008.December 24

We left for Wabasha at 08:15, stopping in Caledonia to pick up a pan in Rachel's childhood home and a recipe for rice pudding for our evening meal. We stopped at Target in Winona to get a few last minute presents. We picked up the keys at the Chocolate shop downtown, and headed off for the Captains Quarters room, right next to Slippery's Restaurant, which had just closed down a few days ago. While we decorated the room, we watched Grumpy Old Men on the TV through the PS3 that I brought along. We baked made a ham, rolls, and green been casserole.

Gayle dropped off a small silver christmas tree, and we decorated the beautiful thing off and on until Jacob arrived to finish it up. We had dinner and then our guests left to deliver papers for the next four hours. We watched Harry Potter 5 and 6. We played Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer Monopoly with Gayle when she arrived. When they were all back, we opened presents and had the rice pudding. We stayed up until 03:50 with Jacob mostly. He took the other room in the apartment, and Rachel and I woke tomorrow and opened the french door blind that looked out on the Mississippi.

2011

Rachel had 3 services to perform at today, and while she did so, I prepared our house for Lee, Jill and Lew to come for dinner with us. We had a lovely time with them, and then Rachel headed off for the 8pm service. It was sad not to be together with everyone all at once, but it was a lot easier. We made waffles and had all kinds of toppings for them. Although we thought it would be easier to accomplish, it probably left us with less time sitting together eating, but more time working together to get the food ready to eat.

2021