Wow, sweet bloggers - THANK YOU! I did not catch the orb in our family Christmas Morning picture. I'm so glad a few of you pointed it out to me, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I'm sure it's a bit of dust on my camera lens, but it gives me great comfort as I tell myself Christi "flew in" to celebrate Jesus's birth with us!

We did donate to "Upper's Winter Fantasy of Lights" again this year in Christi's memory. We will not be making it over to Upper Sandusky to see the light display this year, but I've heard it's lovely. Please make a trip if you can! Christi LOVED going there and seeing the gorgeous light display.

I didn't realize that I created a blog entry for Shayla's choir concert and then never published it so I will do that here today. We are having a FABULOUS week! Praise be to God! I've been very productive in terms of work - writing, preparing for my spring courses, my annual review, submitting some conference proposals, and reading. I was also able to visit my grandma in the nursing home yesterday. Shayla's having a fabulous week. She's had many friends over, gone shopping, seen Gulliver's Travels, gone ice skating and to the YMCA, and done some baking and scrapbooking, and finished up a school research project on her future desired career - a free lance writer. She's really looking forward to Friday night - I'm not sure I'm ready! I will update after all of that hoopla!



The sixth graders sing four songs at the middle school concert.






Close up shot of Shay Shay, blurry, but that's what I get when taking photos in a gym.







One of Shayla's ocarinas. She played this one for the group gathered with an 8th grade partner.







Shayla loved being with the older kids and participating in this incredible art program. She was thrilled to learn because she was identified, she will get to participate next year - and they may make jewelry, cool!