Christmas joy!

December has been an interesting month... The first two weeks were a blur as I battled a nasty cold (or as the nurse practitioner said "unofficially it's pneumonia").  My energy was zapped, 12 hours of sleep each day wasn't enough, and I coughed until I thought I broke my ribs. But after 10 days of antibiotics I woke up from my long winter's sleep and realized it was December and Christmas was right around the corner!

And once I started feeling better I could see Christmas joy and merriment all around me...

Adam and Dane

Unfortunately due to illness, I missed the family "cookie day" this year, a time when family gathers to bake many dozens of cookies.  But this picture of nephews Adam and Dane at the big event definitely made me smile!

Mike on the Melodica

We attended Mike's department Christmas party which was pure bedlam with 20 plus adults and 16 kids.  And the noise level of 16 kids in was surpassed by an impromptu Christmas jam session.

Professors and kids alike sang Christmas carols and played piano, guitar, drums.  Mike played his melodica which was an object of great curiosity.  And then the movie "Home Alone" was on in the background.  Hopefully you get the feel of this fun and chaotic party...







And it's that time of year when we create our own photo Christmas card where we try to inject a bit of humor.

 Some years we hit the mark, and sometimes people say they don't "get it"...

Photo by my friend Elena

And yes, some businesses have a sense of humor (and remind us of manners!)...

Mike, Stacy, Brian, Pat, Kay and me

We enjoyed the annual Boys Night Out (BNO) Christmas Event at the Red Key Tavern.

This is the  BNO event where women are invited.  Why we get invited to this dive bar, I'll never understand, but you just kinda go with it.  You learn to overlook the dust, grime, graffiti and a serious lack of vegetables, and enjoy the camaraderie and laughter with a side of burgers, chili and chips.

Kevin, Kathy, me and Mike

Last night we headed to the 36 Saloon in Rockville for a Christmas dinner with our friends Kevin and Kathy.

Sunset at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

It's also a time when I reflect on the past year. We lost our dear friend Mary to ovarian cancer in February, and we miss her terribly. It is still hard to comprehend that she's gone.


We also reflect on our blessings.
Mike and I are finally together after years of commuting 500 miles between Des Moines and Indianapolis.

In June of this year I became a 5-year survivor breast cancer survivor!  I am so fortunate and grateful to hit that major milestone!

Mike has a part-time job he enjoys, and I love the freedom of retirement!  We are fortunate that retirement gives us time for family and friends and the opportunity to travel, volunteer and take classes together.

And we are grateful for God's presence in our lives...which is what we truly celebrate this Christmas season!

Merry Christmas!

Diane