Christmas Spirit

I was having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit last week, but how can anyone not feel Christmasy with a bunny hopping around the tree, nibbling on presents?

No, seriously, it turns out that I started feeling more of the Christmas spirit once school was done.  And it finished for me last Tuesday because I canceled Thursday's lab last week. We were doing the chapter on fungi, which I usually move earlier in the quarter, but for some reason I forgot to this year.  Well, there are no fungi around on the ground right now, so I figured we could skip that lab with no big issues.  And it was so nice to be done!  What a load off me!

Also, Nathan came home Wednesday night.  He drove himself and a friend home, so it was really nice that I didn't have to drive down to pick him up (although I did miss the nice, quiet drive down with my book on CD, and then the conversation with him on the way back, lol).  I was out dropping Caleb off at basketball practice when Nathan got home, and then he turned around and headed to the McC's, where Luke and friends were watching Inception, so even though I was only gone about 20 minutes, I completely missed seeing him until late that night when he got home.  It was so good to see him!  He had another good semester.

Last Thursday morning, Anna's German teacher showed her class how to make apple strudel.  It was so delicious, with homemade whipped cream!

Then we really got into the Christmas spirit by going caroling Thursday night, which happened to be the coldest night of the year.  We had quite a good-sized group, so what we lacked in talent, we made up for in noise.  "Joy to the World" was definitely our most confidant, rousing selection.  We managed 2 different cul-de-sacs before calling it a night and coming in for hot chocolate and cookies.

The snacks were well-received, and our big 72 ounce hot cocoa maker (from Costco last year) as well as our small 32 ounce one were put to good use, both being refilled several times.  It's still hard to believe I would ever consider those appliances worthwhile to have, but they really do come in handy.

I think we were all feeling pretty festive after the caroling and party!  So festive, in fact, that everyone stayed up really, really late to play Settlers of Catan with Nathan.  Finally the girls are able to hold their own in the game, so it's more competitive.  In fact, Anna won, much to her great delight.

Friday morning Nathan left at the same time as Bob.  Bob went to work, and Nathan drove himself up to WSS, where he's working until after New Year's.  I can't imagine a funner place to celebrate Christmas than WSS, even though we are missing him!  Fortunately his college has a long winter break, so he will have 2 weeks with us in January before he has to go back.

Friday night was our annual "bar night and Christmas play" at Bible study.  We have a baked potato bar, and then kids act out the Christmas story, with parts available for all, along with whatever costumes can be scrounged up from the big bag we have accumulated over the year.  It is a ton of fun, and when the play is over, we go back upstairs for an ice cream sundae bar.  I have to say, I think that is my absolute favorite dessert option.  Yum!

Grace was a rather unwilling Mary, alongside her friend Clark as Joseph.  She pretty much stood like a smiling statue the whole time, and she never really got any closer to Clark than this picture.  I guess we can give up on any dream of being supported by a rich actress in our old ages, lol.

And here we are, in front of the tree one last time!  Merry Christmas!