The night of Betty's kid's Christmas program (Fri Dec 7), I got to babysit David & Bethany - which was quite uneventful & relaxing (phew). After story time on the couch and supper we still had time for Bethany to finish this pretty plastic wreath that a couple of the other kids had started previously.

This is the next morning (Sat Dec 8) and after showing off her wreath to Oma, she ran up stairs and put on a fancy dress & black stockings and we rushed off to her first piano recital!

 

Here she is with Heidi at the church where Heidi organized a recital for all her piano students! Very nice! So neat to be able to go and hear the children play and see Heidi encouraging, coaching or accompanying them.

Kenny

 

Maria, Andrew & Daniel played also.  Great job everyone!

 

 

 

Christmas flower basket arranging with Oma

Thurs Dec 20, John dropped off Esther & Sarah at Sharon's while in the area for business so they could stay for the weekend - so nice! Great that Heidi, with her busy schedule, was also able to make it for the morning - nice to have some time with the teens before the little girls came (oops, Esther's not so little anymore!) Here we are hanging out in my livingroom after lunch.

 

 

After supper, just as the snow began to fall in huge fluffy flakes, the girls went out, candle & flashlight in hand, to fill the air with their sweet melodious "Glor-o-ria, in Excelis Deo, Glor-o-o-ria, in Excelsis De-eo".... One delighted neighbour asked if we had ordered the snow just for this (it hadn't really snowed yet this winter!)

RTH, visits November

Roy Thompson Hall concert, still a big thing for Dad & Mom preparing for it and singing - especially with a great number of their kids & grandkids in the audience! It took a lot of arranging and shuffling of kids to get everyone there!  The day after, Sat, they all converged on our place to get kids back to their rightful owners
and to help puppy-proof the back side fence. 

 

Lisa & oldest 2 girls, who were back for the concert also came for lunch. So nice to see them again!

 

 

While they were at the concert, I babysat "2 lil' giwls"  - quite exciting complete with getting to see a real firetruck - with the lights flashing!  "Pwetty cool!"

 

 

Birthday visit to Maurice &Rachel's


Jimmy & Willy

Cutie Marike 

Aww...

Joe

 

Storing apples for the winter

Tia sniffing out the bad apples ;)

 

 

Dad & Mom are Singing Again

Dad and Mom have had an exciting and busy couple months going to rehearsals and concerts - made more exciting and fun for them because they've been taking their eldest granddaughter along - and 3 VanD brothers!

Yes, Praise the Lord OCMA choir directed by Leendert Kooij is back! In a new, downsized form and with a new vocal quartet!

This is a renown panflutist, Lisolette, from Holland - who was showing Bethany strange instrument during intermission.

Ask Dad or Mom for your CDs of this beautiful concert which also feature a trumpeter, Scott Harrison.

Lisolette Rokyta also has CDs of her own concert tour with Andre Knevel.
WOW!

So you can imagine what music is filling our home this Christmas!