Merry Christmas!

November and December were tough months for us. Mark deployed for a year, Thor and Zach were dealing with lots of school work and tests and big projects in high school and college respectively, and in the last two weeks my Mom has gotten progressively worse health-wise. She's in the hospital now, we are alternating between hope and not, and the kids and I are flying into Minneapolis on Saturday. We have to wait until Saturday (and hope we make it then) because there is a HUGE storm hitting Minnesota. So not the most festive Christmas ever. Sigh.

But there was bright spot tonight -- we open presents on Christmas Eve, it's a Scandinavian upper Midwest Lutheran thing, I guess -- and while we were opening presents, Mark called on Skype! From over there somewhere! So we talked to him and opened presents while he watched and told us a little tiny bit about his life there. I was feeling kinda terrible that Mark wasn't there to join us, but then he was!

It was tough for a minute. Mom and Dad visited us this summer, and Mom bought me the reissue of the 1950 original Betty Crocker Cookbook, and then she and Tess wrapped it up and Tess slid it under the tree a week or so ago. I had very much been looking forward to my cookbook, but with Mom being in such a precarious and fail state it was really hard to open.

But I did, and I love all the crazy illustrations and photographs and recipes. When life is a little calmer I will post a couple pictures of my favorites. And of the kids talking to their dad on the computer.

Tess made me a really awesome shelf -- another photo to post -- and Thor had pottery he made in pottery class this past semester. More photos to take and post.

So I hope you all are having a calm and peaceful and wonderful holiday, whatever and however you decide to celebrate!