Christmas Day 2006

Another Christmas tradition has been spending Christmas day at Gail’s family’s house on Whidbey Island. Since Gail’s Dad was with us we all packed into the van and drove up Christmas morning and joined the rest of the Ostling tribe. Here is this year's tree:

Christmas 2006

Christmas Eve Concert

A Christmas tradition that started on Jack’s side of the family where on Christmas Eve all the kids played their instruments for a family concert. I don’t remember whose idea it was and whether or not the motive was just to keep those pesky kids engaged in productive behaviour leading into the holiday festivities; but it was fun and memorable for me as a child. This year Caleb (10) worked out the order of the performance and Emma (8) finger-typed it all into the computer (with Dad’s help) for the program. Mom & Dad even played a duet! The audience (Grandma Dot, Aunt Debbie, and Uncle Rich) even participated in the final number (Silent Night).

Neighborhood Caroling

A Christmas tradition that we’ve started since moving into our house is taking plates of cookies to our neighbors and signing Christmas carols. Gail whips up half a dozen different varieties of cookies (many from her favorite award winning website). This is a great way to say “hi” – fortunately we live in a small neighborhood – but it still takes a good portion of the evening. This year the kids pulled the wagon and wore either reindeer antlers or elves hats.

Christmas at the Brenchley’s 2006

This year marks a major Christmas decorating victory; only two glass Christmas tree decorations were shattered! Much better than previous years! But the outside icicle lights had whole sections burned out and we couldn’t find our bulb tester! So our house had less of a gingerbread appearance this year…picture something more like a Lite-Brite checkerboard! Anyway, here are some of the traditions we engaged in this Christmas:

Christmas cards & newsletter
Each year we try to have a Christmas newsletter just to let family and friends know that we are in fact really busy and that’s why we didn’t come over to visit and eat fruitcake. Anyway this year’s theme was the Incredibles so we had a picture and matching newsletter. See it here.
Gail’s Dad and Mrs. Thew arrive to spend the holiday with us though we don’t know if they really knew the Incredibles were so near!

The Brenchley's
Christmas 2006

Whistler Vacation

We just got back from a week-long vacation in Whistler, BC. We try to do something special for the kids’ birthdays and birthday #8 is earmarked as a destination vacation. Emma turned 8 on the 5th and things worked out for us to celebrate in Whistler. Here are some comments in the kids’ journals:

“We went to Whistler in Canada where there was lots of snow. Mom bought us a red sled and three ‘magic carpets’ (rectangle plastic sheets with cut out handles)! And boy were they fun! You could steer side ways and still keep going forwards (you could slide down the hill sideways all the way down unless you tuned back into position – you turn by leaning). Once we went to a park and there was a hill with a slide that went all the way to the bottom. So we sledded on it – it was like a ski jump!” [Caleb, age 10]

“My favorite part of the trip was ice skating, swimming, climbing, sledding and playing.” [Emma, the birthday girl]

Colin [age 6] drew pictures in his journal of sliding and sledding at Helicopter Park as well as the whirlpool at the Meadow Park Sports Centre pool.

Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving 2006 found the Brenchley's hosting friends and family; including Grandma Bev, Grandma Dot, Uncle Jack & Aunt Shirl, and our friends the Lobbs - Franklin, Joy, and Gabriella. This wasn't the 30+ number we have hosted in the past but a good time was had by all. Here is some art that Colin drew (recognize the infamous hand tracing?):

Art by Colin, age 6

Veteran's Day!

Today is Veteran’s Day in the U.S. Possibly an overlooked holiday since it always happens on the 11th and is not always a guaranteed three day weekend- though I don’t know if anything really shuts down anyway. Memorial Day celebrates those who have died in service while Veteran’s Day honors those who have simply served in the military. Like my father, Charles Edward Brenchley, who served in the Navy from 1948 to 1952 as a medical corpsman. He never saw action, even though this was during the height of the Korean War. He was a part of the Medical Reserve Supplement of the 13th Naval District Headquarters in Seattle, Washington. He told me that the only reason he wasn’t sent to Korea was because he could type. Dad passed away ten years ago, but I thank him for serving our Country and insisting that I take typing in Jr. High.

Charles Brenchley c.1948

Happy Birthday Gail!

Today is Gail's Birthday! She is (today's date * 11) on the 4th! The Ostling side of the family had a celebration for Sterling and Gail this evening - one of the gifts she got was a chocolate fondue fountain! (thanks Bruce and Rachel!) She was ecstatic! We can now say that chocolate will be truly flowing at our house! Even Cian, who is just 26 some months old, knows the word chocolate. Emma (7 going on 8) gave her mom a card this morning which said, "I love you even though you aren't dipped in chocolate." I think she had a premonition...

Gail at Goodbeach c.1965

All Saints Day!

