Grandma Donie's Christmas Letter mosaic

At Julie's Yoga class, some Tibetan Monks making a sand mandala

when we went to visit, they had been working on it for a day and a half

first they draw the design, and then they use special funnels to place the sand

there are bumps on the funnel and they rub a metal stick over the bumps to make the sand flow

here's a nice overhead shot - I hope we get to go back and see it finished - after sitting for a day, they destroy it

Jordan playing with the china that originally belonged to her Great-Grandma Mendell

Jada at tea-time

the real tea pot

an outing to the tree farm to get a Christmas Tree

Jordan cookin' up some marshmallows

Jordan saying hello to the donkeys

Julie cut down the tree

Whew! That's hard work - and Jada didn't get crushed by the falling tree this year

waiting for the tractor to come get us

building a nest with grass

a beautiful day out on the tree farm

girls in the nest

expanding the nest

Flap little birdies!

the nest starts to morph into a beaver lodge

hard to get two big beavers into such a little lodge

riding back with the tree

the kind of house Julie and I would like to build

Jordan holding on to the tree so it doesn't fall off again

making more marshmallows

Jordan ain't afraid of no goats!

goat

goats butting heads

the goats got a-hold of the whole bag

back home, decorating the tree

the girls both helped a lot this year

Jordan, Jada, and Papa making biscuits

all making biscuits

Jada wearing Mama's glasses

Jordan sleeping on Jada

such little cuties

Jordan and Jada in front of the house with lights

Our house, full view

Visiting the lights on West 37th Street - a strange creature

She had mints in her tray

A nice overview of west 37th Street

That is a waterfall coming down the roof

There were fish and ducks in the 'river'

Jordan checking out the fishing pole by the river

a stuffed person up the ladder

Nice house and the owners out on the porch

smiley face

lights covering the front of this house

a lady pretending to be an angel statue

She thanked Jada after Jada gave her some money - Jada was a little scared, but she went up anyway

Girls snuggling in the wagon

a bush shaped like a car

nice headlights

the UFO house

Jack sitting in Santa's chair

Jack tied Barney to the tracks! Oh No!

Great big ball of lights on a rope

lights a' spinnin'

everyone liked playing with the ball and watching it

under the ball

Jordan watching the ball spin above her

Jada about to leap from a log

lit up motorcycle

It starts as a mountain

but every 3 minutes it erupts into A VOLCANO!

another view of the volcano

'Cloudy, with a chance of snowballs'

Snowmen in an oven

Kids and Grandkids

Christmas Eve - Jordan drinking 'apple champagne'

Great Grandma Van Horn hand sewed these lovely skirts and vests for Jordan and Jada

Jordan in full spin mode!

Jada spinning

Jordan spinning like a Donie (with her tongue out)

Jada got a new bunny from her great Aunt Deborah

Pecan pie made by Jordan and Papa and Mama, with pecans from the next door neighbors

Christmas morning!

Don't forget to open the stockings

Jada reaching into her stocking

DEEP into her stocking!

Jada opening a game

Jordan helping Grandma open something

Aha! Pictures of the girls

Jada trying on a ribbon

Jordan got a crochet kit

Jada digging into a big one

Checkers from Uncle Scott

Scott gave Julie a New York Fire Department T Shirt

Jada checking out the dinosaur cookie cutters

Mama opening something big for the girls

The girls at least like the box

Cool! Marble rolling blocks

Grandpa and Uncle Scott checking out the marble rolling toy

Jordan got a little book of Hand Shadows - this is Scott doing an alligator

(What are you doing to that plant stand!) - Grandpa does his exercises while Jada plays in the sandbox

a necklace with her name on it

Christmas ornaments

Jada got a snowglobe too

plastic animals

Jada hanging her ornament on the tree

Great Grandma Donie and the girls

Jada got a horse and would NOT let go

Julie gets her calendar

Great Grandma and Jada

Great Grandma and Jada

the girls get their first Barbies

Jada got a farm

this was a biggie - Grandma D made dress up stuff for the girls

Jordan got undressed immediately -

and put it all on

Now fully outfitted, cape and wand and everything

playing with the farm

Jada shows Great Grandma her horse

Julie looks happy

raising the magic wands - POOF!

Jordan and her Leap Pad

studying the Barbies

cat socks and high heels

Barbie's chillin' wit' the dog

Uncle Scott took this one

wake up Uncle Scott!

beating on Uncle Scott with blades of grass

Ninja sock-master!

Christmas letter photo of Anders, who is the same age as Jordan - son of Annie and Erika, friends in Seattle

Christmas Halloween photo of Bevin, Paloma, Coleman and Zoltan Farkas, Seattle

Steve's Aunt Deborah and Uncle Elliott

Jada in her new Clifford Jammies

pretending to be a sad puppy

happy puppy!