Christmas and New Year 2008 - 2009

A Tower of Offspring

I am always a little horrified when Christmas and New Year’s pass away and we are really in a new year and sliding towards the next Christmas and ultimately, death. Our Christmas was wonderful and we had a slew or a passel of people in the house, fourteen to be exact. People slept in rafters and on floors. We may never actually know the food costs. There were objects from dog toys, blocks, dolls, babies and pooches to trip or step on at every turn. What a joy! I enjoyed all of them. I cannot put a price on my family and the true joy that they bring to me.

The Hasler Clan

Glenn, Jenae and Olivia arrived before I got home from Peru and Olivia made regular runs down the hall calling, “Papa” and looking for the funny bald man. She greeted me with fantastic joy practically every morning. When William and Lacey arrived, Ben looked over the airport and 11:30 a day before Christmas Eve. Spotting me, he ran to my arms and hugged me and said, “I finded you Papa.” They also brought our newest grandchild addition, Clara Lynn and what a soothing bundle of chunky healthy joy that little girl is. It was our first Christmas with Isaac and we had a great time getting to know him and playing Guitar Hero. He and Maria brought their dog Greta who does not let anyone very near and gets really tense if you snuggle her but she lets me. Julie’s dad came to spend his first Christmas without mom and so worked on his adjustment in this maelstrom of progeny.

Clara Lynn

We had the usual excessive Christmas and ate too much and exercised too little, got and gave guns and bows and arrows plus assorted kitchen items and so on and so forth but this Christmas was really about family time together. We really spent little time watching movies but spent time listening to music, playing games, talking, shooting bows and arrows and so forth. Though it may sound boring, it was wonderful.

Olivia

Most of all it was the babies. I could not have ever imagined that a stage of life could have surpassed parenthood in terms of real fun but nothing prepared me for grandparenthood. What a gas!

Ben