Daddy with "the Joe" at Christmas dinner (he's explaining why it's not O.K. to make phlatulent noises at the dinner table)

Ava-the-red-nosed-reindeer.

Nana and Ava with her cute beret!

Super Joe with Momma singing Christmas Carols with Aunt Mary

Singing with Aunt Mary a few days before Christmas

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Momma, Ava, and Nana saying "Cheese!"

Nancy and William at Christmas Dinner, William with his Christmas Cracker Hat on

What's up with that BELLY?!

Nana got Ava a new dollie for Christmas. Ava named it Baby Jesus and I caught her talking to the baby: "Are you comptoble (comfortable), Baby Jesus? Do you need your rubber duckie?"

We have a new clubhouse! Thanks Uncle Ernie and Auntie Pat!

Cuddling with "BabyJesus"

Cuddling on Christmas Eve.

Thank you, Bepo, for our new blankies!! We love 'em!

Jonah with Auntie Heather and his new cousin (haha) Winston

The newest addition to the Roper family--Jon's sister and her hubby have a new Boston Terrier named Winston! What a cutie

He's excited to see Ava

"Hey Mom! Do I look like a movie star?"

Groucho-Ava...All she needs is a cigar!

Red, orange, and blue tongues!! Ava always wants "pop-si-scicles"

Momma and Joe in front of the silly-shape mirror. Yesterday we went to a birthday party at the Children's Museum--the kids LOVED it and we almost had to stay there when the sky started to spit out freezing rain and we had to hurry home (I say hurry, but the 45 minute drive took us 1 & 1/2 hours!). We had to rush so that we could get up the hill before it got too slick!

Last Thursday was Jonah's Christmas Program for his school. The pictures below are from then and from today when we played in the snow!

Waiting for the program to start

Ava Louise

.

Ava with "Trosty" (Frosty)

Singing the Jesus song

E with the kiddos

Driving the Gator back with our load

Jon close-up!

With Daddy

Our two snow angels! These wool sweaters were made by my mother-in-law, Louise, about 26 years ago for Jon and his sister, Heather. Aren't they cute?! The kids love them and now Nana is knitting away again to finish one for Ava (Jonah has one that is packed somewhere in the pole barn!).

.

Snow angel!

.

Jonah in his Christmas outfit, ready to go to his Christmas Program for PreK.

Brawleykins

In her pretty Christmas dress 

Hurray! Today Jon and I signed the documents and tomorrow the papers will be filed and we will own the new house! It looks like the approximate move-in date is end of January. Thanks everyone for being willing to help us move! hahaha

How to save money at Christmas 

Princess Ava (she prefers to be called "Rellie") 

My old professor at Multnomah, Dr. Garry Friesen on "Narnia" in the Oregonian Dec 11.

"You mean I can ask for ANYTHING I want?!" 

On Jonah's b-day present (our old neighbor had one he loved), getting ready to go get our Christmas tree today! 

En route to the Christmas tree farm four houses down. We got there and Ava started crying because all morning she thought we were going to get a Christmas "treat"!
 

I found a stick!