51 years…

  Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! 

 Last year we celebrated my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary with a big party at their house in Minnesota.  This year I made a phone call.  

But, as much as I love a good party, I am thankful for this 51, even more than I was for 50.

In a little over a month, Dave and I will have been married 17 years. This seems hard to believe.  And I know that making it to 17 is in large part due to my folks making it to 51.  The example they have set forth, living out those vows nearly every married couple repeats: 

For better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do us part.

Over the last 38 years (34 of them that I can remember) I have seen them do those very things:

Love and Cherish

in each of the aforementioned circumstances:

for better, worse, richer, poorer, sickness and health.

51 years.

Thanks, Mom and Dad!

I love you.

3 days, 780 miles, one really big bruise…

and we are back from our adventure to Chicken, Alaska. 

I have wanted to go to Chicken for years.  Ever since I read the book “Tisha” which chronicles the story of a young woman who is sent to teach in the village of Chicken, way back when.  It is a wonderful story, and I recommend it to all of you. 

So, this fall, when our friends the Riopelles, told us about the 4th of July Chicken adventure they were planning, I was quick to invite myself along.  And boy am I glad I did. 

Chicken is located about 1.5 hours from Tok, Alaska, which is about 6-7 hours from Anchorage(depending on RV traffic).  So driving up there is a major time and petroleum fuel commitment. 

As it came closer for the time to go to Chicken, I was faced with a major decision:

Do I take the 13 year old minivan with 160,000 miles?

or

Do I take the 19 year old truck with 190,000 miles?

As Dave put is “they have equal chances of breaking down, take wahteverone you want”.  easy for him to say, since he wasn’t going on this trip with us (ah, the sorrow of having to work).  Why I was worried about this, I have no idea.  I mean really, I drove the Lord’s Van all over the Midwest!

After much discussion and debate, we took the truck, because, in the words of my 9 year old, “we could haul a whole lot more junk”.

Right here and now I want to publicly thank Sandy and Shawn Friendshuh for taking such great care of that truck!  It ran like a dream and took the frost heaves like an old pro.

I have driven the road from Anchorage to Tok many times, but never before had I taken the turnoff onto the Taylor Highway.  Alaska really is beautiful, and so vast, and the trip up the Taylor just reinforced that.  The landscape on the way to Chicken was different than much of what seen in my limited travels around the state.  The mountains are big, but not jagged, more like grown up versions of the rolling hills of northern Minnesota.  Trees and wild flowers and little lakes here and there, it was lovely. 

As we pulled into Chicken, it was everything I had hoped:  quirky, dusty, hot!  With a name like Chicken… 

I could never get a definitive answer on the actual number of residents in Chicken, but I heard 3 as the year round population a number of times, with 70 being the standard for fulltime summer residents.  These seemed to be mostly people there to work the various gold claims in the area and a number of people who ran the 2 rv parks in the area, as well as the bar, cafe and store. 

The kids and I set up camp at one of the 3 tent sites at the “Original Chicken Gold Camp” RV park.  The owners looked at me a little funny when I said we would be tent camping.  I guess that isn’t really popular among the retired recreational gold mining crowd.  Then we set out to explore.  it didn’t take long. In the town of Chicken there is one store, one bar, one cafe and a post office, which only processes mail 1x a week, on Thursdays.  There are 2 RV parks, each with the required gift shop selling “I got laid in Chicken, Alaska” bumper stickers and t-shirts.  I did not get those. 

Kjell and his friend, Sam, immediately began to gold pan, while the other kids ran around and got dirty.  We had a lovely evening settling in and visiting by the fire.  

I woke up Saturday morning feeling that a shower would be a lovely thing.  So I sauntered on over to the campground shower house.  Happened upon an empty shower, plunked in my quarters for a 5 minute shower and realized(in a near panic) that I had not remembered to throw my shampoo into my toiletry bag.  I was determined to get the most out of this pricey shower, and make it more than just a rinsing.  A quick dig in the bag revealed a nearly full tube of toothpaste.  I thought, “What the heck, it cleans my teeth”.  I can now say, with complete assurance, toothpaste will take the grime right out of your hair and is a truly lovely body scrub to boot.

