What we have learned in India so far

While we were in India, ( we are still in India) we did a lot of things.

First, we dressed up the boys. We dressed them up because in some parts of India they do in to scare away the evil spirits.  Eben and Jasper were matching, but we did not have a third matching dress for Berg.

The food was also pretty interesting. We had to eat it with our fingers because there are no forks in India. 

We also made naan. Eben preferred the un messy things, that left me with the messy things, like mixing the dough with my hands. 

At job time, opal was the laundry girl. She'd do the laundry normally, than when she took them out of the dryer, she'd hang them up to dry again. ( The laundry was still a little wet.)

 We also did henna, on our hands and feet. Okay, maybe only I got it on the feet, but… you got the point. This is Eben's hand. 

These are my henna feet. 

  

This is Jasper's lightning henna hand.

This is Mama doing Opal's hand.

Nonnie taut us chess. There was also a little dutch boy named Jasper that learned with us. 

 We had tea time too. I liked it a lot. 

In India, kids have dinner at 8 or 11 a clock! Me and Eben did that. We slept in the next morning. I almost fell a sleep. Mama almost did to. 

January

January is really fun. I keep thinking it is spring, but it is actually still winter. It never snows in December, but it always snows in January. I don't think it is going to snow. It snowed a little bit this year, but not  enough to go sledding. The Shocks took us sledding on Mount Rainier. I wish that our lake could freeze. I like winter, but I also like summer. Fall and Spring are nice, but its not really hot or really cold.  If it does snow I want to build another igloo. At Leavenworth we built a snow man. It was mini, about the size of Berg. I'm going to end my blog now, so good bye!

Snow

I like snow a lot. It is fun to play in. Last year we built an igloo. I want to make another one this year. Today we had the first snow! (It is Monday, December 17, 2012.) I like to go sledding down our driveway. I also want to build a snowman this year. I can't wait for Christmas! Except that I can. I think snow represents Christmas. It always comes at Christmas time!

Winter Advents

I love winter. It is the time of Christ's birth. It is my favorite time of year. I like decorating the tree together and going Christmas shopping and picking out things that we think our siblings would like. Opal got to put the star on the tree this year. We have a thousand advents. First, the chocolate calendars. Then we have the socks. When its our turn we pick a sock and open it. There is always a candy inside. Sometimes it is two. Then we have the tree. When it is our turn, each morning we light the tree. And we have the calendar. A long time ago, Mama made a cloth calendar. In the first pocket, there is always the star of Bethlehem. The last one is Baby Jesus. And last we have advent. Each morning at devotions, if its our turn we light a candle. We let it burn for the rest of devotions until it is prayer time, then the person who lit it, will blow it out.

Christmas

I love Christmas. It is my favorite time of year. We always have a nativity cake with the nativity people made out of chocolate. My favorite part of Christmas is mama waking us up and having us all meet in the living room reading Jesus' birth. Every year mama makes all of us matching  Christmas jammies. Cousins and Grandma and Grandpa  always come. I love opening the presents in my stocking. There is always candy. I can never think of what I want for Christmas when someone asks me what I want, but then on Christmas morning, I open a present and say, ''this is exactly what I wanted!' Nonnie and Poppie come on Skype. We always open the presents in the stockings first. I also love our Christmas tree.

Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving we went to cousin's house. Nonnie and Poppie and Mimmi and Doddie and Mr. Steve came to. Pella didn't want anyone to hold her but me and  Mama. While all the other kids watched a movie, I ate with the adults. Then Pella played the game '' Run away when cousins try to hold you.'' I hold Pella and try to give her away, but then Pella kicks her legs and holds on to me extra tight and giggles. I also tried to catch the boys, but they were to quick. We had a lot of food. I got really full. My favorite was the yams with marshmallows. My favorite part of Thanksgiving was holding Pella. And we ate happily ever after.

My thankful poem

I am thankful for my chickens and bees, although the chickens attract some fleas.I am thankful for my brother named Jasper, but sometimes he turns into grasper. I am thankful for my friends. They are always around the bends. I am thankful for my dad. He makes me happy when I'm sad. I am thankful for God. He created me to live eternally.