And It Came to Pass

In spite of fog in Salt Lake, snow in Philadelphia, ruined suit cases, canceled flights, and a sick little Jane we made it back home after a WONDERFUL Christmas in Utah. Actually, things worked out remarkable well considering all the complications. Josh ended up arriving in Philly before we did so he was able to turn up the heat in our house and pick us up at the airport. Hopefully the memories of Christmas feasts, sledding, late night games, family parties, and cousin fest should be enough to get us through our LAST semester at Wharton.

Did you catch that? OUR LAST SEMESTER! It is now statistically impossible for Josh to fail out of school. Not that that was ever a threat, but it’s nice to know that it can’t happen anyway. We love Philadelphia and Josh has really enjoyed his MBA program, but it is comforting to know that we won’t have to live on student loans forever.

Josh went to San Francisco last week to take a class. It was a workshop style course on developing web based business ideas. Josh’s idea made it all the way through the final round so he ended up managing a team of eight to develop his own idea. The schedule was intense, but he was pretty excited about the experience.

Thank you to all of you who fed us, hosted us, played with us, put up with us, entertained us, and laughed with us. I can’t tell you what a blessing it was to be home for the Holidays. We love you all!

Quote time!

As we were driving to the airport for the second attempt at flying home Kate said, “I wish we were going to Roosevelt. I NEED some Gracey time!” (Grace is Kate’s closest cousin in age.)

Jane came wandering through the house one day in her Cinderella dress with a lost look on her face. When I asked her if she wanted anything she said, “I need a prince.” I directed her to her dad and they spent the next several minutes dancing together in the living room.

As the youngest child many of my fine works of art from elementary school have been preserved. One of the finest is a reindeer piñata which I made in 4^th grade. I still remember making it with the help of my mom, glueing brown grocery bags on either side of poster board, drawing antlers and cutting them out. I was very proud of my reindeer piñata. Twenty-one years later, it is still a prominent Christmas decoration at my parents house. My jealous, fine art illiterate siblings named him the Christmas Moose because they say he looks more like a moose than a reindeer, or did when he looked like much at all. They threaten each year to trash my beloved piñata, but my Mom stands up for him and so he survives. This year, Sadie, my three-year-old niece, came wandering into the kitchen and said, “When do we get to break the piñata?” The horror! Then when my bratty older brother, attempting to prove the irrelevance of my art, asked, “Sadie, what is it?,” she immediately responded, a reindeer! Vindicated by a three-year-old art enthusiast. The Christmas Moose survived another year.

Finally, a conversation Kate and Jane had in the car the other day:

Jane: I’m going to be Cinderella when I grow up.

Kate: What?!

And wear a dress all the time!

Ridiclious! (I love the way she says that.)

slight pause, thinking, then speaking with authority

Jane, you would have to be Belle because you have brown hair.

Jane: No! I’m going to be Cinderella.

Kate: What if I make you a pouffy yellow dress?

Jane: Oh, thank you.

getting excited

And a yellow head band and yellow shoes?

Kate: And some yellow gloves!

We arrive home so the conversation ends.

A few minutes later the topic is carried on in a conversation between Jane and myself.

Jane: I’m going to be Belle when I grow up.

Mom, do you want to be Cinderella?

Me: Sure.

Jane: Okay, when we grow up we’ll be princesses.

pause, while she turns to look me up and down

You are growed up!

You can be a princess now! . . . .

if you wear a dress.

I love the princess phase!

Here is to a very successful Christmas vacation!