Holiday Delights

At the library, they had a recitation of The Grinch and other Christmas stories. Sam was into the water cooler. To the Grinch!

Our family at a Christmas lights parade in the grand and growing metropolis of Kuna, ID.

Here's our sweet bundle of "Joy". Not long before I took this photo, Noelle and I had a Hollywood near brush with death. For real. We were late for the parade so Chad went on ahead with Sam. I rushed to get Noelle in her stroller, coat on, blanket, buckled in and then started running to catch up with Chad. "Better hurry," said the traffic attendant. "The train is coming." Train? What train? I don't hear or see a train crazy, inbred traffic dude. So I'm pushing Noelle over the tracks and that's when the bells sound and the lights flash and the crossing guards start coming down. I turn to see the train coming. Now I see the train. I take back the whole crazy, inbred thing. But I think, well, I'm nearly across the track, no worries. Then, Noelle's stroller comes to a dead stop in a track rut. I swear, those things are made to catch wheels, feet, shoes, opossums, etc. Now I'm panicking trying to yank the stroller free of the rut. I get it out and start to stroll (although "stroll" implies moving at my leisure which at this time I am not doing) . . . ok . . . force the stroller ahead only to have the blanket now loose and caught in the wheel. I yank the blanket loose and shove the stroller ahead with super human strength and duck under the guards in the nick of time. True story.

After the parade we went to this live nativity in our friend's neighborhood. They had probably a dozen tents set up with different scenes. Here's the angels singing to the shepherds. But when Sam said his prayers that night, he was most grateful for the cookies and cocoa they provided afterward.