Sledding

Paul and Benjamin took the opportunity of going sledding with Landon and the Sego kids the day after Christmas. Since I wasn't there I can't offer the best narrative of the experience, but these pictures may give some indication of the fun that was had by all.

Paul & Benjamin

Landon & Allie

Cara & Lane

Benjamin (all by himself!)

Cara & Breton

Lane & Allie

Cara's cool snowboard moves

Landon & Breton

Christmas Catch-up Part 4: Christmas Morning

Santa was very nice to us this Christmas and even took time to leave special notes for all of the kids in response to the letters they had written him earlier. Benjamin was excited to see that the bowl of caramel popcorn he left by the fireplace on Christmas Eve was empty the next morning. (At bedtime Benjamin and his cousin Breton were both very concerned that the fire was going in the fireplace and insisted that it be turned off before we all went to bed. Smart kids, and so concerned for Santa!)

The kids waiting for the OK to go upstairs

Benjamin asked Santa to bring him a "Mater" this year. He talked about it for weeks and was often reminded that Santa couldn't bring him a Mater if he wasn't nice to his brother. Fortunately for Benjamin (and Santa) he has been a pretty good boy. He was delighted to discover his very own Mater toy at the bottom of his stocking.


Later Benjamin and Breton played outside. I think Benjamin was a bit disappointed that the trike didn't work too well in the snow.

Christmas Catch-up Part 3: The Nativity

One of the best parts about Christmas at the Duersch house is the reenactment of the Nativity. Everyone dons an assortment of "Bethlehem clothes" and picks a part to play. Landon and Heidi, as parents of the littlest babe in attendance, were cast as Joseph and Mary. (I suppose that here is a good place to mention that the Sego family showed up on Grandma and Grandpa's doorstep totally by surprise! An already fun visit was made that much better by their unexpected arrival. It was so great!)

(Benjamin didn't want to dress up, which I think just meant that he was to overwhelmed by and uncertain about the unusual activity and preferred to opt out rather than engage with everyone else (he gets that from me, but I'm not sure what to do about it). I talked him into holding the star, which he did wonderfully.)

Rhett was wrestled into a woolly sheep costume.

Christmas Catch-up Part 2: Gingerbread Construction

The afternoon of Christmas Eve found Grandma and Grandpa's house abundant with Duerschs (and Andersons and Cutlers) big and small busy building gingerbread houses (and other delightfully sweet creations).

Paul, the master gingerbread house builder

Ruth, fresh home from four months in China

KristiAnne and Jason

Alene, Kelv, and Grandma

Cute Camden watching the fun

Paul, unsatisfied with the simple look, remodeled his house to include dormers and a garage

Alene's gumdrop paradise, alongside Ruth's China-inspired house

I loved Alene's gumdrop Santa with his sack of toys!

Ruth's "Great Wall"

Kelv's house

Jason's tree house

Marianne's snowy A-frame in the woods

Grandma's licorice cottage

Grandpa's fiber-rich palace

Paul's custom gingerbread home, decked out in colorful lights

Vicky's icicle-draped house (unique roof architecture courtesy of Paul)

The entire gingerbread village!

During the entirety of the construction party, Benjamin insisted that he wanted me to do his house for him as he was too busy playing trains with Braeden. Of course, after all of the houses were done (and all of the gingerbread used up) he declared his desire to make his own house.

Christmas Catch-up Part 1: Pre-Christmas Gifts

We have so much to say about what has happened over the past month that I've felt too overwhelmed to begin! I feel that way about my personal journal almost all the time, so it's always missing great stuff. (I guess that should be my New Year's resolution.)

This Christmas we made a sort of impromptu decision to go to Utah, so some of our holiday plans had to be rearranged. Since we would be flying down there we decided to give some of our bigger gifts early.

They boys received these really cool trucks from Grandma and Grandpa Duersch (before we knew we'd be with them for Christmas). Benjamin quickly assumed playing rights to both vehicles at once (hooking the backhoe's bucket onto the dump truck and using one to tow the other) so Rhett occupied himself with the packing materials until he could secure some of his own time with the trucks. In the picture Rhett, with his chubby little fingers, is putting a tiny screw through a hole in a plastic piece of packaging. Can you believe we had to get out a screwdriver to disengage the trucks from their packages? That's anti-theft for you, I suppose.


Paul's gift to me may not seem like much, yet it's one of those things I wouldn't necessarily rush out to buy for myself but that I will definitely use a lot for many years. No, the Rubbermaid tote is not part of the gift. That's how Paul wraps presents.


Paul's gift from me was supposed to be a surprise, but I need to practice my secretive gift-buying. For one thing, don't buy it with a credit card since he'll eventually check the account and notice a purchase at Home Depot for the amount of the item I asked him if he might want a week earlier. Most importantly, don't put it in the back of the car, carelessly wrapped in some new jeans, where he's sure to find it as he repacks the car for our trip home from Richland after Thanksgiving. As much as I wanted him to, he didn't forget about it or think it was for someone else.