Looking Back - December 2011

Hhhaaaaaaaaahhhhh,  we've made it to the end of the year!

 

Right off the bat, in the month of December, we celebrated with Caitlin. She finished her novel! In November she took the 'Write a Novel in a Month' Challenge and she did it! Yes she did. And if you look closely at the picture below, you can see the food that fueled her creative little brain while writing. (No, I'm not the one that supplied these little goodies, but I am very happy with the results, none the less). The title is On the Line and it is a treasure hunting adventure story of sorts, with some good character lessons subtly woven throughout. She has been reviewing the proof and will be publishing it soon - copies should be available for sale in just a couple months.

And then it was time to prepare for our Christmas holiday. Family Tradition says Dad must take the kiddos traipsing through the nearby tree farm to find just the right tree on the first Friday of December. 

Yonder, just over the hill, Dad!

 

The little guys are not so little now. They each took a turn to lend a hand with the saw. Training ground, you know. 

Esther is not so sure it's going to fit.

Maybe it's a tad too tall?

She's a beauty, all decked out in her finery, real festive-like. And with no trimming or cropping - absolutely perfect!

Taking a break from the usual holiday activities, Luke and friend Michael put their sewing skills to the test. 

After all, Paul was a tent-maker, right? With just a little...um...encouragement, shall we say, from Caitlin and friend Rebekah, these manly-men whipped up a couple of super-hero-type capes. For what purpose, I have no idea, but it was fun watching all the goings-on!

 

Of course, what would December be without our Annual 'Gingerbread' House Extravaganza? With a couple several boxes of graham crackers and a bit of royal icing, we were able to create a sweet little town, all decked out and ready for Christmas.

 

The young adults in this house attended their first Winter Ball.

We parents kicked up our heels as well.

Later in the month, Mike and the kids gave me a day off and I spent it with some friends doing some last minute Christmas shopping in the big city. Great fun!

Christmas Eve is a special time for us. We light all the candles, turn out the lights, enjoy hot cocoa and Christmas goodies in the living room while we sing hymns remembering the birth of Christ, and then Dad reads the account of Jesus' birth from the book of Luke. Then the kiddos are sent off to bed with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads. Ok, maybe not. BUT, they do eventually get to sleep and then in the morning they awaken to gifts and giving and sharing and laughter. And their spirits were soaring high.