We're Back!

So, after a year of not blogging, I decided it was time to crank it up again...complete with a new blog address. With my parents in China (and Facebook being banned there...) this is the best way, by far, to keep them and everyone else in the loop!

So...I guess I will just start where we are at. Christmas at the Lee home was great this year. On Christmas Eve, Dave, Bella and I went to our church's (Northern Hills Christian Church) Christmas Eve service and then headed down to Golden to have dinner and make cookies the Golden family and Dave's parents. Bella had a good time with her cousins and Dave got to help set up Jack's Christmas present - a drop down from the ceiling train table! We left, tired, but having had a really nice evening. When we got home, Bella got to open up a present with a new pair of jammies - with "Big Sister" on them! I debated giving them to her, but decided that we are just going to walk in faith with this pregnancy and so she got them and loves them! Ye Ye (my dad) read her "The Night Before Christmas" and then she was tucked in bed!

For Christmas Day, we had Dave's parents, my parents and my brother David with us, which I think was a lot of fun. Although, I think Bella would have really loved some kid-presence, along with all the adults! :) She was so excited to walk downstairs to see her presents! We all enjoyed a lazy day and a really fantastic dinner. Dave brined the turkey and it was so good!

I really wanted to tone down on the presents and the Santa stuff and really have the focus be on Jesus. Bella wanted to have a birthday cake for Jesus, so we made one and sang "Happy Birthday" to Him. That was really neat! Overall, it was a really great day!

Now...onto all the coming new year! This past Sunday at church the lesson was on not leaving Baby Jesus in the manger, but keeping the passion that we often feel at Christmas and allowing that to make us go "Incarnational" this year - getting out of ourselves and reaching out to people with the love of Jesus. I decided that I really want to get to know our neighbors this year - something that is really hard to do in this culture! Everyone stays inside and keeps to themselves...but I feel like I need to get out and know them.

Anyway...that's it for now. I'm glad to be back here, able to keep everyone updated!