Our Christmas in Review

In Pictures -- But Not Quite Wordless...

(Look out: Tons and Tons of Pictures Just Ahead!)

December 23rd

Above: Cathy's "Randy-esque" mashed potato sculpture on Christmas Story night, December 23rd.  We served mashed potatoes, red cabbage, and meatloaf-beatloaf for dinner, courtesy of chef Dan, then, before the movie, we all took a Christmas Story quiz that Dan made up for us.  The girls made fudge for us to dig into at the Fu-u-udge sequence, and we corrected our quizzes as we went. Some of us did extraordinarily well, considering it was quite the challenging quiz, but Paul was the proud winner and recipient of a major award:  a football.  A couple kicker question that almost nobody but Paul got:

*  When Ralphie's mom is telling her husband about the fight Ralphie got into, she changes the subject by saying, "so, Green Bay is playing the_______ this week..."  what football team did she say?

a) Oakland Raiders; b)  Detroit Lions;  c) New York Giants; d) Chicago Bears

*  In how many years had Ralphie's mother not had a hot meal for herself?

a) 4; b) 20; c) 12; d) 15

(Do you know the answers?)

The snow that fell the day before Christmas.  Check out this snow outfit Flowery skirt over grey snow boots (no leggins); bathrobe over short-sleeve blouse under winter coat.  No gloves. Works for Anna.

December 24th

Making goodies.  This concoction of Kevin's -- aka: Woody's -- turned out scrumptious:  vanilla almond bark that wouldn't properly melt, mixed with "crisp rice," wrapped around a cherry.  Yumm!

Chocolate-covered pretzels are a mainstay. Michelle was the pretzel queen this year. (Anna was helping.)

The little boys exploring in the Christmas Eve snow.

Nicole talking William into taking a nap.  I think Nicole fell asleep... but I'm not sure about William.

Jon, as ever, serenading us on the piano.

Pac-man was the computer game of choice this Christmas break.  Here's Paul probably playing to determine which kitchen chore he had to take on after a meal.  Turns out Pac-man is a good delegator of chores.

December 25th

Our Lord's Birthday

Our chapel decked out for Midnight Mass.  So beautiful.

The altar close up.  Can you see the Baby Jesus above the tabernacle?

The Creche at Midnight Mass.

Our Creche at home.  Gabriel and Theresa checking to see that Baby Jesus made it into the manger.

Yep.  See?  There He is.

Our mantel on Christmas morning.

The stockings on the table before all the children tore into them.  You can also see some advanced preparations for waffles: spray whip topping.

A few of the presents scattered around the Nativity set -- and one or two of the trees.

Dan starting on the waffles. 

Michelle and Jon... Arriving home at around 2:30 a.m.after Midnight Mass does not make for chipper early-morning risers the next day...

We call this one the ghost of Christmas Present. (This is Kevvy.  I don't know how he can sleep with his head under the covers like that!)

Paul and Nicole admiring Gabe's new monkey -- a baby brother for his favorite stuffed monkey, Lester.

More stocking loot.

Everyone's a little more awake when the coffee, cocoa and waffles are passed around.

This is the "right way" to make Christmas morning waffles, Kevvy says:  homemade round waffle on the bottom, covered in syrup and topped with hot blueberries, cherries and apples, then decorated liberally with whipped topping.

Jon thinks  his is more creative: a Pepsi-cola waffle

We got to share our Christmas with Kevvy's girl (and our adopted family-member), Alena.  (Hasn't she got the most beautiful smile? And doesn't Kevvy look like a successful fisherman?)

And, now, here's Michelle with Jon... Jon who is always either in goofy or in half-blink mode when a camera is in sight. We always have to take a series of pictures of this boy in the hopes of getting one good one.  Such a handsome boy, but sheesh!  Look at the trouble we have to go through!

Shot Number 3. (Number 2 couldn't even make the cut to get on -- and neither did Shot Number 4...)

Shot Number 5.  Turned out OK, but still a little goofy.

Cathy with Dominic who is almost always goofy, as well.

Finally.  A nice, normal, smiling photo.  Our newlyweds, Paul and Nicole.

Theresa, still looking sleepy, next to Anna, cradling Mrs. Butterworth.

Shot Number 1: trying to get Jon to pose with Gabriel (and monkey).

Shot Number 2

Shot Number 3.

Our car in the ditch, from the before-Christmas snow storm.  I think the minivan got stuck two or three times, Dan's Rav IV got stuck once, our 15-passenger van got stuck once or twice, and one of the aunt's got stuck once... Then

December 26th

Grandma and Grandpa's drove in with their rental car on Christmas day, and of course they got stuck on the hill.

The car-rescuing team hard at work.

After the boys got Grandma and Grandma's car out the second time, the plow driver came and we've been driving on hard-pack ever since.  No slide-offs since the Feast of St. Stephen.  But, we haven't gotten into the mud-stage yet.  Just wait...

The Davis twins: Kevvy (20) and Dominic (16). I figure it's ok to get them matching clothes since they don't generally live in the same state.  Dominic is going back to school in Nebraska after the new year.

One of the big hit Christmas gifts: A boy and his bike.