Happy All Saints Day! At least in the U.S. it is overshadowed by Halloween the night before. At the Brenchley house we had nary one trick-or-treater the whole evening. Our house isn't that scary, but we do live on a private drive with no street lights or sidewalks - which may be deterents enough. Fine by us...

Scarborough Fair

Today is Double Tenth Day in the Republic of China – I just happened to hear that on the radio today. It is also the day in 1966 (a mere forty years ago) that Simon and Garfunkel released their Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme album. I remember singing Scarborough Fair in Elementary School (along with Don Gato) probably in ’68 or ’69. Even then it was pretty progressive – for folk rock! Our music teacher probably was a former hippie (or a closet hippie – whatever is the politically correct distinction now). She was pretty cool. Our School had these synthesizers that were amazing for the time – basically they were single boxes with knobs that you plug into a receptacle and had speakers. Our favorite was “white noise.” You had to orchestrate everything together in kind of a linear event. Now at our home we have a Yamaha keyboard with more styles and voices than we could have ever imagined! The advances of technology! Our teacher was also really into African drums – that was the first I ever heard congas and djembe. We even did an African drum and dance number at the school concert. I still love hand drums and even have a pair of congas which the kids also love to bang on. Gail and I really want to instill a love for music in our kids. Maybe that’s why Colin (6) kept playing the Beatle’s Yellow Submarine last night over and over on the iPOD. If we only had Scarborough Fair…

Kyle and Jungmin’s Wedding

This day marks the second day after Kyle and Jungmin’s official wedding ceremony. The pace really picked up Thursday evening, after Ray flew in from Florida for the event. Gail and Emma (7) picked him up, and all managed to stay awake well past bedtime, especially as the Ostling clan came over to greet Papa Ray.

With renting tuxes, buying roses for the cake, delivering software and cake cutting accessories, and making apple crisp for a combined family dinner, Friday simply flew by. Saturday meant rehearsal for Emma and Papa Ray – the only ones needing our help with transportation. The Ostlings arrived very late with a broken side window in their van. Something hit the window on the last stretch of freeway on the way to rehearsal.

The wedding was unique, as the ceremony was done by a Buddhist leader of Jungmin’s church. Following was a Korean ceremony, which involved bowing to one’s elders, offering them saki, and having them throw dates, chestnuts, and money at Jungmin. Kyle also got to give his bride, mother, and mother-in-law piggy back rides. We are not sure what this insight to Korean culture tells us!

In addition to the wedding activities, we had a logging load of wood delivered, so now Jack has decided on his hobby for the season. Chainsaw workout, with splits to follow. Caleb (10) is helping by hauling billets to the red barn with the tractor. The littles and middles use the cut logs to make playhouses.

Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day! We woke to an inch of snow, but clear roads, so Jack was at the office. Played outside even before breakfast of eggs and toast. Everyone enjoyed it, although Colin needs to remember mittens! Emma rolled giant snowballs, which were the only snow left by late afternoon.

Gwen came for make-up piano lessons, after which we went to her new “house” she will be occupying for Uncle Jack in Snohomish. The kids were awesome, with only one pot of dirt being upset twice on the rug by Cian. Caleb brought in our vacuum, and the issue was resolved. Almost all the curtains were rehung by the time we left.

Dot came for dinner, which was pancakes, beet soup, and fresh tuna salad. Rather odd, but colorful – and valentine brownies for dessert. Gail got Jack good with Frank Lobb delivering a balloon sculpture to Adobe in the morning, and mostly white Oh!Chocolate in the evening. 20 years since our engagement night!! If only the gazebo swing was still intact at Bothell Landing.

Okay, so maybe we have two little female finches. Ebb and Flow keep trying to add to the family, and Gail’s egg collection is growing. It’s a regular job to tip up their nest and dump the eggs out.

All but Emma stayed with Aunt Rachel today, while Emma and Mom went for a consultation visit with Dr. Rice, who will be pulling out one of her pre-molars. Something happened to it between x-rays in October and now – which is hard to appreciate, as we have been flossing, brushing and water pik-ing faithfully. No more tooth pulling for this family – Cian and Rilla have perfectly sound teeth, as do Caleb, Emma, and Colin.

Well it’s a new year! The Brenchley’s had an exciting Christmas! We figured that we had guests or visitors from December 15th though the 1st. It was great to see so many family and friends including Jack’s sister Deb and her new husband Rich as well as Gail’s dad and his wife and mother-in-law. We also extended Christmas over a number of days by doling out presents to the kids over a long period of time. I don’t know if we actually got to the twelve days of Christmas.

Almost all of Christmas is packed up now and ready to be hoisted back into the loft.

Ebb and Flow had babies very close to Christmas! We now have a male and female named Flotsam and Jetsam!

We’ve had 27 straight days of rain (or measurable rain). No one is stir-crazy yet – at least not more than normal.