Christmas Day Snapshots

What's Christmas without a little (bad) picture taking? Here's the fam in our usual spots this year.

Don't you love Mom's earrings? Outrageous spiky things aren't they?

Michael with the smallest gift. Don't ask me what it was...it was so small it has slipped my mind.

Dad and Zuki doing their usual thing.

Total Score

Gifting ideas sometimes aren't easy to come by...but this year Zuki and Malaika scored! I wanted to share the ideas in case you have some little girls in your life too.

A few months ago I finished this Christmas present for Zuki who is totally into Rapunzel (for about $17.00). You have no idea how many times I almost blogged about this, but I wanted it to be a complete surprise.

So, come Christmas morning Zuki pulled the hair out of the box and knew exactly what it was. Putting it on immediately she went upstairs to "let her hair down". I am thrilled; it was PERFECT. (Thanks MelissaS (I think it was you), one of your blog posts gave me the idea!)

She wore this around ALL DAY—if you wanted to know where she was, just look for the braid disappearing around the corner (and now Mom's wood floors are very clean.)

Next, both girls received a fairy portal! Zuki is VERY excited to have Tinkerbell as a visitor to her house. I will let Natalie tell little story behind it and how it works. But I did want to share the idea and send you to the artist who makes these. Click here. Each portal comes with a description, is well packaged, and is amazingly detailed and tiny—about 3 inches tall—in person.

Lastly, Malaika received a swirly hat. She's not used to things on her head...but I imagine when it's cold outside she won't mind it so much...and it's totally cute! Find it here.

My Brother...The One Who's Getting Married

Password: tikidance

Tiki Room from Anna Zenk on Vimeo.

Tiki Room from Anna Zenk on Vimeo.

Sometime in 1994-5. He's 8 or 9 here. I think.

Mission Call

After high school, many single young men from our church decide and apply to go on a two year mission. The letter telling Adam's youngest brother Jordan, where he would go, arrived in Texas while we were all in Kansas for Thanksgiving.

So we gathered the family together and put Heather (a sister) on speaker phone so she could read the letter allowed to everyone. (She had to stay in Texas for work.)

And this is how it went:

Family, straining to hear the phone, each wondering where on the map Jordan would land.

Heather says the words "Baltic Mission!" Shock and awe. Shock and awe.

But wait, where is the Baltic Mission???

Congratulations all around! You're gonna be cold! Glad it's you and not me!

Happy Mom. Atta boy.

Proud parents.

What fun. Almost the whole family was there for the call.

You know what the best part about this is? These photos are fake!!! 

We forgot to bring a camera to the real phone call. (Shame on us.) 

So the next evening we gathered 'round and had us a professional photoshoot. Now the memories are even more fun!

Congratulations to Jordan. He's got a couple of long, hard, rewarding years ahead of him. He reports to the MTC (Missionary Training Center) in February.