International Departures

After the Christmas festivities were over yesterday evening, Jesse and I were off to Logan. It was a tearful parting -- well, on my part anyway -- and now 24 hours later he's still en route to his first African destination in a two week stint of travel for HOPE. He should arrive in Kinshasa, Congo in the wee hours tonight. Can you blame me for being a sad wife? This is the handsomeness I was enjoying yesterday. 

I'm dreaming...

...of a White Thanksgiving and Christmas...

Note: There's a real treat at the end of this post, so don't give up before you get there.

This week we made the trek to New Hampshire to celebrate with the White side of the family. We began the festivities with Thanksgiving on Thursday, followed by a day of games and decorating on Friday, and then we celebrated Christmas all day Saturday. It's been a lot of fun, with 13 here for Thanksgiving and 18 here for "Christmas." Josiah has been delighted by all of it, of course. Mid-way through the gift opening on Saturday, he unwrapped a toy from Nannan and Papa. As he began playing with it, we prompted him with the standard, "What do you say to Nannan and Papa?" All day he'd been saying "thank you" very nicely, but this time he beamed up at them and replied, "More presents?" Hm. 

Preparing to play Settlers of Catan on Wednesday night.

Decorating the Christmas tree with Auntie Kara.

A few hours later, Josiah finding a ball and deciding it should go on the tree too.

Tramping through the woods.

Opening presents on Saturday morning.

An English tradition: Opening Christmas crackers and wearing the enclosed paper crowns.

•  •  •  •  •

And...

Here’s an early Christmas gift for all of you: an announcement.

Josiah has a new cousin on the way!!!  Kara and Matt announced on Thursday that Baby Prahl is coming in early June. Two days after they divulged the secret, they received their first baby gift. They don't look pleased, do they? Hooray for babies and sisters and cousins and blankets with little yellow duckies!

Hands-down fun

Yesterday evening the Martys and the Caslers had dinner and fun a few doors up at the Bredeman house. First things first: Although we had to call our Settlers game before it came to a proper end, my winning streak showed no signs of ending. :) And with that duly noted, the kids had fun too! The youngest cohort (Caden, Briar, and Josiah) are separated by barely 5 months, and they showed a shocking degree of cooperation while we played with a magnadoodle. I traced their three hands, and they took turns erasing it so we could do it again...and again...and again. And then Briar took over the tracing while the boys dutifully had their hands drawn.

(Oh, and we're so happy that Daddy got home in the wee hours this morning!)

The Marty Party

Our good friends the Martys -- Bethany, Quenton, Eden (9), Truman (7), and Briar (2) -- are moving from Lancaster to Krakow (with a month in Wisconsin in between). They packed up the moving truck on Friday and today, and the new owner of their home began moving in literally as they walked out! And...we're enjoying having them here in our home for the weekend until they hit the road on Monday morning. Josiah had a blast with the super-duper train track Truman constructed, and he and Briar have cracked me up several times with the little games they create with one another. Jesse, you're missing a party!

'cause everyone should enjoy a cloth-diapered bottom now and then

Pumpkin-bum and I both miss you, Jesse!

A Very Useful Engine

For his birthday, Josiah received a Thomas the Tank Engine costume from Auntie Kara. It's a few inches too long, but there was no getting him into a kangaroo costume – which still fits from last year – with this alternative in the closet. So, I pinned it up, and one Very Useful Engine had a great time at his school costume parade and then later doing his first trick-or-treating around our neighborhood. We're delighted that Pop Pop Casler arrived on Halloween. Pop Pop manned our front door and candy bowl so Josiah and I could make the rounds (Jesse was in Boston). And Josiah L-O-V-E-D it. He very quickly got the hang of ringing the doorbells, saying "trick-or-treat" and "thank you," and then literally running to the next home.

Speaking of the kangaroo costume... Although he wouldn't wear it, Josiah fell in love with the baby joey sewn into the top half and spent several days toting the entire outfit about. We tried to get him to carry just the top, but he'd beg, "and the pants! and the pants!" when he didn't have both enormous parts. He slept with the outfit hung over his crib rails, brought the stinkin' thing to school, and loved talking to "baby joey" in a hilarious, sing-song, baby voice.