The Groovy Gang

My sisters made these tye-dye shirt for the kids for Christmas and I just love them! Aren't they so cute? I still have to get a picture of Megan in hers!

Thank you Auntie Biz and Aunt Tee Tee! We love our shirts :-)

Santa's Gift

Well, Santa's gift for the little ones finally arrived about a week after Christmas, but they've taken no time mastering the climbing and sliding! They are certainly enjoying this new play toy!

A little more Christmas

I found some more pictures from Christmas. My sister Brandi, AKA Auntie Brandi, always tries to have a little special get together with her neices and nephews when she gives them their gifts. Here they are enjoying their first round of present opening....

After this, I promise to get rid of the Christmas music :-)

Christmas 08

Well, I'm finally getting the Christmas post completed. As you know, it's been a whirlwind around here so it took awhile to get this done. Our Christmas was enjoyable, despite the runny noses, coughs, and eventual RSV. We spent Christmas Eve morning with Tim's family, having breakfast and opening gifts for the kids. This year we decided to exchange books and I think it turned out to be perfect. The kids really enjoyed the books they received and spent a good part of the late morning with their noses buried in pages! That evening, after naps for the little ones, we ventured over to my cousins' house to eat more food and have a little fun opening gifts. The kids opened their pjs from Grammy and Grampy and a few things from their cousins. We spent a good amount of time chasing Andrew around, but that's pretty much par for the course. And despite Hailey being on the verge of really getting sick, I think the kids did a great job. The next morning, we welcomed my dad, sister Sarah, nephew Jake, and the newcomer, Jon! My sister Brandi and brother-in-law Tom also stopped by. The kids opened their stockings and gifts and then we ate an early batch of Taquitos-thanks dad! Later on, Tim's sister Lisa and her husband Sunny came over and we pretty much just relaxed and enjoyed the day. Of course, I took way too many pictures so I tried to narrow them down.

I hope you all had an enjoyable holiday and that you find many blessings in the new year!

Russian Christmas Brunch

This year my family decided to try something new for Christmas in addition to our traditional family celebrations. Because of the international direction that my mom and stepfather have taken, we thought it would be fun to learn about the ways other countries celebrate Christmas. We started with Russia because that is where their international life began. We practiced a few of the Russian people's customs, such as dipping bread into honey and garlic. The honey was for the sweetness of life and the garlic for the bitterness of life. The mother of the family draws crosses on everyone's foreheads to represent the father, the son, and the holy spirit. Russian families also eat from a community bowl of porridge, called Kutya, to symbolize unity of family. It is made of wheatberries or other grains which symbolize hope and immortality, and honey and poppy seeds which ensure happiness, success, and untroubled rest. Our table was set with a white table cloth to represent purity, a white candle to represent the light of Christ, and straw to acknowledge the poverty into which Christ was born. We ate some delicious Russian food, which consisted of blinis (the Russian form of crepes), borscht, parsley potatoes, and a Russian vegetable strudel. We also listened to a traditional Russian story about a Babushka (grandmother) that was too busy cooking and cleaning to go with the kings who were following the star in search of Jesus. After the story, we made star ornaments to decorate the Yolka, which is the Russian Christmas tree. Many families in Russian cannot afford to buy tree decorations so they make their own.

Overall, I think it was a very enlightening experiencing and we can't wait for next year, when we will learn about how South Africa celebrates Christmas!

Meet the McSnow Family

Aren't they a lovely family??

Dad

Mom

Megan

Hailey

Andrew

Molly

Megan and Tim finally got a chance to really play in the snow and they had a great time building the McSnow family!

Of course, the little ones watched longingly from the backdoor! They so want to go outside, but they just aren't ready yet!


It's good to be home!

Home Sweet Home

Finally, the McCann family is back together! Molly made it home yesterday evening, although it was sketchy through the night on Thursday. The docs wanted to see her sleep and keep her sats above 88, which she did not do overnight, but was doing better Friday morning. Last night was just okay, but things are looking better as the day progresses. She is playing, laughing, and basically returning to her usual feisty self. Hailey is also much better and was so happy to see her sissy come home. It was very heart-warming to see the excitement in both her squeals and body language! Andrew is still a bit on the grouchy side, but that's not too out of the ordinary for him. He and Hailey were both seen by their pediatrician yesterday and he felt they were making adequate progress towards recovery!

Thank you to everyone who offered support, encouragement and prayer! I have to say, the challenges we face in life certainly remind us to appreciate even the smallest joys of the day! And the daily nuances we deal with become small in comparison to the larger struggles we may face from time to time! I guess a little reminder now and then keeps us grounded! Hopefully life around the McCann house will return to "normal" in a week or so!