Hey Everyone-long time no write:) We had a wonderful Christmas with both sides of the family....the Johnson side came here to MN the weekend before Christmas, and it was so sweet to all be together in our two-bedroom condo---a might tight at times, but generally all the more cozy...I like it that way--and you get to see more of each other when you have to take turns for the bathroom:) I even got extra days to spend time with my wonderful mother too before everyone else came up---we went shopping, made food, wrapped presents, decorated, went sledding and all of that important before-Christmas stuff.
We had a full hearth with all 8 stockings and
it was so good to see that Christmas was just as special and meaningful in a new location---it is about being together wherever you are:)
Then, on Wednesday, we headed to Iowa for some more fun and festivities with the family....sledding, snow-man building with our cool new snowman kit (complete with a hat, carrot nose, eyes, buttons, pipe and scarf) game-playing, eating wonderful food (mostly made by Denise:) but, I made these cool "candles" out of a banana, pineapple, cherry, and whip cream!---a family tradition from Great-Grandma Olson--yummy:)
We had a very worshipful Christmas Eve service too--and we were so thankful that it wasn't cancelled --as many other churches did... we sang Silent Night with in a big circle around the sanctuary with candles (which will always be special to me even more so because that is what we would do in college after Christmas at Northwestern in my choir days:)---Jonas was very interested in the flames that Mommy and Daddy were holding, which was a bit challenging for me because I had my candle in one hand and him in the other and trying to keep them apart took some muscles:), but after we started singing he just looked around in awe at all of the lights and all of the people singing together....It was one of those moments a mother will treasure forever...I wish they could last forever:)...
And, we were blessed with a very very WHITE Christmas this year as many of you know....tons and tons of snow fell on Orange City Iowa from Wednesday through Sunday morning....getting us close to a whopping 30 inches total!!
It was magical though to look outside and see it keep snowing all throughout the weekend...there is something so"right" about snow at Christmas---makes me feel refreshed and clean and new---a good way to feel and to think as we celebrate Jesus coming once and knowing he will come again to make things new....anyway, here are some pictures from both sides.... (Grandma has the Olson family pictures on her camera:)--so most of mine are of playing in the snow:)
Jonas was a blast this year---he loved opening gifts, but was much more into the handing-out of the presents to everyone,...we would tell him who it was for and he would scamper with a huge smile on his face to each person....wanting more to deliver after it was all over... in fact, one night, Jason and I were giving him the rest of our presents to him (as he does better when we spread out the opening:) and Erik and Becca were with us,.....he just wanted to hand out his own presents and have other people open them:) Hope that we can keep this spirit alive and well in our family for years to come...a grateful heart and a willingness to give:) Happy New Year Everyone!!
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