Feliz Natal

Happy Christmas from the Fullton family!  May peace and joy fill your heart in this new year.

Here are some highlights from our celebrations.

Christmastime is here

There's just one half day left of school before we're officially on Christmas vacation, and are we ever looking forward to the time off.  Even though it might seem like being home all together would be more work than going to work, we're actually at our best when we are all together, just us.  It's easier to cherish the time together when we're not rushing out the door for school or work or activities.  Vacation is a good time to just exhale. 

We've been getting a jump start on holiday exhaling lately by doing some crafty gifty activities.  There have been sweets, glass ornaments, cinnamon ornaments and finally pillows.  I'm especially proud of the kids' creativity and workmanship on the pillows (which they intend to keep as Christmas decorations for their rooms).  Super cute!

As we have been wrapping gifts, we've had to get a little creative with labeling them.  Those little "to-from" stickers are pretty short on space when a gift comes from a family of six.  We've come up with an acronym that solves the to-from real estate problem and concurrently speaks volumes about our family:

To:  You

From:  B.L.A.M.

Wishing you and yours a very Joyful Christmas and a blessed New Year.

Sincerly,

J, K  and B.L.A.M.O.  (Oscar the dachshund sends his greetings, too)

One Year Ago...

One year ago today we were spending our last day in Rio de Janeiro, enjoying a few final hours of the warm sun and warm people that we had fallen in love with in our six week journey in Brazil. With a bittersweet anticipation, we prepared our hearts, minds, and suitcases for the journey from Brazil to the United States--the longest journey, both figuratively and literally, our children had ever in their life undertaken.

It is hard to comprehend all the changes that have happened over the past year, but I do admit one thing for sure, this has been the quickest, most wonderful, most challenging year of our lives.

Happy anniversary, my loves!

Advent

Last year, the preparation we did for Christmas involved social worker visits, plane tickets and embassy appointments.  There was also a little bit of last minute tree shopping, popcorn stringing, and stocking embroidering before a whirlwind of celebrations (homecoming and holiday) and adjustments.

This year, we decided to be more purposeful about the way we plan for and celebrate the Savior's birth.  We're making a paper Advent chain.  Each evening, we're adding a link to the chain by writing a Bible verse that predicts or describes the birth of Christ.  As the chain grows longer, it decorates our dining room and focuses us all the more on the reason for the season.  We've had some great discussions with the children, and they continue to impress us with their thoughtful questions, mature understanding and detailed memories.  

27 Isaiah 40:31

26 Jeremiah 23:5-6

25 Isaiah 42:1

24 Galatians 4:4-5

23 Numbers 24:17-18

22 Numbers 24:19

21 Malachi 3:1

20 Luke 1:68

19 Micah 5:4-5

18 Micah 5:2-3

17 Isaiah 40:2

16

15

14

13

12

11

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

LIMIAR

LIMIAR is one of the organizations that God used in very important ways to bring our family together.  This very special non-profit seeks to serve Brazilian children by caring for abandoned and special needs children in Casa LIMIAR, an orphanage in Sao Paulo, by matching waiting children with adoptive families, and by supporting adopted Brazilian children and their families throughout their lives.  This is one of those charities that does an exceptional job at what it does because of the heart that each of its members puts into it.  

LIMIAR is a small operation with only a few staff members, in addition to the staff of Casa LIMIAR.  They are well respected by every adoptive family I know, and by the government and courts in Brazil.  It is because of LIMIAR that any inter-country adoptions are possible between the US and Brazil.  

This time of year, LIMIAR holds a holiday auction on their website as a way to help meet some of the many costs at the orphanage.  There is a law in Brazil that requires a 13th month of pay to be given at the end of each calendar year as a bonus to all employees, and that is a big expense to an organization like this one.  

If you are interested, please pop over to the auction page on LIMIAR's website (http://www.limiar.org/auction/2010/).  If you are able, please consider making a purchase that will support the work of this very special organization.  

LIMIAR means "threshold," because of the way they help children across the thresholds of hardship and struggle into the loving and full life ahead.

Luana turns 7!

A little late in coming, we want to say a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Luana.  We were able to celebrate with all four grandparents and all three uncles, and also at home together as a family.  There were plenty of smiles to go around.  

We also celebrated James' birthday the same weekend.  Nothing calm about a weekend full of celebrations.