Happy Girl

Addison has quickly earned the nickname, "Happy Girl", since she's constantly smiling and laughing......

McKailyn's first Ballet lesson

Last week, McKailyn started her first ballet lesson. This week's class was canceled due to the snow/ice...imagine that. She is very excited and enjoys showing us her new dance moves - as of right now she's learning the pirouette.

Heard around our house......

While putting McKailyn to bed we heard a fire engine's sirens:
McKailyn: Dad is that a fire truck?
Me: Yes honey, they are probably going to help somebody.
McKailyn: Ok, but if they come back this way I hope they are quiet so they don't interrupt my beauty sleep. (straight faced)
Me: Yes dear

Jocelyn was talking about something we didn't need to talk about while eating dinner.
Me: Jocelyn, please stop talking about that.
Jocelyn: You got it soldier!
Me: *confused look on my face*

Our Pastor's Christmas Letter

I thought this was pretty cool and wanted to share....hope you enjoy.
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Dear Brian & Jill,

Every year I look forward to sending out my Christmas letter to our Christian Life Center Family. I do my best to find a fresh story or an illustration that tells of Christ's humble birth and all God has done by sending His Son to us. The following is an exceptional story set in the time of the Civil War that will remind us of the wonder of Christ's birth and what God has truly accomplished on our behalf.

It was during the dark winter of 1864, at Petersburg, Virginia. The Confederate Army of Robert E. Lee faced the Union Divisions of General Ulysses S. Grant. The war was now three and a half years old and the glorious charge had long since given way to the muck and mud of trench warfare.

Late one evening one of Lee's Generals, Major General George Pickett, received word that his wife had given birth to a beautiful baby boy. Up and down the line the Southerners began building huge bonfires in celebration of the event. These fires did not go unnoticed in the Northern camps and soon a nervous Grant sent out a reconnaissance patrol to see what was going on. The scouts returned with the message that Pickett's wife had a son and these were celebratory fires. It just so happened that Grant and Pickett had been contemporaries at West Point and knew one another well; so to honor the occasion Grant, too, ordered that bonfires should be built.

What a peculiar night it was. For miles on both sides of the lines fires burned. No shots were fired that night, no yelling back and forth and no war was fought; only light celebrating the birth of a child. But it didn't last forever. Soon the fires burned down and once again the darkness took over. The darkness of the night and the darkness of war still loomed heavily over the men and the nation.

For a brief moment that night in our nation's history, the news of a baby's birth brought peace to the hearts of the soldiers and to the nation. The good news of Christmas is that a baby was born that would not bring temporary peace but everlasting peace. The good news of Christmas is that in the midst of great darkness, there came a Light and the darkness was not able to overcome the Light. It was not just a momentary flicker, it was an eternal flame.

Even though the events in our world and in our own personal lives today try to snuff out the light Christ brings, the story of Christmas affirms that His Light can never be extinguished. The Light of Christ's love and power will shine forever. May His Light and love shine through us this Christmas Season and all through the New Year.

Merry Christmas,
The Rice Family