Christmas Eve

 Christmas time came fast and furious this year, which I found rather surprising as this year has been dragging on with complications and suddenly it wraps up in warp speed.  I'm both not ready and fully ready for this year to end.  In any case, we are doing our best to close this year out best we can.  

This Christmas Eve, we had planned to attend a candlelight service.  We haven't been able to have a candlelight service in a few years and we were all pretty happy to have the opportunity, but alas, it was not meant to be.  We structured our day around that service and when it came right down to it, temperatures plummeted, snow started falling and ice was accumulating so the service was canceled.  We were literally all dressed up with nowhere to go as we received the cancellation notice as we were headed out to the car.  

Sad, but not ready to call the evening a bust, we decided to use our dressier clothes to take photos in and we got a few good shots.  

We decided not to let all of the practice the little kids put into their song, so they sang for us.

The children were supposed to sing Joy to the World on stage--they were happy to at least sing it for us since they memorized the entire thing and they sounded great! 

 Jozsef was supposed to read scripture on stage, so he read the verses to us at dinner.  Dinner was pre-made and an easy set up as we expected to come home and eat a bit late, so we set the table quickly and ate all dressed up, just for kicks.  :-)  

After dinner, we played the saran wrap ball game (a newer tradition that we've all really begun to anticipate) 

and then we opened our traditional one gift before watching a movie by firelight and cozying up for the night, cookies waiting for Santa courtesy of Hannah and Nikolas who had baked earlier in the day.

Just in case you were wondering, Hannah does not regularly wear glasses--these are the blue light glasses she was wearing while watching the movie

We missed the service, but we certainly did not miss out on quality time and Christmas spirit.  :-)

Winter Formal

 Nikolas attends a dance group that teaches several dance styles as well as dance/social etiquette.  It's a great learning experience that provides loads of fun and fellowship.  The group holds two formals a year, one in spring and one in winter.  These dances are much like prom and winter formal would look like in public school.  This group has been such a wonderful aspect of Nikolas' school experience, so when winter formal came around, he jumped at the chance to attend. 

Hailey and Emily are best friends and even though Emily didn't snag a ticket, she had to be there for girl prep.  :-)

Nikolas and Levi are pretty good buds.  Nikolas was disappointed when Levi didn't get a dance reservation, but Levi didn't miss the night

The core friend group is pretty good about making timely reservations to attend classes and events, but this time, there were a few that did not make the cut fast enough (class and event sizes have been restricted due to Covid culture).  Thankfully, the group was open enough to having those friends hang out during readiness and pre-dance photos/game time, and then they all gathered again after the dance for more games and conversation before calling it a night.  

Card games were plentiful and full of friendly competition

Now the nature of this group is for all to learn and to have fun so there's a "no wallflower" rule.  Even though typical attendance is a three girl to each boy ratio, everyone is sure to get time on the floor practicing their moves.  Nikolas loves that he's outnumbered because it means more opportunity for him to solidify the new steps he's just learned.  Also, there aren't really dates, so though Nikolas could have asked a girl to the dance, there really wasn't a need--everyone dances together in turn, and all established couples know and respect this rule.  

Takes off a lot of pressure and adds so much fun The group, as a whole, is a lot of fun!  

We are super thankful that the boys have these opportunities (they also have a young adults group that Jozsef attends) to grow in skills and friendships.  This was Nikolas' first formal affair and I'm glad to say that he had a blast.  :-) 

These are the "regulars" and I'm so glad we were able to get them together for a snapshot

Christmas Greetings

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year as we celebrate the end of 2020! I recognize that my letter is later this year than I believe it ever has been. I suppose one might say that this is unprecedented—which seems to be the theme of 2020. By the way, I am super over that word—unprecedented and the whole 2020 Covid culture—maybe some of you can relate. I’ll step up on my box for just a moment as I firmly state that God certainly did not mean for us to live like this—in a spirit of fear (the bible states Do Not Fear over 200 times!) because Perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4: 18) and a life lived in Christ is a life lived loved. Thank you, Jesus! Now, I recognize that some of you may not be living Christ-centered lives, and I understand, but I pray that you choose to change that soon—today—because eternity is a long time and spending an eternity separated from God is neither pleasant nor necessary. I’ll step off the box now… 

So, 2020 has been challenging for all of us, on different levels, in different ways, even though it has been a year tagged under a single label. For us, here in our part of the world, our biggest challenge was created by a tornado in April that came close enough to us to topple trees in our yard that resulted in John falling off of a ladder and shattering his ankle. John’s surgery was swift though his healing has not been, and it was easily July before John was able to bear any weight on his leg. Now, John has a ton of metal in his leg that he will never part with and a swagger that he did not have before the accident. Swelling will be part of his life, likely for another year or more, and he has to be careful with the activities he partakes in, but we are praising God as John is walking again, which, when the ankle is disconnected from the leg, can seem like a rather uncertain future. We’ve (especially John) learned to appreciate plenty this year that so many, daily, take for granted and our continued thanks goes up to God as the blessings continue to humble us as they come down. Our God is so good to us! 

