Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve 2023 is in the books.  Actually, Katherine is "in the books".  Katherine has two real hobbies, writing her own stories and reading other's, so when birthdays and Christmas roll around books are always a good choice for gifts.  I like to get her the first two or three books of a series and then if she likes the series we can add the rest later.  That's what I did this year, and then threw in some "author-y" books (how-to type books for budding authors) to help her build her craft.

For Patrick, I tried to keep it small since he has to take back in an airplane anything we give him.  A few clothes and a couple of gift cards did the trick.

Yes, more books.

And her favorite movie in book form (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children) for the win!

It's a boxed set!  Best mom ever!

And our traditional fondue dinner, of course.

Christmas Eve day had all the usual features; put the tree up and decorate it, church activities (I directed the children's choir in the morning and the sang in the adult choir for the evening service), dress up for the tree picture, gifts, singing, the story of Christ's birth as told in Luke 2, presents for the kids, and fondue for dinner.  We have repeated these events and activities for nearly every Christmas since 2000 when we moved to Vermont.

The first years were...bumpy...as I learned the Mellmann traditions and then worked to make them our own.  Twenty-three Christmases later here on River Cove Road (minus a few we didn't celebrate at home) and we have this down to a science.  The last sixteen Christmases have been in this house.  Sixteen years...Patrick started first grade while this house was being built, and he graduated college this spring.  This is the only home that Katherine remembers.

We have hosted events here from holidays with our "internationals" group to Trinity Baptist School faculty and staff Christmas parties.  I hosted MOPS events and training workshops, crafting nights with friends.  And then there are all the foster kids, the play dates, the birthday parties, and the slumber parties.

Aside from the events hosted from our home here on River Cove Road, there are countless friendships that have grown during our twenty-three years of living in Vermont.  Work friends.  Church friends.  School friends.  Volunteer friends.  Mom friends.  It isn't until you start to think about having to start a new network of friends in a new location that you realize just how many dear friends you have accumulated along the way.

As our last Christmas in Vermont draws to a close, we are excited about the adventure that awaits us, yet we are sad to be saying good-bye to this house and, more importantly, these friends.

Merry Christmas, one last time, from Vermont.