Good to be home

Do you know that nobody dusted off my computer in five months?!

But there are lots of good surprises. Daddy is back to working on the house, despite still-healing ribs, and has fixed up a walkman as a kitchen radio for Mommy. No matter what she says on her blog, Mommy has a very successful diet. Ardith is riding down to Oklahoma for our cousin's wedding with us in the 15-passenger. On opening my long-unused Intergate mail account, I discovered an email from Jason. Kendra found a brownie recipe that is similar to the cheap off-brand mix and that we all like. Derek is nearly as tall as Jason. Kendra and Melinda have taken over the breadmaking. Carolyn and Ethan helped clean out the breezeway, upgrading it to 'walkable' status. Ethan has a very handsome non-flattop haircut. Nolan can pick out Christmas tunes on the piano and recite word-for-word whole strips of Peanuts comics.
Trevor has outgrown naps but not cuteness.

Is that everyone?...

Tonight on the way to prayermeeting we counted farms and houses with Christmas tree lights: Melinda, Nolan and Trevor on the left, and Carolyn, Ethan and I on the right. On the way home we played a game that Carolyn thought up. Each person had to think of a word that probably no one else would know, and everyone else had to guess the meaning. Carolyn's word was rax. None of us could guess it, though Trevor made a valiant effort, once we knew that hands, arms, and stretching were likely involved (after multiple hints): "When you stretch out two hands and do a backflip."

...Oh, I forgot me. Yesterday I went to bed at 9:30 p.m. and tonight 10:30 already feels very late.

So goodnight, everyone... here's how we say goodnight in our house:

Goodnight,
Sleep tight,
Pleasant dreams,
I love you!