While we were in the US, Daniel's nieces introduced JoAnn and me to their favorite cartoon..."The Backyardigans." For those of you without children or who have never seen it, it has quickly become one of my all time favorite cartoons. It has five characters that play in their backyards and have all kinds of "adventures" and JoAnn's favorite part is they sing all the time. It is just a really cute cartoon that is well done. So, when we got back to the Philippines and I found out that it isn't on Nick Jr. here (or maybe I just can't figure out when it is on), I went to a store and grabbed a couple VCD's with a few episodes. They have quickly become a favorite in our house. A favorite for JoAnn because she loves all the bright colors and catchy songs they sing. A favorite for Daniel and I because they actually hold her attention for a short while. They have helped me get her to settle down enough to be able to change her diaper (which had been becoming a huge battle lately) and drink her milk in the mornings and at night when before all she wanted to do was play. So, last night I popped a VCD in while I was trying to get her ready for bed since Daniel was at bible study and I got a short video of her dancing to the song. I thought I would share it with you because at one point she did a move that just made me laugh so hard. While we were in the US JoAnn would sit and watch her Aunt Katy do "Turbo Jam" and she must have picked up a few of the moves from it. If you don't know what I am talking about sorry, but it is still a cute video of her dancing.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
2nd Anniversary and Swimming
So I can't believe it but today we celebrated the 2nd anniversary at the Arthur Center. Our church finally has an official name and is registered as Christ Believer's Fellowship. To celebrate we had church outside in order to hold the larger crowd and had lunch and games following the service. It was wonderful to see not just some people who had come for the first time but to see how the core people in the church had stepped up to help with crowd control, making food and serving the food. I would be lying if I didn't say it still seemed like a huge chaotic crowd to me, but I am starting to get used to larger crowds being fairly unorganized by now. It seems like anytime we have a large gathering there are always kids and people all over the place and at first you would think no one is listening to the message until you see most of the crowd turning to read whatever passage the pastor is reading. I guess the chaos is just normal to them and not quite distracting like it is to me.
In other news, I have taken JoAnn swimming a few times this past week since the sun was shining and making the temperatures start to rise. I was a little shocked to see that she had gotten so much taller since we left that she could touch in the shallow end of the kiddie pool. Officially she has grown to 34 inches and 21 pounds since we last saw the doctor in November. I guess she is slowing down...growing only 1 inch in 3 months compared to 3 inches in about 4 months. Here is a picture of her standing in the pool. She was a little scared that she was away from the handrail, so she would not let go of my hand, but I promise she is standing all on her own.
I have to say sometimes I feel a little spoiled when I think about the fact that I live in a place where I can any day of the year walk out my back door and have two swimming pools lined with beautiful palm trees and other tropical plants. This isn't the best picture of the trees and plants but I think JoAnn looks so cute in her swimsuit and hat and you can definitely tell the sun is shining.
In other news, I have taken JoAnn swimming a few times this past week since the sun was shining and making the temperatures start to rise. I was a little shocked to see that she had gotten so much taller since we left that she could touch in the shallow end of the kiddie pool. Officially she has grown to 34 inches and 21 pounds since we last saw the doctor in November. I guess she is slowing down...growing only 1 inch in 3 months compared to 3 inches in about 4 months. Here is a picture of her standing in the pool. She was a little scared that she was away from the handrail, so she would not let go of my hand, but I promise she is standing all on her own.
I have to say sometimes I feel a little spoiled when I think about the fact that I live in a place where I can any day of the year walk out my back door and have two swimming pools lined with beautiful palm trees and other tropical plants. This isn't the best picture of the trees and plants but I think JoAnn looks so cute in her swimsuit and hat and you can definitely tell the sun is shining.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Our time in the US Part 2...finally
So I have actually been putting this off since I would have so much time to recount, but I just can't get myself to do another post without going over the rest of our time in the US. So, here it goes...