On Saturday, July 4th the big community picnic.  this picnic is a yearly fundraiser for a Gold Prospectors Assoc. and draws quite the crowd, about 200 people, the biggest weekend in Chicken all year, by far.  It was a great picnic.  For $12 you get the biggest steak (or grilled chicken) I have ever seen and endless side dishes, with all the water, soda and beer a person could possibly consume.   There are activities all day long, gold panning competitions for all ages, a massive egg toss event, and the indestructible pinata to cap off the day. 

Kjell and Sunny participated in the gold panning contest and they both won their age groups.  It was very very cute.  Broder was my entrepreneur and spent his afternoon plunging his arm into ice cold water to retrieve beer and sodas for the picnic goers.  his line was “tips appreciated, but not required”.  I think the little guy earned about $10, but he put all but $3 into the donation pot. 

 

We had heard that there was a German tourist component to Chicken (I have no idea why this would be true) and we were not disappointed.  The kids got the practice their language skills with a couple families, both of whom were delighted and charmed. 

I walked away from the weekend with a bit of a sunburn, and the aforementioned, really big bruise.  While packing up the truck to go, I completely forgot we had installed a hitch with which to pull our boat (another post), and ran into the stupid thing, HARD.  As was observed by a friend, “those suckers don’t move”.  I can say without any doubt, my right shin was the loser in the “shin vs hitch” battle. 

We drove back on Sunday, dusty, smelly, and thoroughly happy to have made the trek. 

Next stop, Haines, AK, to visit with Dave’s folks.

whewfffshaaaaahhh……………

I am not certain that is a word, but it should be.  I think it is a verb, the action it describes is that thing that happens to a big fluffy pillow when you lay your head down on it.  There is an immediate output of air from the pillow and then the outflows slows down and your head sinks to just the right level and…. ahhhh.

That is exactly how I felt this afternoon when Dave got home after 3 weeks away:  whewfffshaaaahhh…..  I gave him a kiss and promptly laid down on the couch and took a 3 hour nap while he played with the kids.  whewfffshaaaahhhh. 

I haven’t posted in quite a while, kept meaning to, there has been so much to talk about, so much that has been going on around here.  Perhaps that is why, SO MUCH has been going on around here.  I have always been a fairly busy person, there have been times in my life where I have been too busy, taken on too many things, said yes too many times.  But, in the last few years, I have been able to break that cycle, I have gotten alot more intentional about what I commit myself to, and have stopped trying to do it all.  I found that I am a much better mother, wife, daughter, friend, co-worker when I set those limits. 

So how did the last 6 weeks get so crazy that the only thing I could say “no” to was my blog? 

I am not sure.  But boy howdy, has it been crazy.  It has been really fun too, terribly fun, the best kind of fun, late nights and busy days spent with people I love, days spent out in the sun, etc etc.  But now, the reset button has been hit and things are going back to regular speed instead of hyper-speed. 

the kids and I came back from our trip, a grand 3 weeks it was, and they only had 5 weeks of school left.  Those last weeks are filled with field trips and projects and parties and meetings.  Kjell was gone more than he was home, having a 6th grade camping trip that took the majority of one week, then a youth group retreat the next week, followed by yet another overnight trip later that week with school.  Broder had numerous field trips to concerts and plays and nature walks, even little Sunny got in on the act.  Then it was city wide clean up day, then Sunny’s Daisy troop had their night at the zoo.  And that took us to May 21.

In and amongst the fun both boys and the mama(that would be me) ended up with strep throat, lucky me, I got it 2x.  I lost a couple days in there somewhere.  I messed up my left knee as well, went to the Dr and he said ‘you’re getting old, kind of fat, and there is the beginning of arthritis.  Lose some weight, and buy large bottles of ibuprophen” 

I had joined weight watchers a couple weeks before the Dr appointment but I did stock up on the drugs at his suggestion, and the WW is working, slowly.  I have lost about 15 lbs, and have a long long way to go, but eventually…

On Memorial Day, Cathy, Jim and Kajsa Stanley-Erickson flew into town and we spent the next 10 days eating and laughing and staying up way too late wishing we all lived closer to each other.  It was so wonderful to have that time with them and to get to know Kajsa.  What a delightful little kid, and boys does she ever have great parents!   We got a camping trip in and everything. 

