Merry Christmas

Here's our family Christmas photo this year:

This is not M.'s real smile: this camera caught her mid-burp! But hey, mouth open, face looking friendly, practically a smile. And all of three of us are looking at the camera! Send that one out to family and friends, folks.

We had a fantastic Christmas holiday! First, we headed to a Doubletree hotel in Lancaster County for a very special event. We surprised my Dad there (he thought he was heading to an afternoon concert) for his 65th birthday, and we spent two days playing in the hotel's indoor kiddie-water-playland. M. really loves the water – I guess I should sign her up for some swim lessons in the summer.

It's not easy to see, but the kids are wearing matching "I <3 Grandpa" shirts, and my dad has his own Grandpa shirt too. We're becoming one of those families that goes on cruises together...oh wait!

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day in the Land 'o Plenty. After a festive Seven Fishes dinner, my mom crowned the evening with a Buche de Noel. I've never seen M. so interested in a flame before. Please note the kids' Christmas pajamas, which I really loved:

Jingle Bells

Christmas morning!

M. particularly interested in my mom's new purse

On the day after Christmas, we headed to my in-laws' in NJ for Dave's family gathering. This year we had representatives from Vermont, Long Island, and NJ! Kids were very cute, and we had a very successful gift exchange. M. got a big haul of toys from her very generous aunts and uncles and cousins. Always special to be together...

Michigan and Waterloo

Way back in October, we took M. on a big road trip: first, we visited Ann Arbor, our old haunt:

Few of our friends still remain, but we could catch up with collaborators and former mentors – and now my cousin David is there. It was a disorienting feeling, to see the ways in which everything has changed, yet are pretty much the same. College town life!

We headed further west for a stop at Hope College, where I was invited to give a talk at a World Languages conference. My best friend from high school, now also a language professor, co-organized the conference, and it was such a treat both to see him in his element and to visit with his beautiful family.

From Holland, MI, we drove east across the border to visit my family in Waterloo, Ontario. We stayed with my aunt and uncle and got to spend precious time with my Ye-ye in the nursing home where he now resides:

I feel so sad that my Grandma didn't get to spend more time with M. She would be so tickled by M.'s enjoyment of books and her constant, tuneful humming. My Ye-ye doesn't know who we are anymore, and he won't remember a thing about our visit, but that's okay. Having a baby has taught me that every day is a special gift to be cherished for what it is, and these were definitely days together to be cherished.