Children's museum

Two of Kaelyn's aunts and her parents took her to a nearby children's museum Wednesday morning. The building was full of toys, I mean hands-on exhibits, including a farm with a stuffed cow with six teats, a skeleton with bones attached by velcro, a cash register with a drawer that opened, and even a real fire-truck. Kaelyn's favorite part was the baby doll maternity ward and she threw a little fit when she couldn't take the doll with her. Kaelyn wasn't the only one enamored with the museum, though Amanda, the nurse, was a little more mature about not being able to take the human heart exhibit home with her.

Photo credit Joel Cook

Cousins

I thought about asking my cousins to pose for me, but instead I just captured them as they played Mastermind on the livingroom floor. My aunt, uncle and two cousins from Georgia spent a few days with us over the holidays and the boys are comfortable enough with their cousin's camera to just ignore it.

Tractors, barns and quilts

My brothers don't have to close their eyes to dream about tractors. Betsy constructed a quilt for each of the boys using tractor fabric that she purchased at the Outback Toy Store. The barn quilt was the most difficult and Betsy declared that she will never attempt that pattern again.

Turkey

Dad, Libby and Betsy butcher the last turkey on Christmas Eve while two previously plucked birds wait in the kitchen sink for final preparations. One of the birds, along with a ham, was destined for our table on Christmas while the other two landed in the freezer.

Black

my favorite

Baby doll

The favorite gift of the day was the baby doll that Aunt Julie and Uncle Aaron gave Kaelyn.

Merry Christmas

Janome

For her Christmas/birthday/graduation Dad bought Julie a new sewing machine. We spent a day visiting nearby sewing machine stores collecting data about Pfaff, Husqvarna, Bernina and Janome machines. The next day Julie took her final accounting exam and then brought home a Marie Osmond MO200 Janome. With no college exams demanding her time, she focused on planning and sewing Christmas gifts.

Cantata

Arrayed in red robes, the choir from our church presented "Go Tell It!" Sunday evening. Nearly everyone in our church participated in the cantata, which made us especially thankful for the neighbors, friends and relatives who helped to fill the otherwise empty pews.

Drab

Graduation

The official color of SVSU's College of Business and Management is "Drab." At Julie's request, our family attended her college graduation Friday evening. It was a long ceremony and the speaker exceeded my expectation--he was exceptionally boring. The sign language interpreter was entertaining to watch, though, and we witnessed Julie, wearing her black mortar board with drab tassel, walk across the stage and shake President Gilbertson's hand.

If you aren't wearing Regalia, at least you can wear a fun hat.

If you're bored, you can always text...

and text...

and text.

Smile

Cherry

According to the package the cough drops were cherry flavored. They were red, but Cherry Flavored Menthol Oral Anesthetic Cough Suppressants taste nothing like fruit--I know. I chain-sucked them Friday while I substitute taught.

Sunset

Sunrise will be at 8:01 a.m., according to the newspaper, with sunset at 5:02 p.m. Days are short and sunlight is scarce in Michigan in December.

Downtown

My sister was immersed in the features of sewing machines when I escaped the Fabric Fair in search of downtown photos last Friday. Despite the beautiful blue sky, it was bitterly cold. After one block I was willing to endure the confines of the fabric store in the hopes that feeling would return to my appendiges.

Blue

Practice

For weeks, members of our congregation have been counting measures and blending voices in four-part harmony in anticipation of presenting a Christmas cantata next Sunday evening. "Go Tell It!" combines familiar Christmas Carols with speaking parts and, in our presentation, a little sign language. Betsy located a set of choir robes to borrow. So with another practice and some prayer, by Sunday we should be ready for our celebration of Jesus' birth.