Starting with Memorial Day and for the next 17 days, we had company non-stop.  On 2 different occasions the bed and floor space at the Lawrence Hostel was completely full and an annex was erected in the back yard (other people call it a tent, but I think annex sounds so much better).  Over that time period we  had 15 people from all over staying/visiting at our place.  We made endless batches of eggs for breakfast, thanks in large part to some of our guests who brought us several dozen farm fresh eggs, yum yum.! We put the backyard fire pit to good use introducing many of our friends and visitors to the joys of camp pies and smores with reese’s peanut butter cup centers. 

 the Stanley-Ericksons, the Bruces(who didn’t stay at our house but counted as visitors anyway since we hadn’t seen them in ages and they did spend the day with us), good friends from Kenai who based out of our place for a week while they helped to rebuild a deck for a woman who couldn’t do that on her own, Roy and Dorothy, my aunt and uncle who had a few days with us before departing on a cruise to celebrate their 50 years of wedded bliss, and Emma and Barret, the darling couple we met while camping in Seward who spent  a night in our backyard and gifted us with several pounds of chocolate on their departure(these are good people!).  It was great fun, and truly exhausting. 

Dave was with us for most of the Stanley-Erickson visit, then it was back to work for him.  He came home for 26 hours a couple of weeks ago, just enough time to go to dinner with Roy and Dorothy, have lunch with the Bruces the next day and hop on a plane to Texas where he spent the next 2 weeks in a series of training classes. 

Last Monday I got a surprise call from Carol Lawrence, my beloved mother in law, and the kids and I spent the next 2 afternoons getting in a little Grandma time.  That was an unexpected bonus to our week! 

the weather has been great, we have been biking to church a bit, and spending as much time outside as possible.  The house is a disaster, but that is ok, it will rain soon enough and the floors can get done then. 

Over the next few weeks, we don’t have visitors scheduled, but we have stuff going on.  Just before Dave left for Texas we bought a boat and this weekend we will be putting it in the water for the first time.  Pretty exciting stuff.  I am hoping to get comfortable trailering the thing so we can use it even when Dave is gone.  We are going to head out of town to a couple of lakes north of here and camp and practice practice practice, driving the boat, putting it in the water, getting it out of the water, back in the water, etc etc.  We hope to find a good camp spot on the far side of some lake and settle in for a day or 2. 

Over the 4th of July, the kids and I will be joining friends for a trip to Chicken, Alaska.  Never been to Chicken, but I hear it is a great place to visit, and supposedly there is a large German tourist component there, so perhaps the kids will get to practice their language skills a bit. 

July 15th we head to Haines, Alaska, Dave will be with us on this trip.  We are going to visit Dave’s folks and spend some time playing on the beach, and relaxing with the Alaska side of the family. Haines is a lovely town and it will be very fun to be there. 

Then it is back home, for the last month of summer.  the kids start school again in late August, too soon if things keep going at this pace!  there is lots of fishing to do in that month.  And then starts hunting season.  Dave is hoping to take the boys on a float trip and “catch a moose” as Sunny would say.  I am thinking that I will make a trip to one of Alaska’s hot springs while the guys are gone, anyone want to join me?

What a change from last summer, the packing and moving and medical that defined our lives for those months last year. 

I am so thankful for the flexibility that my little job offers, being able to take off and do all these things.  I am thankful too, for Dave’s schedule, even though he is away much of the time, when he is home, he is not bound to the office. 

 And I am so thankful for God’s provision, the bounty He has provided us, so far beyond what we could have ever hoped for, in the form of good jobs that allow us to give and play, and better yet, our fabulous loving friends and family!

