Christmas Day Dinner!

Full of Wonder

On Christmas Eve we opened one "Specified" present - the famous pajama pants present!!! Aren't they cute! Everyone loves Robert.
Betsy's angels!! I love my girls! (and my boys)

Mark's Angels - of course, I have to be included in that photo!

Our gang! We love Christmas!!!

Having fun!

Christmas Eve tradition

Not a tradition from Mark or Betsy's childhood, but one that we have done for over a decade now is to dress up as if we were the shepherds on Christmas Eve, turn off all electricity (after dinner is prepared) and eat a fish and mediteranian dinner as if we were back on the night before Christ was born. After eating a delicious dinner, we read the story of Christ's birth from Matthew and Luke.

Gathered around as a family before the Christmas Eve dinner: Jessica, Marissa, Robert, Jern Jern, Betsy and Devon - Mark is taking the photo.

Marissa ready to try anything.

Robert, not sure about this salmon.

Devon (if you can believe it) found something he liked to eat at this meal.

Jessica enjoying her food!

The girls: Jern Jern, Marissa and Jessica

Jessica reading from the scriptures

Jern Jern enjoying her meal.

Mark, head of the family

Laurel Lane Ladies Christmas Brunch

This year the Laurel Lane Ladies gathered at Maureen Green's for a lovely brunch to celebrate our friendship and the spirit of the season!

Fran, Ann, Kelly, Betsy and Paula

(Maureen taking the photo)

All purple glasses are non-alcohol grape juice,

All others are peach memosa

Ann and Fran - Having fun

Decorating Cookies - the best tradition!

Everyone in our family loves the tradition of baking and decorating Christmas cookies. We wait for everyone to be out of school so that EVERYONE can be home to participate in the fun.

Everyone gathers around the table to being the art ...

Mommy always joins in the fun! She likes to make her cookies very pretty with fluffy frosting! The more frosting the better (to her).

Marissa deocrating a Christmas tree.

Jessica enjoying the fruits of her labors!

Robert saying um, um, good!

Jern Jern adding the finishing touches to her cookie.

The final batch - tray after tray of decorated cookies!

Frosting Cookies - a Family tradition

See pictures!!!

Baking Christmas Cookies

Game #10 - Brown (Lady Dragon Tournament)

Ball control is the name of the game!
Keep control of the ball!

Jessica with an awesome rebound!

Passing to the wing.

Final Score!

Wednesday, 12/23/09 Jessica's team played their last game in the Doss Lady Dragon Tournament for 5th place. The game started at 4:00 p.m.

Jessica was finally feeling better. The girls started off great and never let the team close.
1st quarter: 13-5
2nd quarter: 28-11
3rd quarter: 38-21
4th quarter: 54-26

Jessica's stats: 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals, 1 blocked shot and 2 pass deflections.

The team is 8 and 2!

Game #9 - Atherton (Lady Dragon Tournament)

Game 2 of the tournament was awesome. On Tuesday, December 22, 2009, the girls faced Atherton (they play them later in the season as well). They had a great game. We were down the first quarter 7-11 but then evened the playing in the next quarter. At half time we were only down 4 points. Third quarter we came alive, hitting out shots and rebounding. won 51-45.

1st quarter: 7-11
2nd quarter: 13-17
3rd quarter: 36-27
4th quarter; 51-45

Jessica had 5 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocked shots and a charge.

Team record: 7-2 Go Mustangs!!!! Let's win tomorrow!

Game #8 - Fairdale (Lady Dragon Tournament)

Fast break for Olivia
It was very hard to defend against a 6'1" girls #4. Insedentally, Fairdale #4 wasn't on the KYHSSA roster...interesting!

Looking for options...

Swarmed after getting the rebound.

Lucy putting it up for two.

Lost to Fairdale - Jessica was sick for the game. She only got to play 16 minutes. While she was out, Fairdale took an 11 point lead...boo!

Nutcracker Ballet

The night I've looked forward to all week: Friday, December 18, 2009. The night I am taking the older kids, Jessica, Devon, and Jern Jern to see the Louisville Ballet perform the Nutcracker! I love the arts! Jern Jern, Betsy, Jessica, and Devon

All dressed up!

We have wonderful seats - front row of the Grand Tier!

Awaiting the production!

Devon is taking the photos, so we had him take several (we weren't convinced he could get a good angle or shot)

Betsy and Jern Jern - Jern Jern's first time to the Nutcracker

Devon and his mom! Betsy is taking the photo (she never likes them when she does this, but she really wanted a photo of her and Devon at the show). Devon has grown up and matured into a very wonderful young man!

The show was inspiring...the dancers amazing ... the music was magical!

A night I will always remember!

Mark has a new Calling

Last Sunday Mark was called to be the Second Counselor in the Bishopric of our ward.

Mark is humbled to serve the Lord in this calling. He will miss serving with the wonderful missionaries that he has worked with over the 2 and half years that he served as the Ward Mission Leader.

GIRLS ARE 6 and 1!

So happy for the Lady Mustang Girls Basketball team! They are off to such a great start of this year's basketball season. Seven games played, six won, one lost, 19 more to go! One at a time!

Rudolph the Red Nose Raindeer

Today we taught Jern Jern the words and melody to Rudolph the Red Nose Raindeer!!!

Christmas is getting closer!!

Game #7 - Western

Jessica winning the tip against Western HS
Lay up for two

Look at her reach!

Jessica is defense all the way!

2 points for Jessica!

Western is a tough team from the other side of town. They didn't really have a lot of tall players (actually two were really short) but they could handle the ball and shoot a 3 pointer.

The game started out great with NOHS taking an early lead. The other coach called a time out within less than one minute of the game. This was going to be a much more challenging team than the one they played in the morning.

We had a strong first quarter! Second quarter we got flat. It was like we couldn't buy a basket. On top of that the referees weren't very consistent in their calls. After half time the girls were back! Scoring and passing well. They fought their way back to being only one point down at the end of the quarter. We had a bit of bad luck as well - we got a techical called on Meghan Welle for entering the court (even though the ref called her on). They scored 2 just at the end of the quarter). Fourth quarter the girls had a look of determination. They got down from a few three pointers, but Nicole Bryant fired two three pointers back at them. The score is 39 - 39 with only one minute left in the game. We get the ball. We are working it around trying to find the open person. They try to steal the ball, but Jessica comes up with it and passes to Lucy but then we lose control and the ball goes out of bounds. They get the ball with 39 seconds left. Time out called by the other coach. We know they are going to try to use up the clock and then fire a 3 point shot at the last second. Olivia comes up with a clean steal and drives and passes to Jessica. Jessica is at the elbow of the foul line - looks up and sees Lucy open under the basket, passes the ball, Lucy shoots and scores. 7 seconds left in the game - the other team can't get it down....WE WIN!!!!

1st quarter: 12 - 8
2nd quarter: 17- 20 (they took the lead) We were stuck at 17 points for a long time
3rd quarter: 28 - 29 (they are ahead by one)
4th quarter: 41 - 39 WE WIN!!!

Jessica's stats: 2 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 assist, 1 blocked shot.