Merry CHRISTmas!

Here is our family picture, taken this morning!

Back row: Randy, Tim, Jeffrey, Jason
Middle Row: Joy, Brenda, Beth, Emily
Front row: Quil, Rowen, Janet, Charissa, and Micah

(You Can Click On The Picture To Enlarge It!)

Christmas break starts today for us!

At noon today, Randy, Joy, Quil, Micah, and Tim, Brenda, and Charissa arrived here and we have been enjoying them very much already! They're hoping to stay until next Tuesday. We are also thankful Jeffrey got to be here, taking a break from classes at GBS.

Just loving the first grand-daughter.

 Micah and Quil have been sooooo excited to get to come and play with the aunts and uncles.

A Thanksgiving Post!!

Thanksgiving week, Daddy, Mother, Beth, Jason, and I went to Joplin, MO for 2 days to see my married siblings, before heading on to Columbia, MO to spend some days with Mother's family.

We took many pictures of my new niece, Charissa Joy, and my other family.

~My brother Randy, Joy, James Aquila (4), and Micah Rowen (3)~

~Charissa, a month old now~

~My brother, Tim, Mother, and Charissa~

~Daddy, Micah, and Charissa.~ It was so precious how sweetly and tenderly Quil and Micah loved their little cousin.

~"Grandpa and Grandma Albertson" with their first grand-daughter.~

~Sleeping beauty!~  I had so much fun taking pictures of Charissa.

~Micah and Aunt Emily~

~Aunt Beth and Charissa~

~Aunt Emily and Charissa~

~Grandma and Charissa

~Tim, Brenda, and Charissa Joy~

VERY PRECIOUS!! I love this picture! ~Quil, Micah, and Charissa~

I love this picture too.  : )

~Aunt Beth and Micah Moozle~

Bright Lights Concert

In the post: http://joyforthejourneyemily.blogspot.com/2011/11/this-thatm-and-other.html  I wrote about the Bible Study that Beth and I have been doing with a group of homeschool girls, and our leader, Mrs. Fulton. In August, our Bright Lights group had concerts at two nursing homes. Recently at Bible Study we put together a Christmas concert to do at the same two nursing homes. The first concert was December 6th, and there's another this Tuesday.
We are praying that the Lord will speak to these people and use us for HIS glory and honor!

 Our Bright Lights group: Top row: Emily(me) Laura, Beth, Makenna, Eliza.
Bottom row: Esther, Lydia, and Christina

^ "There is a Redeemer" ^
Oh, and we didn't do sign-language on all the songs. Just this one. It's hard for everyone to stay together on the sign-language.

Operation Christmas Child!!

Every year, for many years now, my siblings who were old enough, and my parents, and some friends, would volunteer to work at OCC for part of a day. Yesterday was the day we signed up for, and this year I was eligible!  Our group consisted of Mother, Beth, me, and our friends, Mrs. Fulton and Christina, and Eliza Downer.

OCC was in a warehouse, where many tables are set up, and everything you need right there; all-the-rest of the donated Christmas gifts are in boxes and still have to be gone through. 
We took our places around the table, and started the process. I went through the boxes and took out all the money donations to cover shipping costs. Then I passed it on to Eliza and Christina who looked through it for anything "Not Allowed!" Like glass, liquid, chocolate, etc. Next then passed it on to Beth, who wrapped it in tape, then Mrs. Fulton and Mother packed at least 14 boxes in a bigger box, and off it goes!!

Eliza looking through a box.

Mrs. Fulton taking her turn going through a box.

Mother working the tape machine.

Our group right after our lunch break.  We worked from 10am-4pm. We think this is a really neat ministry that we can do for children around the world.  All boxes from Denver, Colorado are going to Mexico and Haiti this year.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

                              A post about our Thanksgiving week will be coming soon!

This, That, and the Other

Beth and I are in a Bible Study called Bright Lights. We've done lessons on Contentment, Sensitivity, Meekness, Humility, Self Control, Truthfulness, How to Share the Gospel, Mercy, etc. We've also sung at 2 nursing homes, and are going to again this December.  On Friday after the lesson we all made these poppers with candy in them to pass out to the people at the nursing homes.

This is Mother's hair. It's about an inch long now, and is VERY soft. The swirl in the back is amazing!!

These 2 pictures were taken yesterday, Sunday, when us girls were matching.

 Some more pictures of my niece, Charissa. We're anxious to get to meet her in a week.

Charissa Joy!

My older brother, Tim and his wife Brenda, gave birth to a precious little girl at 12:16am 11-12-11!!  Just 16 minutes after 11-11-11 :D
Name is CHARISSA JOY ALBERTSON!!!!  7 pounds, 9 ounces, 21 inches! 

I'm so excited to see my little niece when we go to MO for Thanksgiving. So thankful that she arrived safely after a whole day of stress.

I'm not ashamed of being seen with a bald lady, my mother. I am just thankful to God that she is alive!

~ It's not every day that you get to do school with a sweet bald lady! :D ~

I love you so much, Mother!

Little of my Photography

Over at my other blog, For His Glory and Honor Photography, I put on some fall pictures recently!  :)

To My Sister

Happy 18th birthday, Beth! You have always been so special to me, and I love you dearly!

Calendar pictures made by Emily