Christmas Pictures

Finally took my kiddos Christmas pictures today...here are some of my favorites!








And...our Christmas card picture for 2009! Merry Christmas everyone!!! Praying you stop long enough during this busy time to remember the REASON for this (and every) season!

Merry Christmas!! Happy New Year!!!

Christmas eve was here, and is gone. Christmas day was here, and is gone. New year's eve was here, and is gone. It is now New Year's Day and I'm finally making myself blog!! I'm sorry I have been away from the blog for so long. Busy with church, family, and getting ready for our BIG trip!!
We went to Wichita to be with my BIG family from Christmas day to Saturday. We had nearly 50 people crammed into my brother and sis-in-law's home to celebrate with all my cousins (spouses and kids), aunts/uncles, Grandma and Grandpa. It was so wonderful to see everyone!!! I promise to get pictures on here someday. Right now they are still on my camera.
Since we've been home I've been working hard on getting all the supplies and things for my sub and co-teacher to handle things at preschool for the next week and a half while me and the fam go to meet Mickey (and the princesses!). When I'm not getting things ready for preschool, I've been packing! I've never packed for a trip like this before. We've always driven to our destinations, which have always been to visit family. We don't have to take bedding, but EVERYTHING else, and the kitchen sink...at least that's how it seems! I'm up to three large suitcases and two small carry-on type suitcases. Plus each of the kids will have a back-pack of "stuff" to keep them busy on the plane. How to pack for Florida in January...your entire wardrobe would be about right. It can be as warm as mid-to-upper 80's for highs, and as low as 20's for lows...so yea, pretty much everything! I'm planning t-shirts, jeans, & sweatshirts for mornings, loose the sweatshirts as it warms up, and possibly change to shorts if it gets that warm. We'll have to see. I did weigh my big suitcases this evening and was very excited to find out that they only weigh 30-35 pounds each!! I do have a FEW things to add, but I have a 15-20 pound cushion right now! I could cram more into them and loose one of the small suit-cases, but this way I will have room to bring home a souvenir or two. :o)
For now, I'm off to bed. Merry Christmas all!!!

Christmas Card pic...

So, I took about 35 pics and I think this is my favorite...Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Shopping!!!! (and feeling better)

I did some GREAT Christmas shopping last night! Can you believe it? It's only April...and I already have a HUGE start on Christmas. Since we are planning our Disney trip just after Christmas, we told the kids already that we won't be having the "BIG" Christmas gifts like we did last year. We explained that the trip is a major part of our family Christmas gift. However...since I am a woman obsessed (right now) with all things Disney....I was on the Disney store website. I started looking at their "outlet" and got excited. All their coats are on clearance. I got 4 things for each of the kiddos....1)a coat, 2)a T-shirt 3)flip-flops and 4)sunglasses. Yes, flip-flops and sunglasses are a weird Christmas gift, but we are going to Florida just a week and a few days after Christmas, so they are VERY fitting! With the clearance and a special of 25% off their new summer merchandise, my total was less than $90, and that was including shipping! The girls' stuff is all princess themes, while Andrew's stuff is either Cars or Buzz Lightyear themed. I'm so excited for the stuff to get here!
Thank you all for your prayers for my little girls and their ears. I believe they are all feeling better. Abbie was NOT looking forward to her second shot, so that was no fun. She was in pain all evening and was pretty sore all weekend. She'll be fine, but now does NOT want to go back to the doctor for fear of shots. Oh well...I don't like shots either!

Christmas in Wichita...Dad WALKING!

I think one more post will just about catch me up!

So...on Christmas day, after worship services and cleaning up the house, we were off to Wichita to celebrate Christmas with my parents and my brother and his family. We were so excited to go to the hospital and watch my dad walk. He did!

Here he is contemplating the standing up.

Here he is taking a few steps.

And now he's resting! He would walk 4-8 feet, then sit down and rest. It is such hard work. He was telling me that one thing he is working on in the pool where it is easier to walk, is reminding his body how to do it! Which arm swings with which foot. Which muscle to contract to make his leg move. How to put the weight on his foot, and of course balance is an issue. It's amazing how easily we walk, not even thinking about which muscle is moving at what time...but after months in bed, and everything his body has been through this year...it doesn't remember. I am so proud of him for working SOOO HARD! I am afraid I would have given up a long time ago!

