Other events

I was asked to be the women's basketball team's first honorary coach of the season.  I loved it!  The team was down by 15 in the first half, so I stepped right in, gave a few ideas (I had many ideas because I am married to Steven, who always has suggestions for how players can improve, trust me), and guess what?!  The team won in the last few minutes of the game.  Next time I'll charge a consulting fee.  I assume you didn't really believe me that I gave suggestions, and you should not have, but the rest is true - Steven always has excellent suggestions and the team did come back from 15 down to win. 

Our family was asked to light the Hope candle during GC's Hanging of the Green ceremony this year.  It's a long-standing tradition, involving musical organizations singing carols and leading the audience of about 800 in song.  There is a sermon.  There are four Bible passages, which are read by a staff member, the president, and two faculty, who each light the corresponding candle.  Elizabeth and Michael read the passage related to hope - they did such a beautiful job.  I was so proud of them (as always).  Several students later remarked how they could not believe their poise and lack of nervousness.  Because the Chapel is completely dark except for the stage, I don't think they realized just how many people were present.  The event definitely got us thinking about the upcoming holiday season.

Elizabeth

 As the semester ends, E&M (well, just E - how lucky M is to still be in elementary school, or so insists E) have lots of school projects and I am in the middle of finals.  One extra credit project E is working on involves mummifying a chicken over a 5-week period.  It's been spectacular fun to drain the rotting chicken and fill it up with salt each week after weighing it.  Elizabeth puts a chip clip on her nose each week, so only I must suffer the decaying dead chicken aroma.   

On a more pleasant note, E and I continued our yearly tradition of going to the Lexington Ballet's production of The Nutcracker.  I love it, she loves it, and we are beginning to remember ballerinas from one year to the next, which roles they played, and how long they've been with the troupe.  If we could watch the Sugar Plum Fairy's dance each day, we would.  Less so the Chinese dance; we don't like those pointy fingers.

Michael

Michael's class recently had a pioneer-themed choir concert.  The kids were supposed to dress up as settlers, pilgrims, farmers, etc.  Because there were no pioneers who dressed in Nike shirts and sweatpants, the pickings were slim for Michael's costume.  It was fortunate he was in the back, where few noticed his dressy blue shirt that we convinced him was appropriate for a farmer.  He did a wonderful job singing and refraining from giggling.  Whew! 

Last weekend Michael competed in a basketball tournament in Somerset.  They were undefeated (4-0) until the championship game, during which they lost to a team they had soundly defeated the night before.  I don’t think the team minded too much, though, because they got large trophies for coming in second.  Michael and I had a grand time spending the night at the hotel and completing major shopping in between games (yes, Michael had a grand time shopping - mostly because his teammates came along). 

Thanksgiving

 We had our first Thanksgiving meal with Mom on the real Thanksgiving Day.  We ate at the golf course's restaurant.  That evening we played games and ate some more and waited for Mom to wake up from her nap.  She spent the night and checked out our new Kroger the next morning.  She left right around the time we left for our second Thanksgiving celebration.

Meal II was at the Huffs, where we had a huuuuge meal.  The best part was we only had to bring apple pies!  Angie is quite the chef.  There were a couple of new faces around the buffet table this year - both Austin and Matthew's girlfriends joined us, although Matthew and his girlfriend mostly slept on the couch because they are such dedicated GC students and had been up so late the night before studying (or so they told us; Steven thinks the fact they did Black Friday shopping is actually the primary cause).  As always, Zoe and Niki were welcome in Shelbyville - you will correctly guess which relative they liked most if you look at the photos.  Angie, Elizabeth, and Michael took them on walks, and they always love chasing the Huffs' two dogs around their large yard (well, Zoe does; Niki oscillates between excitement and fear; the dogs are two to three times her size).