Christmas Packages

Each year our church, Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, hosts a fun event for children & families called "Christmas Packages."  The entire church is turned into a festival and you wander all around, participating in different activities.  This year we could only stay for about thirty minutes (after Sabrina's kindergarten choir performance) because we had to leave to go to our next Christmas event of that day.  So, we missed a lot of the events this year.

But, while we were there we did have a fun time.  We saw a puppet show:

 And played dodge ball in formal party dresses:

So much fun!

Sabrina's Kindergarten Choir Perfornance

The Christmas season is so busy that we originally thought we would not be able to make it to Sabrina's kindergarten choir concert.  It was in the middle of three other Christmas parties we were invited to that day.  But, our schedule opened up a bit and we were able to make it.  I am so glad because it was fabulous to see Sabrina sing her heart out!

 As with all preschool music concerts, every song has adorable hand motions:

 Cute, cute, cute!

 The baby Jesus ...

 Is in my heart ...

 This song was about Emmanuel ... "God is above us, below us, sideways, all around ..."

Such a treat!

Catherine's Choir

Every Wednesday night we go to our local church for children's choir and missions classes.  Twice a year, the kids do a performance.  Sabrina's performance occurred while we were in Orlando, but Catherine's was this past week.  She wanted to wear my cross necklace, which she played with the entire time.

For at least 90% of the performance, Catherine turned her back to the audience and watched the huge screen of the singers behind her.  She did this on her last performance too.  We lectured her, but she was far more interested in watching herself and her friends on the screen!

Racer Derby - Regionals

About a week after the JFBC competition, the pinewood derby Regional Competition was held in Douglasville.  We all were able to go and had a great time.  This time there were only 9 girls competing (the JFBC competition had 42 girls).  So, they had all the girls sit next to the track and hold their cars.  Each heat consisted of two cars.  The kids were called up two at a time for their races.

Then the girls sat down and watched their cars cross the finish line (each race takes about two seconds):

 Catherine is impressed that her car won:

 Her lovely pink car gets a good luck cheek rub:

 The final standings .... Catherine placed third!!

 Catherine standing next to her friend Sofia, who took fourth place:

 A close-up of the glittery gold trophy:

 Catherine receiving her trophy:

 The third place "racer girl" with her winning car:

Well ... now we advance to the State Competition level!

Racer Derby - JFBC

Every year our church holds a pinewood racer derby for the RA's (Royal Ambassadors) and GA's (Girls in Action).  Last year Catherine could not participate because of her surgery and the aftercare.  This year she said she wanted to compete, so we bought a car.  She painted it, added glitter to it, and declared it done.  Robby added wheels, weights, and graphite. 

We all wanted to attend the race, but Sabrina was very sick.  So, she and I stayed home.  Robby and Catherine went alone.  The car had been turned in 2 days earlier and "impounded."  They weigh the cars and check their length.  Catherine's is the pink one in the back row in the middle:

One of the "officials" gives the child his/her car.  Then the child carries the car over to the "official" who loads the car onto the track.

 Then the child is introduced to the crowd - at which time Catherine waved to everyone:

 Then the children watch as the cars zoom down the track:

Robby and I went to the Bon Jovi concert on the turn-you-car-in-night, so a friend of the family turned our car in for us.  He wasn't sure how to spell her name, so he guessed.  Once the name and car are entered into the system, it apparently can't be changed.  Here are the results from one of the heats:

Catherine reacts to her car winning:

Catherine won fourth place!  She received a ribbon and walked across the stage:

 The top five girl winners:

 The final speed results:

Because she finished in the top four, Catherine was able to advance to the Regional Competition.

Daddy-Daughter Dance

Every year around Valentine's Day, our church does a Father-Daughter Dance.  The girls love this night.  It is a special event for all ... including me, who gets a night to myself!

 Some pre-dance pictures:

 I did the girls' hair - sort of fancy:

 Sabrina dancing the night away:

Robby's back hurt after dancing with three foot tall dance partners for awhile, so he encouraged them to dance with each other:

Catherine's Choir Performance

Every Wednesday Catherine attends choir at our church, Johnson Ferry Baptist Church.  At Christmas time she participates in a show with all the other children.  Catherine stood next to her friend, Camryn, during the show.

For some reason, neither one of them was very focused on the singing and instead they played around quite a bit - during the show!

Here is one of the few shots we have when they are both actually looking towards the audience and singing.  The majority of the time Catherine had her back to the audience and watched the children behind her singing (Catherine always gets placed in the front row because she is so short).

 They are so loving to each other:

I am not sure if Catherine knew a lot of the songs, because she did do a lot of staring into space during the performance:

Still, Catherine loves going to choir and hopefully next time she will face front & focus.  Maybe.  Maybe not.

Sabrina's Choir Performance

Every Wednesday night we take the girls to our church, Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, for fellowship dinner, choir and a missions class.  Twice a year the choir performs for the church.  Sabrina did a great job singing along to the music.

 There are a bunch of hand signs that accompany the songs:

 I love this shot, because it truly looks like she is praying:

 Yes, I think she was truly screaming the song!

Daddy-Daughter-Daughter Dance

Every year our church hosts a Daddy-Daughter Dance near Valentine's Day.  This is Catherine's third year attending and Sabrina's first (the minimum age is 4).  They loved getting dressed up for it.  Catherine loves to "pose" for pictures:

Sabrina's bangs are starting to look normal after she chopped them off a few weeks ago:

 Here is all three of them:

It is such a blessing to see how much my girls love each other:

And because we rarely get formal pictures of Robby, I insisted: