Chi Fun!

It's been pretty cool to have three chihuahuas running around the past few days. Last night, Corey and Misty had a lot of fun tearing into their Christmas present from Bailey. Unlike Little Boo, they had someone to teach them how to play when they were babies, so they know how to rip into something that smells good. They were obviously well rewarded for their efforts.

Today we took another walk to the pond, this time with all three dogs. Bailey had a blast chasing the geese again, as they were on land today, instead of in the pond. While I can't say for sure, he even seemed to be laughing at them as they slipped and slid on the ice on the pond. hehehe.

Ohio Update

Isaac suprised me with plane tickets to Ohio for this week. Let's be honest...this isn't my idea of a vacation for lots of reasons, but I'm making the best of it. We got here Monday at lunchtime, and here are the fun things that have happened so far:

Bailey did AMAZING on the air plane! I was so nervous I was up all night Sunday, but he did great! He either slept or chewed on a bone on both planes (it's hard to fly non-stop to Ohio), and he was adored in the airports! YAY! And, he's getting along with Misty and Corey, the two resident chis.

Snow plows/salt trucks at Chicago Midway. Not a normal sight for me!

Within 10 minutes of walking in the door at Isaac's parents', I had huge smiles from a 4 month old and Olivia's dirty diaper to change. To me, it's heaven! Penny runs a day care in her home, so there are always lots of munchkins to cuddle, coo, and love. Olivia has been my love for nearly the entire 21 months of her life, and someday she might just have to be wisked away to Houston. Wesley is the new baby, and he's adorable. No pacifer for this baby, and he always smiles!!! He and I have had lots of cuddle time today. Ethan is Wesley's big brother, and for 2, he is so expressive! He's pretty fun too. Jared is Olivia's big brother and as wild as ever, but still a good kid.

Olivia!

This morning, we played in the snow! There was between 2-3 inches when we got here yesterday. It's beautiful-just enough t0 cover everything in a sparkling white blanket, but not enough to cause any problems. Bailey took his first real steps in the snow yesterday. At first, he wasn't too sure what to think, but the more he walked, the more he liked it. Bailey went out several times last night. This morning, he was ready for us to bundle up and take a romp in the snow! There's a huge field and pond behind the house, so we had lots of fun playing. Bailey decided the geese in the pond needed a good chasing, so he took care of that! He also got some rides in Daddy's coat, but for the most part, he wanted his feet (and his nose!) in the white stuff! The sun came out this afternoon, and while it's still below freezing, it's melting the snow. Daddy and Bailey took a run up to the club house about 2:30, and Bailey had fun then too! Bailey has finally worn himself out, so he's curled up on my chest sleepting right now.

Chase those geese, Bailey!

My check list for this week is nearly complete. I wanted to cuddle, feed, and change babies, play in the snow, and groom/ride horses. The horses we're working on....3 more days to make it!

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Our Christmas began on the 23rd. We celebrated with a yummy dinner (thanks, Nanny!) and super fun presents.

The Christmas fun with Aunt Laura wore out the baby. This is how he wanted to sleep all night, on my super cute Christmas pillow cases a student made for me.

Even Igor (left) and Nika (right) have gotten into the decor of Christmas. :)

On the 23rd, Isaac and I headed to Pearland (talk about a long trip! hehehe) to stay with Nanny and Dede. Nanny has fed us well, and Dede, Isaac, and I have decided to a trip to the shooting range needs to be a new tradition for every Christmas Eve. It was a great way to spend a sunny afternoon before church! UBC had one of the most worshipful Christmas Eve services I've ever attended. Maybe it helped that I was apart of it (bells), but I think it was just that the hearts of the congregation seemed to be in the right place, and Robert was very challenging in his sermon.

This morning was a blast! We slept in, ate a yummy breakfast, and then spent an hour and half opening gifts. That's a record for length, and made it more fun! Bailey got a Snuggie from my mom, and I got footie pjs from Bailey. Woohoo...we'll be a cuddly bunch this winter!

I hope everyone has had a glorious day celebrating the birth of our Savior!

Bailey was totally uninterested in his stocking presents this year. Oh well. His grandma tried, and I had fun opening them for him.

Isaac got a shopvac from my parents. Woohoo!

Megan Kate Tanner

Miss Megan Kate Tanner was born last night, December 18th, at 8:40, weighed in at 7lbs 8oz, and was 20 in long. Michelle had the easiest delivery ever, and after one roller coaster of a pregnancy, she deserved it! Will is completely wrapped around Megan's finger. Madisyn already adores her little sissy, and I'm super stoked about this early Christmas gift! Isaac and I spent 2 hours visiting with Madisyn, Will, and Michelle this afternoon and totally couldn't get enough of sweet Megan. I see many more visits in our future to love on all four of our dear, precious friends!

Megan, you are probably one of the most prayed for little girls out there! So, so many people have been praying over your family and you for months now. You've given your mommy and daddy some scares along the way to get here, and we're so grateful God brought you into this world happy and healthy! Your mommy is one of the bestest friends anyone could ever have, and I can't wait for you to learn from her. Your daddy is a perfect gentleman, and I hope you take very good notes about how men need to treat you. Your sister is just precious and has so much fun energy to share with you. Most of all, your entire family loves your Daddy God so very, very much. I know they are going to be teaching you about Jesus starting now so that you will learn to grow up following and loving Him as much as they do. You are so blessed to have such a fabulous family and so many friends who love you already and will do absolutely anything for you. We all feel blessed to love you and watch you grow. How great is our God!

