Christmastide

Christmas Day Hikes Cooper Family Party

Gingerbread House New Year's Eve

Jenny and David arrived late Saturday night.

Laurie and Rudy invited us over Sunday for dinner.

Lisa arrived late Sunday night. She had a small run-in with a deer coming down Snowville. The car was a bit dinged, and a tuft of fur was left on it, but the deer ran off, so hopefully it wasn't too badly hurt either.

Glen ordered a replacement headlight and installed it for Lisa before she drove home.

Small World.

Jenny and David had their wedding invitations shipped here so Jenny could start addressing them during quiet moments of her winter break.

Trying out the racing game, Formula D, a gift from Shelton & Dot.

The big secret project this year was creating a special calendar for Glen.

we each did at least one page, customized with pictures and decorations.

Lunch on Christmas Eve was grilled hamburgers.

Lisa and Glen work on making a dragon nest as part of her gift for Roger.

Ham for Christmas Eve dinner.

The day after Christmas, we all decided to go hiking (see hikes). The weather was quite agreeable. Lunch first at Arby's to get fortified.

A bit of Wits & Wagers that evening. Yes, Anne's mother is in-house now; she arrived Christmas evening in time for pizza.

Jenny & David leave on the 27th to head for New Jersey and family there.

Alan experiments with making puff pastry.

more hamburgers for dinner - the weather was mild enough to make grilling feasible.

making ice cream sandwiches

Sour Apples-to-Apples

My birthday loot from Lisa - very decorative.

Medieval Games.

I had to get out Lisa's Princess hat to go with the game. She got it in 1989 when we went to Disneyland.

Lisa starts a crystal-growing tree.

Here it is hours later.

Lisa and Alan check out the tree.

Grandmother uses some quiet time to keep her trip journal updated.

Sarah made tzatziki sauce to go with the gyro meat we had for lunch.

Roger tries out "Google Cardboard". Chris had gotten this for Glen for Christmas. You fold the cardboard into a viewer and then use a smart phone for a Virtual Reality experience.

Alan put together his aquarium and robot fish from Lisa.

we met up with the Blatniks at the Best Gyros place in Northfield, and then went over to their house after dinner.

My puzzle vase from Mother - it even holds water so I can put real flowers in it.

Our outdoor lights.

The New Year's Eve puzzle was a bit too much, so we're finishing it up on the 1st.

Ta-Da! Finally finished on the 2nd.

X-Wing

Grandma shared this poem, written by her niece Amy under the name Amanda Winters.