Christmas Eve

In Sweden, they celebrate Christmas Eve, so this is when we do our Swedish smorgasbord. While the other kids dropped in occasionally throughout the day, Jacob was by my side every minute. Looking back, I think this was his favorite part of Christmas. While the other kids were outside playing, we baked and decorated all afternoon together. Here are our gingerbread Dala Horses, Tomte Grutte, and Grammy's "Popping seed" bread made into a cake by Jacob. If you ask him the recipe though, he'll proudly tell you "It's a SECRET recipe"

Don't let these sleeping faces fool you, they were up again at 4:00 and they cried when we made them go back to bed until 6:00.

Happy Thoughts

Here are a few pictures from over December, and looking forward to christmas. As you can see, all those happy thoughts had Samuel taking off. (Where did he get the pixie dust?)

Lucia at Last

We finally had our Lucia celebration. This year we walked around the neighborhood sharing the tradition with our friends. Here we are baking bread. We have a few new shapes to add to our tradition including the Luci-turtle, Luci-frog, and of course the Luci-slug.(this one's for my Mom)Jacob takes this tradition very seriously.
This is my little "Bag Boy" as he named himself. He was passing out candles with the Lucia story tied to it.

Sweet Zaidee, Lucia dreaming.

Growing Up is Messy

See how happy Sam is? Once again he has demanded that things be done HIS way. He will no longer allow someone else to feed him so I have been giving him things like Hot Dogs, that he can put on a fork himself. He now has decided to force spoon training on us. Doesn't he look pleased? He often has this face when we finally realize who is really in charge around here.

Here Melanie, YOU try it!"

Ahhhh...Forget It!"

Happy Birthday to the BEST KID EVER!

So, sorry if I embarrass you Jeffrey, but this has got to be done.....People ask me all the time if Jeffrey is as good as he seems. I have to tell them..."You have no idea, that kid is amazing!" I am still thinking what I thought 15 years ago....he's just perfect! No one could ask for a better son, and the great thing about it is the kids just adore him, and he is a great example to them. I agree with Aunt Misty when she said many years ago, "The Lord sent him to our family first for a reason." We love you lots Jeffrey!

The Homework Elf

Sammy has noticed Jeffrey spending a lot of time at the computer. So to be helpful, as soon as Jeffrey is out of sight, he climbs up onto the computer and gets to work. (Never mind that he is usually missing a few parts off the keyboard when he gets back.)

Washington D.C.

So, here we are! Washington D.C.! Glen had some meetings in the Baltimore area, so we took the opportunity to get away and see the sights. Glen had never been, and I was pleased to find there were new and wonderful additions since I was last there at age 15. So this is our first night out. We rented these segways and took a guided tour of the Washington Mall area. It was a blast! There was an extra buzz in the air with all the grandstands going up for the inauguration ceremony, and they were just getting ready to light the National Christmas Tree! Here I am, fearing for the lives of innocent pedestrians! Actually, it didn't take too long to start moving around without thinking about it. I loved it because it felt a lot like skiing, you move in much the same way (and it was much the same cold that evening too!)
Time, time! Never enough of it! Here are a few highlights of the things we did get to see. (This is obviously not a one time destination!)
I just had to stop by and thank Orville and Wilbur for making our trip to the east coast possible!

MEMORIALS! The best part of Washington D.C. in my opinion.

This is the relatively new WWII memorial. it was beautiful! This is a bass relief sculpture from the Pacific Theater side showing the release of the Japanese POW's. That's where our Grandpa Berkeley was for 5 years!

I spent a lot of time taking pictures of the trees, but you can't post everything! This is my kid's favorite shot from the trip. I enjoyed the fat little Christmas squirrels as much as anything else I saw there, I could have sat on a bench and watched them all day!

I come from a very patriotic family who are lovers of history. As we toured our nations heritage, I remembered the stories that my Dad so reverently told when I was there as a child and teenager. I thought a lot about the courage of our Founding Fathers (and mothers). I pondered the sacrifices of our soldiers, their sweethearts , and their mothers. At times I also had many conflicting emotions wondering where it is all headed. Sometimes it seems like there is so much corruption it leaves me wondering what I and my children can do to make a difference. What it our part in this legacy? How do we carry it forward? Here, in the words of President Lincoln, I found the answer to my hearts silent prayer.

"It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have, thus far, so nobly carried on. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. "