Christmas in Washington

Christmas in Washington was almost over before it began. Rebekah and the kids had a flight from Dublin with two layovers, one of which was delayed. After almost a day of travel they found themselves stranded in San Francisco, with no hope if getting out until the the 26th!  But Rebekah would not be stopped. As the first rays of light warmed the spans of the Golden Gate bridge, she had rented a car and begun her 15 hour drive to the Tri-cities. We all waited and wondered if she would make it!


 We had plenty of time on our hands as we waited, so we tired to keep busy. We played a number of games, from dress up in Grandma's fur coats to 'Ginger Bread Faces '  (we made up that last one!)


In the end, Rebekah and the kids did make it (after a short nap in Oregon).  We celebrated with food, games and presents. 

  

And there was much rejoicing!



The kids had a great time with their Grandma, Aunts, Uncle and of course their cousins.

(Oh yeah - the dogs were a big hit as well!).




Despite all the effort and headache, it was great to be with family. That is what makes the holidays so special!

A 2012 Christmas Letter of sorts...

Dear Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas! While I am notoriously bad at keeping in touch, I am hoping that most of you know that we've moved to Dublin, Ireland this previous fall. We absolutely love it here and our plan is to live here for the several years at least to build Bret's business here in Europe and allow the kids to finish their elementary years in this new school. I hope we stay forever. The Irish are the most delightful, charming, and engaging bunch. Tho they are always apologetic and frustrated about the weather, I've found it to be fabulous. We are able to see the Irish Sea from our house and in all weather, the views are magnificent. I simply wear rainproof jackets in case the weather changes and head out several times a week to explore the many breathtaking hikes just minutes from our house.  The Irish have a few sayings about the weather. One is that "if you don't like the weather in Ireland, wait five minutes and it will change." Or "Other parts of the world have four seasons in a year, in Ireland we have four seasons in a day." As of late, it has been cold, with days of bright glorious sunshine and days of lashing rain and wild seas. I have loved both and keep sweaters on and carry a mug of warm spiced cider. Oh Christmas time!! Today, the skies are a beautiful blue as I sit at my desk hearing my children singing along to Christmas carols and play happily in the family room. Life is good and we are very, very blessed.

We are excited to spend this Christmas in Washington state with all the my siblings and their families at my mom's home. What a blessing to be all together. Bret's already in the US, attending work meetings and our beautiful niece Dena Reay's wedding in Utah. The kids finish school this Wednesday and we'll fly out of Dublin on Friday morning.

We have not been good about sending our contact details and address since our move to Dublin in September. I do so love getting the your Christmas greeting cards (HINT: postage for a letter in a standard envelope to us requires $1.05), so if you are holding an extra card for us and don't mind adding that donation to USPS, let me give you our physical address below. We love keeping in touch and hope you are happy, healthy and well this year.

We (well, Bret mostly) make an effort to record our daily life in a family blog that we then bind into a book each year. I keep it private, so please send me a note if you'd like me to add your email to the approved reader list. I also have a habit of sending the posts (aka spamming you all) as he posts them in an email such as follows this message below. Please let me know if you want to be added (or removed) from those updates.

We love you and are thankful for the joy and friendship you bring to our life. As we move about the world we feel so blessed to have found such dear friends who bless our life and enlarge our understandings. We are thankful for the true goodness we see in people all over the world and are inspired to share that same light and kindness. We join in testimony of the twelve apostles of our church in their statement The Living Christ, and say, "As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth." We strive to be like Him and are so thankful for his love.

We are grateful for our little family and the experiences we have as we all grow together. What joy we find (most days!) in this unique classroom. Shaynie and Weston are turning nine this year. I have no idea where the time has gone, and when I get anxious to see it passing so quickly, I find new delight in their humor, wit and growth. Just this last week they've each asked that I lay with them on their beds at night and sing the songs I sang to them when they were babies. Now they sing along with me and my heart fills with the appreciation of both the past experiences and richness of today. 

