Christmas 2020

What a joy it was to have all the kiddos home for Christmas!  We loved having Mikaela here for a week as well.  She was stuck with us for a few more days than she planned due to a blizzard in the Midwest, but it was a blessing for us!  We tease Caleb that it was wise to get her "yes" before spending a week with the family.

Caleb wasted no time redecorating the home.  In fact, I was on a Zoom meeting for an hour shortly after we picked him up from the airport and when I came downstairs, he had completely rearranged the living room.  He has such a great eye for design and everything he did made the house look so much better.

Sometimes I think the college kids are more excited to see the pets than they are to see us.

 

Shortly after Mikaela arrived we took the family out to eat at The Fork, a favorite family restaurant downtown. We are quite fond of their Brussels sprout and asparagus appetizers as well as their rosemary-parmesan fries.  

On the way home, we stopped to see the lights at the Scentsy Commons...

...and to see the lights and fountain in the Village.

The following night we walked through the Boise Botanical Gardens to see the lights with a family from church.

Early the week of Christmas, we took the family to the Garden Valley area for a few nights.  Caleb wanted Mikaela to experience the Kirkham hot springs so we stopped there first.  Even though the directions to our cabin stated in all CAPS that 4-wheel drive was necessary for the winter, we opted not to borrow a vehicle and use our mini-van and one of the Impalas instead.  Not a great decision.  Let's just say we made lots of memories that included pushing vehicles and hauling suitcases and coolers though snow/slush.  I think everyone's favorite was pushing vehicles in swimming suits and various states of undress having come straight from the hot springs.  Caleb has another great "getting stuck" story the includes getting pulled 1/2 mile by a super nice cabin owner that we affectionately named "Isaiah."

Showing the kids how raclette is done.

Our little Rook tournament

The hot tub at the cabin

The hot springs at Terrace Lakes Resort, just down the road from our cabin.

The elk just hung out watching us try to push the van to the side of the road so it wasn't in the way.  I think they were laughing.

We decorated Christmas cookies one afternoon.  Seth may have gotten a little macabre with his creativity.

We played tons of games with the kids.  One night we even had a Bunko tournament.  Puzzles and Christmas village legos also entertained us. 

Nicolas fixed the VR and put Zoo Tycoon on the VR computer so they could create their zoos on the bigger screen.  Kind of fun (and nostalgic) watching them play a computer game they played years ago when we lived in Grand Rapids.

The kids also loved playing Among Us--an app on your phone that you play together. 

Seth received tattoo pens as a Christmas gift from a friend and had fun drawing henna tattoos.

Nicolas cooked dinner for us one evening.  Always a lovely treat when mom doesn't have to cook.

The week after Christmas the church hosted a CROSS20 live stream conference for 18-25-year-olds.  For those not familiar with CROSS, it is a conference designed to encourage and educate young adults in global missions.  Eleven young adults from the church attended to hear messages on the Lord's Prayer and how it relates to spreading the gospel to the nations.  We loved spending time with the young people over meals, games, and discussions.  I especially loved sharing this opportunity and discussing it with our three college students.

I loved having the kids home to share their musical abilities in church.  Seth, Lydia, and I accompanied vocalists for two advent services, but it was nice to have the "A-team" when Nicolas and Caleb came home.  Seth was more than happy to hand the cello over to Nic, and Caleb joined Lydia and me to accompany the choir on "Is He Worthy" the last Advent Sunday before Christmas.  The boys played prelude music with Kim on Christmas Eve (piano, cello, violin).  Always a treat.  Not to be forgotten, Anna played organ three Sundays over her break, including playing prelude duets with her mother.  I really don't like playing in front of people so this whole Christmas season was a stretch for me, but I do love playing with my kids!

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas Break

 Dordt University decided not to meet back in person after Thanksgiving.  The students had a week of online classes followed by a week of finals (also online).  As a graduate assistant track coach, Caleb needed to remain on campus since the team still had organized indoor track practice for those who stayed on campus (and he wanted to be in Iowa when Mikaela returned from her Chicago internship).  Nicolas also preferred to stay in Iowa during those two weeks as he wanted to continue earning money from his part-time job at TransOva. (He also had track practice).  Anna, however, was eager to come home.  We were able to get her home a week earlier than planned, and she stayed with Grandpa and Grandma instead of the dorm the week after Thanksgiving.  She did participate in her first indoor track meet as a Defender the week before Thanksgiving.  

My mom's heart loves this picture!  This is the only year they will be together on Dordt's campus.

    Chocolate covered cherries are Anna's favorite Christmas treat, so Grandma taught Anna how to make these before Christmas.  Anna brought some home in her luggage and they were so good!

As I eagerly awaited the arrival of all the Iowa kids for Christmas, I kept my crochet hooks busy making gifts for the younger three.  

For Seth, I was able to complete Harry Potter, Ron Weasely, Hermione Granger, and Dobby.  I have plans to do more characters but just didn't have time before Christmas.

Here's another picture after I completed their robes, scarves, and Dobby's sock.

For Anna, I crocheted Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett.  Pattern here.

And for Lydia, I made her favorite character from Lord of the Rings, Legolas.  Pattern here.

Three members of our congregation had been confined to senior living facilities during the pandemic.  We contacted each of the facilities and were given permission to come caroling as a church family to bless them.  Between the time we got permission to the time we caroled, one actually moved out of his care facility into the home of his daughter, so we caroled outside on the front lawn of his daughter's home instead.  We may not have been the most beautiful sounding Christmas carolers, but it was carried out with much love!