Fave Books List

Grandma V suggested once that we write down Eva's favorite books before we forgot what they were, and I thought that was a good idea! Parents everywhere will know what I mean when I say that just typing in each book title reminds me of exactly which page, which sentence, and which picture made/makes Eva squeal with glee. And yes, I can recite from memory most of these books... not sure if that is something to be proud of or not? :) But I am proud of how much Eva and both of us parents love reading together - and do want to remember these titles in the future.

First/Early Favorite Books:

- Where is Baby's Belly Button? (flip book)
- Tails (touch and flip bk)
- Alphabet Books (Baby Einstein in a Box Series)
- Goodnight Gorilla
- Where is Baby? (flip book)
- Baby's First Words (fish on front)
- Touch and Feel Farm Animals
- Are You My Mother? (soft bk with plush bird)
- Global Babies

One Year Old Favorites:

- Duck Ellington Plays Jazz
- Ella Elephant Sings Scat
- God Loves You Just As You Are
- Baby's First Nursery Rhymes (peek through bk)
- Baby's First Bible (peek through bk)
- Baby's Praise Songs (peek through bk)
- On Noah's Ark
- Snuggle Puppy
- A Baby's First Year (Eva's Birthday Book!)

18 month old Favorites:

- Go Dog, Go
- 4 Pups and a Worm
- Counting Kisses
- Dr. Suess's Alphabet Book
- Corduroy BIG Book
- Elmo and the Schoolhouse
- Green Eggs and Ham

Three Holidays and a Sermon

We just finished a very full long weekend - celebrating Thanksgiving, early Christmas, an 85th surprise Birthday, and then preaching for the first Sunday of Advent. After we got home tonight, I realized that this is one major event per day, for four days in a row. :) It was a lot of fun to see people in MI and enjoy family time during two holiday festivities! We got to hang with Josh and Kara who were here from Mpls and spend a morning at the Field Museum. Then we all drove to Peter's parent's place and met Alicia and Dave, who had made the long trek into town from D.C. Jill came over for the holiday celebrations too, and so it was a full VerHage family gathering! We even got to see Peter's cousins and much of his extended family who were in town to celebrate Peter's great-aunt Casey turning 85 - a surprise party that was so fun to see for such a sweet and tender-hearted lady.

Eva had great times with the everyone on our visit and took turns walking various people around the house by the finger, usually while saying 'come, come.' She also enjoyed chasing after the small chocolate soccer balls found in her stocking, and trying to pull out the pigtails that I kept re-doing in her hair. This morning, when we were back in town, she enjoyed the Bethlehem scene set up in the front of Sojourner Covenant Church where I spoke this morning. A beautiful miniature little town, complete with lighted star overhead and the scrolls of Isaiah resting on the floor, fills the stage at the front of the church.

We really had a good time at each event - and are feeling surprisingly rested and ready to start a "normal" week now. Yeah for Advent and the start of the holidays! Yeah for getting to appreciate family from near and far. Yeah for being invited to share the beginning of the Advent journey with a neat congregation. I am a fan. :)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

We're heading to Michigan to see Peter's family for Thanksgiving soon and have a holiday break. We'll also be opening Christmas presents with the VerHage side this weekend, so Eva has been busy making gifts and 'helping' me wrap gifts for the Xmas season. While I know some people try to hold off the impending and ever-earlier consumer start to Christmas, I say bring it on! Not the shopping, the hoarding, spending and worrying - but the beauty, the focusing on Advent, the twinkling lights and the fabulous music. I can't tell you how fun it is to have Bing Crosby crooning "What Child is This" through the speakers while I hum along and wrap up treasures and Eva gets stuck in piles of ribbons and colors her cards for people. I LOVE Christmas, and am excited to start teaching her more about what this season is all about this year as she is old enough to experience it much differently then her first Christmas. The holidays are here! And yes, we start early... I LOVE it.  

Pigtails!

Yesterday, for the first time, I put little pigtails in Eva's hair!

This was due to two mini-miracles taking place: 1) I finally found little bands small enough to go in her baby-fine hair, and 2) she sat still for a total of 45 seconds while I put them in. :)