Puzzle mania

Noah is getting ready to tackle his 1000 piece pencil puzzle!

One More Christmas

Back home in Michigan, we had our own much smaller Christmas celebration.  Lukas learned to publish his wish list much sooner so that there is a possibility shipping containers from China will arrive in time.
No need to make a special Christmas dessert, there is still plenty of cookies to keep us in the holiday spirit.

Fry's

The boys were excited to make a second visit to Fry's, this time with Dad in tow. Unfortunately, the excitement faded as reality set in - none of the items on the wish lists were available....  At least they had fun exploring this massive expanse of all things electronics and it is a good excuse to take a break from driving.

A Little Housekeeping

Bob's height and his can-do spirit made him the exact right person to help dust off the tall shelf in the bathroom.

Tech Consult

Noah showed Grammy how to use another function on her cell phone. He is our resident Apple expert and gladly shares his knowledge patiently.

How Does One Prepare to Head out of Town?

The night before we headed out to Missouri, there was plenty of tasks to be completed: pack clothes, organize the food, load the car with gifts and bags, clean the house. Yet, the three Severinghaus men found ample time for a bit of night flying in our backyard. The temperature was a bit frosty and the wind a tad too strong, but flying they did :-) They have their priorities straight! For the record, all chores were completed before we drove off.

Christmas Dinner

Lisa hosted all of us for Christmas dinner. The food was fabulous, the fellowship funny, and the atmosphere festive - a fantastic culmination of Christmas Day. 

More Gifts

In the afternoon, it was time for more presents. Lisa, Scott, Jason, and Elisabeth joined us for a fun gift exchange in front of the fire.

Christmas Morning

We had a leisurely Christmas morning opening stockings, enjoying a tasty breakfast, and lounging around in our 'finest.'  Everyone started off wearing Christmas colors, but as the temperature rose, the sweaters had to go. Only then did we realize that we were all wearing the 'uniform' jeans and white t-shirts - not exactly Christmas attire, but we sure were comfortable. .

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care

The stockings are as usual overflowing, and one even had to be leaned against the fireplace, the weight of the content too much for the beautiful stocking. 

Christmas Eve - Family Back Together!

Bob caught up with us in Missouri on Christmas Eve just in time to read "twas the Night Before Christmas."  While Bob read, the rest of us enjoyed cookies and libations of various kinds.

Grandchildren playing Christmas tunes added to the festive atmosphere. Four grandchildren shared their musical talents with us while we enjoyed the warmth of the fire and the presence of family.

Before everyone headed off to bed, or packing stockings, or visiting friends we gathered all the grandchildren and Barb in front of the tree for a Christmas picture.

Escort

Noah escorted his Grammy in and out of church on Christmas Eve while Lukas took on the role of chauffeur, dropping off and picking up at the curb. The boys are growing up!

Waiting

Lukas and Noah played a few rounds of Monopoly while waiting for Bob to arrive.

Birthday Dinner in Honor of Tom

Lukas, Noah, and Christina headed to Missouri, giving Lukas plenty of opportunity to practice his driving. Because we got an early morning start, and since Lukas handled the driving so well, we completed the entire trip in one day surprising Grammy. Thanks to cell phones we were able to give her a few hours advance notice and she graciously received us.

On Friday, Lisa and her grown children, along with 3/4 of our family and Barb enjoyed a special meal in honor of Tom, on what would have been his 84th birthday.  The dinner was lovely and we even had Old Fashions stirred up by Jason to commemorate Tom, the perfect host, and bartender extraordinaire, always ready to prepare a special drink for his guests.