Christmas and the New Year

It’s a good thing that blogging more was not on my list of New Years’ resolutions or I’d already be behind. That said, I do want to take some time to document the Christmas season. This year our family Christmases were back-to-back so it went really fast compared to last year when my family celebrated before Christmas and his family celebrated around New Year’s Day.

Although it took extra effort logistically to transition so quickly it was really fun to have a weekend full of family.

We left Friday in time to get there for an amazing supper that Jim cooked for Mom’s belated birthday party. After supper David decided to open one of the gifts that he had bought for himself…at Toys-R-Us. He found a good deal on some lego sets and wanted stuff for Calvin to play with when he comes (I think that was just an excuse). So we all watched as he opened his gift to David from David. Calvin could hardly contain his excitement and they proceeded to play legos the rest of the weekend. Later we filled any empty cracks in our tummy with a Chocolate Peanut Butter cake that Maria made. We like having the McCormick’s around 

Saturday was a day full of long and intense Monopoly games (expounded upon below), puzzles, playing with the train, and getting ready for the traditional evening meal and gift exchange.

About those Monopoly games…I’m pretty sure Maria was no longer in the game when I took the pictures shown below. To Kimberly’s conflicting relief and annoyance Maria would supervise her moves unless Maria wasn’t around at which point Kimberly would need to make her own move. Although Jim couldn’t care less if he wins or loses a board game he has definitely learned how to play with the Lehmans and he holds his own pretty well. Seth is catching on to the rules and tactics we employ and is adjusting quite well as you can see from the second picture.

It was so special to have Grammy with us again this year!

Room for all under Mom’s new umbrella!

Thanks to Jim for snagging a few pics of us Sunday afternoon. The snow was so pretty and Seth and I definitely don’t have enough pictures together. Ha.

We left Sunday evening soon after supper since the snow was still coming down and we didn’t want to spend four hours on the road. It did take us longer than usual but we were still back in good time to go over to Dad and Mom Waibel’s for a game of Scrabble by the fire, complete with hot cocoa. That cozy feeling was quite a contrast to Christmas morning when Addie, Hannah, and I went for a run before church. It was windy and cold but the fresh snow on Christmas Day was so invigorating!

The rest of Christmas Day flew by! We went to church in the morning, took a family hike in the afternoon, and shared gifts later on. As much as I don’t like being cold, I do like walking through the snow and the fact that a hike outside is part of the Waibel family celebration.

This year for Christmas the Uncles and Aunts put together a puppet theater for the Herrmann kids. It involved some last minute sewing and gluing but the final product turned out really cute and since the curtain is removable it can actually function as a variety of buildings: grocery store, drive-thru window, etc. Grant and Phil gave us a show so the kids knew how it worked. Then Ivory and Titus took a turn. Needless to say, it was all entertaining.

For the past several years Mom Waibel has written a book for the kids and given them something to go along with it. One year it was a rocking horse, then a broom. This year she wrote a book about Dad’s childhood pet pig, Porky, and made a few stick puppets to go along with the story. It was an amazing work of creativity!

Soon after all the gifts had been opened the Herrmann’s headed home and the rest of us played a game around the fire. And just like that, Christmas 2017 was over.

Jumping ahead a few days…Mom, Kim, and Edie were going to come someday over break to go shopping but the day they were scheduled to come was supposed to bring another snowstorm and they had plans that evening so Mom called Friday morning to let me know they weren’t coming. It made sense but I was really bummed until I had the idea that Mom and Edie meet me in Gilman before all the snow came so Edie could hang out with me for a few days. Edie and I were both relieved to still get in some sister time together!

On Saturday Seth and I took Edie and Addie sledding at Lake of the Woods. I was miserably cold but there’s something about sledding that brings out the kid in everyone and we had a good time! That evening we went to Fairbury to celebrate the extended Waibel Christmas. Sunday after church Dad and Mom Lehman came our way and we headed to Dad and Mom Waibel’s for a small New Year’s party. Singing, games, and pulling taffy were some events of the evening:

Of course it was a late night but when you’ve had enough sugar you hardly notice.

On Monday Kimberly drove over and us girls went outlet shopping while Seth did some stuff around home and at the office renovation. Dad headed home and Kimberly had her car so us girls had all day! It was a great way to wrap up the holiday season.

I’ll admit that a part of me was dreading the end of it all and I was consoled by the fact that the next two weekends would include a trip to Wolcott and my cousin’s wedding in Roanoke. While I wouldn’t always want to live with the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, I do love how it brings the far ones near and the near ones together a little more often.