Christmas programs, snow, and fondue

We had a tremendously fun-filled, exhausting weekend.  Once again, I've got a boatload of pictures to share.  We left for Lancaster County Thursday evening and arrived at our Lititz house late.  I took pictures of the flowers from Sam and Jenn one last time.  At first they didn't seem to be looking too bad at six weeks of age.

But how very sad some of them looked.  The minute I moved them, they dropped their leaves all over the place!  So good-bye, birthday flowers!

On Friday Dick helped to run the sound for Manheim Christian's final rehearsal and both programs.  I waited till noon to arrive.  It was my first time back this school year, and oh my.....  What a mixture of emotions it brought to me.  It was just delightful to receive hugs and enthusiastic welcomes from former co-workers and students, and almost equally delightful to enjoy the program from a front row seat instead of being in charge of every minute of it.  It most certainly was easier on my feet!

Last year I had considered using the musical, An Unexpected Christmas, one I had done in 2003.  It was truly one of the funniest I had ever done.  Many people will never forget Brandon Kreider playing the part of Hank.  But then I realized that that would be the perfect musical to use this current year because a certain boy named Kevin Wagner would be an eighth grader, and he would certainly do a great job as Hank.   And then God changed my plans and led me away from that job.  So I told the new music teacher that she certainly could do whatever she wanted for a musical this Christmas, but I showed her the one I had intended to use, and why.  She was glad to take my suggestion.  And oh. my. word.  It was GREAT!  Kevin was so funny playing the part of Hank, and as you can imagine, I was just bursting out laughing all the time.  Everyone else in the drama did so well too, and I was just so extremely proud of them. 

The program ended with 5th grade Hannah Groff singing Go Light Your World as students along the sides of the gym held candles in the dark.  Hannah did a fantastic job, and the atmosphere was beautifully reverent.

There were so many people to hug and talk to afterward.  Here's one special little girl, Kiana, now a 2nd grader, who is already an amazing piano player.

I forgot to mention that between the afternoon and evening programs Dick and I went to visit my dear step mother and then went to Reading to pick up Destiny.  Destiny enjoyed sitting with me at the program for the first time ever in her life.  She was also happy to see her friend FuFu.  They were classmates when Destiny went to Manheim Christian in kindergarten.

I did not sleep much that night.  Ray and Thyda had left their house in Norfolk around 6:00 PM and it didn't take long till they were in the snowstorm that was starting its trek up the east coast.  I was in touch with them many times throughout the night.  I am not kidding when I say that they did not arrive at our house until after 6:30 AM!!  A trip that usually takes 6 hours!  It had been a nightmare of traffic and snow.  

The snow arrived in our area around 4 AM and continued to come down all day long.  But somehow Dick and I managed to get to a grocery store, Sam and Jenn managed to get to our place from Downingtown, and Frank made it from his weekend job in Harrisburg.   Anthony and Lori had planned to come down too, but wisely chose not to. It was definitely not weather for taking a baby on a road trip.  

And why was everyone coming to our house in such horrible weather?  For our annual fondue, a tradition that precedes Sam, Frank, or Ray's entrance into our family.  We LOVE it!  We start with many meats, etc to be deep fried in pots of oil, then we have a great cheese fondue for dipping tortilla chips, etc into, and we end with a chocolate fondue for fruits and pretzels, etc.  

Ray and Thyda

Sam and Jennifer

Frank and his friend Kayla

And of course, Destiny, so happy to be able to spend a day with her dad.

And Mom and Pop!

After our meal the high energy crowd went outside in the snow.

Look how it piled up on that round table!

When they came back, some of us played Life,

Thyda and Destiny did puzzles,

and Dick rested his painful ankle.

We had already been told that church would be cancelled in the morning, so we were able to sleep in Sunday morning.  What a rare privilege!  Of course we had to see how much snow we had when we got up. I think we got about a foot.

After a pancake breakfast Ray took Destiny sledding on a nearby hill. 

Later Ray played Chess with her.  What a nice uncle.  Actually Destiny is extremely blessed with nice uncles. 

And this is our grandcat, Jade.  She belongs to Ray and Thuda.

Sometime throughout the day we found out that our church would be having the 6:30 candlelight service, including the little children's program that was to have been presented in the morning service. So I suddenly had to hike things into high gear. I really wasn't in the mood, but once we were there I was.  

Once again I watched a children's program that I was not directing and I completely enjoyed myself.  They did such a super job.  Here are the shepherds...

....and the choir.

Unfortunately, I was sitting on the wrong side for getting a picture of the manger scene. 

We took Destiny home afterward, then went to our house to do some very necessary cleanup.  We left at 7:15 this morning to return to State College. 

I was so eager to see and hug and hold and kiss Austin.  We had the best, sweetest day together today.  I love my job.