The best Christmas Present Ever

Our friends Sarah and Jordan just had their second child, Elijah Gabriel Hoffmaster, 7 lbs, 20 inches long, on December 26. Sarah went into labor about 1am on Christmas and 25 hours later he was born. It probably wasn't the most ideal Christmas, but the end result was worth it.

These pics are of Elijah and his Dad

Me and the new baby

Three things in closing: First, we had to sneak into the room to see the baby because of the fear of the swine flu (so don't tell Mon General). Stacey was to excited to see him so she forgot the camera and that is why there is only a picture of me. Second, I was starting to think two girls was enough for the Niessners, but the excitement of Elijah makes me think another baby would be fun (no time soon though). Finally, now that Jordan and Sarah have two boys there is a husband for Charlotte and Drea. Or more likely two choices for Charlotte, Drea is to bossy.

snowy adventures

The family had big fun the weekend before christmas in the foot of snow that dropped over our area. Drea was so happy that Daddy said he would take her out to play in it. Here are some pictures of the fun.

Thanks for the sleds, Uncle Ben!

Daddy and Drea going out with their sleds to go down the big hill. I didn't get any pictures of it but there might have been some sledding into the drainage pond behind us. She had a lot of fun until the snow was packed down pretty tight and it made them go so fast that she flew off and ended up with a face full of snow.

Drea had to bring one of her dollies and their high chair out to play with in the snow. We were confused by the necessity of it all but she didn't care she was having fun.

Charlotte wasn't having much fun. She isn't super dressed for the cold but I just wanted her to feel the snow for the first time. She didn't really like it.

Well, I guess she liked it for a minute.

One of Drea's face full of snow.

Anyway, Drea had a blast! This was probably the most fun she has ever had playing the snow. And I think Andy really enjoyed it, too.

8 steps and messed up covers

Charlotte took a couple steps on the day she turned 9 months old. I think I already blogged about that. She has taken many since.

Until tonight when I came home from work. She was so excited to see me that she took 8 steps to come across the living room to me. It was very sweet to see.

Drea made me laugh tonight. My sister will definitely appreciate this story. We have this thing about the covers on the bed being perfect and straight. Both of our husbands make fun of us for being psycho about the covers.

Anyway, I was playing with Drea after I came home from work and she wanted to jump on my bed. Yes, I'm a horrible parent who lets my child have a little fun every once in a while jumping on my bed. (Don't judge me, Lorrie. :) ) So Drea always asks me to straighten the sheets before she jumps. Then she will jump for a minute and then get down after she messes up the covers and ask me to straighten the sheets and then she will jump for another minute and then get down and ask me to straighten the sheets and so on. And tonight it finally caught me as funny and I started giggling about it. I guess she might end up being as neurotic as me since she can't even jump on the bed when the covers are messed up. I

hope Ben enjoys that one, Kareen.

Drea's New Do

Drea has been saying she wanted her hair cut short for sometime now.....It finally happened.

Stacey cried after the haircut, not because she liked Drea's hair long (she did), but, because Drea looks older and more grown-up. It's crazy she does (look older), she'll be 4 in 2 weeks and 3 days. Where did the time go?

It's beginning to feel like Christmas

So many of you know how much I enjoy Thanksgiving. I also don't like it when the Christmas season is pushed on us so quickly. So it usually takes us a while to get ready for Christmas. I do like Christmas and it is really fun, with the kids and all the holiday festivities. Anyway, to the point of this post. We are getting ready for Christmas at the Niessner household.....here are some pics of our preparation:

Yes we have a fake tree....Don't judge us real tree people

Mommy and Drea trimming the tree

Charlotte helping with the lights

This is a gingerbread house Drea decorated with Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Bri. Drea had lots of fun and loved eating the candy before, during, and after the house was decorated.

Random pics

Papaw giving Charlotte the big spoon of mashed potatoes.

Drea showing off her fat lip and scratched face after getting pushed down on the playground at school. It looked worse in person but the best is how she's cheesing like she's proud of it and like she made sure the boy went home looking worse than her.

Drea and her absolutely normal kookiness! Pajamas, cowboy hat, Knockarounds (the sunglasses - knew you would love that, Em!) and her dora wand that she's pretending is a micrpohone. She is so fun!