Of course, that's my mom holding his wheelchair. She has been such a pillar of strength this year. Warren had back surgery a few years ago, and I was a wreck! He was only in the hospital for 2-3 days...my Dad has been in the hospital for almost 7 months of the 12. She has been there nearly constantly. While he was in the ICU, and most of the "big hospital" stay, she stayed with him 24/7. Only going home to shower and change clothes, do a load of laundry, and go back. She used all her vacation/sick time she had built up for the past 20 years and so she retired in May...truthfully she was planning this change in advance, but the change has helped so much with her guilt about not being able to do her job...her job this year has been to be there for dad, and she has done an excellent job! She definitely deserves a raise! :o) I admire her strength, patience, strength, love, endurance, strength, and faith. (Did I mention how strong she is? Mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, she's one STRONG Chick!) She is the most Godly woman I know...I hope I can be like her one day.

We also were able to have our family Christmas in the dining room at the hospital. Bethany and Ella helped Bobbie (my mom) bring in some of the gifts. (I hope they weren't the breakable ones!!)

Abbigail and Bethany love their little cousins, and I think they love them, too!

My Dad and my Little Man...two of my favorite guys!

Christmas at home

After the service in Bazine, we drove back home to have our traditional "FIND THE PICKLE!!" contest. We have a pickle Christmas tree ornament. We hang it on the tree like any other ornament. Then, when we are ready to open gifts, I hide the pickle. The kids come in and whoever finds the pickle gets to play Santa. (Legend says that whoever finds the pickle gets the first gift, but in our home they get to be Santa and hand out the gifts to the rest of the family, which means they are LAST to get to open a gift, but they LOVE being the one who gets to hand them out, so it's a great hunt!!)

Andrew found the pickle this year, so he got to play Santa..Oh what fun!!

We open one gift at a time so that everyone gets to see what everyone else receives. Makes it last a lot longer, and we get to enjoy each other, not just the stuff! With Warren serving in Bazine, his income has increased a bit, which translated into a few more gifts this year, the kids were excited! Our family knows that the real meaning of Christmas isn't the gifts, but it was fun to be able to go out and get the extra gifts that I normally would not have purchased!

Each of the kids made something at school called Reindeer Feed. It consisted of oatmeal, shredded wheat, and glitter! We spread it in the yard to encourage Rudolph and his buddies to come to our house!!!

After that, we got dressed up again and went to the 11:00 service at our church. All three of my kids were fast asleep about 10 minutes...ok, 5 minutes into the service. I carried each of them out to the car. Abbie woke up when we drove into our garage and said "Hey, why didn't I get to do a candle??" (We always do candles during Silent Night at Midnight! What a beautiful tradition!) I even went up to communion ALONE!! The kids ALWAYS go with me to receive a blessing, but they were all fast asleep and so I went alone, felt so weird!

Christmas morning we realized that the reindeer feed must have worked because their stockings were filled so full that some of the gifts could not fit! Each of the kids received a camera so they can take pictures of their own! I heard that Santa didn't enjoy trying to get all the little gifts into those awful stockings. The inside of the stockings are just a maze of strings and yarn. Getting the gifts out was hard enough, I can only imagine Santa's frustration in getting the stuff in there!!! So, I hit the after Christmas sales and found some new stocking that we will use next year, sparkly ones for the girls and a cute one for the boy...I'm sure Santa will appreciate the change! :o)

Christmas Eve in Bazine

Warren is serving as a vacancy pastor for St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Bazine. He holds services there on Sunday evenings. Since Christmas Eve was on Monday, he decided to hold their Christmas Eve service there early, so he would just drive there on Sunday and stay there until after service on Monday. Since they have an empty parsonage, and we didn't want him to be alone on Christmas Eve...we went with him! We took a few gifts for the kids to open while we were there. The first one they got to open was a new sleeping bag, that way they would have something to sleep in that night (empty house!). They each also got a new toy so they would have something new to occupy them during our stay. Each of the girls got a new Cabbage Patch Doll, they walk and talk in a really LOUD annoying voice...I think they might just loose their batteries soon! Andrew got a Spider man Web blaster. It shoots Nerf darts and suction cups. He has been asking for one of these for about a year, so I'm glad we were able to get him one for Christmas. It also has an attachment that will squirt water, I think that will have to wait for warmer weather!!!

