Holiday Happenings 2018 Part 1

Us Loyds have a long-standing tradition of stretching

our holidays w-a-y out. Even longer than the traditional

twelve days of Christmas. Buddy, Caryn, and I have 

probably been accused of becoming teachers just for

the two week break (don't knock it).

Let's look at a few special moments in the week leading

up to Christmas.

One day it was just perfect for the Kirby kids to roast marshmallows
in the chiminea.  We burned up a ton of pine cones, too!

For the 42nd Christmas in a row, Judy and I snared a tree in the wild.
This one was a "rescue" tree.  The railroad had tried to mow it down
last year, but just pushed it over.  I straightened it and with a year of
good rain, it survived. Until ... well, you know ...

These Christmas stampers had not seen action for 10 years--
since I retired from teaching.  But I knew the right time for
them would come.  And this was the day.

Santa's workshop and three hard-working elves are busy creating.

Evan's creation.

Claire's creation.

Ryan's creation.

Even the sand pile took on a festive note.

Hunter and Bri came all the way from Georgia to get their presents
early. Hunter is a master at Legos, so this should be no problem for him.

Bri leans on her new plush pillow while reviewing a treasure
trove of new books.

It was just four days before Christmas, but we had saved two
stockings full of ornaments for Bri and Hunter to add to our yard.

Welcome to the North Pole.

It started like this three weeks earlier.  Five stockings full of
ornaments for five grandchildren.

Evan and Ryan decorated the back entrance.

Claire did most of the front yard, which Bri and Hunter added to.

You know I'm always up for a new game. At our old property we
made up a game where the children had to follow a trail of orange
cones over our whole 10 acres to locate the missing toys. Here,
we had a smaller area to work with, so I changed it to "The Grinch
Stole Christmas." 

Santa's helpers, with their sleds have to search all over, to find the
red and green balls which represent all the children's toys.
This wasn't as easy as it sounds!  Some were hidden in Mrs.
Frisby's cinderblock house!

Before heading back to Georgia, Bri gave us a taste of her latest
gymnastics routine. She wowed us, even with limited space--
and no balance beam.

Hunter was equally impressive with a performance of his latest,
longest, and most complex "form" in Tae kwon-do.  As a teacher,
the positive learning aspects to these activities just leaps out at me.
Memory, coordination, and self-confidence are just a few benefits.

The Kirbys got their presents on actual Christmas Day. Claire
loves her pillow.

Ryan is excited by his Magnetic Ninja Turtles kit.

And Evan is thrilled with his RISK game.  It wasn't that easy to find,
but it was worth it. Fun for the whole family. AND risk!

Ryan may be too young to appreciate it, but he's holding a
Chinese-English New Testament.  Claire and Evan also received
one.  Perhaps one day some of them will want to study Chinese.
Perhaps not . . .

Claire had recently had a medieval times celebration in her
school class, so this castle craft kit was ideal for her.

Then there were even more presents at Granny and Granddaddy's
house just across the street.  Um, nothing for you, Grandma.

With a fine Christmas lunch devoured and all presents opened,
admired, and packed up, there was still Grandma and Grandpa's
play yard for entertainment.  Ryan mastered the Sit-and-Spin today.
The same one his mother spun on about 35 years ago.

So those are some of our holiday happenings.  But Part 2

would be days later when we headed for Atlanta. Coming soon.