Nunnie being mortified at Texas Roadhouse when they made her sit on the horse saddle for a big birthday Yee-haw. I bet she will be even more embarrassed that it made the blog!

Charlotte watching the Rutgers game with Ed.

Playing pool at Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Bri's house.

Drea and her cousin Barrett watching cartoons on Monday morning. We have been enjoying our Barrett time on Mondays.

Ice Skating, First Snow, and a Little T

On Sunday, we took Drea to Morgantown to go ice skating for the first time. This was Stacey's idea because it was something her Dad used to do with her and her siblings. So she thought it would be fun. It was......Drea laughed the whole time. I think one of her favorite things was that it was just Mommy, Daddy, and her. Charlotte played with Stacey's friend, Emily and her husband Joel.

Drea's first time on the ice

Trying not to fall

Drea got better as the day went on, it took about 20 minutes to go around once and probably another 15 minutes to go around a second time. By the end of the afternoon, I don't know how many times we went around, but Drea eventually tried on her own, landing on her butt.

Having fun with Momma

Taking our skates off after a fun day!

This weekend was also a special weekend because it snowed! Drea was pretty excited about this too. Drea could not wait to get out and play in the snow. She got dressed in all her snow clothes except her snow pants (I had to help her because she has grown a little since last year). She made snow angels, snowballs, and we tried to make a snowman (with no success). Overall, we did have a great time.

My post would not be complete without writing about Charlotte (T). Uncle Ben calls Charlotte, Turtle and I have shortened it to T. Sometimes TT (she does have two t's in her name), but she is still Charlotte and cute as ever.

Eating sweet potatoes

Charlotte has learned to stand up on her own and also clap her hands. She learned to do this over Thanksgiving watching WVU beat Pitt in football. The clapping not the standing. She was standing before Thanksgiving. Either way it's not important when she learned what, but she is doing both in this picture.

Advent meditation

My friend pastors a local church commmunity here in Fairmont called renovate. He sent this email to us and I wanted to share it.

As Christmas approaches I’ve heard some really sad stories this year. I know of at least three marriages that are right now in the process of dissolving and some children will not have both parents at home with them this Christmas, maybe never again. I have friends whose family members are battling cancer and having surgeries for life altering illnesses. I have seen friends and acquaintances that are lonely this year and it seems that the holidays only amplify that sadness.

As I hear these stories and get into my car to go to work or the store, I flip on the radio and listen to the beautiful songs of Christmas, most with joyful, triumphant sounding lyrics and upbeat tempos and I wonder how these two realities can exist together, side-by-side. One story filled with grief, and yet the other with one of utmost hope and peace.

Then I am reminded that it is this very, very real world that Jesus was born into. He came on purpose to a broken, lost, sad world, desperately in need of a Savior. He came not as God riding in power on a White Steed to rescue the world from pain and heartache and war and fear, but instead, He came as one of us. One of us. The power of one of His names is most important this time of year: Emmanuel, which means “God with us.”

He did not wave a magic wand and make it all go away, but rather He became one of us to walk with us in the midst of the pain and heartache, war and fear. This is the message of Advent, of Christmas, that God is not a distant, non-involved God who created us and walked away, but rather in great love and sacrifice to Himself, came and lived among us to reveal the Heavenly Father who desires to walk alongside us everyday.

He came into that depressed, war-torn, hopeless world to give hope, to show love, to be God among us. Today, He is still with us, now He lives in our hearts by His spirit to give hope, to show love and be God once again among us…but He does it through each of one of us. We call ourselves “His Body.” Why? Because through our hands we can give help, through our hearts we can give love, through our spirits we can share hope. It is Him in us who does these things.

Can we let Him shine bright through us this Christmas? Find someone you can bring a smile to, share a laugh with, give some hope and joy. Let Him love them through you. May you be the Christ child coming to someone this Christmas.

Maybe you haven’t met Him yet. Maybe you’ve not let Jesus walk alongside you yet. Maybe you are one of those who is lonely and sad, wounded and hurt this year. This Christmas, I ask you to simply invite Him to show Himself to you. Praying is talking, so simply talk to Him. I believe as you open your heart to Him, Jesus will become more real to you than you can ever imagine and even in the midst of pain and heartache and loneliness, you will find a reality of joy and peace that is beyond our understanding.

Praying Jesus be near to you this year,
John Carnes
renovate