We wish you a Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful Christmas! Last year we had an ache in our hearts knowing our little Tia was still in China but this year we were all together and it was really special!
On Christmas Eve we celebrated the birth of our Saviour at our Anglican Church. The kids enjoyed playing on the playground after the service.
After appetizers and Christmas music around the Christmas tree the kids headed outside to scatter the magic reindeer dust to help Santa find our house.

Each child opens one gift on Christmas Eve - Here Tia starts with her gift.
Elijah was really excited about putting out the cookies & carrots for Santa and his reindeer :) then it was off to bed where visons of sugarplums (more likely lots of pressies (aus for presents)!) danced in our heads.
Everyone is up and waiting for the signal that it's time to see what Santa brought!




BIKES for everyone!Surfboards for Jonah & IsabellaA Remote Control Firetruck & a giant Legos set for Elijah. Tia got play food, snap n style dolls and bath toys.

We skyped our families and the kids opened the gifts that Grandma & Grandpa Froggie and Grandma Cookie, Aunt Annie & Madeleine sent while they looked on from the other side of the world! That was soooooo cool!

May your Christmas be blessed!

Getting Ready for Christmas!

It has been "full on" since we arrived home from NZ! We've spent the past 4 days unpacking, doing laundry, wrapping gifts, working (Matt:), visiting friends, baking cookies & making gingerbread houses. Today we opened the boxes that Grandma Cookie, Grandma & Grandpa Froggie & Aunt Annie and Cousin Madeleine sent - The kids were thrilled! Thanks to everyone and we are so sorry if your gifts do not arrive on time :( Please accept our sincere apologies. MERRY CHRISTMAS! Enjoy the photos :) ,



.

We are home!

We had a wonderful time! All the scenic cruising was unbelievable. We have so many photos to share but right now we have laundry and grocery shopping to do. I will share all about our trip as soon as possible but I just wanted to let you know that we are home safe and sound!

Here is one photo of the kids in Auckland at the top of the Skytower, the view was amazing!

We're off to New Zealand . . .

We will be gone 14 days, so don't worry that you haven't heard from us!

Our Christmas cards will be late as we want to take a nice photo somewhere beautiful in NZ!

We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.

ps If you want to send us a card (hint hint :) our mailing address is:

Witt's
PSC 280 PO Box 71
APO, AP 96554

A visit with Santa

Santa came to Elijah's preschool yesterday. It was so fun! Tia did not want Santa anywhere near her however she kept smiling, waving and saying "Santa" from the safety of her spot about 10 feet away from him - TOO CUTE! Elijah was just thrilled and enjoyed every moment of his visit with Santa - and he loved the blow up Crocodile he got for the pool, yes the kids get a lot of those summer toys from Santa here in Australia!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Our Sunday started with a play at church where Isabella played Matthew, who narrated the Christmas play.

She then helped present the money that her Sunday school class raised to build a well in Cambodia. They raised $1,800.00 by selling items they made. Isabella made & sold hair clips and was able to contribute $134.00
After enjoying our late Thanksgiving we made cookies, played Christmas music and decorated the Christmas tree. Elijah was really into decorating (you may be able to see that most of the ornaments are on the bottom branches of the Christmas tree)!
In fact he is very excited about Christmas this year and is talking about it non-stop, what a fun age at Christmas! Tia really enjoyed helping decorate the tree also and she helped put the angel on top!


Isabella was excited to read a Christmas story to all of us as we finished up the tree - she read "Auntie Clause" which happens to be a favorite of hers.
Jonah ate most of the cookies and fell asleep during the story!


Let the Christmas season begin!

Thankful.

Our Thanksgiving was a little late this year due to the fact that Ellie & Isabella were in Canberra. (Life does not stop in Australia for our American holiday!) Matt welcomed us home with a delicious Thanksgiving Turkey and all the trimmings - yummy! We all had a chance to say what we were Thankful for this year. We all agreed that having our little Tia safely home was our biggest blessing this year! Jonah also mentioned our upcoming trip to New Zealand as also being on the top of his list.

We send our Thanksgiving Greetings to everyone - even if they are a little late!

National Clubs Gymnastics Championships

What a fun weekend! Isabella's gymnastics team traveled to Canberra, the capitol of Australia to participate in the National Clubs Championships. Teams competed in 2 days of competition and were given awards as a team. The Pymble Ladies College Team earned 1st place on Vault, 2nd place on Beam, 5th place overall and 6th place on Floor. Isabella did great and had a really fun time staying with Mom in a hotel and hanging out with her gym friends and going to Questacon. We are already looking forward to next year when Isabella will compete as a Level 5!

Kindergarten Orientation!

Can you beleive Elijah will be starting Kindergarten soon?? What a big boy! In America he would have started in August but in Australia the school year starts in January so in just 2 months our little boy will be going to Big School - and wearing a uniform! Here are a couple of photos of Kindergarten Orientation. (He looks a little scared dontcha think? - and oh so cute!!)

Gymnastics State Championships.

Our little Belle is such a competitor! Today was her state championships and she had an excellent competition! 3rd Floor, 6th overall and 3rd Team. She was glowing as they put each medal around her neck. She likes to practice and she likes her friends but mostly she likes to win :)Thankfully she did well, trust me if she doesn't -noone around here is happy :(

Puzzle Whiz

Elijah challenged me to a United States puzzle contest. We started at the same time and I paced myself by doing a piece every 5 seconds or so. Elijah won! Pretty amazing when you consider the fact that he doesn't know where the states are and he can't read! He's a puzzle whiz for sure!

hanging out.

A few photos from the past week . . .





I am posting a few from the past week and I'm wondering what YOU like to see on this blog? post a comment about the posts you like best (photos, descriptions of life in Australia, ??) and I will enter you in a drawing for some TimTams & Vegemite!

Trick or Treat part 2.

It was a really fun night of trick or treating! We went to our friends neighborhood and there were lots of houses participating.
The one sad thing was that Jonah had baseball and wasn't able to trick or treat with the little kids and I. Even sadder was the fact that it didn't even bother him . . . the end of an era for him I suppose. We will have to get a bigger brick to put on his head!
Tia's costume was made by my talented sister Annie for my niece Madeleine when she was 2. Jonah, Isabella, Elijah and now Tia have also worn it at age 2. It is a little sad to think that stage in our lives is over (at 45 I'm ready, but it is still a little sad :( ! We thought Tia looked really cute as a Snoopy puppy and one woman said she was the cutest thing she had ever seen and even asked if we got tired of her if we would give her a call - (well I guess NOT!) Tia loved all the "tandy" but did not like the flies! She would scream Kukka! whenever she was greeted with one of the little buggers :( poor little thing. (Now I know why so many of the strollers have mesh covers over them - we will have to get one of those!) Enjoy the photos!