Snowdaze

Christmastime at the Rice household was a flurry of activity. There were multiple Christmas parties to attend, church functions to participate in, and several guests who we hosted on and off throughout the month of December. It was a time of great celebration over the birth of our Savior. It was kind of hard to convince Elijah that it was Christ's birthday and not his as he received an abundance of gifts this year.

The Ranch Christmas party kicked off the month of December and as usual there were no shortage of gifts. Eli didn't mind sitting on Santa's lap but was frustrated that he couldn't just go up on stage and open all the gifts that he thought must be all for him. He received his first "gun", his first fishing pole, clothes, pjs, cars, books, a blanket with his name embroidered on it, and, of course, a ton of candy. He also received several giftcards that Mommy helped him spend wisely (new shoes).

Christmas Eve we hung out at the Anderson's and enjoyed going to their church for a service that evening. Elijah especially liked running around with all the boys in the nursery!

Christmas day opened with the story of Jesus's birth followed by an explanation that was lost on Eli and then more gift opening. Jeff surprised Leigh Ann with a Wii and Wii Fit. After we opened gifts at home, we headed over to the Tucker's for some great food, fellowship, fun, and MORE GIFTS! Elijah's favorite present was by far and away his new John Deere pedal tractor. He wouldn't get off it for a long time after it was assembled. Look out world, here he comes! We took turns laughing our heads off as we watched each other attempt to hula hoop, hit soccer balls with our heads, and walk a tightrope on the Wii.

Potty training has begun but is definitely going to be a work in progress for a while. As you can see from the picture, he enjoys "reading" on the potty. He has tried out his new big boy underwear several times but can't figure out why a puddle forms at his feet every time he wears them. We are working on that!

This past week we were encouraged to hear "Moe's" heartbeat again. The nurse informed us that this pregnancy was no longer considered high risk and that everything was going well and on track. Praise God. Only 6 more months to go!

The day school was supposed to start back up brought the first real snowfall of the year. So, due to tradition, school was cancelled. Most of the kids here never get to see snow let alone play in it. There was much merriment as the sleds were brought out of storage and the 4-wheelers were fueled. After many hours of play, the kids were cold and tired but had had a blast.

We hope that your holiday season was as blessed as ours. God has been so good to us and we look forward to what He has planned for us in 2010.

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