Christmas Eve Cooking

December 28th, 2012

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The PondFam5 has gotten into a rhythm of our Christmas Eve traditions.  After we took pics outside of the girls in their pjs, we came in, put on aprons, and got to topping Mike’s homemade pizza!

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He handmade the dough, the tomato sauce and had all the toppings ready for each person to choose from… best pizza ever!

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Rara brought some awesome cookies that were our “examples!”  Lol…

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Then we got to baking cookies for Santa!

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Here’s a cute expression from our sweet Anna Kate!

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I love this picture of all the girls working together on cookies for Santa!

Christmas Eve PJ fun

December 27th, 2012

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The girls and I were all in our pjs ready to kick off our Christmas Eve festivities.  I wanted to take a picture of them, and they begged to go outside.  I asked them where we should take their picture, and they saw Santa in his bed at a neighbor’s house down the street and begged to take it there.  That one little picture (the last one in this post) led to a photo op for all of us!  Mike was cooking, so he grabbed a sweater really fast so he could join us!  We were having fun, and the anticipation was building…

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You can’t go outside here without seeing neighbors and friends.  Creighton and Lesleigh are sweet friends of the girls and so is Julia!

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The girls were all smiles and ready for whatever the night before Christmas would bring!

Let’s get it started, ha!

December 27th, 2012

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On Christmas Eve, Mia and Georgia came over for lunch and games.  We called it “Holiday Confusion” because they spent most of their time putting together a jack-o-latern puzzle, lol!

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Rose was having fun until she colored on the pieces of Hangman that couldn’t be erased.  Fun!

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And this pretty much got the holidays off to a great start! 

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Go Rose!  God help us through the terrible 2’s!!!

Merry Christmas!

December 25th, 2012

Pond Print

Surprise Visitor!

December 25th, 2012

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We caught someone about to put out presents at our house this Christmas Eve!  Santa stopped by before the kids went to sleep, so he told them a story that happened to him the night before Christmas.  After his narrative, he told them to go to bed, and he’d be back to put out their presents when they were asleep.  It was so incredible… these are three of the happiest little girls in the world right about now!  If you want Santa to do a “sneak peak” at your house next year, call Chuck Lee at 972-978-9535.  Best Christmas Eve ever!!!

It’s a California Christmas!

December 25th, 2012

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These were my favorite pictures I took of the Ziemke family during their Christmas card photo shoot in November!  These were taken two weeks before Curt’s passing, and we’ll treasure them for always!

Prayers and Petition Signing

December 24th, 2012

My sister, Michele, and brother-in-law, Andy are on a journey to adopt two children who are in need of a loving family.  Here’s is a little bit about their journey so far in Michele’s words:

We sent in our application to America World Adoption on April 30, 2012 after feeling God’s call on our family to adopt. In June, before our home study was even completed, we were matched with twin boys and expected to travel in October to go get them. We waited and October came and went. In November, we discovered the boys birth mother’s financial situation had changed, and she was now able to care for her boys. It may sound strange because we thought they were going to be part of our family, but we are very happy for them and that they are such wanted little boys! It was a blessing to pray over them for those months. The same week, we were matched with another set of twins! This time, they are both blue eyed little girls. They have had their picture posted on a Russian website for adoption since they were infants (probably since sometime around April 2012). No Russian family has come forward to adopt them. Since that time, they have been living in an institution. We hope to be able to travel to meet them in February and start the process of adopting them through the Russian courts.

That is all up in the air depending upon legislation currently proposed in the Russian governing body. There will be one more vote on December 26th in which the bill banning US citizens from adopting in Russia is expected to pass and move on to President Putin’s desk. At that time, he can either sign it into law (effective immediately), ask for changes, or veto it. There is no clear indication at this time if he will actually sign it, even though he has spoken out in favor of it. Please join us in signing the petition in favor of adoptions continuing in Russia by US citizens and praying for all involved in this ordeal. We love a God who doesn’t see this as an impossible situation and are trusting in His plan for our family, and the precious children waiting in institutions in Russia. What a story we will have to tell of His faithfulness!

If you could please pray this Christmas Eve for all the Russian orphans, and specifically, my sister and brother-in-laws future children, wherever they may be right now… for their health, safety comfort and well-being.  The petition takes 1 minute to sign and would mean so much to our family! 

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/voice-of-the-child.html

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!!

Sleepy Santa Baby!

December 24th, 2012

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Ahh, the tiger sleeps!  She looks so peaceful… haha… she’s got you fooled and me wrapped around her little finger!

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She’s still so little, yet almost 2!  I can’t believe how quickly her life has gone by so far.  Pondering all these little moments in my heart!

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The big sisters always love to wake up Rose!

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Anna Kate melts my heart every day… she’s my little angel!  🙂

Happy 21st Birthday, Victoria!

December 24th, 2012

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Yeah, you know what’s up! 

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Cheers!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Katie!

December 23rd, 2012

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I can’t believe these girls are already turning 2… how did two years already fly by?  Cerly, Rose and Katie are so blessed to have each other to celebrate all their little milestones together!

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Baby Audree was sleeping so soundly when we first got there, lol!  You know the rest of the story on that.  She was so alert and precious when she woke up!

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Finley, Katie, Anna Kate, Rose and Cerly enjoying Katie’s Minnie Mouse cake pops!

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Happy Birthday, sweet Katie!  

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