Highlights from 2011

Here is a summary of highlights from this past year.

January

• Our darling little angel, Mia Grace Victoria was born on Jan 17th. The boys were so thrilled to finally have a little sister. She is a very precious girl, and is the recipient of a lot of love.

Newborn Mia

The whole family together for the boy's very first visit to the hospital to meet their baby sister

• Grandma and Pop Coombs stayed with us for a few months around Christmas and Mia's birth. What a blessing it was for Ange to have an extra two sets of hands around to help, and for the boys to have some quality time with their grandparents.

• Shortly after Mia’s birth we survived an incredible blizzard where we received 21 inches of snow in a single day. If you watch the cheesy video clips I put together below, you'll begin to appreciate just how much snow we had accumulated.

• Sledding and snowboarding.

June and July

• A summer of fun at the pool: Jordan's initiation with the super-duper water slides, Nathan learning to swim, and Judah's fun on the diving boards.

• Clayton had a serene time with nature (and his computer) at Whidbey Island (just outside of Seattle) writing over 17,000 words in less than a week. After a year of hard work and two week long writing retreats, Clayton is finally submitting the first draft of his dissertation any day now!

• Our third annual week long stay at Green Lake Wisconsin for a "Vacation with a Purpose" (otherwise known as family camp).

A family snap shot out by the lake

August

• Clayton flew to Oxford University for an all expenses paid trip to present a paper he had written which he hopes will be published in one of their journals.

Clayton outside Queen's College where he stayed

September

• Judah and Nathan starting at Clapham School, the miraculous story of provision surrounding this, and the incredible blessing that a classical Christian education has already been in just a few months. Judah's favourite subjects are history and composer study while Nathan's favourite class is gym.

Judah and Nathan's first day at their new school

October

• Angela and Mia traveled home to Australia to be with family for a number of milestone events including Great Nanny's 80th birthday and the birth of our precious niece and cousin Tara Caitlin Coombs. It was wonderful for the family to finally meet Miss Mia, and for Ange to spend some quality time with family. Mia even got to enjoy her very first Aussie beach experience.

Great Nanny's 80th celebration

Our sweet baby niece and cousin Tara

Mia's first visit to the beach. She LOVED it!

• The boys time away with their dad camping out in Wisconsin while the girls were Down Under.

Devil's Lake, Wisconsin (as you can see, a more appropriate name would have been "God's lake")

Judah, Nathan and Jordan surrounded by lots of Autumn colour!

November

• Exploring Washington DC together - highlights included the National Art Gallery and Smithsonian Institute’s Natural History Museum. We then staying with good friends Heidi and Daryl and their four children in Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving.

We had fun drawing together. This is Jordan (and Ange's) picture of the landmark US Capitol building.

Judah was more interested in drawing a construction crane than any of the historic architecture.

Nathan out front of the National Art Gallery.

Riding the subway was a definite highlight for the kids.

Outside the White House - this was as close as we could get!
Mia for president?

Nathan and one of his drawings in the car on the way home.

December

• Clayton and Angela celebrated their 10th anniversary and are grateful for their four children and deepening love for each other.

Clayton and Angela with Mia (taken in September)

The whole clan.

Judah and Nathan's Christmas Program at Clapham School

This is primarily for the grandparents, but feel free to watch. Each boy's class recited a scripture passage, poem and sang a song.

Here is Nathan rehearsing his scripture recitation. He worked very hard on this passage, and I thought that it was worth posting.





Nathan's class at Clapham recites this poem written some time before 1886.

Christmas Eve
By Christina Rosetti

Christmas hath darkness
Brighter than the blazing noon,
Christmas hath a chillness
Warmer than the heat of June,
Christmas hath a beauty
Lovelier than the world can show:
For Christmas bringeth Jesus,
Brought for us so low.

Earth, strike up your music,
Birds that sing and bells that ring;
Heaven hath answering music
For all Angels soon to sing:
Earth, put on your whitest
Bridal robe of spotless snow:
For Christmas bringeth Jesus,
Brought for us so low.




Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV)

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon] his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.



Away in a Manger
Sung by Nathan's class and the first grade class.



Judah's second grade class recites "The Lamb" by William Blake 1789
Unfortunately some parts are hard to hear, but you can hear Mia adding her bit :)

Little lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee,
Gave thee life, and bade thee feed
By the stream and o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing, wooly, bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice?
Little lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?

Little lamb, I'll tell thee;
Little lamb, I'll tell thee:
He is called by thy name,
For He calls Himself a lamb,
He is meek, and He is mild,
He became a little child;
I a child, and thee a Lamb,
We are called by His Name.
Little lamb, God bless thee!
Little lamb, God bless thee!



Judah's class recites Luke 2:8-20. The kids all had to learn to whole passage, but delivered it split in parts.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David ca Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel ha multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.



Judah's class and the 3rd grad class sing this beautiful Christmas carol based on a poem by the English poet Christina Rossetti written before 1872.

In the Bleak Midwinter

In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty,
Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, whom cherubim
Worship night and day,
A breastful of milk
And a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels
Fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel
Which adore.

Angels and archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air,
But only His mother
In her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.