Elser Family Blog

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

[stereotypical parental statement] H is growing up. Isn’t she beautiful?

And who is this handsome fellow on his way to Christmas Eve service?

Here are the kids spreading reindeer food before we go to bed. Gotta feed Santa’s helpers, doncha know. I suppose I can take this moment to belatedly answer Tammy’s question about Santa… Yes, Tammy, there is Santa Claus for the Elser household. We don’t see any negative meaning to him, and we make sure it doesn’t diminish the story of Jesus birth.

[parental boasting] I am a lucky guy.

Here is our dear child with one of her babies dreaming of sugar plums.

M KNOWS these came from Santa, because mom would NEVER buy her markers…

Here is M opening her gift from her Godmother Melinda.. She is saying “oh man oh man oh man” over and over.. I don’t know where she learned that term, and I have never heard her say it before, but I am probably the guilty party. Anyway, she was quite excited about it. (It was a bitty baby high chair)

No kidding, this is one of the two things H wanted for Christmas.. A flashing red reindeer nose. Go figure. Art supplies was the other thing. We got her some real paints and brushes and easel and she is going to go to some lessons for young people at the local art school.

Its not often you see children forgoing opening other presents to stop and read a book.. Either you should be impressed, or she already figured out that there are clothes in the other packages.. heheh. Sorry grandma Terri. 🙂 Thanks for the clothes AND the books.

Here is my gift from K.. I absolutely love it. She took a oil painting from my Great Grandfather, and had it professionally framed. It is terrific.

M’s Godmother Melinda has started a really nice tradition. She buys M a ornament at Christmas. They are really nice, and will make for neat memories when she gets older.

Last weekend was Christmas pageant time. M was in a Christmas pageant at her school at the local Baptist church. She was a little lost in the crowd, but had fun anyway. She even sang!

Ok, here is one from our church pageant. M was an angel.

H was a villager in our Church play “The first Leon” She did a great job singing too. (click on the picture for a short movie)

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And not to leave anyone out.. here is R getting into TROUBLE.

M and R get along well (MOST of the time:) M is R’s little guardian. She watches him when we all are out and about. And R pays her back with hugs.

Actually, all the kids get along pretty well. 🙂

I would be remiss if I failed to mention that H was the first in her class to get into the 200 book club! Excellent work H. We are so proud of you!

Here is a movie of M Bowling for the first time

OK, so she had a bit of a problem, even with the 6 pound ball, but she had a terrific time.

I got in trouble for taking this picture.. I guess the flash was annoying other bowlers.. Sorry!

H had to sit and rest, because it took so long for the ball to get down the ally…..

H celebrating picking up a spare.

How cute can one little girl be?

Here is Hand R playing with the Noah’s Ark that Grandma and Grandpa Elser gave the kids last year. Can someone tell them its been a quite popular toy over the last year please? Thanx.

M went from never eating veggies to loving them. Go figure. I think that M will really be interested in the garden this year… Maybe this year I’ll take better care of the garden! The last entry on the garden blog was in July. What a lousy garden note taker I am. I’ll never learn what I did right or wrong at this rate.

Here is M and R playing in the Church nursery. Cute as a button. We have been spending a lot of time there lately, what with the morning and evening services on Sundays in advent… But the kids have fun with their friends there.

And, Fall comes a little late around here… Here is a movie of M and H playing in the leaf pile in the back yard. I think this might be the first time for M to do this.

The amazing hanmelroc circus!

Here is H in front of her award winning paper. 🙂 The picture lifts up to expose a skeleton. Pretty neat.

We put out some Christmas decorations. Here is one that is a projection.

The girls visited Santa this weekend. R did too, but he wanted NOTHING to do with him 😉 Santa is outside here, though you wouldn’t know it from the picture)

They had a street festival and a Christmas parade in our Little Town. Sponge Bob was there. I think I like this picture because the little boy to the left is shooting marshmallows at the sponge.

The girls also had fun on the slide again. I think one of the local churches owns this thing… The kids like it. (click on the picture for a QuickTime movie)

And of course, you have to have the parade. We are sitting on Georgia avenue here, in front of our house.

Here is H dressed in her costume she just made.. Can you guess what she is?

K had her pictures from Switzerland/Italy/France developed… Here are a couple neat ones. (in my eyes at least:)

Here is K posing with a very strange moped. K said many people were stopping by and looking at it. It was not standard fare.

Here is Teri, Jurge (and Lars in the stroller) I don’t know where this is at (Ill ask K) but I do know that T and J live close enough to France that T walks there to shop sometimes. T, do you know where this pic was taken?

This weekend is the Little Town We Live In’s Christmas parade. It passes by right in front of our house. Unfortunately, I will have to be working another parade for work.. But I am sure K will take some pictures.