Whewfffshaaaahhh….. yep, that’s it, life is good.

More vacation photos

the ever adorable Kajsa Stanley-Erickson

The closest I am willing to come to a picture of me on the beach. 

our little beach buddy.  He was crawling all over our snorkel gear one morning.  We watched him for a long time and took LOTS of pictures.

Birthday party….

All of my siblings and my parents live in the greater Minneapolis area.  We live in Anchorage.  There are about 4000 miles between the 2 cities. 

This makes getting together for birthdays and holidays a bit of a  challenge. 

I was feeling a bit sad that I had missed out on so many things over the past 8 months and really wanted to celebrate SOMETHING while in  Minnesota. 

So we had a birthday party:  for all the cousins.  It was a ball.

Mom and I went and got cards for all the kids.  Lucy picked up Dairy Queen gift certificates.  A cake was ordered, ice cream procured.  And we partied. 

We started out by having everyone write on everyone elses’ card.  It was very fun, each kid got a card that was signed by all of their cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents on the Showalter side of the family. 

We sang “Happy Birthday” and found that it takes a lot longer when you have to run through 13 names at the “happy birthday dear…” part of the song.

That night somewhere between 5 and 5000 cousins spent the night at my folks house.  It was as it should be!

Birthday Buddies…

one of the highlights of my trip was having lunch with my Birthday Buddy, Myrtle Knutson. 

She and I share February 23 for our birthdays and both of us agree that there is no finer day to have been born. 

Myrtle was born on February 23, 1911, and I was born 60 years later, on February 23, 1971. 

Myrtle is pretty remarkable.  She grew up in a small town in North Dakota and moved to Minneapolis as a young woman.  She never married and worked as a bank teller until she retired at age 65.  A couple of years ago, she fell and broke her hip, she was lying on the floor in her apartment overnight, before help arrived.  A month in rehab, and she was back home.  At 98, Myrtle still lives alone and does just great.  She gets her meals delivered now, and sometimes has a friend come in and cook for her.  She uses a walker now, but is amazingly spry!  She has a slightly naughty sharp wit and can keep a person laughing. 

Myrtle is a treasure and I feel so fortunate to count her among my friends. 

When we can, we get together around our birthday and go out for lunch.  This year we went to Perkins, off Riverside in Minneapolis.  Well, truthfully, this is the only place we have ever gone out for lunch, Myrtle really likes Perkins, and they like her there as well.  So we sat at our customary table, just inside the door, but out of the draft, and ordered a little lunch.  We talked about what has been going on in our lives over the last year and made plans for next years birthday lunch. 

In a couple years, we will both have milestone birthdays.  I will turn 40, and Myrtle will hit 100.  I think we should have a big party for those!  We planned out an adventure for 2011, both of us would like to have the party in Norway, but Myrtle hates to fly, and I just don’t know if I can take the time to do a sea crossing. 

After a little bit of birthday party planning, Myrtle told me she doesn’t think she will make it to 100, so we need to plan a big party for her 99th and my 39th.  I personally think Myrtle will out live me, but I won’t quibble, I love a good party. 

This party will take place in Minnesota, next year, as close to Feb 23 as I can get there. 

Save the date!

YOU ARE ALL INVITED.

In 5 days….

just 5 days from today, the kids and I will leave on vacation.  We will be gone from our cozy little home for 3 weeks.  It seems unreal.  3 weeks, what kind of luxury is this?!?  3 weeks without work, without school, without a care in the world.  I am still stunned.  This is not my reality. 

I am not one of those people who believes that vacations are a right.  I did not grow up in a family that “vacationed”.   We would take trips, sure, with our pop-up camper, to places like the South Dakota Badlands, or Winnipeg, once to Washington DC, and one time(that I remember, vaguely) to California.   Most often time away was a 90 mile drive to a retreat center in Wisconsin, where we could park the pop-up, erect a couple of auxillery tents and stay for a couple days, in time to get back to work on Monday morning. 

