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| December 2004 |
Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a fun, fabulous and bumpy, busy month! Some activities:
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O Christmas Tree |
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We bought this artifical Christmas tree when we came to Alaska in 1995 and have used it every year except last year, when we didn't put a tree up at all.
In previous years the tree was in the living room, but it is full of sewing machines and fabric these days, so there was no space. We have also set it up in the Den before, but that was inconvienent this year the way the furniture is all arranged.
This year we ditched all the mini-lights and used old fashioned "real" bulbs, and we are all delighted with it!
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This year our tree is in our shared office. Presumeably that is so Marzipan won't eat it, but actually there isn't ROOM anywhere else. At any rate it helped clear out the office! (some) There is still plenty to be organized in there, and bound to be some junk we can purge, but not right now... It's CHRISTMAS!
The girls did most of the decorating, but Bill put on his 2004 Airplane ornament (Hallmark) and Billy put on the Snoopy Ornament from 1983, which is a traditional fight over who gets to do it... but when he's home, it's his job. |
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More Snow Angel Fun
December 23 it was colder (5F) and windy. Annie braved it anyway and set out to clear off the trampoline. She made it there and got it partly done, but it was too big a job for one girl!
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Emily was busy on December 23, attending Dance Arts Academy's Christmas Dance & Craft Camp. Her age group performed a middle-eastern style dance to "We Three Kings of Orient Are." The pictures didn't turn out great but you're welcome totake a peek! |
Playing in the Snow
December 22 the weather warmed up into the 20's, so Bill and Marzipan played with the ball in the back yard. He doesn't have any snow boots so he put trashbags on over his tennis shoes. Needless to say that was a bit slippery. To view more pictures of Bill and the dogs playing click the picture.
Living Christmas Tree
Emily sang with the "Living Christmas Tree" at North Pole High School on December 17, 18 and 19.
NPHS Winter Concert
Emily was in the Concert Choir at North Pole High School. Their Winter Concert on December 9 was really nice.
Welcome, Sgt. Dourte!
 
December 7, Annie and Deb drove to Anchorage to pick Sgt. Bill up at 0820 on December 8. He hit the ground running and started shopping. December 9, we left Anchorage early in the morning and made back to North Pole in time to attend the NPHS Winter Choir Concert at 7pm.
The Christmas Angel
Emily was in the Corp de Ballet at Dance Theater Fairbanks production of The Christmas Angel in Fairbanks on December 2, 3 and in Healy on December 11. As a "helper-mom" I wasn’t really all that much help, the girls are very professional and all simply beautiful.
On Friday the dancers performed twice for elementary school students, which was a kick. The little kids ooh-ed and ahh-ed and shrieked and giggled in all the right places, which really energized the cast. The cast ranged in age from 5 to 65, men who had never before put on a dance slipper and dancers with more than 15 years of instruction. Amazing!
The Friday opening night performance was lovely, and it felt good to get home before 10 pm for a change. (Rehearsals and errands kept us out late on Wednesday and Thursday nights.)
Saturday's matinee went great, and DTF provided pizza for us between then and the 7 pm performance.
Saturday night was magical. Very worth all the time and effort they'd put into it! I wish you could have seen it, it wasn't all fluffy dancing. There was a bit of comedy, drama and romance, too. Very well done!
We have an absolutely outrageous "Wish List" this Christmas. It's totally unlike other years, in my opinion... I mean for actual STUFF, not for peace on earth and the REALLY important things...
The fun part is coordinating all of our work, family events and church schedules.
1 Dec. Arrive home from Sitka (very late, the 2nd actually)
3 Dec. Fly for Diocese
4 Dec. "Christmas Angel" Performance (Ballet, Emily)
5 Dec. Fly for Diocese
6 Dec. Fly for Diocese
7 Dec. Bishop of Fairbanks Christmas Dinner
8 Dec. Fly for Diocese
8 Dec. Bill IV Arrives in Anchorage from Japan
9 Dec. Fly for Diocese
9 Dec. Emily: NPHS Christmas Choir Concert
10 Dec. Attend Christmas Dinner with Friends
11 Dec. Christmas Angel performance: Healy
17 Dec. Valerie Therrien Open House
17, 18, 19 Dec. Living Christmas Tree
18 Dec. Family Portraits at Nelson's Photography (cancelled)
23 Dec. Emily, Dance Camp - (Party that night)
24 Dec. Christmas Eve, Deb off Work until Jan 4
25 Dec. Christmas Day
31 Dec. New Year's Eve
Guardian Flight Greetings
Bill didn't get to be in the Guardian Flight Christmas Picture because he was in Sitka when they took it.
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Contact
the Birch Grove: E-Mail
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Welcome
Today is:
E-Mail
December Highlights
Our Christmas Tree
More Snow Angel Fun
Mom's Snow Angels
Living Christmas Tree
NPHS Winter Concert
The Christmas Angel
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