Christmas Eve - Part 2 pics!

Lillian is in the center 2nd row lighting her friends candle!

Benjamin, Karlee and Lincoln at the morning candlelight service on Christmas Eve.

Lincoln with Umpa on Christmas Eve.

What a special time, my first Christmas Eve not working, and thus being able to join Karlee and her family at their church for the morning services (not just one but two!)

After the morning service time for a family photo!

Dec. 24-Christmas Eve

My Christmas Eve started with 2 candlelight morning services with Karlee and family as Lillian was singing at both the 9am & 11am service. Phil and Susan joined us for the 11am service followed by brunch. Then it was time to head back to Karlee’s to help prepare for their new Christmas Eve evening tradition of inviting neighbors and friends for dinner.

We had an early exchange of gifts and though Lincoln enjoyed the book he received from Auntie Karol, he much preferred the "Christmas bag the gifts were in" to play with!

Making of cookies with young chefs Lillian and Lincoln helping!

And of course, part of helping is licking the spatula!!

Chef Lillian making yet another batch of cookies!

A stop at Molbak's to see Santa, but we missed him by a day! Still a pretty spot to take a family picture!

  

Dec 16-Part 2

Fauntleroy Farm boarders!

Christmas Eve dinner but on Dec 16!

Is that Santa Playing with Lincoln?

Sunrise morning of 12/17 heading to West Seattle for Music Sunday AND my first Sunday back to West Side!
 

Dec 15-16 Aronson Christmas

Dec 15-Got some special time with Karlee, Benjamin, Lillian and Lincoln overnight as we made meatballs, visited reindeer, and enjoyed amazing steak sandwiches prepared by Chef Benjamin! 

Dec. 16-The Aronson clan celebrated our Swedish heritage with  our traditional Christmas Eve dinner together at niece Kristina and Jon’s on Saturday evening the 16th, also my birthday! Delicious meats, cheeses, hard tack, crackers, pickles, Phil’s pickled herring, Karlee’s Swedish meatballs, Kristina’s brussel sprout salad, and Mom’s cooked rice and Christmas cookies for dessert. So fun to connect with Aronson’s, Ricord’s and Patricia Kloster!

Dec 12 - Home Sweet Home

 Arrived home sweet home to a house already decorated for Christmas! What a fun surprise! Next posting the week of January 23…well maybe a few Christmas pictures postings will come!

Dec 11-12 Woke to snow!

 Woke to a dusting of snow this morning!

Dusting of snow Monday morning!

Resident fox trying to stay warm next to the neighbors house!

My buddy Damos! We’ve walked a lot of steps and miles the last 2 months! Heading to the airport!

 

Dec. 9-10 - Holiday Concerts and Taking to the Skies!

Seems I'm becoming a craft fair “junkie” as this trip out on the East Coast I’ve been to 3! Saturday went to one at a local high school with quality nice crafts…a little Christmas shopping but mostly just looking!

Sunday morning began with 8:30 worship at 1st Baptist Woodbridge and then left immediately for 10 am worship at Covenant Presbyterian of Woodbridge. CP is co-pastored by Bev and Knox Swayze. (Bev is the daughter of Ron and Sharon Rice, known to all of my West Side family.) Such a blessing to be there for their Christmas cantata during the morning service, followed by a Christmas cookie bake sale supporting local mission work. I was delighted to support them! I will definitely make a return visit to CP on a future trip to Virginia and maybe lunch with Bev!

Sunday afternoon Laurie and I attended a Four Seasons Seasonaires holiday concert! Seasonaires is a group of 22 Four Season vocalists, some have been involved since the group began 10 years ago! It was a wonderful couple of hours of great music followed by tasty sweet treats. 

And more music Monday evening as Kris and Laurie’s grandson Micah had his school Christmas concert. The evening began with the orchestra of two cellists, the band was next and it size doubled to four (one sax, trumpet, clarinet and percussionist). They were small but they did a good job! So fun! Then finally what we had driven 2 hours to hear the 40 member 4th and 5th grade choir in which Micah was a part. They sang four songs including Micah’s favorite “Mele Kalikimaka”!

Now I’m sitting at Reagan International waiting to board Flight 3 to Seattle! Will be leaving blue skies and sunshine for some good Pacific Northwest rain! Looking forward to connecting with family and friends over Christmas! Next post will come the end of January unless I include a few Christmas pictures!

Trip notes: have driven over 10,000 miles, paid the most for gas when I left Seattle it was $4.79, yesterday in Virginia the lowest $2.87!

Dec 4-7 Lunch, Handbells, Caroling, Remembering

Virginia December days have been full, temperature crisp and the air dry. 

Dec 4 - Lovely lunch with dear Katie Heermann, one of my newer Virginia 1st Baptist friends I’ve gotten to know over the last several visits. Tasty lunch, sweet fellowship and games of Tile Rummy!

Yesterday was the 13th anniversary of Pop’s death, his homegoing to be with His Lord. Each year I particularly remember his last 4 days in detail as they were in sharp contrast with one another. As he attended 2 Christmas parties, served coffee Sunday morning at church, then entered the hospital Monday afternoon and was gone by Tuesday night. Just a reminder how quickly life can change, how important it is to treat each day as a gift, and so important to look for God’s touch, His blessings in both the difficult and joyful times. This year as I have done other years I honored him by making his favorite caramel cinnamon rolls, enjoying one for breakfast! Oh how he loved his cinnamon rolls with a cup of coffee! I don’t do coffee but did do an Almond Moo! So good! Miss you Pops! Oh how he loved life and loved to sing both in Swedish and English! Hmmm think I’ll pull up some videos of him singing in Swedish in my Grandma Sward’s church in Sweden! Always a special treat!

Last night I participated for the 2nd year of caroling and chiming with the 1st Baptist Church of Woodbridge choir and handbells as they shared in spreading Christmas joy at Chick-fil-A. The manager is a choir member, he arranges to have Santa and Mrs Claus, crafts for the kids, while 3 groups rotate caroling inside, caroling and chiming outside for the drive thru or taking a “goodie break” filling up on sugar…cookies, brownies, an assortment of hot cocoa flavors and sweet topping condiments, strawberries to dip in hot chocolate sauce, pretzels and so much more! Yes I chimed! I caroled! And I enjoyed sweet treats! We would do each station for 15 minutes, then rotate to the next station. We did this from 5-7pm. The place was packed! At the conclusion we presented a coupon and were treated to a complimentary meal AND 3 gift cards for various menu items and a Chick-fil-A Christmas ornament! Fun time was had by all! But I was exhausted! It was time to relax and catch a good Christmas Hallmark movie! 

Probably one more blog entry before flying west on Tuesday. Saturday a Christmas Bizarre at a local high school, Sunday morning worship at 1st Baptist, Sunday afternoon Christmas concert at the clubhouse, Monday up to Harve de Grace, Maryland to see Micah perform in his school Christmas program and celebrate birthdays! Sara and I share the same birthday on the 13th! And Tuesday the 12th late afternoon I fly out of DC for Seattle for 5 weeks at home before returning to Virginia to continue my road trip! Thanks for joining me!

Katie and Laurie at lunch.

Caramel cinnamon rolls in honor of Pops!

Caroling at Chick-fil-A

A very festive Chick-fil-A!