 I have, honestly, been stretched quite a bit this year as I quickly became “the one who does all the things” with John assuming “invalid status” while the children still had to be schooled, life had to be Covid altered, and we had simultaneously taken in a puppy that we had high hopes for who ended up being more like Cujo than anything else. It has been a long year full of so many growing pains. And yet, here we are, at the end of it, still standing. God has been faithful 100% of our days, has never left us alone, and has been graceful enough to provide, in every way, every step of the journey. His mercies truly are new every morning. #PTL 

 Jozsef is plugging away at his on-line theology degree program and learning so much—we both are as he is an external processor and I also edit his papers. 😊 It is good. I enjoy our discussions and the things I am learning. It is kind of like being in college again and only partaking in the best intellectual parts of the process. 

 Nikolas is working on his Senior year and we both are deep in planning mode—so many details to wrap up by the end of the school year while simultaneously kicking off the next phase of life. It is daunting, and exciting. And if you are wondering, Nikolas has no solid plan for what comes after graduation. Every avenue that he had in mind has been compromised by Covid culture and has left him in a space of reimagining his future while our America is being redesigned. Currently, he and Jozsef are enjoying, and excelling at, their Chick Fil A jobs while they serve their community through an owner-operator, who is a stand out/stand up man, one of two people in the US who owns three franchises, and whose motto is “kindness over everything”. The boys are truly blessed to work in such an encouraging environment with such an exceptional team of honorable men. We truly could not be happier for the boys and the opportunities they have been presented with in their positions. 

 As for the others, Connor is in 8th grade, Sonja in 6th grade, Riley in 5th grade, and Hannah in 3rd grade. Thankfully, our homeschool lifestyle meant minimal disturbance for us as lockdowns became the predominant way of life. We did experience a limitation of opportunities to fieldtrip, explore, and group learn, but our basic schooling format remained intact, which has been a huge blessing, especially as we had other life events that really impacted our general flow. Connor is appreciating science above all subjects this year and he has taken to filling his time with things like log splitting, knife forging, and general hands-on experimentation. His current dream is to be in pyrotechnics. 😉 Sonja is still a quick learner and loves to fill her extra time with crafts and reading. She has read more than one book series and taught herself how to knit. It is great! Sonja is looking forward to next year when she finally qualifies for youth group at church—she is such a social creature. Riley is a wiz at Lego creation and spends much of his time surrounded by bricks and the things he creates, each creation with a story of artistic context. It is quite entertaining for us all, and I am often in awe of how his mind and ability collide. Hannah is still firming up her reading skills, but the fire has been lit and her desire for improvement is evident, which is great to see. Hannah is still quite the little mommy, caring for her babies and having tea parties often in between her school responsibilities. All the kids are thoroughly enjoying our yard, the ability it gives them to play and explore, and the availability of a neighbor boy to partake in their games. They are, thankfully, busy in so many ways. 

 On top of it all, we (as mentioned earlier) adopted one puppy in spring only to, sadly, have that relationship end as a failed placement due to his aggression. However, not deterred and intent on having a dog in our family, we set out to bring another puppy into our home in fall—only to end up with two! Though our aim was to change our avenue all together, it seemed a rescue situation was still in the plan for us, and we lovingly accepted God’s plan for two puppies to join our household. They came to us with some health needs and a few fears, which we are working on and making slow progress with. Though it was not the picture we had planned, Hudson and Charlotte are blessings unexpected which we are very thankful for. If nothing else, 2020 has reinforced our drive to lean into God, follow His lead, and to remember that His ways are not our own—but His ways are always best. 😊 Our puppies are a bunch of work—two babies at once always are—but we are super thankful to have our own Leopards to love (they are American Leopard Hounds). 

 I pray that 2020 has given you a lens of thankfulness and a spirit of joy for the simple delights of life. Our earthly journey was never promised to be easy but we were promised we’d never walk alone (Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with your wherever you go—Joshua 1:9)—praise be to God! As this year folds into the next and unprecedented times overlap with uncertainty, may you find one thing to be constant—the love of God and the mercy of a Savior who is especially fond of you (Matthew 18:12). 😊 

May the peace of the season, the peace of the Lord be with you today and all through 2021.

Puppy Update

It's been a bit since we brought our Leopards home and I thought it would be appropriate to bring ya'll up to speed with how they are adjusting to life in our household. Both of the dogs are doing quite well. They have changed so much from the day they came home. Hudson, when we first picked him up, was so scared that you could set him down anywhere and he would not move. These days, he's a happy go lucky guy who is super laid back and very comfortable with his people. We've nicknamed him Slo-Mo Jo because he does everything in slow motion and it's hilarious! Hudson is also quite the prancer. :-) He takes a bit to rev up but he does get there and he's lots of fun to play with. Hudson will go after a ball but he's not wonderful at bringing it back, however he would rather you play with him than to play alone. At five months old, Hudson is healthy (worms are all gone) and growing well. He weighs in at 40 lbs these days and his color has changed, deepened. Hudson is no longer our little red--he has plenty of black features--his widow's peak being the best of them. Hudson is no longer suffering from a pretty bad ear infection and a heavy load of multiple worms. It was truly awful. Today I can say with confidence that Hudson is rescued and thriving.

