Celebrating the holidays despite Covid

Happy holidays, everyone!  What a weird celebration it has been.  We are closer as a family, having somewhat successfully navigated the rough waters of 2020.  But we had a Christmas without friends and family for the most part, and that was tough.

A rare picture of the whole crew!  Grandma made fleece PJs for her entire extended family, so we showed them off during a socially distanced moment with her. 

Still had a bounty of gifts under the tree.  And yes, the boys still have to endure a color-coded Christmas, but it is a perfect way to keep the gifts straight, right?  

We helped keep a secret gift for our next door neighbors.  One of their adult children mailed them a gas grill, and Conner suggested that we assemble it instead of putting a bow on the box.  It was a two hour project!  But a really fun way to add holiday happiness for Keith and Deborah.

Carson had some assembly work of his own to do, having received a workout bench for the new basement exercise room. He is working out every day over the holidays, and running despite the weather.

This doesn’t look like a fishing picture, but it is.  Conner has begun bringing home his catches more often, and is getting really good at fileting and cooking.  The cats are keen on watching the process.

Although we spent precious little time with the extended family, Carson and Dad got to spend an enjoyable afternoon chopping and splitting logs for Grandpa.  Carson enjoyed it so much that he has been pricing lumberjack tools despite our lack of need for such implements...

A holiday event that was special for Grandma and Dad was watching a streamed KC Opera production of Amahl and the Night Visitors.  It was done with the Mesner Puppets and a socially distanced cast and symphony.  Beautiful performance, conjuring memories of when Dad did the show in 1983 with his father.