And since we've no place to go...

The Creation Museum Live Nativity

 We visited the Live Nativity at the Creation Museum in Hebron, Kentucky, right before Christmas. 

 It is undoubtedly the most beautiful Nativity we've ever seen.

The Christmas decorations at The Creation Museum are beautiful!  Since much of The Creation Museum's emphasis is on the Biblical account of Noah's Ark, the CM has done dinosaur-themed Christmas lights.  They believe - as do we - that there were, infact, dinosaurs on the ark.  When folks argue that dinosaurs were too large to fit on the ark, The Creation Museum proposes that young dinosaurs were brought aboard, which would have been small enough to fit.

Of our evening at the Creation Museum, the BEST PART was riding a camel.  Yep.  They were offering camel rides in honor of the Wise Men traveling to see Baby Jesus.  All 5 of us were able to ride, and it was a blast!

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning was a flurry of excitement in my house...as usual!  Following tradition, we read the Biblical account of the Christmas story from Luke 2.  Then we opened our gifts infront of a warm fire place.  Even though John woke-up sick on Christmas morning, he was quite a trooper, and he enjoyed the festivities.

Isn't Jesus wonderful, that even though it's HIS birthday He gives US the gifts???

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is always the most special day of the year at my house.  We drive home from visiting family in West Virginia in the morning.  Then in the evening, we head to Christmas Eve service at our church.

This was a special Christmas Eve service for Anna, because it was the 1st year she was old enough to hold her own candle.  She was scared to death!

 After church, we come home and get into comfy clothes, and cuddle-up on the couch and read books.  The best book of all is when Tim reads "Twas the Night Before Christmas."  Funny.... this year Anna actually had the whole story memorized, thanks to listening to a Hallmark one over and over again that Papa and Nana had recorded for her last year.  She said the whole story along with Tim, even though she isn't old enough to read it!

 We leave treats out for Santa.  This year, we left him cookies, chocolate fudge, Graeter's buckeyes, and hot apple cider.  (Very Ohio, don't you think???)

 And John always insists on leaving bread crumbs out for Santa's reindeer.  In the morning, he'll check to see if the breadcrumbs are gone.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Gingerbread House

 Presenting.... The Barnette Family Gingerbread House 2012!!!

THANK YOU so very much to Tim and Diana Kearney for sending us a gingerbread house kit again, even in the midst of a major move to Georgia.  We didn't think the Kearneys would have the time to send us one this year.  But not only did they send us one....they sent us the BEST ONE EVER!  The decorations were fantastic, and now our whole house smells like fresh gingerbread.  The kids decided that they had more fun making this year's gingerbread house than any other they've ever made.

 We loved all the candy decorations, but by far the best ones were the little marshmallow snowmen that were each holding peppermint candy.  Those were out-of-this-world cute!

Anna graciously left us enough of the licorice pieces to make a roof. She loved those little things, and she kept sneaking eating them while we were trying to decorate with them.  :)

 Thank You Kearneys!

Anna's Baptism

Praise the Lord!!!  On Sunday, December the 9th, our baby was baptized after trusting Jesus as her Savior.

Anna was blessed to have all four of her grandparents come from out-of-state to witness the baptism, and then come back to our house for dinner.  It was a glorious day!

Senior Luncheon, CPBC

On Sunday I had the privledge of once again attending the Senior Luncheon at church.  The theme this year was "The Old Time Gospel Hour," and they had some fantastic quartet music playing.  It was great fun!

 Below were the organizers of this year's luncheon:  Janie Burk, Sheriann Robinette, Jennifer Schott, and Clarence Cherry.  They did a fantastic job!

 For the program following lunch, I was blessed to be able to play the piano.  We also had Sarah Schott, age 8, sing for us while her dad played the guitar, and Tex Lawson sang.  Jewell Shearer, who has taught pre-schoolers for 50 years, did a devotional.

 Leo Waggal (pictured above, having his hand held) always treats those who come to the luncheon to wonderful gifts.  Below, his annual coo-coo clock was raffled off.  The clocks Leo makes for this event are absolutely amazing, being intricately carved.   And everyone who came went home with an ornament that had been hand-carved and decorated by Leo. Our Christmas tree is FILLED with these beautiful ornaments that we've received from 5 years of attending the Senior Christmas Luncheon!  It's amazing to think that Leo does his wood carving with a scroll saw bit that it only slightly larger than a toothpick...

Sadly, Leo was recently diagnosed with Macular Degeneration.  He is now almost blind, and these were the last ornaments and clock he will ever be able to make.  All those ornaments and clocks will now be special treasures to those who have received them through the years.