2018 Week 50: Christmas Programs

The week began with a worshipful Advent cantata at church.

In the afternoon we went to Kayla's end-of-semester dance recital of her multiple classes.

Rebecca was in three of them. She seems to prefer tap.

Early Hip Hop Jazz (left top); Early Ballet (left bottom); Early Tap (right)

Monday evening was Delta's Middle School and high School band concert at Emmens. Unfortunately from our position on the right side of the auditorium, we couldn't see our handsome 8th-grade trumpet-player, grandson Elijah.

Wednesday was our tap group's last performance for the year, at the Upland Senior Activities Center.

The Dancing Divas

We had fun painting tiles again in our Thursday Art Club. This time we copied some snowmen figures from a placemat I took from my visit with Mother last week.

Favorite Christmas decorations have been showing up all week. Small Nativities replaced the turtle collection on the kitchen windowsill--Leah's clay set, complete with tiny gifts for each of the Magi (left); a teeny tiny one from Mexico (middle); and the cutest figures from Northern Argentina.

Michael helped set up all three Christmas trees stored away in the attic. 

One of my favorite Christmas-tree related photos shows how Stephan and Karen get theirs.

It was the last week of the semester for our resident student--the dreaded finals week. We rarely saw her. In fact she pulled a couple all-nighters and finally surfaced Friday. One of her engineering friends came over as well to get some shut-eye before the long trip home. 

Elaine and Moriah--in one of her rare resting-postures

It took all day Saturday for Moriah to finally rise, sort, pack, clean and eventually make her way home all the way to Muncie. We were grateful for the extra time to hang-out--a whole semester's worth of visiting!

The programs continued. Sunday, the 16th, children sang and acted out the Christmas story in churches around. And yesterday, was the second Monday we made our way to the huge Ball State University auditorium for yet another musical presentation--Royerton Elementary (Zion and Jude, 3rd grade and Kindergarten). The noticeable difference was that the content was entirely secular with no mention of the true Christmas story--Emmanuel, God with us, Jesus Christ born to live among us. 

2018 Week 7: Valentine's Week

My practice watercolor rendering this week of the artist's Joan Miro-style "The Lovers."

And here are some of the expessions of love I received this week. Notice Leah's self-made envelope and Valentine.

Tuesday I visited Mother not knowing their monthly birthday party was scheduled for that afternoon.
The music was delightful. The guest musicians were Dr. Rick Lovelady and his wife Grace.
Ivan joined us and enjoyed the varied repertoire and said Rick had been his  guitar teacher, i.e. "He tried to teach me." He mentioned also that Aldo had made his first guitar. Reading old letters to Mother is where I learned that Aldo at one time had played the instrument. So many revelations in those antique epistles!

Wednesday was the Dancing Divas performance at the Senior Center. We're always a bit nervous beforehand and glad when it's over.

Thursday I was scheduled to spend the afternoon and overnight with the grandkids in Muncie. Sam and I picked up Jude at his pre-school so I'd know where to take him the next morning. 

The little guy was very excited jumping and hopping all over, and had definite plans for the two of us: race around the house and jump on the trampoline! I lagged behind in the races and even got up on the trampoline, but was happily rescued from jumping by a very timely phone call.

My activity of choice was to build a puzzle together. That worked for a while, then "I'm getting more bored by the minute." Actually he had lasted longer than I expected. Eventually, throughout the afternoon, the tiger-puzzle was finished.

Race stance and poised to jump

The other two Koch young'uns arrived in due time. Before Elijah got home from school Zion had planned for us to play Apples to Apples. I had to read and explain the words to Jude, but he did very well choosing the best match.

Later that evening, after the younger boy's bedtime, Elijah and I watched a documentary I'd brought, I'll Push You, which proved very interesting on several levels. Mike and I have been to several of the places on the Camino and knew the story. The big takeaway is how we need each other, the blessing of interdependence.

So where was Michael this entire week? Crazily striving to get the robot ready, hopefully for the practice scrimmage taking place Sunday afternoon (even as I type), and definitely by Bag and Tag deadline Tuesday the 20th at midnight.

Friday morning we pulled-off the carefully orchestrated wake-up/breakfast/catch the bus routine for each child without too much trouble, though it was difficult for Zion to focus on eating when little brother was using his (Zion's) toy pup as a puppet the whole time.

I should mention that Michael joined me at the Muncie-Koch's place for the night. Saved him some travel time. So he was there to enjoy the breakfast antics as well.
Sam and Kristie got a couple well-deserved days away from the hecticity of life. (Or, was it made more hectic so they could get away?)

I just had to include this Facebook sighting of Rebecca with her newly acquired angel wings.

I don't expect things to slow down much, so we'll just keep going with the flow, grateful for the needed strength and guidance each day.