Maddy, Megan, and Daddy

Mr. Isaac and Megan

Sweet, awake little girl!

I've been waiting for months to hold this little one!

Michelle didn't want any pictures of her yet, but I'll get some soon! :)

Journey to Bethlehem

On Monday night, we invited our three favorite kiddos over to journey to find the Baby King. We began by decorating Christmas cookies. I've never seen such piles of icing on one small cookie before, but the elaborate creations were adorable and very tasty! We had a yummy spaghetti dinner and had fun with Igor and Nika before heading out to Bethlehem. The kids thought our two parakeets were the coolest things! The birds were pretty fond of them too!

We determined we traveled on a 'two hump camel' to Bethlehem since Ol Sarge is such a giant. I think the camel and the donkey were the biggest hits in Bethlehem, although it sure is fun to taste foods that have been around for over 2,000 years, make pottery and rope the 'old fashioned' way, and grind wheat by hand. And, we were successful in clarifying the rumors of a Baby King. We found Baby Jesus in a manger, like the rumors said, although I'm not so sure about the bottle on which he was feasting....hmm. A new tradition for the Ozinga family has possibly begun!

Celebration

So, this post is a week over due, but it's been insane at school this week.

Last Friday night, Mom, Dad, David, Laura, Isaac, and I went to FBC Houston for their Christmas pageant (for lack of a better word). How do I describe something that left me breathless and speechless? I haven't been in such awe of a production since my last trip to Disney in June of 2007!

Celebration is a story of Christmas in three parts. It begins in the North Pole with the elves and Santa preparing for the big day. Santa flew to the stage in his sleigh and bemoans how greedy the world has become. He explains why he began giving gifts as St. Nicholas long ago: the Magi brought Baby Jesus gifts and God gave us the greatest gift of His Son. Santa used familiar toys to act out these two stories, so it was quite humorous, but very much to the point. The elves and toys danced as the choir and orchestra sang, and it was just magical. Santa flew away on his sleigh to deliver toys. While I don't like that they made Santa look real (though I was proud of them telling the REAL St. Nicholas story!!), FBC did do a nice cover job for all of those parents who choose to lie to their poor children.

Only at the North Pole can every direction be south!!! The geography teacher in me loved this detail!





The second scene is simply music. The choir (over 175 voices!) and the full orchestra played beautiful pieces, many from Michael W. Smith's latest Christmas album. It was a peaceful time of worship.


Then, the Nativity began. Bethlehem was staged in the middle of the audience, with peddlers, travelers, and townspeople milling around the sanctuary and on the stage. Joseph led Mary to the inn on a real live donkey. Baby Jesus arrived, and the shepherds made their way to the inn as angels flew in the sky. Then, the Magi became to arrive with their entourages. One Magi came with a real live camel. Another came with a real live elephant. In. The. Sanctuary. WOW! More angels flew in the sky, and the aisles were filled with angels as well. It was one glorious sight!







Throughout each scene, the orchestra and choir played and sang. It was fantastic! I can't wait for next year.

Weekend Update

We had a wonderful whirlwind of a weekend!

On Friday, Houston was sprinkled with gorgeous, huge, fluffy snowflakes and the super cold temperatures that accompany such a phenomenon. It was a perfect night for homemade chili, so Ashley and Tim and Michelle and Will came over for for dinner and peppermint ice cream with fudge for dessert. Isaac even stirred up a cozy fire for us! We had a great time of fellowship and enjoyed some Charlie Brown Christmas specials as well. Isaac and I are so blessed by these two couples, and really appreciate their friendship so much! Will and Michelle have a baby on the way, and Ashley and Tim aren't sure where the work world will take them once their married this summer, so we're cherishing every moment we have with both couples right now.

Saturday morning saw me at church for handbell rehearsal for this morning, and Isaac went with other friends from Sunday School to shop with some kids from Bacliff. A ministry called Lighthouse gathers monetary donations so that these kiddos can buy Christmas gifts for their family members and spend the morning being loved on by some caring adults. I got to go two years ago, and I loved the experience. Isaac enjoyed it, too. Hopefully next year we'll get to go together.

I finished all of my Christmas shopping yesterday afternoon. As I was online making price comparison before heading out to the stores, I noticed every store I was researching had free shipping. I took advantage of that sweet deal...I saved money on gas and my sanity from traffic, and got all of my family members exactly what they wanted! Woohoo!

Last night we built another fire and watched Christmas movies; what a treat! I'm loving this cold weather in December to be able to enjoy a fire AND Christmas decorations at the same time. This doesn't happen often in Houston!

Today was the Christmas Bellapalooza at church. Four handbell choirs all playing at once; what a glorious sound! I love those Sundays!!!

Bailey and I also took our annual Mommy/Son Christmas portrait today. Isn't he adorable?!

Tonight was bittersweet. I.B. and Honey Ham (Rick Carpenter and Suzanne Reynolds) made an appearance at UBC tonight to say a fond (and humorous) farewell to the Creech family. We're all sad to see them go, but I know Robert is meant to be teaching at Truitt now. I'm grateful for such a wonderful pastor who has led our church so faithfully to the Lord for so many years. What a blessing!

Free Christmas Music!

Christmas...Music...December...Free

Put these words together, and you have a very happy Laura! Amazon.com is giving away a free Christmas song mp3 download each day in December through Christmas. The best part is that if you miss a day, you can still go back and downoad the song anyway. Check it out on Amazon's home page, and have fun adding to your Christmas music collection. I sure am!