But this was ok, more than ok really, it was fun.  I have great memories of our pop-up trailer.  The nights around the campfires, singing songs, telling stories, eating smores and camp pies (you know, those treats, 2 pieces of bread smothered in butter, filled with cherry pie filling, clamped together in a little iron do-hickey and set on the fire until crispy).  We would catch fireflies, swim by the moonlight in the lake, pick black berries and wild plums. 

But we did  not “vacation”. 

Vacations were something that other people went on.  Vacations were different, elusive, exotic. 

Now, here we are, getting ready to go on a full blown vacation.

and I feel a bit out of my league.

First, we are heading to Minnesota, where we will spend some time with my family.  I am so excited to meet my newest niece, to hold and kiss that little girl.  My kids are terribly excited to see their cousins, the 7 girl cousins and 1 boy who live right there!  We plan to celebrate everyones birthday with a big party at Showalter Central (this is what my brother-in-law Brad has  named my folks’ place).  To see April and her crew.  Lisa, Jeff, Abby, Tate and baby Broder.   There is the hope to connect with a friend I have not seen in many, many years.

After over a week in Minnesota, the boys and I will leave for Madison, WI,(don’t feel bad for Sunny, she is going to be with Grandma, whom she loves 995 times more than she loves mommy, this by her own calculation) where we will reconnect with more friends. So much of my heart is in Madison, I can hardly wait to get there.  Cathy and Jim, and their little girl Kajsa are there.  Jen and Roy, Nancy and Lawrence, Linda and Jim, Lili and Hans, Justine, Michael, Layne…. the list goes on and on!

And then, yes, VACATION….  from Madison, the boys and I will travel with my friend Justine, and her boys, and her mom, to Grand Cayman.  We anticipate a week of snorkeling and sunshine. 

I have never had a week of VACATION.  Where there is nothing expected, nothing planned. Where the only thing I have to do is apply sunscreen.  I am not sure how this is going to go.  Will I be anxious due to lack of task?  Will I feel guilt (umm, certainly, as guilt is something I live with everyday!).  Do I deserve this vacation?  Probably  not. 

But I can tell you this:

I am going to enjoy it.   Because for me, this very well may be once in a lifetime.

Taxes….

it’s that time of year again.   In Anchorage, as in every city, there are a number of tax preparation shops that spring up this time of year, or maybe they are always there, and during the first months of the year are just a lot more visible.  I suppose that it doesn’t matter either way. 

 When I drive the kidlets to school in the morning, down Northern Lights Blvd., I pass by a tax shop that tries to lure the unsuspecting in with promises of “REFUND loans” in 1 hour!  “Get your money now!”.  Their little piece of the storefront mall is festooned with American flags and red, white and blue streamers.  Certainly you can trust them with your tax return, after all that is Old Glory waving you in…

When I drive home after picking the kids up after a day of school, my usual route takes me down Benson Blvd.    (Northern Lights and Benson are one-way twin streets).  And on Benson, there is another tax shop.  This one does not sport flags and streamers, oh no, these guys go all out, they hire people to dress up as The Statue of Liberty.  Some of the visions in copper green are rather mellow, holding up their little sign that says “Taxes Done Here”, or “REFUND loans IN AS LITTLE AS 1 HOUR” .  Others are quite enthusiastic, dancing and twirling, as if they can hardly contain their excitement at the prospect of seeing your w-2’s.

How does one choose between Lady Liberty and Old Glory???  (I just gave up making that decision and went with my trusty friend Turbo Tax)

All that aside, seems like taxes are the topic of discussion lately.  tax cuts, tax refunds, tax dodgers, tax cheats, tax rates, sales tax, property tax.  Everyone I have talked to lately is talking about their taxes. 

So here are my 2cents about taxes:

I really don’t mind paying taxes.  I don’t even really think that at this point in my life, and with the income level that we have, that we are paying too much in the form of taxes right now.   I haven’t always felt this way, and I suppose there is a day coming where I will feel like I am unfairly taxed, but right here, right now, I am ok with our tax rate. 

