Skype is the Bomb.

Pretty girls on their way to church.

From Grandma and Granddad

Go Arsenal!

Santa brought the Hogwart Express

Santa brought Jane

Ashlyn's new baby doll.

'Rock the baby' Ashlyn style.  Poor baby.

 

I know this is obvious to everyone, but a lot of our communication with our families and friends in the States occurs through Skype.  On Christmas Eve we opened gifts in front of my family while Skyping them so most of my pictures of the kids are from the side.  I did get them to turn to me to show off their presents but their first reactions were facing the video camera instead.  I'm glad we got to continue our Christmas Eve tradition with this slight variation.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Be Afraid Apolo Ohno and Bonnie Blair...

D and B with the Big Man of the Hour

Bailey, Shane, Davis and Kevin

Our friend Kyle invited the kids to go ice skating today with his brothers Shane and Kevin at the RDS.  Thankfully Davis and Bailey have roller blading skills to help them negotiate the ice skates.  It took them longer to get there and back because the Dart schedule was pretty random.  You know, sleet, snow, thunder and lightning slows a train down.

Christmas Party Numero 3

 Ashlyn likes to wrestle.

 

Thank you Central for the box of fun!

Charades. Buddha?

Elvis, Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift?

Awesome Dirty Santa gift that did not go home with us-boo!

We love Dirty Santa!

Wednesday evening the Smiths hosted a Dirty Santa party with some of our new friends.  We played Time's Up first, which is a three round charades type game, and then Dirty Santa.  We ate lots of goodies and stayed there talking until 10:30.  There might be a bootleg video of me doing the actions to the 12 Days of Christmas, but I'll never tell.

Dirty Santa Strikes Again

Ben Thompson strikes again!

Proud of our Dirty Santa gifts.

Baby Nathan

Presenting Bibles to the new babies.

Kyle, Clara and Craig

Peter and Lynette

Mick, Esther and Peter

We enjoyed Craig's birthday last night with cake, nice presents and a good round of Dirty Santa.  (We saved the mean business for last!)  Shay and Scott bonded over The Arsenal futbol team since they can't bond over American college football.  After church services this morning we celebrated Christmas with our Ranelagh congregation.  Several talented singers and musicians put on quite a show!  Chrstmas party number three is on Wednesday, stay tuned.

Crazy Global Warming

Lighting of the Raheny village tree.  It's not quite the Fayetteville square.

Freshly decorated minus the cats.

 

Friendly neighborhood snow fight.

We have had some interesting weather here the last 4 days including snow, sleet, hail, rain, sun, thunder and lightning, usually occurring within minutes of each other.  Early Saturday morning the lightning hit the Dart line and hail froze on the streets.  Sunday morning church services were canceled because of the snow.  Monday we got enough snow to build part of an igloo and several snowmen.  Today sleet was the main culprit of keeping people inside.  The kids have loved it!

A Very Merry Thanksgiving to You!

Our new summer home.

Cinderella castle

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Town square

Davis climbing the wall.

Bailey and Samantha

Sam, Davis and Michael

Bailey, Samantha, Michelle, Marcel, Jackson and Scott

The famous wall of Rothenberg

English translation:  Go Hogs, Beat LSU

Can't resist.

Jasmine and Bailey

Michelle and Jackson

Samantha, Bailey and Carlee during their program performance.

Staying up late talking with the Bealls

Jakub and his parents

Mitch and Scott

Can you see the turkey on this apple pie?

This past weekend we traveled as a team to the European American Retreat in Rothenberg, Germany.  We caught up with old friends and made new friends too.  It was a blessing to be with other missionaries serving in Europe, as well as military and civilians living in Germany.  We ate too much, stayed up too late, and got lost too many times on the way to our bed and breakfast in Freudenbach.  We hope you have a great Thanksgiving day!