December

Christmas Eve 

All the DeMaster grandkids

The happy grandparents

We're so cute

Roller skating pros

Queen Elsa dress

Family game of Twister

Washing dishes in the hotel bathtub- hotel living DeMaster style

Waterpark fun

DeMaster family watching the Packers game

Go Packers

Dallas really liked Stephen's present

Queen Elsa making appearances around Holland

Jongsma cousins

Isaac wrote- his gift to give is teaching people math so they can count more.  Julia wrote- she can read to her little brother.

Olliebollen for New Year's Day

In December, Stephanie was still in town for a couple weeks because of Mom's surgery.  Dad, Steph and I saw The Messiah performed at Calvin College.  Always a good Christmas season tradition.  

We finally finished our adoption paperwork and the dossier was sent to China!  It took about a year to get all the paperwork in order.  Now we wait to find out who our daughter is!

During Christmas break, Rebecca Peterson and I took our kids roller skating.  We left Kai and Stephen home with Nate.  The boys all ready knew how to skate.  Julia held my hand for a little bit, but then she did it by herself.  She had a great time.  

On Christmas Eve, our family opened gifts and pretended it was Christmas Day.  We had a relaxing morning and opened gifts.  We gave each child a toy, clothes and a book.  Caleb's toy was a new basketball.  Isaac's was a pogo stick and Julia got a makeup kit.  I can not remember the toy we gave Stephen!  The boys got Packers pajamas.  Julia received a Queen Elsa dress.  She was very excited!  That evening we went to Christmas Memorial church with the Jongsma family.  We went to Tim/Jenny's house for appetizers and opening gifts.  Nate worked Christmas Day, so I went to church with the kids and then went to Hastings for a couple days.  

On Dec 28th, we packed up the truck and drove to Ohio.  We stayed at a hotel/waterpark with Nate's family.  Everyone was there except for Pete.  The kids (and adults) loved the waterpark.  Meals were interesting.  Family units kind of did breakfast and lunch on their own.  Then we did supper all together.  The hotel rooms had a tiny "kitchen."  It was a counter with a microwave and mini fridge.  We brought a big roaster pan and electric griddle along with kitchen utensils.  We cooked soup and spaghetti before we left home and kept it in a cooler.  We then warmed the food up in the roaster.  And washed dishes in the bathtub.  I call it hotel camping, DeMaster style.  The stuff of memories. We opened gifts and just enjoyed spending time together.  We drove home on New Year's Eve day.  We were all exhausted and didn't even try to stay awake til midnight.  On New Year's Day I made olliebollen!  We kind of like keeping this Dutch New Year's tradition.  Besides, who doesn't like fried donuts?