Granted I live in a state with no personal income taxes, and in a city with no sales tax, and that means I have a whole lot more in my pocket (percentage wise) than many of you who are living elsewhere.  And I am certain this all contributes to my feeling of goodwill.

Do I like everything that our government spends my tax dollars on?  No, I don’t.  I think it would be great if on our tax forms we could designate where we want our money to go.  Isn’t that a wonderful idea? Or maybe not.  

But truly, I am thankful I live in the United States.  I enjoy our standard of living.  When I drive down the highway, and it is nicely paved, I appreciate that.  I am beyond grateful to the men and women who risk it all in the military.  There are people I love that are dependent on one form of Government or another for their health care, and I think it is just great that they can have that health care.  I am facisnated by our political system and our governing branches, and think it is pretty awesome. 

Making the US, the US takes an unimaginable amount of money.  and it has got to  come from somewhere.  There were a few years where we didn’t really pay much in the way of taxes.  Living at about poverty level and having 3 kids will do that.  now, thankfully, that has changed.  Still have the 3 kids, but not so much the poverty level income. 

And it is just fine that we are now required to pay more in taxes.  During the years we did not pay in much, we still received the services.  We still drove on the roads, we were still protected by our military, we still had our kids in the public schools, getting a darn good education free of charge. 

Now, obviously, I don’t want to be taxed willy-nilly, I am not willing to go to equal distribution of wealth.  But I really am ok with taxes.

When I did our taxes this year, and I filed, I felt remarkably patriotic.   And then I looked at the total of what we paid in, and it was a pretty healthy number, and thought “wow, a bargain!”

Just thought you would like to know.

Facebook…..

it is very fun, but it has taken me away from my blogging.  Dave yelled at me about it today, so here I am, because I am good wife. 

Making the round on facebook right now is a request to write 25 things about yourself.  So, I am re-posting it here, so you non-facebookers can see this.  It has been pretty fun to read peoples lists, and I would just love it if you would write your own list for me in the comment section!  (Hint hint)

Yep, the 25 things thing. Here is my version.
I have seen this titled “25 random thing about me”. “25 thing you don’t know about me” “25 things you don’t want to know”.

Mine is 25 things about me. Many of you may know some of these, I am not sure anyone knows all of them.

It has been so much fun reading the lists others have written, I got kind of jealous and wanted to write my own.
the deal is that you are supposed to tag 25 people and then those 25 people are supposed to write their lists and if you are tagged it is because I want to know more about you. Well, i want to know more about you, each and everyone of you.

1. I married for love and and a sense of humor, not for money.

2. consequently my dream of being a philanthropist with world wide impact may never come true.

3. I once audtioned for “Star Search” , I did not rise to national fame, perhaps my choice to cover the Sex Pistols was misguided.

4. I took the SAT, in 7th grade, my scores were fine and I never took it again. I have not lived up to my potential.

5. I After my 2nd year of college I moved to Alaska in search of a grand adventure. I found that adventure, I call him Dave.

6. I had my first piece of poetry published in 6th grade.

7. I have a forklift license.

8. Three kids does not seem like enough, although in truth I would say that even if I had ten.

9. Sometimes I wish that my mother was crazy, because everyone I know that has a crazy mother is also a fabulous writer, and I would love to be a truly great writer.

10. I am raising 3 really wonderful writers.

11. I like to make up silly songs, primarily about history.

12. I cannot sing “Children of the Heavenly Father”, “It is well with my Soul”, “I was there to hear your Borning Cry” or “Let all things now Living” without crying.

13. I want all those songs sung at my funeral, by a volunteer choir.

14. Although I love to make bread, I really don’t enjoy eating sandwiches. Too much bread.

15. When my kids are naughty, it is everything I can do not to cheer them on.

16. I love the idea of living communally and I hope that becomes a reality for us someday.

17. I throw myself into each and evey community I am a part of with reckless abandon. Every place I have ever lived is eactly where I wanted to be. Each time I have to move, a part of my heart is ripped from me, and that little piece stays behind. This is wonderful, because I have so many places I call home.

