger les glaces.  Incroyable, Mademoiselle Taylor (la professeur) etait la aussi.  Quand Lona la parle, Lona avait un grand sourire sur sa visage.  Mademoiselle Taylor dit a Lona qu'elle fait bien et Lona dit la meme a Mademoiselle Taylor.  C'etait une bonne nuit.

I think my Mom wants to wack him.  Je pense que Job a besoin un frappe a la tete

Our advent activity was to sing Christmas carols by the fireplace with candles.  Lona was so excited.  She found all the candles in the house and had it set up.  The boys had soccer practice and were wound up when they got home.  She had them close their eyes and walk into the family room to surprise them.  There was a little groaning once they figured out what was up, but they participated anyway.  They had no choice.  We pulled out the hymnals and started.  There is a reason that we don't sing up front at church and that reason was in full display last night. I have no idea why but Job decided that he had to sing with an incredibly low voice and then both Job and Isaac wouldn't sing the carols correctly.  They have their own version of We Three Kings and Jingle Bells.  In a soft sad voice Lona said, "This isn't very Christmassy." We got back on track and sang for about a 1/2 hour.  Isaac once tried to play the piano while we sang but we need lots of work.  Sometimes we couldn't finish the song because we were laughing so hard at ourselves.  I'm glad that my Mom could be here and enjoy the awfull singing with us.

L'activite du jour pour l'advent sont chanter autour de la cheminee avec des bougie.  Lona etait vraiment excite et a trouve presque chaque bougie dans la maison.  Quand les garcons ont retourne chez nous, Lona a les demande qu'ils ont ferme les yeux d'entre dans la salon.  Ils ont un peu triste de savoir qu'ils ont besoin de chanter mais avec bonne humeur ils ont commence.  Nous n'ont pas  chanter mieux, en fait nous sommes terribles.  Il y a un raison que nous ne chantons pas devant l'eglise.  Job a decide de chanter avec un voix profonde et nous commencons de rire.  Lona avec un voice dou et triste dit que "ce n'est pas vraiment joli pour Noel".   Je suis content que ma mere peut etre capable ici pour quelques jour et chanter avec nous.

You don't need a time machine or a passport.  You only need to know the nights this is available.  Take a trip back to the night Mary and Joseph were looking for a place in Bethlehem to stay.  Mary was with child, they had traveled for days,the inns were full, Romans were everywhere and the only place they found was with the cattle.  We were educated in Jewish genelogy and local customs, received local currency and were quizzed for the purpose of our visit to the town.  After being given permission to enter we bought a basket from the weaver, visited the woodshop, purchased lavender bags from Lydia, (seller of purple cloth), and bread from the baker.  We paid our taxes to Ceaser and visited the synagogue, where we heard the prophesies of the Messiah being read from the scrolls.  We watched the girls dance, were told that the inn was full and then Mary and Joseph arrived in town.  Suddenly an angel appeared and announced the birth of the Messiah.








Chaque annee nous avons allees a Bethlehem.  Nous choississons un nuit pour la visite.  Nous apprenons l'histoire de Bethlehem.  Ils nous donnent des devise locale.  Quand nous entrons la rue, nous visitons un boulangerie, un charpentier et un fabrique de panier.  Nous paieons des impot a Ceasar et visitons le synagogue.  Et puis, Mary et Joseph entre la ville et un ange announce la naissance de Jesus.