Christmas 2021

By

It was an icy, rainy morning, but we stayed warm under blankets and in front of the fire until breakfast. 




Homemade cinnamon rolls and our final Advent readings before presents


Stockings first


Personalized wax seals

Then came the bigger gifts

The two oldest got Harry Potter swag- Our kids take the sorting test when they enter Challenge (so the youngest hasn't done it yet, but she's looking forward to it)


I made this cross stitch for Dwayne's office many, many years ago. It went in a store bought frame. That frame broke a few years later and it was an awkward size, so I could not find a replacement and having a custom frame made was out of our budget. So the cross stitch sat in a drawer for years. But this year, I snuck it out and splurged and surprised Dwayne with his old gift in a new frame. (He thought it had been misplaced, lost, etc. He cried.)

I got the girls full-sized aprons. They had out grown the child-sized aprons they've had for years. 

The youngest never stops drawing (and asking for paper to draw on.) So she got sketch pads. 

The middle loves cross stitching, so she asked for more fabric and frames. The frame she is holding belonged to my sister first. She gave it to me almost twenty years ago now. I don't cross stitch much now, so I know my sister will be thrilled that I am giving it to one of her nieces.  

The oldest asked for a keyboard that will allow her to more easily compose and record music on her computer. She also asked for a better mic to narrate the stories that go with her illustrations. 


Stoopwaffles were one gift


I purchased myself a Lego Gingerbread house to put together. We started to work on that in the afternoon. 

The youngest with her new plush sloth and blanket

Dwayne's company generously gifts us a ham and other delights each December, so we made the ham, homemade mac and cheese, Brussel sprouts, and pineapple casserole for dinner. 


We enjoyed our new gifts until it was time for bed. 

We're most thankful for the gift of God's Spirit with us today and everyday, made possible because Jesus Christ our Lord, Emmanuel. 


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

By
Image
"...the child should have a set time everyday to read for fun. Begin with half an hour for first graders, and build up to an hour of reading time daily... This is an important part of the child's education: it improves his reading skills, teaches him the habit of sitting still with a book, and reminds him that reading is fun... free reading ought to be spent on literature at or slightly below the child's present reading level so that he can simply enjoy himself. The easier reading will help him increase his speed." The Well Trained Mind: The Guide to Classical Education at Home by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer
Read more

Andrew Peterson's Songs That Celebrate Marriage and Family

By
Recently, I got to go to an Andrew Peterson concert at the Community Coffehouse in Danbury, CT. My dear friend and I didn't realize the show was sold out when we arrived.  But luckily, the lady at the door showed us pity, let us pay for tickets that didn't exist, and go in. We were willing to stand at the back, but we were able to find space on a bench at the back of the hall. I knew a few of the songs he sang that evening, but many of them were new to me because I have a hard time with new music.  I'd rather sing a song I already know by heart a hundred more times than hear a new song through even once. I know it is a problem that I need to work on if for no other reason than for the sake of my poor husband and daughters who have to hear the same albums everyday for a year. No, really. A year. At least. I have been giving myself permission to buy new music for this reason. So I came home that evening or maybe it was the next day and I purchased three of hi
Read more

Astronomer Shoe Boxes for Challenge B

By
Image
  Avril finished her astronomer shoeboxes for Challenge B.   The Challenge B students have all done research and projects on astronomers throughout this first semester.  Now, students choose two (or more) astronomers in secret and provide clues to the astronomers' identities in their shoeboxes.   For instance, if an astronomer made telescopes, sang opera, played piano, discovered binary stars or Uranus, studied eclipses, lived in a simple, log cabin, or made a map of Washington D.C., you might include some of those items to your shoe boxes as hints.  Student bring in their shoeboxes, and classmates get a chance to guess who the astronomers are based on what's inside the boxes.  Can you guess who Avril's astronomers are based on the pictures above?  Hint: Her two boxes actually represent three astronomers total.  
Read more