Happy Harley-Daze

I decided to do a 'blog post about some of our activities over the last couple of weeks, rather than focus on just one day. A couple of weeks ago (before the snow started to pile up) the boys went to G'ma & G'pa W's for their annual Christmas Sleepover.

They had fun with some craft projects,

service,

eating,

hay-ride carolling,

and just spending time together!

The day before Christmas Eve (Christmas Eve-Eve) most of the extended family went to G'ma W's to get a head start on Christmas activities, starting with a snow-sculptur-ing activity contest. Landon's snow-turtle was the winner - since it was the only one completed :-)

The family "fun" also included a service project of home repairs and painting at a local Family Support Center shelter. During the painting of the "yellow room", the sisters composed a G'pa Dave version of the 12 Days of Christmas, which they serenaded him with at Christmas Eve Dinner! (I would share it with you in this 'blog, but I would have to censor too many words for this family-friendly 'blog!) We had a very nice, simple, easy and affordable take-out dinner,

after which the gift exchanges began with the cousins,

followed by the sisters',

G'ma and G'pa,

and, of course, the always exciting, eagerly anticipated,

white elephant gifts!

Clover was not very impressed.

After the Christmas Eve activities, we carefully drove home in time for Santa to make his annual stop. The Christmas Day newspaper bundle arrived that night, so I walked the snowy neighborhoods at 10:30 PM with some noisy jingle bells attached to my delivery bag, wearing my red "Santa" hat delivering the papers. I did get a few strange looks, but I just waved and said "Ho, ho ho - Merry Christmas!!" Some houses were already dark, but most had lights on with people inside making last-hour preparations for the "big" day. After our last minute preparations, Keri & I finally got to bed some time after midnight. Although we have all teenagers now, there was still that "Christmas excitement" the next morning, as everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon discovering that Santa did not just leave them a lump of coal! We had our "monkey-bread" breakfast, and spent the day searching for batteries,

playing new games,

practicing new instruments, figuring out new gadgets, and troubleshooting gifts (instructions? - what instructions?!)

That evening we had a nice Christmas family dinner, as we took time to reflect on how truly blessed we are - to have good jobs allowing us to make ends meet, to have a warm house, food & clothing, to live in a country where we are free to worship God and free to say "Merry Christmas", and mostly to have friends and family - both near and far! The forecast white-Christmas storm arrived that evening around 6 pm in the form of a blizzard which did not relent until early the next morning. We awoke to about a foot of new snow - which the wind had blown into some drifts nearly 2 feet high! I awoke early to deliver papers, but the bundle carriers could not get through due to some highways being closed down. So I just started shoveling, and shoveling, and by 8 am the whole neighborhood was out doing the same.

Everyone pitched in with snowblowers and shovels to help each other dig out, and to clear the walks and driveways of the older shut-ins who are not able to get out. After what seemed like hours of snow-pushing, lifting, and throwing, the sun came out. We took a break, delivered the late-arriving newspapers, and then spent the afternoon playing in the new snow!

We took advantage of the snow-packed streets for some motorcycle sled-rides. Clover joined in the fun, and later made her own fun by giving her deflated and mauled frozen soccer ball the "death shake" out in the snow *(see video). Keri made a trip to a store or two for "day after Christmas" stuff, and then spent some time starting to organize and put away decorations and Christmas-clutter.

Later some neighbors with snowmobiles did some tube-pullin' in the big field behind our backyard.

Landon returned with a big frozen-faced smile! We warmed up inside and had some tasty leftovers.

The day ended with a successful hot air balloon launch,*(see video) as the temperature dropped to near zero! Since the road to launch is snowed in, it's the only airtime I'll be getting for a month or two!