Charlotte, when we first picked her up, was happy to meet us and full of kisses, but still reserved. She is no less energetic or loving today, but still has her fair share of fears (we'll have to spend plenty of time working on helping her with those). As a matter of fact, I'd say her comfort level has increased her energy level--the girl is always on high speed! We've nicknamed her our Little Spitfire--she's agile (she runs like a greyhound and leaps like a gazelle) quick, and so adorable! I admit, it will likely be much harder to train her and to harness her high energy level, but we have hope because she is smart. Charlotte is a power chewer--she can decimate just about anything in sheer minutes--so we have to be careful and thoughtful about anything she can get hold of. Although we thought for sure that Charlotte was in better health than Hudson, our struggles have proven otherwise. We've dealt with worms (which we seem to have conquored), ear infection, a cough, a urinary tract infection, and helping her reach a healthy weight (she was literally bony when she first arrived). Today, she finally got a clean bill of health. #PTL At four months old, Charlotte weighs in at 27 lbs. Her color was much more silver/grey when we first got her, but she is loosing some grey which is being replaced by a light brown. Thankfully her spots are staying. Charlotte is still a pretty little girl. :-) I am happy to say that she too is rescued and thriving.

Leopard ownership is a brand new experience for us--one that we are learning as we go. Some of our concepts of training and expectation are having to be altered, but we are so happy to have them in our home and family. Hudson and Charlotte get along very well and we love them both so much. We are happy leopard owners. :-)

Thanksgiving Weekend

The week of Thanksgiving was a very full week for us. What we thought, initially, would be at week of rest and relaxation, quickly became a time of catch-up and celebration. We did things like install speakers in Jozef's car, tackle home projects, attend appointments, and gather to give thanks. It was a week full--in a good way. :-) I didn't get much on film, but on Thanksgiving proper, we started the day with an egg breakfast and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. We (sadly) missed the Dog Show, but we enjoyed our puppies (who are getting healhier daily and growing just as much). :-) We relaxed as much as possible and binged on the Lord of the Rings movies (including the Hobbit trilogy--it was epic, as usual). The food was delicious and the time together was precious. Thanksgiving was all that it should be.

I think this was the earliest we've ever set up Christmas in our house, but the timing was right when the opportunity presented itself to get a tree--so we jumped at it. We had fun stringing lights and putting ornaments on our tree while we watched Bilbo Baggins on his journey. We decorated the house inside and out, best we could, and were satisfied with the festive final look. Christmas had arrived in our neck of the woods--even the weather declared it with much cooler winds and threats of snow, though no snow has actually accumulated yet. Hopes of snow days occupy our hearts as we move closer to the official start of winter. :-)

Despite covid culture, we discovered and attended a wonderful community event. There was a Christmas market (200 vendors), food trucks (the snow cones were the best), holiday music, fun selfie stations, and great weather to enjoy. It was a pleasure to attend and a great way to kick off the holiday season.

Our time off ended too soon and we are anxious for Christmas break, but we are thankful that we were able to have time together to enjoy. All thanks be to God for such gifts!

Take a Hike

As you may remember, a double digit birthday, in this house, means taking a hike--a big hike. Traditionally, the miles of the hike are double digits just like the birthday we are celebrating. And though hikes have been anywhere from 10-14 miles (so far), this year the hike would be different, as most things have been in 2020. For so many resasons--covid culture, John's recovering ankle, the unpredictable weather--we weren't even sure there would be a hike. Though this was a saddening thought, we decided to discuss plan B--just in case. With all of the details sorted out, and the weather closely watched, a hike alternative was planned to Riley's liking (because, above all others, it had to be good for him). And so it was, the night before the official birthday, that we went to bed with plan B in mind, and holding out hope that a hike would still somehow happen. Six in the morning, John woke up to scout out the weather. He discovered that if he left with the kids within the hour, they would have until the early afternoon to pull the hike off. So, in fire drill style, he awoke the participants, they dressed and gathered the necessities, and were off for a day in the mountains. 

Traditionally, John is the trail leader for the birthday child and the nearest alumnus. This year there was a special tag along--Jozsef went to help drive and to be John's physical assistant as necessary.:-) The hike was a fantastic success! They hiked just two miles but it took them to see three different waterfalls and loads of fall color, all in weather that cooperated right up to the point of them wrapping up and heading home. They came home wet (mist and sweat accumulates), tired, with cameras bursting with autumn glory, hearts full, and wide smiles. Perfect! :-)

We had a stunning slideshow to enjoy that evening, viewing pictures from the perspective of each participant, a tasty dinner, cake made to order by Riley, and fun gifts. Riley was thrilled, to say the least. :-)

I am so thankful that all points aligned for this memorable day to happen, and to occur safely, creating memories of a lifetime. #PTL

Happy 10th birthday Riley! We love you so much!