William liked these silly things, thus: A boy and his dinosaurs.

Christmas Pirates.

And, a stealth photo I took of what turned out to be one of  the big hits of Christmas -- Gracias, Grandma and Grandpa!  You've gotta love a game that Daddy sneaks away to play.  And one that nine-year-old Cathy can womp everybody at.  She has the high score on the wii for bowling (220) and routinely beats her biggest brothers at tennis and boxing.  I resisted getting what felt like another high-tech computer waste-of-time, but I'm catching onto the beauty of this game.  A lot of exercise going on in our tiny living room these days.

Moving on to New Year's Eve tomorrow already, can you believe it? I'll take some pictures of our festivities and traditions, and I have some pictures I'd like to share of a little mini-trip Dan and I took on Monday to celebrate Dan's birthday.  I have a lot of catching up to do, visiting my good blog friends, and I'd like to work on some changes I'll be making in the time I spend on the internet.  I'll detail that when I get a chance to get on again -- maybe this weekend.  In the meantime, Blessings to All!  And Happy, Happy New Year!

On the Feast of Stephen...

Our Day

In Poetry:

The Davis family looked out

On the feast of Stephen,

When the snow lay round about

Deep and crisp and even.

Gusty blew the wind last night

And the frost was cruel,

When Paul trudged out to the shed

To gather winter fuu-ell.

**

"Hither, brother, stand by me

If thou know'st it, in telling

Yon plow driver, who is he?

Where and what his dwelling?"

"Bro, he lives a good league hence

On t'other side of highway

But drives on past our front ten fence

As it is one good by-y-way."

**

"Bring that man, upon his plow

 Shovels, brothers, hither.

Thou and I, we need him now;

Someone bear him thither."

We've dug and pushed and pulled and slid

Ten autos from the ditches.

Tell yon plow-man now we bid

Save us from these gli-i-tches.

**

The Davis children, forth they went

Forth they went together

Through the rude wind's wild lament

And the bitter weather.

"Paul, the snow is falling now

And the wind blows stronger

Fail our heart, we know not how,

We can go no lo-o-nger."

**

Our toes are froze, our noses blue,

And, then, as luck would have it

Yon furnace, it is broken, too,

Our dwelling is no respite.

"Mark my footsteps, whining dude,

Tread thou in them boldly

Thou shalt find the wint'ry mood

Freeze thy blood less co-oh-ldly."

**

In their brother's steps they trod

Where the snow lay dinted

Heat was in the very sod

Which their big brother printed.

Pulling cars from snowy ditch

Leaves not this man faint-hearted

Rice Krispy treats and chocolate

Will surely get him star-ar-ted.

**

Met they the plowman on the hill

Met they the plowman cheerful

And he and they with  hearty will

Didst clear the driveway fearful.

Furnace Repairman whence he came

And made it up the driveway
And in the furnace, fixed a  flame
That melted chilling woes a-way.
**

Therefore, Christian friends, be sure,

Wealth or rank possessing,

When trouble knocks upon the door

Behooves thou to find blessing.

Comfort comes in warmth of heart
And muscles strong and willing
And young men bull-headed, blythe, and smart
A movie date fulfil-ill-ing...

In Prose:

Yep. In a nutshel (coconut-sized): A snowstorm Tuesday through Wednesday only left about five inches over all -- but drifted into deep hills on the driveway (again). Since all the big kids are home, we have a kazillion drivers, a carlot full of cars in our driveway, and plenty of places everyone wants to go and things we want to do while we're all together.

So, in making the attempts to get out, the big kids have been shuffling cars back and forth, making them accessible by parking them by the mailbox on the main road which is plowed by the town snowplow.  In this herculean effort, I'm told the children have pulled different cars out of the ditch and unstuck them from ruts in our long drive at least nine or ten times in the last three days.

And we've had the driveway plowed twice -- but the wind keeps covering it back over.

And, the furnace broke down last night, when it was blowing gales of about 50 mph, and the windchill temps sank into the subzero range. (Brr! Was it ever cold getting out from under the blankets this morning!)

But, all is well. With the wood stove going, and all the new games, books, and toys -- particularly the Wii the children got from the grandparents -- hardly anyone noticed the incovenience. Got coffee, hot chocolate, and oatmeal into everyone's bellies first thing... Had a good visit.  Then, fueled with the incentive of an afternoon in town, the big kids plunged into the snow again to get a  vehicle free for an excursion. Seriously. I think they enjoyed the adventure and the chance to flex their muscles in front of wives, girlfriends, and sisters. They got all the cars out of the way in time for the plowman to clear the snow, who came in time for the furnace repairman to get up to the house.  They were both celebrities when they finally arrived.

And now: the heat is pumping to warm the house, Theresa and Catherine are playing tennis on the wii, Gabriel is rolling around and around the house on his new little bike, Dan's putting soup on the stove, and the big kids are off to the movies.

And as soon as I finish telling you all about it,  I'm off to fold the mountain of clothes that's piled up since the beginning of the week. Blessings to all! Hope everyone has enjoyed the holiday so far!

A Blessed Christmas

Filled with Peace and Joy

And Our Best Wishes!

The Davises