Home for Christmas - in Missouri

Happy New Year!

As you all know, we were blessed to be able to go back to the states for Christmas and spend time with family. That all sounds very calm and tranquil, but in reality, there was mostly noise, activity, children crying and throwing themselves on the floor at various points, and ice storms (at least in Missouri). It was wonderful. So here are some pictures, most of which are self-explanatory. We should point out, however, that the first picture is from our way out--taken in the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, which had a fantastic Lego display. Notice that it's a Lego display with a message, i.e. windmills are awesome!

. . .and here are the children, all bundled up in their winter gear. For Alex (in the pink hat), this was her first time in snow, ever. We were determined to make it memorable for her. . .and tried to ensure as much physical contact with cold wetness as possible. When she came in from her first time sledding, she declared that she was never playing in the snow again. It may not come as a surprise that the next day, she was outside.

But of course not all the children went outside. Some stayed inside, placidly observing their surroundings (see Caleb), eating wooden spoons (see Jack), or picking out fine dishware (see Katie).

And here are some more pictures of family 'together-ness'!

Along with the rest of of us, John has long been a fan of Steph's Christmas village. So here, immortalized on this blog, is a glimpse of what the Walters kids get to look at every day during the Christmas season. If I were their age, I'd have my nose pressed to the plexiglas whenever I could manage it.

In honor of his hard-working lifestyle, John and I got Ryan a remote-controlled Fiat for Christmas. He seemed to enjoy it, although we were disappointed not to see him rolling around on the floor in sheer enjoyment like Seth, or practicing his own little hop-step like Katie.

And finally, the family's new furry addition, Dexter, who is the most difficult of the family members to see in the snow. But when we did find him, he looked very happy!

That's it for the Missouri Christmas. We'll soon put on pictures of our Texas Christmas and then stay tuned for our explosive Italian New Years!