Our Christmas Tree

Hello, everyone!
   Today, Sylvia and I helped decorate our mom's Christmas tree!

We did it in our pajamas so we could be cozy. And yes... that's me actually wearing pants! 

Sylvia talked me into it, and I consented, because the outfit was so cute. :)

I'm hanging an ornament on the tree.

These are some of our favorites!

Beautiful Sylvia poses in front of the beautiful tree. :)

Here's how it looks like with the overhead light on...

...and off.

We love relaxing under the huge Christmas tree!

So, how do you like to decorate your tree? We'd love to know!

-Kirsten

It's December

It's December at last, and Christmas is just around the corner! Yay! Things have gotten busy for us, so our posts may be a little less frequent for a while... you know how that is. But have no fear; they will pick up again soon enough!
   Kirsten and I have begun to send out Christmas cards to our friends and family. Some of them are designed by us. We thought that you might like to see them.

Kirsten drew this one. I love the traditional wreath!

I did this snowflake card.

And last but not least, I made this one. 

We agree that has the most important message of all:

Jesus is born!

Here I am working on my card.

Well, I think Kirsten has some things to say, so I'll stop here. Happy December!

-Sylvia

Oh, I'm so excited. It's December, and that means cozy fires, warm clothes, good books... and Christmas! 

   This is what happened on the first morning of December. 

When I woke up, I suddenly realized what day it was.

"Sylvia, it's December! Wake up!" I said.

Sylvia pulled the covers over her head.

"No, it's time to sleep," she replied, from under the blanket.

I got up and pulled the covers off Sylvia.

I knew how to make her pay attention.

"Sylvia, I'll tell you a secret," I said mysteriously.

"What is it?" she asked, suddenly wide awake.

I whispered, "It's the first day of December!"

"What?" she exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me before?" 

And with that, she jumped out of bed and ran off to get dressed. :)

Anyway, happy December!

-Kirsten   

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hooray for Thanksgiving! 

   It's the day we set aside to celebrate the Pilgrims' bravery in coming to the New World, and God's amazing protection and providence in their lives. God blessed the Pilgrims and He also blesses us! Now that is something to be truly thankful for!

   Sadly, this simple truth is often stricken from school's history books. Many don't realize that the Pilgrims' steadfast belief in Jesus Christ enabled them to succeed in the unfamiliar, strange America. Barbara Rainey, author of the book Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember, says this:

   "The Pilgrims sailed to American because of their faith. They wrote the Mayflower Compact based on God's Word, and they signed it by faith. They persevered in the harsh climate because of their faith. They befriended the Native Americans, also because of their faith. Their uncompromising belief in God and His Word became the cornerstone of the colony, and in turn, of the new nation."

   We're not saying that you should stop having fun and enjoying good food on Thanksgiving... definitely not! But we shouldn't lose sight of the true significance of this holiday, and what it was founded upon... God and His Word.

   Happy Thanksgiving!

-Kirsten

Hello, everyone, this is Sylvia. I love what Kirsten just said, it was wonderful! But I'm sure you'd like to know what we did for Thanksgiving, too!

   First, we took some pictures outside. 

Kirsten wore an adorable dress that she had made herself.

I wore an outfit that I bought from Target. :)

Kirsten is so pretty... she looks like a Pilgrim girl!

Then our mom took us with her to a relative's house and explored their beautiful garden.

I'm standing in front of a pomegranate tree.

Kirsten really liked these old-fashioned pink flowers.

After dinner, we had some delicious pumpkin pie, of course!

Mmmmmm.

So, what did you do for your Thanksgiving? We'd love to know!

-Sylvia

Pajama Time

Today, Mom took Sylvia and I shopping for some autumn/winter pajamas. There were many beautiful choices at the store! Here are some pictures of what I picked out.

I chose this nightgown with a delicate leafy pattern.

This little bow was a lovely addition!

Here is a close up of the leaf pattern.

I think it suits me wonderfully! I'm very excited to have a new nightgown for the autumn and winter.

-Kirsten

Hey everyone, this is Sylvia! Kirsten just showed you her new pajamas. Now I'll show you mine!

I picked out this set that included a cute nightie top and a pair of pink leggings.

The nightie top was sprinkled with a sweet rosebud pattern. 

It also had this adorable little ruffly button thing... I love it!

Isn't the rosebud pattern so sweet?

And then there were the leggings.

The material is very soft!

The hem is sort of fluted, too.

Here is how I look when I wear them!

I think that these pajamas are perfect for me! I love shopping. :) 

   Oh, and please comment and tell us which pajamas you like better: Kirsten's or mine. We can't wait to hear from you!

-Sylvia

Rainy Day Reading

Hello, everyone, Kirsten here. It's autumn at last... that perfect time to curl up on the couch with a blanket and a good book, and read, and read, and read! Here in California, November is when it first starts to get chilly, and so, consequently, that is the time when I am most inspired to read. Today, I wanted to share with you my favorite books. Well, at least some of them. I have so many that this post would be way too long if I told you all of them!
   First of all: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series, written by J.R.R. Tolkien.

This is probably the most amazing series that I have ever read. 

It is so well written and full of adventure! The history of Middle Earth (where the books take place) is realistically complex, yet consistent, and full of little things that you only notice after reading it twice or thrice.

Sylvia's favorite book in this series is the last one, The Return of the King.

My favorite is the first book, The Fellowship of the Ring, in spite of the fact that 

many people complain of the first half being so boring and slow. It may be slow, but all the information in it is crucial for understanding and appreciating the other two books! After a while, you grow to even love the "boring" parts.

My other favorite series is The Chronicles of Narnia, written by C.S. Lewis.

You can tell that I love it. :)

This series is comprised of seven books: The Magician's Nephew, 

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, 

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, and The Last Battle. 

Personally, I like them all equally. 

Right now, I'm reading The Horse and His Boy.

   So, this autumn and winter, I encourage you to pull out a new book, or an old favorite, and simply read it. Imagine... a crackling fire warming your toes, a cup of hot chocolate at your elbow, and a good story... ahhhhh.

-Kirsten