It was nice to spend some time with the people of Bazine, and see how much they love having my husband as their pastor, even if it is only temporary.

Making Christmas Goodies

Here are some pictures of the girls' and I making yummy Christmas pretzels. Abbie and I did the dipping, and Bethany did the sprinkling...some pretzels had MORE sprinkles than others. Some sprinkles actually had a pretzel attached! :o)

Love my Blue Eyed Girl!!

Putting on sprinkles is HARD work! Takes a lot of concentration.

Final product...look at those sprinkles! :o)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! (and Continued Blessed Christmas!)

People look at my husband so strangely when he continues to wish people a Merry or Blessed Christmas. Christmas day is over, but the Christmas holiday continues. We leave our tree up, along with ALL the decorations until Christmas is truly over, January 6. You know the song "The 12 days of Christmas" well...it is true, Christmas lasts from December 25-January 6, when we celebrate Epiphany. Epiphany is the celebration of the Wise Men finding Jesus. This is the first account of Jesus being worshiped by non-Jewish people...so really, it's OUR Christmas! I think we might even have a gift left for each of the kids to open on Epiphany....we'll have to wait and see! :-)

Anyway...this post wasn't intended to be about the continuation of Christmas, or Epiphany...so let's move on.

Christmas has been wonderful for my family this year. Of course the celebration of Jesus' birth is always wonderful, but this year was even better than usual. If you read my last post, you will know that we have had a Christmas miracle in our family. My father has grown so much stronger...he walked! He uses parallel bars, his PT stabilizes his legs and hold onto his belt, and mom follows with his wheelchair just in case he can't continue (I was so glad she was there one time when I was watching and his knees buckled...if she hadn't been there with the chair he would have gone all the way to the floor, but as it is he just landed safely in his chair, PRAISE GOD!) He works very hard each day with many hours of therapy in and out of the pool. In groups and on his own. He is exhausted to the end of the day and week. I took some pictures of him working and I'll try to get them posted soon.

I also want to do a post to tell you about our wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but right now I'm exhausted!! It's 10:55, and I think we will ring in this New Year at 11:00, so me and the kiddos can head to bed!!!!

Good night all, and we'll see you NEXT year! :) Blessings on 2008!

CHRISTMAS MIRACLES!!!!

Today is Christmas Eve...it is a day of miracles. Of course the most wonderful miracle occurred that first Christmas in the tiny town of Bethlehem. "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." Christ came to earth as a tiny baby. Born in a barn. Born to an "unwed" mother. Born in the most humble of circumstances...what a miracle that the all-powerful, all-knowing God of the Universe would choose such a birth. But He did, and He also chose to die a horrible death to forgive me...a terrible sinner, of all my sins (and you, too!). Today I praise and thank God for choosing to come to earth in this manner so that He could forgive me, and make me one of HIS children. What a wonderful Christmas miracle!!

Today another Christmas miracle happened...my Dad WALKED!!!!! Yes, my Dad walked! If you are a loyal reader you'll remember that he had a staph infection in his spine in July/August and could not move anything below his waist for quite a while. He has been working very hard trying to regain his mobility and strength. Today, after 5 months of hospitalization, hard work, lots of therapy, and so much prayer, HE WALKED!!! He used the parallel bars and went 5 feet, 4 feet the next time, and 5 feet again. He said it was slow and he wasn't very graceful (you should see me walk, the very definition of non-graceful!!)...but he did it!! We are planning a trip to visit them for Christmas tomorrow after services are over...I can't wait to see him and get a hug...and then I want to see him WALK!!! I just can't believe it! I am truly thankful to still have my father here on earth. There were a few times this year when I thought I had received my last hug, my last chat with him, and that he was going to be greeting his Lord and Savior. I am just so thankful to have him around and that I can still have those hugs and chats...I didn't care if he ever walked again! But I know he did, so I prayed for his strength to return. I prayed for his spirit to stay strong. I pray for mom, patience, endurance, and sanity! God has answered our prayers. He answers them daily, minute by minute. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!

