2008 Christmas Portraits

This year the blue outfit that we had made for Nadia in her province of Jiangxi fit so we decided to have her wear it for the Christmas card photos. Last year she was in the red outfit from Aunt Michelle (the one that amazingly matched the red one we had made in China) and it’s amazing how much she has changed and grown in the last year.

Nadia - 2007 Christmas Portrait
2007

Nadia - 2008 Christmas Portrait
The 2008 Christmas Card photo.

Here are some other fun shots that Mike captured:

Nadia - 2008 Christmas Portraits

Nadia - 2008 Christmas Portraits

Nadia - 2008 Christmas Portraits

Nadia - 2008 Christmas Portraits

She just melts my heart!

Decorating and Interlochen

Christmas 2008 Decorations
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An exciting thing was that Nadia could help decorate the tree this year. She was a very good helper and she has only moved a few around in the last month. She has knocked off quite a few running around, but she always puts them back on or asks for help, which I think is cute.

Christmas 2008 Decorations

Christmas 2008 Decorations

Last week we went to see the lights at Interlochen. It’s a neighborhood pretty close to us and they are well known for their displays. When Mike and I have gone in the past we have always had to wait for a long time to get through. Going a week before Christmas on a weeknight seemed to be the perfect plan. We practically had the neighborhood to ourselves.

Christmas 2008 Decorations

Christmas 2008 Decorations

The best part of the night was when Nadia suddenly said, “Lots and lots of pretty lights!” It was so cute!!!!

Christmas 2008 Decorations

Staff Christmas Party

Mike and I went to the church staff and elders Christmas party and they had a Chili Cook off to change things up a bit. And of course I brought a cake 🙂 It was buttermilk Chocolate cake with a chocolate marshmallow fondant layered over chocolate butter-cream icing! The party was great fun as usual.

Christmas party 2008
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Christmas Party
Here are the cook off judges – working hard.

Christmas Party
Here is Darwin explaining the rules of the game.

Christmas Party
Cynthia and I.

Christmas Party
Kaye and I.

Christmas Baking with Mama

*A note to all our regular readers – we have been so busy the last few weeks that I am just now getting around to blogging and uploading photos. So the posts may be heavy for a while as I catch up, but I will include lots of photos of Nadia 🙂

Christmas Baking with Mama
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Nadia watches me work on cakes and do other cooking related things, so I wanted her to be able to “help” me do some baking this Christmas. So we bought some cookie dough and she had a blast baking cookies with me.

Baking with Mama

Baking with Mama

Baking with Mama

Baking with Mama

And one day we made cupcakes with some extra cake batter I had from a Christmas cake.

Baking with Mama