Christmas

He was born in Bethlehem they say, 
There was a star to light the path to where He lay. 

Rich or poor they came from far and near, 
Cause they'd all heard the reason He was here.

He was the Son God sent to one and all. 
Put on this earth to hang there on that cross. 

Born to die so we could live. 
He had the birthday, we got the gift.

They wrapped him up with gentle hands. 
God hoped the world would understand. 

Eternal life we shall receive. 
And all that He asks in return is that we just believe.

He was the Son God sent to one and all. 
Put on this earth to hang there on that cross. 

Born to die so we could live. 
He had the birthday, we got the gift.

There's no way in this world we could repay 
The miracle He gave us on that day.

He was the Son God sent to one and all, 
put on this earth to hang there on that cross, 

born to die so we could live. 
He had the birthday, we got the gift.

On our Savior's birthday, 

we got the gift.

"For unto us a child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6

1 + 1 = 4

Congratulations Andrew & Kori!!

We are so thrilled for you three and can't wait to meet baby Wissmann in June 2020!

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,

The fruit of the womb is a reward."

Psalms 127:3

Christmas Sale!

We want to thank each one of you that have supported us this year through prayers, encouragement, and gifts. We are truly grateful!!

 

To celebrate this special time of year we are having a Christmas deal over on our website till the end of the year.

CLICK HERE to check it out!

"I will praise the name of God with a song.

And will magnify Him with thanksgiving."

Psalms 69:30

Gearing up!

We are a few days out from doing our first Christmas show!! The anticipation is high, the to-do lists are long and the practice sessions seem to go on forever. :)

The last time we did the Christmas show was in 2015 before Matthias and Ruth got married. So we are having to switch out a few roles, learn new parts and throw in a some new songs. But after a lot of prayer and practice we are excited to head out on the road and share it with people!

The shows are a lot more involved than our typical concerts. Which has meant sorting through costumes and boxing up a whole lot of shoes, props and Christmas trees.

This time of year is such a special season and we are excited to be able to celebrate it through music! But as we put in all of the work and preparations, we've been praying together as a family that God would take everything that's been invested and use it for His glory! Because that is why we are doing this. Our prayer is that people would be drawn closer to Him, that He would do a work in hearts and lives. I know that this saying is everywhere, but it really is true. He really is the reason for the season and that is what we want the focus to be on! We'd appreciate your prayers as we head out. For strength and health, but mainly for fruitfulness!

"Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name;

Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness."

Psalms 29:2

Traditions

If you haven't noticed by now, Christmas is one of our favorite times of year! Because our work is seasonal, this time of year tends to be slower and creates more opportunities to slow down a bit and enjoy evenings together as a family. This year is a bit busier since we are practicing Christmas music several times a day and getting ready to hit the road for a little while, but we've still found a few quiet evenings to enjoy together.

The last several years we decided that it is completely ok to put up Christmas decorations any time after November 1st. But because we wanted to save some Christmas things until after Thanksgiving we decided to wait to set up the tree until December. So as soon as the Thanksgiving festivities were over, we all gathered in the living room! Alaythia made orange & cranberry scones and we enjoyed decorating the tree together.

What's a family evening without a little entertainment?! 

While going through things at our grandparents farm there was a huge stack of Christmas decorations that were going to be given away. Maybe that's where we get our love of Christmas decorations... Our Grandparents always had the most beautifully decorated trees! :) Anyways, we sorted through the stack and found a bunch of gorgeous glass ornaments and other decorations to bring home with us. Everyone agreed that this was the prettiest tree we've ever had!! And even more special because of the memories tied to the ornaments.

Taking a break from decorating to enjoy some food and conversations.

"For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

 Isaiah 9:6

Weekends

Our most recent activity has been getting everything ready for our upcoming Christmas performances!! Lots of practicing, and gathering props, and practicing, and putting outfits together, and practicing, and you get the idea! I'll share more about that later. But when we aren't occupied with all of that, we've had some other things going on!

The weekend before Thanksgiving we ended up going two different directions! Dad, Mom, Elizabeth and Charissa headed up to Grandma's house to work on the farm and enjoy time together with Mom's side of the family. And the rest of us headed out to see Ryan and Ruth's new house for the first time!

It had been quite awhile since we had seen them and everyone's smiles were really big! We were able to get some house projects done as well as enjoy time together.

I am thoroughly disappointed that I didn't get more pictures of our Thanksgiving this year. This was the first time we've ever celebrated it at home and it was so special! Alan & Rachel came up and Josiah & Abi came over for two days. I guess it was kind of what family gatherings are typically like. Good food, games, deep conversations, playing with the nieces and nephews, a football game and we even fit in a little bit of Black Friday shopping!

Then this last weekend we got the text that Ryan & Ruth's little baby had arrived!! Which meant a quick trip out to meet little Judah and drop mom off to help for a few days.

It is always amazing just how tiny and wonderful babies are!! We are so looking forward to being all together during Christmas and so everyone can meet the newest little babies!

"So teach us to number our days,

That we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Psalms 90:12

Judah Loren

It's a BOY!!!

Welcome to the world Judah Loren!

November 28, 2019 // 8lbs. 5 oz. // 21 inches long

Congratulations Ryan & Ruth, Lee and Jerit! 

We are so thrilled for you and cannot wait to meet your little Thanksgiving baby.

We love you!!

"I will praise the name of God with a song,

And will magnify Him with thanksgiving."

Psalms 69:30

Christmas Show!

‘‘Tis the season... for a Christmas show! For the first time in four years, we are so excited to bring back to the stage once again the festive music, costumes, and timeless message that we performed in Branson, Missouri for 5 seasons.

 Christmas has always been such a special time for our family and we are greatly looking forward to sharing some of our favorite carols, stories and traditions with y'all! We’ll be hitting the road with select Christmas shows in Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas. Mark your calendar & come join us as we celebrate our Savior’s birth! 

Thursday & Friday - December 12 & 13th - 7PM

New Hope Christian Church

Marshalltown, IA

Sunday - December 15th - 5PM

Postville High School Auditorium

Postville, IA

Wednesday - December 18th - 7PM

Emmaus Mennonite Church

Whitewater, KS

Thursday, Friday & Saturday - December 19, 20 & 21st - 6:30PM

Old Glory Theater

Seward, NE 

                                        (contact us for reservations)

Sunday - December 22nd - 6:30PM

Falls City High School Auditorium

Falls City, NE

If you are close to one of these locations, we would love to have you join us!

To see pictures of our previous Christmas shows, 

click on the months November & December in 2014 and 2015.

"Sing to the LORD, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day."

Psalm 96:2

Busy Days

The last few weeks have had such a variety of activities that it is hard to pinpoint it all in one post... I haven't captured many pictures lately, but here are a few that will give a glimpse into what we've been up to.

The weather is quickly turning cold in Nebraska, but we've been trying to get as much done as we can before it shuts us down for the year. The guys have been working from sunup to sundown!

Then we've been busy with practicing music for something really exciting that is coming up in December. (I can't wait to share all the details soon!!) Performing with a group of friends in Branson, Missouri for veterans week, toe surgery for Alaythia, spending a couple days out at Ryan & Ruth's helping them paint, making a trip up to Grandma's...

And topping it off with everyone dressing up to help celebrate a friend's wedding! I'll try to get more pictures this week to share with y'all. And keep your eyes open for that "exciting something" that I'll be sharing with you real soon!

"I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,

And I will glorify Your name forevermore."

Psalms 86:12