Like I mentioned...we will be visiting for a few days, so I want to take this chance to wish all in bloggyville...MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

-Andie

Funny story!!

Ok, I know...3 posts in an hour, but just read one more, and I promise I'll leave you alone...for now! :-)

We have a linen closet at the end of the hallway. I keep extra blankets, sheets, etc. in there. During the fall when I get out the extra blankets for our bed, it creates a lot of extra space in that closet. So...that's where I keep the Christmas gifts. The kids all know they aren't allowed in that closet, and they know why. Usually I have a basket of laundry that needs to be folded sitting in front of the door...it seems to be a bit of a blockade so they don't bother it. Well, today I caught up on the laundry and the basket isn't there. They never have tried to look in the closet even though they know what's in there, they just know that they aren't allowed, and they are good about staying out....well, until tonight. I was working on supper and Bethany comes running down the hall yelling "ANDREW, ANDREW, ANDREW" She had opened the closet and rummaged around in a bag until she found a Spider man toy and was bringing it to the biggest Spider man fan in our home. He comes running around the corner to see what his sister was yelling about. He got a glimpse of it and covered his face and started yelling "CHRISTMAS PRESENT, CHRISTMAS PRESENT, CHRISTMAS PRESENT!" He knew exactly where it had come from and that he shouldn't be seeing it! He was so funny...tried to tell me that he didn't see it. He was afraid that if he admitted he saw the gift that it would be returned and he wouldn't get it. It wasn't his fault, he wasn't looking in the closet! :-) I don't think she got to her bag....guess I'd better finish wrapping!!!

Christmas Program

I promised that I would try to get some pics posted and fill you all in on the details...so here it goes!

We had a carry-in dinner and voter's meeting after church, so I was afraid it would take a LONG time and there would be no time for me...I mean the kids to relax and rest. Fortunately it was the SHORTEST voters' meeting I've ever been to! Basically they read the proposed budget for 2008...a person made a motion to accept the budget as stated...seconded...voted passed...and that was it! (Of course there was an opening prayer, closing prayers, etc...but that was ALL the business!!!!) YIPPEE! We had time to go home and just chill for a while. I told the kids to lay down for 15 minutes and then they could get up. Andrew took me up on the 15 minute offer...but I had to wake Bethany and Abbigail up after the had slept for an hour so we could get ready for the program.

They looked absolutely adorable!! Abbigail's bangs are long enough now that they sweep to the side, but they don't stay very well...they kept sweeping down into her eye and annoying her, but boy did she look grown up! Bethany's hair actually cooperated as well...it was a good hair day for the Prochnow kids! :-) (Silly, I know, but hey, it was noteworthy!!)

One little girl ended up with the stomach flu and didn't come, luckily she is one of the 3-year olds and didn't have any individual parts (just a finger-play and songs). We missed her but the show went on!

Andrew had me a bit concerned, he kept jumping on and off the step and making noises with his mouth all during the last rehearsal...and while we were downstairs preparing to go up for the program. So right before we went up I pulled him to the side and told him that every time he got of his step or made an inappropriate noise, he would loose the XBox for a day. IT WORKED!! I had 3 or 4 people comment afterward that he stood like a statue or a soldier. SO STILL!! I was amazed! I was so proud of him, and made sure I told him so! YEA ANDREW!!

All of the kids remembered their lines, I was so proud of all of them! There was a bit of a problem with the microphones, so some of the congregation couldn't hear all of what the kids were saying, and I felt bad but there was nothing I could do at that point. The videos all went well and they could be seen and heard. I am so blessed to be the wife of such a "techy" hubby...please remind me of that later I'm sure. He took the videos that I shot and edited them and added special effects (a star to the wise men and what looked like moonlight to the shepherds...so cute!) and then ran the computer during the program.

