Merry Christmas 2021!

Christmas blessings from our family to yours this December!  As our card says and as Dave raises his hands to say every Sunday, we truly pray, "The Lord bless you and keep you.  The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you!"

It's been a fun season!  On December 5, Sinterklaas made his annual visit!

We attended a fantastic local light parade with our best friends.  (I've been wanting this picture for years now-- Ella with her Ben, and me with his mom, my dear Donna.) 

We no longer have our own little ones to watch in the annual Sunday School program, but that does not make it any less delightful!  Dave continues his tradition of reading a Christmas story, instead of preaching a sermon, when the kids are done singing.   Here are 92 Pre-K- 5th graders listening sweetly!  Only 5 of these kids will move on next year, with many more upcoming preschoolers joining the crowd.  Our church is definitely blessed!

School went super long this year, just letting us off on December 22!  So, during exam week, as a study break, we took trip out to the famous light street.  

My preschool staff got together for a delicious lunch and gift exchange.

I've been teaching preschool for 9 years now.  With the long December this year, though, it's the most days of Christmas I've ever to had to teach (and I even taught double, for my co-worker too).  I wrote several days of new lessons and they were a major hit!  Above, we learn how to draw people with the help of Mat Man, a stick man comprised of the big and little lines and curves my students are able to put together.  This Christmas we made him an ugly sweater!  Below, inspired by my own STEM-loving daughter, I did a whole day of Science, Engineering, and Math activities, including this "Reindeer Toothpaste" chemistry experiment which left my kids amazed.  Having to freshen up my lesson plans with some fun new ideas ended up being one of my favorite parts of Christmas this year!

We were once again the recipients of many generous gifts from church friends and students' families.  On our first night of break, the four of us sat down to a gourmet meal at a fancy restaurant.  This time to converse, laugh, and enjoy some spectacular food together was a true gift.  Delia discovered Zeppoli, fancy donut holes you can dip in fancy sauces.  A new favorite dessert!

On these plates you see Dave's salmon and truffle cake, my short ribs and polenta, Ella's seafood risotto, and Delia's roast chicken and bacon mac and cheese.  We all sampled one another's and enjoyed lots of left overs.

Here Delia is crafting her infamous, hilarious and personalized cards for each of us.  Her special cards are a highlight of Christmases and birthdays!  I love how she weaves together her distinct art, inside jokes, and a heartfelt message.  She's a gem!

As mentioned, the kids are a part of a school Culinary Club now, so we thought it would be fun to work together to create a more ambitious Christmas Eve dinner and dessert.  We spent a good part of the day in the kitchen and were rewarded with delicious eats!  On the menu: Filet Mignon (from church friends) smoked on the Traeger, twice-baked potatoes, balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts, cranberry salad, and mocha mini Bundt cakes, with dark chocolate ganache, peppermint whipped cream, and candy cane bits for dessert.

Presents were super fun this year!  The big items were tickets to see Wicked and a kayak from Mom and Dad that our whole family will really enjoy using this summer.  Chris and Karen treated us to generous hotel gift cards to use for a family vacation-- maybe down south as we start touring colleges for Ella this spring!

My big gift was a Roomba...and a daughter who effortlessly programmed it and set it up!  I'm so excited about the free vacuuming (and rather shocked at how much stuff it already has picked up off floors I thought were pretty clean); Ella is thrilled to have a real robot pet.  He's been named Puck and Ivy is still deciding if he's a friend.  Delia kills me, putting googly eyes on Puck.  We love this new addition to the family. ;)

Christmas Joy has been abundant this season as we celebrate Christ's birth, another year of good health and blessings, teenagers who are thriving, and the simple gift of time together, which is my favorite thing in the world.