And just like that, the break is over, laundry is clean, the car is packed, Covid tests are completed, and snacks are stacked high in grocery sacks for late-night college room consumption. It has been an incredible, hectic, enjoyable, and pleasant time having Lukas and Noah home for the holidays. We are so grateful for who they are and look forward to what God has in store for them this semester.
We packed in a lot of fun activities the last few days before Lukas' friends showed up for skiing. Noah and I finished the puzzle that Gunnar gave his sister for her birthday. He neglected to tell her that one piece is missing. Oh well.
Lukas and Noah made pretzels which Bob happily enjoyed with a cold beer while chatting and hanging out.
With a house full of guests, the dishwasher is a man's really good friend, unless it does not work. So after a full day of skiing with friends, Lukas took the machine apart to figure out what was wrong. He and Bob identified the trouble, and an hour or so later, the dishwasher was man's good friend once again.
Snow fell overnight, so we woke up to a winter wonderland. There are few places a beautiful as Flagstaff with new snow.
To start off the year on a good note, we had a seafood extravaganza - snow crabs and shrimp, along with scalloped potatoes and salad. Dessert - cookies, of course!
Best laid plans of mice and men were thwarted by illness and weather. This did not stop us from having a wonderful and joyous New Years' Eve. We made sushi, sipped champagne, watched the ball drop in New York City, and were all asleep by 10:30.
Looking forward to seeing what 2022 has in store.
Lukas kept himself busy the entire time he was home. When not sewing, baking, or cooking, he was working or planning events. I am glad he was able to do his work from our living room so that we got to see him.
It seems every winter, we encounter a few uninvited guests who choose to take up residence. Naturally, this means a thorough and complete cleanout of the pantry, which has the positive effect of organizing all the pantry items and label jars to prevent confusion. Interestingly, the pantry holds a lot more candy than we ever anticipated... The invaders are evicted, the pantry organized, and the candy stacked high. All is well again!
We celebrated a quiet Christmas back in Flagstaff. The cold that ran through the house set the tempo for the celebration. A nice meal, gift opening, and conversation made for a memorable evening.
Noah brought back his bikes and spent time over break fixing the one that houses to ride back and forth on campus. Before we knew it, the kitchen was converted into an extreme bike shop with wheels, spokes, tires, and many small and tiny items in cups and tubs. The counter was strewn with old rags stained by bike oil. The good news is that he fixed it, and the bike is now ready to go again! And, the kitchen is cleaned up as well :-)
Noah desired to augment his beany collection. After a trip to the fabric store, a few trials and errors, and some suggestions from his brother, he now has a few more beanies to keep his head warm.
Back home in Flagstaff, Lukas quickly pulled out the sewing machine to create a few items. High on his list was a new travel bag for his Mama, which he completed in less than a day. The old one can be retired to the trashcan before it falls apart on the road.
Pickleball set now in its portable bag!
What a treat to have the entire family gathered in one spot. It was worthy of a family portrait.
Since most of the family is old enough to appreciate sleeping in, and the one that is up too early for company is not yet aware of the importance of this day, we could enjoy a leisurely Christmas Morning. The stockings garnered all sorts of 'ohs' and 'ahs' as several had taken to add additional thoughtful and specialized items. Unwrapping gifts took a long time, with several breaks for more hot or cold drinks and food.
Since the cold bug hit the family, we laid low and rested once in Missouri. Fortunately, everyone felt good enough to join in the Christmas Eve celebrations. Joel and Bev 'held down the forte' while the rest of us headed to Christmas Eve service. They managed to prepare and set out all the soups and sandwich makings and stuff all the Christmas stockings! Bravo!
Noah and Lukas are no longer the youngest, and consequently, Bob is no longer the reader of the "Twas the Night Before Christmas." So it was a sweet moment to watch Jason read to Owen and allow us all to listen in.
