Below is us at the Rathskellar, our favorite German restaurant in Rockford. Nothing like German beer and sausage to wash down all of those Christmas cookies, ay? We stopped at Sinissippi Gardens to take a group picture in the snow, a white Christmas!
Christmas in Rockford was AWESOME this year! We had a great time with mom, Kristin, Keith, Gavin, Ella, Ken, Aunt Lynn, Uncle Bob , Dy, Pam and the other Graney's. Nevi was very happy playing with the wrapping paper, ribbons and gift tags just as we had predicted. It was incredible to watch her play with her cousins and take to the many people she was passed around to...quite different from our Mexico trip. She smiled ear to ear with most people she encountered (except big scary Uncle Keith) and rested easy there, as if she remembered being there before. It was just one of those gatherings where we all laughed and loved for 3 days; ate lots of great food, played cards, watched movies and never ran out of good conversation. The flights and airports were painless and efficient, too. We were without electricity the first night in Rockford because of the ice but even that turned into a fun slumber party in front of her gas fireplace. Robb, Nevi and I got to meet Ken's family (mom's new boyfriend) on Christmas Eve and we all remarked on how interesting life can be if you learn let go of attachments and enjoy exactly where you're at in life, being truly present in the NOW and open to change. 3 years ago, who would have thought I'd be spending Christmas Eve with a new family and watching my mom grow within this family. She definitely has a way of connecting with people and inspiring everyone around her to be better people, more accepting and fun-loving. It was a very blessed Christmas this year.
We hosted a fun White Elephant Christmas Party with some of our friends from church. Robb introduced me to a little church in south Boulder called Community United Church of Christ (CUCC). It's where his Barbershop chorus practices on Tuesday nights. I liked the services and the community so much that I joined a fellowship circle to get to know some of the members a little better and am SO glad I did. Our circle is filled with intelligent and fun individuals and families, all of whom are very open minded. It's unfortunate but there is only 1 service on Sunday mornings and it is at 10am,right in the middle of Nevi's morning nap. Needless to say, I don't go to church much these days but look forward to attending again regularly when Nevi transitions to one nap each day. Most of these pictures are from that gathering. We fit 14 people in our little place and had a blast!
As I ponder December's activities and events, it makes me realize...we were busy! We purchased a new TV and now have Direct TV (for the first time in my life). I've never had a strong desire to upgrade to cable since just having the major networks has sufficed. However, after getting our new TV, which was sold to us with the understanding that we could still get NBC, FOX, ABC, etc. through it's digital capabilities, SURPRISE..it did not. We were left with only 2-3 channels, one of which played Spanish soap operas 24/7. Soooo, since we spent a wad on the TV we decided it would be helpful if we could watch stuff on it. Nevi, as seen, below, has really taken to the new TV. I am foreseeing myself doing exactly with Nevi what my father did to Kristin and I when we were young...restricting TV time. We had 1 hour a day of TV, then he'd shoo us outside and tell us to make friends with the out of doors. Best advise he gave us. And so his spirit lives on through me.
What can I say about Mexico...? I can see why Jan and Jim love it there. The resort they stay've been staying at for the past 14 years has become family to them (who also made us all feel like family as well!). It's clean, culturally impressive and comfortable. Ixtapa was beautiful. Humid, but beautiful. Zihuatanajo was bit more rough but it was good for me to experience the 'third-world' life for an evening. Robb mentioned for me to remind him of Zihuatanajo when he starts complaining about America. Anyway, once I got over the initial heat and sticky skin factor where we arrived, we were able to settle in and relax in peace. Because Nevi is still on a 2 naps a day schedule and would not nap outside (too much stimulation, I'm guessing) Robb, the fam and I took turns going back to the room to let her catch some zzzz's. Jan bought a really cool tent for her to sleep in on the sand but Nevi just wanted to play in it. Too bad for us all. One thing that I have to say is that it was not a Nevi-friendly place. Tile and brick floors/streets means no crawling for Nevi and constant supervision in case she fell on the hard floors, etc. The beach would have been great for crawling/walking if it weren't for Nevi wanting to EAT the sand she played in. Grass was irrigated by 'recycled' water (toilet water) so that wasn't going to work either. She really didn't have much freedom of movement there. I had to help her walk everywhere we went (which is hard on the ol' back since she still needs my hands) or carry her because there are stairs EVERYWHERE! Anyway, we have a lot of great memories and lessons learned form this trip so we're very glad to have had this opportunity to be with family in this unique setting. But I must say, by the end, I was ready for a PB & J and a Guiness! Mexican food, beer and music had lost it's appeal. We arrived home at 1:00am on Sunday morning due to delays in both Ixtapa and Houston ... our bed never felt so good. Oh yeah, and Nevi came home with a cold, hopefully not a flu. 
Just a few photos from Nevi's first Thanksgiving... We opted for a smaller gathering this year with some of our closest friends; Carri, Jim and Sandy, family really. Robb cooked up a 16 pound turkey for 5 of us (3 of us actually since Carri and Sandy are vegetarians!). Needless to say, we have turkey for months in the freezer, plus the soup that Robb ambitiously created before leaving for Mexico. It was the most relaxed, delicious, and love-filled get-to-gether we'd had in a while. And of course, Nevi LOVED pumpkin pie! Couldn't get enough. But who can blame her, deeeelish!