December 26-January 5
We left bright and early the day after Christmas and flew down to Florida. JoAnn and I were going to spend a few days with my parents and my sister and then meet up with Daniel and some of his family at the condo in Boca Grande (which has quickly become one of my favorite places in the States). We were all looking forward to the warmer weather and I was looking forward to seeing my sister and her son, Tyus, for the first time in a year. I wasn't sure how Ty would handle "Baby Joie" since she has gotten big enough to be able to steal his toys, but he did great and we had a great couple days in Tampa with them. Then it was off to the condos, where Daniel enjoyed playing golf with his dad and JoAnn and I took advantage of the pool/beach with Daniel's mom, sisters and soon to be brother-in-law. It was amazing how as soon as we hit the warmer weather all three of us seemed to instantly feel more relaxed. I guess the warmer weather really does make us feel a little more at home now. One more little side note...the new Indianapolis airport has a section when you are going through security that I have decided should be mandatory in every airport in the world. As you get up to the entrance to the line if you have kids, they motion you over to the side where a couple tables, a security guy and a cart are waiting for you. You then have all the time you need to take off shoes, take out bottles, laptops and fold up the stroller. They put it on a cart and go to the nearest metal detector and motion you to go through as they are the ones to put everything through the machine for you. It really was absolutely wonderful and to top it all off, we were traveling with Kristen's fiance and we got through security at least 20 minutes before he did. Okay, so I guess you can't really appreciate it until you have to travel with children, but seriously it was a huge help. So here are a few pictures from our time in FL...
JoAnn and Tyus. Trying to get both of them to look at the camera at the same time was pretty much impossible.
My parents with both of their grandkids.
JoAnn loved going out on the boat in Boca Grande.
JoAnn loved the pool, but the mid to high 70's temperature wasn't quite as warm as the 80+ weather we are used to in the Philippines, so she got a little cold. Actually, really cold. She couldn't stop shaking for about 15 minutes even wrapped up like a burrito and sitting in the sun.
It got a little cold at night too when we would take the golf cart to dinner. So, Daniel was kind enough to share his sweatshirt with JoAnn.
January 5-23
After our time in Florida and the warm weather seemed like it went by way too fast, we flew back to Indiana and experienced some of the coldest weather we have ever experienced. Alright, maybe not ever, but it sure has been many years at least. I can remember a few days where it got well below zero and the windchill was hovering around -30. Those were the days that you had to force me out of the house and it made me all the more anxious to get back to Manila. Despite the weather, this was a fun part of the trip home. Since the holidays were over, it wasn't quite as busy but we were still able to spend some quality time with both of Daniel's sisters, his brothers that live in Indy and his mom was back from Florida for a few days also. I can't remember when, but sometime after we got back to Indiana Daniel was offered a consulting job for a couple weeks. So for about three weeks, we got to see what it was like having Daniel have a 9 to 5 type job. At one point, I remember asking Daniel if it made him miss working in the US or anxious to get back to the Philippines and we both agreed, it made us even more thankful for the job God has given us in the Philippines. One of my favorite things about being a missionary is the fact that family is expected to come first and our schedules are much more flexible. We were also able to see our friends Matt and Britt and their new baby Addison. We had seen them right before Christmas when Britt was pregnant and I was seriously bummed that we were not able to actually see the baby, so when we found out they were going to be back in Indiana for a few days while we were home I was extremely excited.
January 23-26
We had originally planned on returning to Manila in the beginning of January, so I had thought I wouldn't get another chance to go back to Ohio. As it turned out we hadn't really gotten any answers to what was going on with the crazy rash I had and definitely had no answers on how to treat it long term, so we stayed for an extra month, which gave me the chance to go back to Ohio for another weekend at my parents. Daniel stayed in Indiana since he was still working at the time, but it was a great trip for JoAnn and I. We were able to spend a few extra days with my parents and I was able to see a few people I had missed before Christmas. I even was able to stop and see one of our college friends on the drive from Indianapolis to Columbus. They have a cute daughter that had just turned two, so JoAnn had fun playing with her while I was able to catch up with Tanya. On Saturday I was also able to go to a birthday party for the son of a girl I grew up with. Actually, I sort of grew up with her husband too, but only in the sense that I bought all of my soccer gear from him growing up. Anyway here are a couple pictures of the kids...(of course they aren't really my pictures, but ones I stole off of facebook since I forgot to take pictures myself.)
This is JoAnn and Izzy.
And JoAnn playing with Tanner's new toys at his birthday party.
