Christmas 2018

Christmas has come and gone and we are not likely to see another one like that…until the twins’ senior year. This Christmas holiday, including the lead up and a few days after, were spent on polishing and sending college applications. Tori worked hard. We watched and crossed our fingers. We all breathed a sigh of relief when the last one was sent in. Now it is a waiting game but much better than having the deadlines hanging around.

Despite Tori working hard on college apps, we all had some fun this holiday. We had a number of winter concerts at the high school. A favorite was Tori’s Jazz Band concert on Friday December 21, the last day before the school holiday. We all noted the enthusiastic 4^th and 5^th grade audience. All excited by the holidays, they cheered loudly for every jazz song. As the band started in on a piece, the fifth-grade boy next to me leaned over and asked “was this song in Toy Story?” I said no. He went back to listening in no way dissuaded.

We took the girls for an afternoon of ice skating and one quick shopping trip. We got our Christmas trees (yes, we have officially expanded to two trees!) from the same farm we have gone to now for a year or two. Adam came along on the trip but fell asleep in the car en route. Because he had already worked 8 hours at another Christmas tree lot in town, taking trees to people’s cars and tying them on. We missed his expertise due to his exhaustion but we’re glad to know we have an expert in house for use some day.

On the Sunday before Christmas, we all went to the Packers/Jets game at the Meadowlands Stadium, about 25 minutes from our place. We bought the tickets ages ago (at top dollar before both teams’ seasons collapsed) and were excited despite the cold. Adam pulled out all our Packer gear and we all went wearing either Packers or Cal (for Aaron Rodgers) gear. Adam wore the cheesehead and got it autographed by Packers after the game! Anyway, the Jets were winning but the Packers came back to win in overtime. I said Aaron needed to start running and then he did with two touchdowns (one called back) and a two-point conversion. My next and last football statement was that the Packers’ former coach might now end up at the Jets. We will see! Regardless, Adam has already told us that the Packers play the Giants at the Meadowlands next year. A new Christmas tradition?

Despite all the activities, our favorite part of the holiday was our Christmas Eve church service with the twins acolyting this year. We sang our hymns and watched Baby Yuri run around as a sheep in the play until she fell asleep and had to be carried back to her pew by her dad. At home, Tori played more carols on her sax. We ate our enchiladas and were thankful that though much has changed some things like the excitement and love of Christmas stay the same.