Can you believe that 2021 is over? We finished the year off by cramming in as much fun as we could.
We kicked off the month by heading out of town for a swim meet. Both boys were swimming great and set several new personal bests when the weather decided that tornadoes might be in order. The meet officials shut it down and sent us all out to brave the storm. Thankfully, Nana and Papa and the rest of our crew all made it home safely. It was a bit of a hair raising adventure with high winds, hail, and torrential rain but our area of the state didn't suffer any lasting damage. Unfortunately, the eastern part of the state can't say the same. The landscape out there is now marred by the devastation left behind from a massive tornado. 13 tornadoes touched down in Arkansas that crazy night.
The next week brought an orthodontist appointment that Marie has been waiting over a year to go to. She finally got her braces off! She was super excited until they 'fitted' her for a retainer. Having stinky putty molded around her teeth not once or twice but three times was almost her undoing. Sensory issues compounded an already uncomfortable process. She was a trooper though and is enjoying her new freedom to eat anything.
The girls sang in church during our Happy Birthday Jesus celebration. Marie and Anna were part of a select group of girls to learn some extra parts and use the microphones. All the girls did great in front of a packed house for two services. The girls also attended a special Art Reach as part of an outreach ministry our church hosts. They enjoyed painting and making several different Christmas ornaments. Our children's ministry also had their annual family Christmas party. Jeff was a good sport to allow the kids to "decorate" him like a Christmas tree!
We had to try out something new this month. Our town put up a synthetic ice rink. It is basically a sheet of thick plastic that you skate on. It was a new challenge for everyone as you can't 'dig in' like you would on ice. After a while almost everyone got the hang of it. All agreed that skating on real ice is way more enjoyable!
The middle of the month brought an emergency hospital stay for Nana. Thankfully, after two procedures, she is home and recovering well from the world's largest kidney stone...well almost anyway. We are so thankful for modern medical care and for the quick action of our local hospitals.
December wouldn't be complete if we didn't ride the Creekmore Holiday Express. Thankfully, we had beautiful weather and the line went quickly. I will admit that it was a little bizarre to be riding the Christmas train and looking at the lights in 70 degree weather. We enjoyed our ride and then drove around looking at the various light shows around town. Some of the ones set to music are included in our favorites. There is also a house that has tons of miniature animals that are lit up around the yard that we love to look at each year. We also made sure to stop at Sonic for refreshments to enjoy as we drove around.
The week before Christmas saw us at Pinecrest Camp for our annual Rice Family Reunion. It was such a bummer this year that Jeff's brother Doug and his family ended up with COVID and couldn't come. Their absence was felt in so many ways. We still enjoyed time with the rest of the family. There are now so many little people that are younger then our kids. It is a strange feeling not to have the youngest kids anymore. This year we included a hike to the Glory Hole Waterfall in our festivities. The hike is a bit challenging but the Glory Hole is a truly amazing part of God's creation. Many enjoyed climbing up rock faces and challenging their bodies and gravity to do the impossible. It made my stomach tie up in knots but thankfully no one was seriously injured. We also played mini-golf, gaga ball, cards, games, carpetball and more. It wouldn't be Christmas without doing a gift exchange. So many fun ideas! There was lots of laughter, some tears, and tons of eating. We hope and pray that we will all be able to gather together next year.
After unpacking and washing the mountain of laundry, Jeff and the kids made cut out cookies. There were sprinkles and frosting everywhere but the cookies turned out great.
Finally, the morning the kids have been waiting for in eager anticipation - Christmas morning!! We finished our advent books, prayed together, opened gifts, and enjoyed a wonderful breakfast complete with home-made cinnamon rolls and a cherry streusel. Unfortunately, we were not able to be with the rest of our family because we had been exposed to COVID. Thankfully, we did not get sick and will have another shot at gathering with family on New Years Day.
As we wrapped up the year, we went bowling, frisbee golfing, and headed to the jump house. Whew!!! It has been a fast paced and exhausting month.
We are thankful for so many blessings but this month we are especially thankful for our family and for Jesus. Of all the gifts we could receive, our salvation is the most amazing, most humbling, and most thoughtful. To know that the best is yet to come brings a sense of eager anticipation for the wonderful blessing of an eternity spent with our Lord and Savior. May the New Year bring that same sense of anticipation to you and your loved ones.
Until next month...