January 26-February 5
Now for the last couple weeks in the US. There really wasn't much happening other than running around getting last minute things that I wanted to bring back and packing. I used to wait until the day before we left to pack anything. I hated packing in parts and forgetting where I put stuff. Plus, I have to admitt that I can pack a suitcase completely to the brim and still manage to get it under weight almost ever time, so it never really stresses me out. Well, as JoAnn gets older, there is way more to pack and this year they cut our weight limit on the bags, so it was going to be a much harder job than before. By the time February 4 (the day before we left) came around I had three and a half bags packed...I was so proud of myself. Anyway this was a chance to spend some more time with family and friends and say goodbye until June, which is the next time we will be coming back since Daniel's sister is getting married. The goodbyes were as hard as ever even though we will be seeing them much sooner than normal. The best part of the goodbyes though, was Daniel's dad who we hadn't seen since we left Florida surprised us by flying in the day before we left so we could say goodbye in person. Then we flew out on the 5th and was given the chance to take advantage of that wonderful special place for families as we went through the security in Indianapolis.
December 26-January 5
We left bright and early the day after Christmas and flew down to Florida. JoAnn and I were going to spend a few days with my parents and my sister and then meet up with Daniel and some of his family at the condo in Boca Grande (which has quickly become one of my favorite places in the States). We were all looking forward to the warmer weather and I was looking forward to seeing my sister and her son, Tyus, for the first time in a year. I wasn't sure how Ty would handle "Baby Joie" since she has gotten big enough to be able to steal his toys, but he did great and we had a great couple days in Tampa with them. Then it was off to the condos, where Daniel enjoyed playing golf with his dad and JoAnn and I took advantage of the pool/beach with Daniel's mom, sisters and soon to be brother-in-law. It was amazing how as soon as we hit the warmer weather all three of us seemed to instantly feel more relaxed. I guess the warmer weather really does make us feel a little more at home now. One more little side note...the new Indianapolis airport has a section when you are going through security that I have decided should be mandatory in every airport in the world. As you get up to the entrance to the line if you have kids, they motion you over to the side where a couple tables, a security guy and a cart are waiting for you. You then have all the time you need to take off shoes, take out bottles, laptops and fold up the stroller. They put it on a cart and go to the nearest metal detector and motion you to go through as they are the ones to put everything through the machine for you. It really was absolutely wonderful and to top it all off, we were traveling with Kristen's fiance and we got through security at least 20 minutes before he did. Okay, so I guess you can't really appreciate it until you have to travel with children, but seriously it was a huge help. So here are a few pictures from our time in FL...
JoAnn and Tyus. Trying to get both of them to look at the camera at the same time was pretty much impossible.
My parents with both of their grandkids.
JoAnn loved going out on the boat in Boca Grande.
JoAnn loved the pool, but the mid to high 70's temperature wasn't quite as warm as the 80+ weather we are used to in the Philippines, so she got a little cold. Actually, really cold. She couldn't stop shaking for about 15 minutes even wrapped up like a burrito and sitting in the sun.
It got a little cold at night too when we would take the golf cart to dinner. So, Daniel was kind enough to share his sweatshirt with JoAnn.
January 5-23
After our time in Florida and the warm weather seemed like it went by way too fast, we flew back to Indiana and experienced some of the coldest weather we have ever experienced. Alright, maybe not ever, but it sure has been many years at least. I can remember a few days where it got well below zero and the windchill was hovering around -30. Those were the days that you had to force me out of the house and it made me all the more anxious to get back to Manila. Despite the weather, this was a fun part of the trip home. Since the holidays were over, it wasn't quite as busy but we were still able to spend some quality time with both of Daniel's sisters, his brothers that live in Indy and his mom was back from Florida for a few days also. I can't remember when, but sometime after we got back to Indiana Daniel was offered a consulting job for a couple weeks. So for about three weeks, we got to see what it was like having Daniel have a 9 to 5 type job. At one point, I remember asking Daniel if it made him miss working in the US or anxious to get back to the Philippines and we both agreed, it made us even more thankful for the job God has given us in the Philippines. One of my favorite things about being a missionary is the fact that family is expected to come first and our schedules are much more flexible. We were also able to see our friends Matt and Britt and their new baby Addison. We had seen them right before Christmas when Britt was pregnant and I was seriously bummed that we were not able to actually see the baby, so when we found out they were going to be back in Indiana for a few days while we were home I was extremely excited.
