December Holiday

After Thanksgiving, school resumed on December 1st. During the next few weeks before Christmas vacation started, we saw some snowfall that lasted several days. It came down lightly, slow and steady that accumulated only a few inches. It lingered for almost a week before the drizzly rains came and washed it away just before Christmas. It's a good thing we took pictures to remember the pretty scenery.

We came out one evening to discover the sun setting behind the trees. We saw the pink colors of the sky and snapped this picture. There are woods all around our post with pathways for hiking and/or biking riding. Many people hike or bike in the woods.

During December, I helped out with the PTA Holiday gift shop or

Secret Santa shop as some people would know it. I helped the kids wrap their treasures for their families. Some kids bought 8 to 10 items for us to wrap!! In the meantime, Becca was preparing with her choir to sing in the school's choir Christmas programm. They had 9 songs prepared!! Some were old German folksongs. Very sweet. They sang the chipmunck Christmas song, It's Snowing, Winter Fun and Jingle Bells. One German song was called O Wie Wo and one about St. Nicklaus. Joanna's class and others also sang for the Christmas holiday concert.

I had an opportunity to travel to the local Christmas markets, called Weinachten Markts with some friends from church at one point. Before that we went as a family to another one in Esslingen. This one with the church group went to the Stuttgart Christmas market that started in early December and ended on the 22nd. Here are some pictures of that market. Each stand was decorated on the rooftop with some very elaborate decor, including stuffed real life looking critters and greenery all around. Very awesome.

Here is another picture of the Weinachten Markts. I was able to find some German made ornaments from the markets for my Christmas tree.

I was so happy when the last day of school came. My favorite thing to do is sleep in. We had a week before Christmas to take it easy and finish our shopping. Here is my Christmas tree that I'm so fond of. I am missing our yearly ornament making party this year. I hope to send out homemade ornaments next year.

This is us after coming home from church the Sunday before Christmas. It was a great Sacrament meeting that we shared with our German friends from the Stuttgart ward. It was two hours long and then we went home. Our choirs sang and there was a quartet of horns that played which was very different for church. What a great experience. There was one English speaker and one German speaker from the high council and both speakers had interpreters along side them. I am slowly getting to know a little German, especially that way.

Don't forget to click on the picture if you want to see it close up.

One of the neatest things I did this holiday season was have a puzzle picture of Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs framed by the craft store people here on post. I have it hanging in my dining room above the dining table so we can look at it everyday. Joanna and I put the puzzle together. For us, this is awesome!!

This has been our December holiday month. Stay tuned for more

family blog from the Jensens. Oh, don't pay attention to the date

on the pictures: the date is off. That's what happens when you change the batteries on the camera and you don't reset the date!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY