Danzinger Christmas

 

We finished up the last of our Christmas celebrations with a visit from my parents.  This was the first year I wasn't able to be in Eau Claire over the holidays  We just didn't feel comfortable traveling this year because of the pandemic.  It took a lot of creativity, but we were able to come up with a safe plan to get together with them, which was so good.  Aside from the brief bonfire for Dad's birthday, we haven't seen them since Grandma's funeral back in September.  We started our day with another bonfire - this time with hot dogs to roast, s'mores to eat, and hot toddies to drink.  The kids also finally got to smash their Las Posadas pinata, which was really fun.  We then headed inside for our masked, socially distant gift exchange.  It was weird having to keep our distance, but it was fun regardless, and the kids were blown away by the TRUCKLOAD of presents Mom and Dad brought for them.  My Dad made a beautiful Pikler Triangle climbing toy for Simon.  It works perfectly and he had a blast climbing up and down.  It will be fun to see his balance and coordination continue to improve with this special gift from Grandpa!  Livi got a unicorn scooter she named, "Uni" and has been scootering everywhere in our house, clothed and unclothed over the last several days.  Simon likes Uni too, so there have been a few battles about whose turn it is.  Maybe Simon will need a scooter for his next birthday!  Nolan got so many awesome Pokemon toys - Pokeballs, books, and plushies, and both of the bigger kids got lots of crafts and activity books to keep them busy well into the new year.  Great Grandma D also made each of the kids a fleece scarf, which they have wanted to wear non-stop.  They love how soft and cozy they are!  Great Grandpa Arnie sent some vintage Christmas treats along with some ornaments from Granma Edie's tree.  Oh, how I miss her! On top of the rest of the nice presents, we were also thrilled to be gifted hamburger, roasts, and steaks from a steer my cousin raised.  It feels good to know where our meat came from and we will enjoy this gift all year.  Being together made me miss Mom and Dad all the more.  This past year has been hard with not being able to see them as much as we'd like.  I sure hope that 2021 is the year where we get covid conquered and we can go back to seeing our family regularly.  It is so hard to be apart.  

After our gift exchange, we headed over to Tom and Sara's for another bonfire and the first annual Lights of the Northwoods fireworks.  We were able to see them pretty easily from the ice and it was beautiful to see them soar over all of the beautiful lights of the park.  The kids were very impressed. It was about a 15 minute show and was very well done.

Later the next day, we met at the cabin to do some sledding.  The kids got new saucers for Christmas, which worked beautifully on the hill down to the game opening.  Simon got such a kick out of watching his brother and sister slide down the hill.  He giggled and giggled, but wasn't very convinced that he needed a turn.  I bet by next winter we won't be able to get him off the sled.

It was a great couple of days - definitely more activity than we've had for months!  It was wonderful to spend some time together.

Christmas Day

We had a quiet and simple Christmas celebration this year.  The kids were excited to open their presents and they got lots of cool treasures.  They got an AirFort and wooden blocks to share, and each kid got their own love book.  Nolan got a Pokemon plush, some Diary of a Wimpy kid books. and some legos.  Olivia got the Baby Alive doll she asked for, as well as a doll for her new dollhouse, and a spirograph.  Simon got a new train set and track for his train table, as well as a play tunnel.  They were all very content to spend the day playing with their new toys.  Eric and I cooked a delicious meal for lunch...seared scallops with parmesan risotto, asparagus, and Caesar salad.  It turned out very tasty.  We spent part of the afternoon video chatting with Grandpa Jim and Grandma Marcia and showing them all of our new things.  It was a good day, and though different from most Christmases, I appreciated the slow simplicity of the day. Merry Christmas!

 

Christmas Eve

 

Christmas Eve is usually a day filled with craziness and we're making final preparations for our trip to Eau Claire, making food for our evening gathering, and rehearsing music for church.  We usually head to the Christmas service at Trinity where  I play piano and sing, and then head on to Aunt Debbie's for Eric's family's big Christmas gathering of all the aunts, uncles, and cousins.  This year: no in-person church services, no family gatherings due to covid, and even if there wasn't a pandemic,  Debbie and Rick sold their house, so another tradition changed.  This year has tested our adaptability and resilience time and time again.  For most of the year, I have met those challenges head on, with little complaining, but now I am tired.  Maybe it's the holidays that make this feeling surface.  Maybe it's the loss of Grandma or the separation from our families at the time when we're usually together.  Maybe it's the hard conversations we've had about doing what we feel is safe, when not everyone shares the same opinion.  Maybe it's the lack of social connection or the inability to be able to make music in person or just the relentlessness of it all.  It's probably all of those things, but I am tired. As I have listened to Leslie Odom Jr.'s version of "O Holy Night" 120874384 times this season, a particular phrase sticks out to me:  "A thrill of HOPE...the weary world rejoices."  We are all so weary.  This year has been so tough.  Our world feels so broken and so in need of hope.  But, Christ was born into a world that desperately needed hope, too.  We can have hope that this pandemic will end and we can hug our loved ones again.  We can have hope that this vaccine will stop people from getting sick and help us resume lives without the shadow of covid hanging over us.  This beautiful poem, First Coming by Madeleine L'Engle, really rings true this year more than ever.  "We cannot wait till the world is sane to raise our songs with joyful voice, for to share our grief, to touch our pain, He came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice!"

Our celebration was quiet: a video chat with my parents and brother's family, a charcuterie board and movie night for the kids, and brandy slush and Christmas Vacation for Eric and me after the kids went to bed.  Cookie and milk were set out, ready for the morning's excitement.  Merry Christmas. 

Ory Christmas

 Today was such a good day.  For the first time in months, things actually felt like normal.  We were able to forget about covid and be together with Steve and Patti to celebrate Christmas.  Now, it wasn't totally normal because Steve and Patti had to quarantine ahead of time, and Tom and Sara weren't there, but for this one wonderful day, we got to visit with our family, share a meal together, and catch up for all the time apart this year.  Grandma went overboard with the presents again this year, and we opened countless beautiful gifts.  Simon got a train table, Olivia got an amazing HUGE Barbie house, Nolan got the Ring Fit Adventure for his Nintendo Switch, and Eric and I got money toward a new couch.  Olivia also received a special doll from Great Grandma Ruby - one from Czechslovakia that she got at the World Fair in Chicago over forty years ago! We ate prime rib, which Eric cooked perfectly.  The kids built an amazing snowman with Grandpa (Albert) that we're hoping will last the whole winter!  It was just such a wonderful, cozy day with family that has been so rare lately.  It was a great kick off to our Christmas celebrations.