January 23-26
We had originally planned on returning to Manila in the beginning of January, so I had thought I wouldn't get another chance to go back to Ohio. As it turned out we hadn't really gotten any answers to what was going on with the crazy rash I had and definitely had no answers on how to treat it long term, so we stayed for an extra month, which gave me the chance to go back to Ohio for another weekend at my parents. Daniel stayed in Indiana since he was still working at the time, but it was a great trip for JoAnn and I. We were able to spend a few extra days with my parents and I was able to see a few people I had missed before Christmas. I even was able to stop and see one of our college friends on the drive from Indianapolis to Columbus. They have a cute daughter that had just turned two, so JoAnn had fun playing with her while I was able to catch up with Tanya. On Saturday I was also able to go to a birthday party for the son of a girl I grew up with. Actually, I sort of grew up with her husband too, but only in the sense that I bought all of my soccer gear from him growing up. Anyway here are a couple pictures of the kids...(of course they aren't really my pictures, but ones I stole off of facebook since I forgot to take pictures myself.)
This is JoAnn and Izzy.
And JoAnn playing with Tanner's new toys at his birthday party.
January 26-February 5
Now for the last couple weeks in the US. There really wasn't much happening other than running around getting last minute things that I wanted to bring back and packing. I used to wait until the day before we left to pack anything. I hated packing in parts and forgetting where I put stuff. Plus, I have to admitt that I can pack a suitcase completely to the brim and still manage to get it under weight almost ever time, so it never really stresses me out. Well, as JoAnn gets older, there is way more to pack and this year they cut our weight limit on the bags, so it was going to be a much harder job than before. By the time February 4 (the day before we left) came around I had three and a half bags packed...I was so proud of myself. Anyway this was a chance to spend some more time with family and friends and say goodbye until June, which is the next time we will be coming back since Daniel's sister is getting married. The goodbyes were as hard as ever even though we will be seeing them much sooner than normal. The best part of the goodbyes though, was Daniel's dad who we hadn't seen since we left Florida surprised us by flying in the day before we left so we could say goodbye in person. Then we flew out on the 5th and was given the chance to take advantage of that wonderful special place for families as we went through the security in Indianapolis.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Finding our Routine Again
So today marks 1 week and 2 days after we landed back here in Manila. I would say it has taken me about 1 week and 1 day to finally feel like I am back to normal. This is the first time that jet lag has taken a pretty good toll on me. I am usually over it in at least three days, but this time I didn't have the luxury of doing things my way and had to go along with JoAnn's schedule. That meant a few more days of 8 PM bed times and waking up the next morning around 4:30 or 5 AM. This whole 13 hour difference makes things a little interesting for a while. Once that was not as much of an issue, the next thing was trying to get our house back to normal after being gone for over 2 months. I have to say though, it's good to be back. I love being with friends and family in the US, but it is times when I come across passages like 1 John 3:16-18, that I am reminded of why I love what we do. It says,
"We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth."
Not that it couldn't be done in the US, but there is a definite need that God has put before us here. Which brings me to the whole point of this post...Thank you for all of you who help us provide for the needs of those around us. I know Valentines Day was yesterday, but the day that celebrates love reminded me of all those who help us show God's love to those in need in the Philippines and I just had to say thank you.
"We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth."
Not that it couldn't be done in the US, but there is a definite need that God has put before us here. Which brings me to the whole point of this post...Thank you for all of you who help us provide for the needs of those around us. I know Valentines Day was yesterday, but the day that celebrates love reminded me of all those who help us show God's love to those in need in the Philippines and I just had to say thank you.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Leaving on a jet plane...
Well, I had every intention of finishing my summary of our time at home in the last day or so, but time got the better of me and now we leave in the morning to fly back to Manila. I will finish the summary, but it will be another couple days before I will have the time to do it. It has been a wonderful time at home and we are so thankful that we had the chance to spend time with those we saw and to those we didn't see, hopefully we will see you when we are in the States next time. Thinking back through all that has happened since November, I am sad to leave. I always have so much fun with family and friends during our time here and although we have some really good friends in Manila, nothing can ever replace those here. Looking forward, I can't wait to get back into our ministry and friends in the Philippines. There really isn't a better feeling than knowing you are doing exactly what God wants you to do with your life. So, once again I feel caught in that strange place where I am caught between two great places. (This is when Daniel without ever really saying it would probably tell me I am a little too sentimental, but hey I am female.) Please pray for us, for our safety, for being crazy enough to fly with an 18 month old, for patience from those seated around us and for everything to go smoothly with immigration/customs in the Philippines.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Our time in the US
Ok, so I have been absolutely AWFUL at getting new stuff up during our time in the States. That is mainly due to not wanting to give up our time with friends and family in order to sit down and write about what has been happening. So here is a long (sorry) summary of what we did.