Bethany was the youngest in the program. She also had a hard time standing during the rehearsal so we decided that she would stand with the kids just for the finger-play and then sit with me in the front row for the rest of the program...well she had other plans. She sat with me for a little bit, then went and stood by Andrew. She did the finger-play, and then REFUSED to come and sit back down. I had two choices, I could let her stay there wiggling and being silly, or I could drag her back to the pew kicking and screaming...and try to finish directing the rest of the program with a screaming Bethany sitting between my legs. Well, I opted for the no-screaming route. Though she wiggled and was silly, she was not noisy and the program continued. She was distracting (to me at least) but at least she wasn't throwing a temper tantrum.

I did not take any pictures of the actual program, it is a worship service...so no flash photography, besides I was TOO BUSY trying to keep on track!

All in all it was a great program and I am SO VERY PROUD of all of the kids!!!! They really surprised me on how well they came through with their lines! What a wonderful opportunity to be able to share not only the baby born in the manger, but what that baby became to the world, and to us. It is such an honor to work with and teach God's little children about their savior!

After the program we have a tradition of handing out "treat bags" to the kids which consist mostly of peanuts, apples, oranges, and a few candies. We also have to go in the basement for cookies and apple cider...yummy! Here is a picture of Bethany discovering her orange! She was so excited (as if we don't have 15 oranges in the fridge!! :-))

Here is one of my favorite pictures from the power point that we had going. At first I just took a picture of a doll in the manger, but it looked so stupid! I called up Angie (one of my child care moms) and asked if I could borrow E for a while to take her picture. She was wearing a pink outfit, so the blankets had to cover it all up, but she laid there just laughing and kicking...so adorable!!!

Thank You, God, for coming to earth as that helpless little baby, born in a stable, cradled in a manger. You didn't stay that helpless babe, you grew up to be so much more...a servant, our good shepherd, a wise teacher, the King of kings, our Savior, our friend...thank you for all you did for us, and for forgiving us even now. Thank you for helping me to make it through the past few weeks and learning even more about you. Thank you for reminding me what Christmas is all about.

Life is crazy

Leave it to Kansas weather! Yesterday morning we had to cancel the "BIG" Christmas program practice because it was so icy that you couldn't even walk without falling on your fanny...by the afternoon it was 72 degrees...go figure! We rescheduled and had the practice this afternoon. We used a digital video camera to record some of the scenes (the ones with the kids in biblical costumes) so they don't have to wear costumes or remember all the lines on the night of the program. That night they will wear their "Christmas outfits" and sing songs and recite their other lines. The recording session went so well. They were all so cute!!

My favorite scene was when they all dressed up as angels (well, all but the two oldest boys!), so adorable!! Here they are singing "GLORIA"

Of course we had shepherds, wise men,(yes, Andrew is staning on a small chair!) and the funny pic of the 'not-so-perfect' angels, with their halos on crooked!! One picture was supposed to be of someone pretending to be a Sunday school teacher, and the students...we used a REAL Sunday school teacher and her students...she is the ULTIMATE SS teacher, she's a wonderful woman whom I appreciate so much!

Last night after our 70 degree day, Santa rode into town on a firetruck. Apparently Santa is a Chiefs fan!

Yesterday afternoon I rode with two of my aunts and a cousin to visit my great-aunt Louella. She was a wonderful woman, so classy. She had a fall on Tuesday and things just didn't look good. She wasn't able to communicate, but she kept humming parts of hymns. I tried to figure out which hymns she was humming and sang them for her (as much as I could). I even started singing some well loved Christmas songs...and she smiled. I almost cried. She kept reaching out and saying "It's so beautiful!" and "I love you." We told her we loved her, too...but I don't think she was talking to us. What was she seeing? Whom does she love?? I can only imagine. I think perhaps she was seeing the angels coming to get her, or Jesus himself.

Louella went home to be with her Heavenly Father this morning. I'm thankful that I was able to go to her side and reassure her of our love for her. She had no children, so she was always another "grandma" to me. She called us all her sweeties. We always loved it at Christmas (or any other time) when Uncle Larry and Aunt Louella would arrive. We will miss her very much, but I am glad she is in heaven with God now, and no longer alone (Uncle Larry died many years ago and she's been living alone all this time...I worried about her, but knew that she had MANY friends who checked in on her often).