Backlogged

It's getting to the point that if I don't just jump in and type, I may never. As I've said before, I am a therapeutic journaler....I don't really move past situations until I have thoroughly debriefed. And I must admit that I am seriously backlogged at the moment! So you will have to bear with me as I start with December and move forward from there....

I simply have to share about my ingenious "doubleheader party plan." Clean the house once and have TWO parties in one day (though it didn't seem so ingenious when we were madly cleaning the house that morning!).

At 1 p.m. on a Saturday, we held my students' piano recital:





All of the kids did so well, and I was so proud of all of them! We cleaned up that reception, and then at 6 p.m., we had our annual Christmas party for our group of friends from high school! So fun!



The next week, we went with some friends to the White Fence Farm for dinner. Ryley had never wanted to meet Santa before, but when she saw that Mrs. Claus was with him, she finally agreed to go meet him! We have waited six and a half years for the customary "Santa picture." :-)



That weekend, Ryley participated in our church's Christmas children's production! Were we ever glad to be done listening to those songs. Ha! :-)



In the next several days after that, my family began arriving for Korell Christmas Extravaganza Denver 2009. My aunt Coleen and I had decided several months ago to invite the extended family to Denver for Christmas. It even ended up being a white one, which was perfect!!!!

Justin and Aly brought Betsy, their Cocker Spaniel, so Juliet got to meet her cousin. :-)







I absolutely love this picture...a quiet Christmas Eve morning, with a little girl and her daddy...



We went ice skating as a family on Christmas Eve...so special and fun!!!













That night we had a talent show and sing-along. Yes, my family is goofy and wonderful. :-) Don't ask what my brother and I are doing there...





And then, the long-awaited Christmas morning! Santa brought Ryley a writing desk and chair, which is exactly what she had asked him for when she saw him a week earlier!









It was a wonderful Christmas morning, and then the family began arriving again for the noon meal! Over the four days, we had between 15 and 21 people in our house at any given time. It was so much fun! Lots of work, but lots of fun. I have new appreciation for what my grandma has done twice a year for generations! :-)









We were able to take some pictures of my immediate family, which was really nice....













Our ongoing joke all weekend was how those of us with I-Phones were constantly on them. So we had some fun with it!







That brings us through December 26, and yet more fun awaits! However, as it is nigh midnight, the debriefing will have to wait until another day. :-) Thanks for bearing with me through this leg of the journey!

Good night!