Nov. 19 (or maybe 20, I can't really remember)-
We started off by flying into Indianapolis, where we were able to see some of Daniel's family and I was able to start my MANY doctor appointments. (Which by the way, I am doing much better now. It turned out to just be a terrible eczema flair and after almost two months of steroids and some other treatments it seems to be in much better control.) We had such a great time catching up with some of our family/friends that we were able to see during the first week we were in Indy. I am so annoyed with myself looking back because we have no pictures since the batteries in our camera died on the trip over and I was too lazy to dig out the charger for them.
Nov. 27 Thanksgiving Day-
We made our trip over to Columbus to see my side of the family for a few weeks. Thanksgiving Day has always been one of my favorite days at my parents house. Ever since I can remember, my parents have gotten their moms and all their brothers and their families to come over to our house for lunch on Thanksgiving. Now that everyone is getting older it is harder for all my cousins to make it, but there are still a ton of people that come and I just have so much fun seeing everyone. This was the first year since I have been married that I have been able to be there, so I had a blast seeing everyone.
We did a bunch of random things during our time in Ohio, including a weekend where Daniel, his brothers, and his dad went on a weekend trip. JoAnn loved getting to see her grandparents for the first time since last Christmas when we were home. At first she was afraid of my dad, but warmed up to him quickly. I don't have many pictures from this time either, but I do have a few since I finally broke down and decided to charge the batteries for the camera.
While Daniel was gone, my mom and I went to Sam's Club (a novelty we do not get in the PI) and picked up a bunch of stuff to bring back with us to the PI and I think JoAnn was just as excited to play with the boxes as I was to go shopping in the States.
This picture is priceless to me. This is an old chair that my parents were given from my Grandma and it spins in circles, so JoAnn and Daniel started a new game of putting JoAnn in the chair and spinning it. It was so funny to watch her try to walk afterwards.
This is one of my oldest and best friends. She and I have known each other since we were babies and were totally inseperable growing up. Ever since starting college it has become more and more dificult to see each other on a regular basis, but I always try to catch up with Kristin while I am home for Christmas.
These are my parents. Got to love 'em.
Dec. 19-
Although my time in Ohio went by way too fast, I was excited to drive down to Charolette next and spent a weekend with a couple of our best friends from college. Matt and Britt are one of my favorite couples to hang out with because Daniel and Matt get along great and so do Britt and I. I also don't think anything is more entertaining than having the four of us play a game of cards. Daniel and Matt are always on a team together and trash talk/cheat the whole time, which always brings out the competitive side of Brittney and me. It makes for a fun time. JoAnn had a fun time although she was afraid of Matt. I think she started her "I am afraid of all men" stage while we have been home. I once again had the batteries in my camera die, so I don't have any pictures from this weekend either. Which makes me frustrated since Brittney was 9 months pregnant with their first baby and I don't have any pictures of her with her pregnant belly.
Dec. 15-
We drove back to Indianapolis and on the way stopped to have dinner with Daniel's sister Katy who goes to college at UK. It was nice to have a short break from the driving and it was good to meet a few of her friends. Going back to Indy was a lot of fun, but at the same time it was kind of dificult for me because this was my first ever Christmas that I wasn't going to spend with my family. Usually Daniel and I spend Christmas Eve and the morning of Christmas with my family and then drive over to Indy and spend the afternoon and evening with his family. This year we decided we didn't want to drive on Christmas day with JoAnn. So we ended up at the Bucher house which was full of family and helped distract me from the fact that I was not with mine. Both of Daniel's sisters came home from college and his brother came in from California. So on Christmas day all six kids along with the spouses/fiancee and childern were together at Daniel's parents house. I love that Daniel comes from a big family and there is never a dull moment when they get together. In total there are 17 of us now. Here are some pictures from that time at the Bucher's.
Four out of the five Bucher grandkids...
Each year the 6 kids and their spouses do a scavenger hunt on Christmas day that Daniel's parents put together. This year our family had gotten too big to fit into a car, so they got a limo to drive us around. How great is that! It is always my favorite part of the day.