With that heart full of appreciation for my blessings, of which each of you add a significant measure, I send our love,

Rebekah and family

(I added Bret's posts called Christmas Festivities and included these last notes and photos:)

I love reading Bret's posts and am thankful for the effort he puts in to recording adventures big and small. He's a good man.

Because this is my sad version of a Christmas email, I've attached a couple additional photos. The first I'm sending because we are all in it, and Bret will not be happy--it's not our best. :) In the following, my mom, brother Flynn and sis-in-law Krista came to visit in Oct.  The next is my adorable husband at the park across from our house. Then comes Shaynie and Weston at school--it's held in a real "Harry Potter-esque" castle complete with four 'houses' and inter house games! Go Toone House!

Christmas Festivities

This is my view each morning as I drive back from the kids school. It has been interesting to watch the sun as it moves across the horizon to a different location each week.  This is its location in December. Christmas time!

Things started early for us this year.  Shaynie came home on December 4 ready to begging a new tradition in our home (which she learned about in school). December 5 is 'Sinterklaas Day'. This is an old traditional holiday still practiced in the Netherlands  Germany , Belgium etc...  On this day, Saint Nicholas (patron saint of children) comes to town on his horse (from Spain/Turkey?) to celebrate his birthday.  He gives gifts to the good kids, while his companion 'Zwarte Pete' might capture the bad kids and take them away back to Spain (and you thought getting a lump of coal was bad!).  I enjoyed celebrating this while on my mission in the Netherlands.  However, I think Shayne's motives were not my nostalgia.  She saw another opportunity to get some gifts.  So... as tradition dictates,  they put their shoes by the fireplace (look how terrible Weston's' shoes look!), provided a carrot for Saint Nick's horse, and prepared for bed. The entire time, Shayne was telling Rebekah how much she hoped Saint Nick would come!  She may not have been very subtle, but it worked.  He made a visit and left some gifts.  What was the take away from this? Next year - bigger shoes! 

 Of course, Rebekah was also in a festive mood. I arrived home from a trip to spend the day preparing the house for a 'Carol' party.  We had a dinner, played games and sang carols until 11 PM with some  20 friends from church, neighborhood and school.

People seemed to enjoy themselves, and Rebekah was in heaven.  I think it was her way of making sure we HAD to decorate the house?  I was boycotting the idea since we will be in the US for Christmas  and I not not enjoy cleaning up and putting decorations away!  Once again, not subtle, but it worked?  I see a pattern here.

For the last few months, the kids and I have been enjoying a series of talks online. They are called TED talks.  They are short, informative and can really make you think.  The kids love them.  Last Saturday, the kids created their own holiday themed TED talk in our living room.  The subject was "Heat and Air".  Wes came up with the idea while taking a shower?  Notice the festive Santa hat and snow drawn on our mirror.  Shaynie provided technical and moral support from the sidelines while giving directions on when to take a drink, and what to images to draw.

Finally, we spent that night in down town Dublin, wandering the main shopping area of Grafton street. Lots of people were out. Some street musicians were playing, and the pubs were full of youth in the most hideous holiday sweaters and hats that I have ever seen.  Many of them had flashing lights and ornaments dangling from their bellies.  What a crazy group of people the Irish are.  We celebrated by ordering a burrito?  I imagine our Christmas day in the US will be similar.

Team B

Weston (or Douglas) is a member of the Castle Park Rugby squad (in burgundy) .  So far he has enjoyed it. His Coach told him he has the size, speed, and temperment to be a good player.  He just needs to stay on his feet and learn the rules of the game.  The Coach suggested he watch rugby each day for 4 hours? 

He was on the A team most of the year, but this last week, was placed on the B team (until he can learn the rules and stay on his feet!)  Rebekah and I went to a Ruby fixture (game) this week to see him play.  He did great, scored 4 'trys' and was the 'Man of the Match'.

