5 Days until Christmas!

Hola--

The days are swishing by, getting us closer and closer to Christmas Day.  One good thing about living far away from people (??!?) is that you "have" to get your Christmas shopping done early.  Our frantic buy/wrap/package/tape days were 10 days to 2 weeks ago.  By now, the things that didn't get done?  Won't get done.  And that's okay!

I was browsing articles on http://www.usatoday.com/, and they had a whole album of Christmas at the White House photos.  Most of them are from this year, of course, but the last 10 or so were of U.S. Presidents of the past.  Almost every president had a dog, it seems!  Let's see if I can get this one loaded of President Kennedy and Jacqueline...  

I also liked this one of President Reagan and Nancy.

Well, we are also counting down...we get to go on a Christmas cruise this year, to take advantage of HP's "mandatory shutdown" between Christmas and New Year's Day.  My mom will come with us for a week visiting Cozumel, Belize, Honduras, and Costa Maya, then we get to visit for a weekend with Frank's parents, the Whitesells in Florida before we return.

We've had a mild November and start of December here in New England, but now the cold temps are here!  I look forward to the 70's and 80's.  I never get tired of that weather.

If I don't post again this year, Merry Christmas and Happy 2012!

Kari

Caroling, Decorating, Selling

December is here!  I love this month!  This time of year: the music, the festivities, and focusing on our Savior's birth.
Here are a few highlights of this past week:

CHRISTMAS TREE.  We did end up decorating the tree last week.  The Christmas music was playing for a little bit, then Frank remembered that Virginia Tech was playing.  We turned off the music and had football in the background.

Here we are in front of the mall entrance, downtown Boston.  They had these giant ornaments all over, inside, outside, hanging from the ceilings, stacked on the floors.  Who knows where they store them the OTHER 11 months of the year?

CAROLING.  The conductor for the Boston Pops was downtown (Boston) on Saturday, welcoming in the season with caroling and other various Christmas-y activities.  We went to listen and sing carols with them.  A sunny day, a little cold, but very nice.  (Kara's friend is in the middle.)

CHURCH TOUR.  And since we were RIGHT there, we walked next to the plaza where they were singing, to take a tour and learn a little about the Christian Science Church, also referred to as the First Church of Christ, Scientist.

(Just so you know, this is different than Scientology.  Tom Cruise was not there.)

Their church has its headquarters in downtown Boston.  Very beautiful, very large complex of worship buildings and administration buildings.  Now we know a little about how Mary Baker Eddy founded that church.

KARA SELLS.  Who knows where this came from, but our daughters like to sell things.  No, really.  For the past few weeks, I have been driving Kara to different neighborhoods in Wayland to (gasp) sell raffle tickets!  This is to earn money for "field trip scholarships:" So everybody can go on the Middle School field trips, even kids who can't afford the extras.

Since neither Frank or I have a single "Selling Bone" in our bodies, I am still shaking my head.  But she sold ONE HUNDRED and ONE raffle tickets!  Amazing.

She helped her class get the pizza party for Most Tickets Sold, AND she got 2nd place of top sellers in the school!  Very fun.

PRIMARY NATIVITY.  And lastly, Kara got to be the Angel Gabriel who told Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus.  Sunday the kids went to an assisted living home in a neighboring town, to sing Christmas carols and act out the events surrounding the birth of Christ.

Hopefully I can download some photos to go along with these.  Have a wonderful December week!

Kari