December 2018

Christmas Decorations

Our first Christmas in Nebraska and I missed my window to put up the exterior lights in decent weather.  Instead, I had to put up the lights in a cold rain.  In the end, it turned out well.  Then we decorated the inside, including getting a live tree.

Field Trip with Jenna

Jenna got to go on a field trip to the local Children’s museum and Carol got to go along as a chaperone.  The kids all seemed to enjoy themselves.

Christmas with Grandma Bonnie

My Grandfather Bob passed away in late November and we celebrated our first Christmas without him since he married my Grandmother 20+ years ago. In early December, not long after Grandpa passed away, we had a family gathering at the nursing home where my Grandma Bonnie is living (and Grandpa Bob had been) to celebrate Christmas with her.  It was a nice get together with 3 of her 5 children and about half of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Grandma Bonnie had us all bring a $5 gift and she read us a Christmas story that made extensive use of the words “left “and “right”.  Each time we heard one those words we had to pass the gift to the person next to us in the direction.  We also knew Grandma Bonnie loves lottery scratch off cards, so some of us secretly used our $5 to buy scratch off tickets, which we gathered together and presented to her after we’d finished playing that “pass it game”.  She was thrilled.  She even had a separate “pass it game” for the four great-grandkids that were at the party.  Jenna thought it was funny to keep passing the gifts back and forth before getting to open one.  There was another Christmas gathering at the nursing home closer to Christmas for those that couldn’t make it to this one, so I hope that Grandma Bonnie had a good Christmas and didn’t feel too alone during the first holiday without Grandpa Bob.

Jenna’s Birthday

Jenna turned 6 on December 14th.  We let her open up her present from Nana on her actual birthday and saved the rest for the weekend, when we celebrated by having my parents, my brother and his wife, and their son Beckett to the house for a party.  Andrew and Alicyn even brought their dogs to celebrate with us!  Jenna seemed to really enjoy being able to celebrate with family for her first birthday in Nebraska. She loves the movie “Frozen” and was delighted with her Elsa dress and doll.

Christmas

For Christmas this year, we hosted Gramma and Pa Dungan on Christmas Eve.  We opened presents, decorated cookies, went to a Christmas Eve service at the church we’ve started attending, and then enjoyed some excellent soup that Carol made in the crock-pot for dinner.  On Christmas Day, we woke up to find that Santa had found us in Nebraska.  We opened presents,  Carol again cooked an excellent meal, and we enjoyed being together as a small family.  The kids enjoyed all their gifts, but the gift that brought the most enjoyment was the crash pad that we all took turns jumping on.  On the 29th of December, we celebrated Christmas again – this time at Gramma and Pa’s house with my brother and his family as well (including their dogs).

Random Pictures from the Month

Jenna dancing, Jenna and Grant in an old phone booth outside Spaghetti Works in Omaha, Silly Nate selfie, Jenna and Dada selfie, Grant and Mama selfie, Grant winning at bowling, Lucy laying on a blanket in Jenna’s room, silly Grant selfie, the world’s largest elf, Christmas Snoopy, Jenna taking her own picture, Grant with ponytails, Nate trying to figure out which shirt/tie combination to wear to his Grandpa’s funeral (I went with the blue tie), and Jenna’s bold choice in outfits – a dress and snow boots.