He did fall down quite a bit... but he also made some great tackles and runs.  His coach calls him 'Dougy' and was very happy with his performance. He was hopeful that Dougy would make it back to the A team with some practice. Rebekah was excited  to be there, and experienced a roller coaster of emotions, from fear and concern to elation and pride. She was not sure what to think, as they hit each other and threw one another around.  Luckily at this age, no one seems to get hurt.  Especially if they stay on their feet!

Rugby Match

This Saturday, Weston was invited by a friend (Shane) to attend a national rugby match.  It was Ireland versus Argentina. I was asked to come along as well. Since the alternative was staying home to help cook Thanksgiving dinner, we both made a bee line for the door!

Shane's Dad works for Guinness, in the promotion department   Needless to say, he had some nice seats down by the field. We arrived early and saw the President of Ireland come out to meet the players, and listend to the crowd sing the national anthem (both of them - one for North Ireland as well).  Close up, these guys are huge!

We had a great time, even if we did not always know what was going on or when to cheer and clap. I was a bit surprised at the slow pace.  There seemed to be a lot of 'setting up' and wresting around..... Medic's were constantly out on the filed attending to players, while the match continued to be played, and the entire stadium was asked to be quiet whenever either team was attempting to kick a conversation or penalty (not sure of the terms?) All very civilized.

The crowd was great, and very friendly.  It may have helped that the Irish dominated.  All were in good spirits and enjoyed chatting to one another.  The group of guys in front of us even gave thier 'who's your Paddy' hats to Weston and his friend.

We made our way home on the Dart and walked into the house just in time to help set the table and gorge ourselves on a wonderful Turkey dinner with some other newly arrived Americas   Turkey and Rugby, not a bad way to spend an Irish Thanksgiving!

Glendaloch

We woke up this saturday to sunshine and temperate weather.  We had no choice; we had to get out of the house. After our required chores, we loaded up the car and travled to a favorite hiking spot of Rebekah (in fact she had just been there the day before with some friends, and hiking in the rain).  The drive there was amazing, over green hills dotted with sheep, valleys of autumn trees, and through a number fo small villages.

When we arrived, it the weather had changed (shocker!)  It was not raining, but was misty.  It added a nice effect to this mystical glacial valley, known as Glendaloch (glen of two lakes).   There is an old medieval monastic settlement there, complete with a large cemetery, founded by St. Kevin ( a hermit priest  in the 6th centrary.

However, today we where there to hike,  and surprisingly, the kids did not complain. Instead they bounded up the hill and stairs. The trail went on forever.  A number of hikers looked like they had been out there for days. We lasted a few hours, before darkness began to set in, and the parking lot was set to close. 

Regardless, it was nice to get out and work our lazy bones, to see some of this magical county, and spend time in the invigorating fall air. It was my first experience outside of Dublin, and left me wanting more. 

Como Taster

On the way back home we had a lay over in Milan. We made the choice to drive up to Lake Como, and the town of Bellagio. It was a rainy, quiet Sunday. The kids sat in the car listening to Huckleberry Finn, as we drove up the serpentine road, in and our of tunnels, and along breathtaking coastline.  There was no one else around, which was lucky as the roads really were narrow and twisting.  We stopped a few times to walk down to the water, which was cold, clear and calm.

Eventually we made it to Bellagio. It was as picturesque as we thought, and almost deserted  Tourist season must be over. We wandered the streets, and even took a few minutes to sit in a small church to sing a couple of hymns and share a little message and history lesson.

Of course, Rebekah and the kids stopped anyone with a dog, asking questions and giving snuggles. There is a major lobbying effort at the moment for us to get a new dog.  Then Shayne found a place to feed the duck and swans, while large trout fought for scraps below them. After 'throwing away' our supply of snacks to the fowls, we made our way up a narrow stairway to a pizza place (surprise). It was called the Grotto.  One Margarita and a 4 cheese pizza later (with a filling order of gorgonzola gnocchi to boot), we hit the streets for one last gelato before our trip back to the airpot and home.

All agreed the Como region was refreshing and different, with aspects of both Italy and the Alpine region. It  would be worth another trip back!