Ok, there is much more, but I am tired of writing and it is time for JoAnn to get up from her nap, so I will talk about after Christmas later.
Nov. 19 (or maybe 20, I can't really remember)-
We started off by flying into Indianapolis, where we were able to see some of Daniel's family and I was able to start my MANY doctor appointments. (Which by the way, I am doing much better now. It turned out to just be a terrible eczema flair and after almost two months of steroids and some other treatments it seems to be in much better control.) We had such a great time catching up with some of our family/friends that we were able to see during the first week we were in Indy. I am so annoyed with myself looking back because we have no pictures since the batteries in our camera died on the trip over and I was too lazy to dig out the charger for them.
Nov. 27 Thanksgiving Day-
We made our trip over to Columbus to see my side of the family for a few weeks. Thanksgiving Day has always been one of my favorite days at my parents house. Ever since I can remember, my parents have gotten their moms and all their brothers and their families to come over to our house for lunch on Thanksgiving. Now that everyone is getting older it is harder for all my cousins to make it, but there are still a ton of people that come and I just have so much fun seeing everyone. This was the first year since I have been married that I have been able to be there, so I had a blast seeing everyone.
We did a bunch of random things during our time in Ohio, including a weekend where Daniel, his brothers, and his dad went on a weekend trip. JoAnn loved getting to see her grandparents for the first time since last Christmas when we were home. At first she was afraid of my dad, but warmed up to him quickly. I don't have many pictures from this time either, but I do have a few since I finally broke down and decided to charge the batteries for the camera.
While Daniel was gone, my mom and I went to Sam's Club (a novelty we do not get in the PI) and picked up a bunch of stuff to bring back with us to the PI and I think JoAnn was just as excited to play with the boxes as I was to go shopping in the States.
This picture is priceless to me. This is an old chair that my parents were given from my Grandma and it spins in circles, so JoAnn and Daniel started a new game of putting JoAnn in the chair and spinning it. It was so funny to watch her try to walk afterwards.
This is one of my oldest and best friends. She and I have known each other since we were babies and were totally inseperable growing up. Ever since starting college it has become more and more dificult to see each other on a regular basis, but I always try to catch up with Kristin while I am home for Christmas.
These are my parents. Got to love 'em.
Dec. 19-Although my time in Ohio went by way too fast, I was excited to drive down to Charolette next and spent a weekend with a couple of our best friends from college. Matt and Britt are one of my favorite couples to hang out with because Daniel and Matt get along great and so do Britt and I. I also don't think anything is more entertaining than having the four of us play a game of cards. Daniel and Matt are always on a team together and trash talk/cheat the whole time, which always brings out the competitive side of Brittney and me. It makes for a fun time. JoAnn had a fun time although she was afraid of Matt. I think she started her "I am afraid of all men" stage while we have been home. I once again had the batteries in my camera die, so I don't have any pictures from this weekend either. Which makes me frustrated since Brittney was 9 months pregnant with their first baby and I don't have any pictures of her with her pregnant belly.
Dec. 15-
We drove back to Indianapolis and on the way stopped to have dinner with Daniel's sister Katy who goes to college at UK. It was nice to have a short break from the driving and it was good to meet a few of her friends. Going back to Indy was a lot of fun, but at the same time it was kind of dificult for me because this was my first ever Christmas that I wasn't going to spend with my family. Usually Daniel and I spend Christmas Eve and the morning of Christmas with my family and then drive over to Indy and spend the afternoon and evening with his family. This year we decided we didn't want to drive on Christmas day with JoAnn. So we ended up at the Bucher house which was full of family and helped distract me from the fact that I was not with mine. Both of Daniel's sisters came home from college and his brother came in from California. So on Christmas day all six kids along with the spouses/fiancee and childern were together at Daniel's parents house. I love that Daniel comes from a big family and there is never a dull moment when they get together. In total there are 17 of us now. Here are some pictures from that time at the Bucher's.
Four out of the five Bucher grandkids...
Each year the 6 kids and their spouses do a scavenger hunt on Christmas day that Daniel's parents put together. This year our family had gotten too big to fit into a car, so they got a limo to drive us around. How great is that! It is always my favorite part of the day.
Ok, there is much more, but I am tired of writing and it is time for JoAnn to get up from her nap, so I will talk about after Christmas later.