18. I got my first tattoo at 19 because I was sure that eventually I would marry a pastor and was convinced when that happened I would no longer have any fun. I married a chemist who later went to seminary, and have since found that many pastors are among the most fun. And I have added to my tattoo collection.

19. I felt petite once.

20. I can, if I have to, change the brakes on my vehicles. I prefer not to.

21. I have pictures of my dog on my phone, but not my kids.

22. When I see the suffering around me, locally and throughout the world, I am ashamed that I have ever felt sorry for my self in any way. My life is so good.

23. I went on a blind date that had all of the following: blood, flame, dirty diapers, doggie diarrhea, orange shag carpeting, a screaming infant, a malfunctioning toilet, stray hair on the entree and dental floss.

24. I don’t watch tv, I have never seen American Idol, I have never seen Desperate Housewives, I have never seen Lost. This is not because I feel I must shield myself fromt he evils of the world. I don’t watch TV because I am really lazy, and if I started watching TV I would never get anything done ever again.

25. Everyday I am thankful.

Ahhhhh….

the last week here at the Lawrence house has been positively blissful.  Things have been relaxed and, I tell you, that is exactly what we needed this year.  After 6 months of tension:  leaving the Midwest and my family, cancer, surgery, recovery, insurance hassles, settling into a new neighborhood, new school, new church.  It has all felt frantic. 

the first few weeks in Alaska, we were so busy with all the medical stuff and school.  Then, as Dave began to feel better, we began to go again, catching up with friends long neglected in our moves.  A beloved aunt and uncle came to visit, Dave’s folks were in town. A long awaited trek to Homer.  A trip to Kenny Lake to reconnect with very special friends.  Each week that Dave was home something was going on. 

The weeks he was gone were filled with school and fencing and volunteering and Daisy Scouts.  Our Dave-less weekends were often spent in the Valley playing with the Riopelles or the Becks. 

So, when Christmas break rolled around,  although I missed/miss my family terribly, I was ready for the slow down.  And without extended family, it really was slow around here. 

We have never had a week like this.  Dave has been home since the day before Christmas, and has only been on the phone 2 times for work.  I think he only checked his email once.  The kids have been off of school, and since I don’t work… It has been wonderful.

Christmas eve was quiet, we went to church and enjoyed a lovely service complete with candles and volunteer choir.  Singing “Silent Night” with each persons face illuminated by the glow of the candles… knowing my family had done the same in Minnesota. 

At home that evening, we opened presents.  Not too many, that really isn’t our thing.  Neither Dave nor I grew up in households that went all out over Christmas presents and we have not made that a part of our family celebrations either.  Broder got some Troll legos, Kjell got an mp3 player, Sunny some doll clothes.  All the kids got pipecleaners and games and a puzzle to share. 

The most exciting present by far was the book box.  Dave and I had gone to a used book store in town and bought a bunch of books, some for each member of the family including our selves.  There were mysteries, car repair manuals, fantasy, history, knitting, learn to read , books of all kinds.  We had wrapped each book in newspaper(and didn’t label them as to whom they belonged) and put all the books in a large box.  When it came time to open the box, the kids pulled out any book, unwrapped it, and tried to figure out who it belonged to.  this was great fun and something I think we will do in years to come. 

Christmas morning brought the usual stockings stuffers, toothpaste, band-aids, toothbrushes and a little bit of candy. 

In the afternoon, our friend Tom came over for dinner.  It was great to send some time with him and catch up on all that has gone on in his life over the last 6 years.  It was an afternoon of good conversation, snuggled in our little house watching the snow pile up outside. 

In the days since Christmas, we have played a lot of games, put together a puzzle, taken the dog for long walks, baked some bread and lefse, drank good coffee and little wine,  and generally just hung out as a family.  We didn’t even start the car for 3 days! 

The holidays are so often a time of busy running and that is so much fun, and I missed that a little this year, there were times when I would get a little teary knowing that all my siblings and my parents were together, without us.  But, I think this last week was just what we needed.