Ahhhh…and so it’s over!  Just like that (snap!) Christmas has come and gone…the kids are busy playing, Rolf is back in the kitchen making progress on the remodel project and I’m procrastinating on the pile of laundry and dishes that need to be washed.

Ours was a unique Christmas but when all was said and done last night, all agreed it was AWESOME!  Santa knew our Christmas day would be a bit full with church in the am and the annual Turkey Bowling competition at the rescue mission in the afternoon and was kind enough to drop off our gifts on Christmas Eve so we could have a relaxed celebration that evening.  Rudy had no idea what was going on but literally beamed with joy watching the big kids in all their excitement.  All the excitement ended up being too much and Rudy fell asleep before he opened his gifts! Ha

We were awakened at 3am by the annoying (but very helpful) alarm on Rudy’s oxygen concentrator when the power went out.  Thinking it would be a short outage, Rolf got Rudy hooked up to his portable oxygen tanks and the little monkey slept soundly through it all.  We were surprised to wake the next morning to a very cold house and still no electricity.  As it turned out, there was a car accident that took out a transformer in our neighborhood and it was going to take several more hours to get electricity back to 250 homes in the area.  Thanks to the Lawlers, Rolf got his morning coffee and we got ourselves ready for church.  Things warmed up comfortably by mid-morning and we were blessed with yet another gorgeous sunny day!

With no electricity and no donut table at church, our first order of business after church was to find food.  The only place open in our neighborhood was Carl’s Jr so (surprise, surprise!) the Geylings had fast food for lunch!  The big kids were willing to make the most of it until they realized they couldn’t play with the majority of there new Christmas gifts when we got home because most everything required electricity!!!  🙂  Aw, bummer!!  The afternoon was a bit disappointing for everyone but just as we were loading up the car to head to the rescue mission (and, coincidentally, after the kids took Christmas cookies to the Edison workers with our neighbor Jannele) the electricity came back on! Yeah!  The kids would have preferred to stay home at this point but we promised they’d have full access to all their electricity-powered fun as soon as we got home…and so we were off!

Rolf established the Christmas Day Turkey Bowling tradition at the rescue mission a few years ago and it has garnered quite a reputation.  This year’s edition sure lived up to that reputation…you gotta see it to believe it…

And so it was…an unconventional Christmas but a memorable one.  We trust yours was too (memorable, that is) and that this next week between holidays will be filled with more holiday fun.  Bless you friends!

Oh, the Christmas season is flying by much too fast!!!  The final countdown to the big day is on and we have a weekend full of special activities at the Rescue Mission and church ahead.  Today is the feast and gift distribution for the homeless guests at the Rescue Mission, tomorrow our family will enjoy a morning celebration with the residents at the Bethel House and a sweet candlelit Christmas Eve service at church in the evening and then our Christmas day will include church again in the a.m. & the annual “President’s Turkey Bowl” with the men’s program residents in the afternoon!!!  Oh yeah, and we’ll manage to squeeze in some gift opening  at some point.  Ha Ha

It has been a fun couple of weeks filled with all kinds of sweet moments…

Rudy’s enjoying his Christmas break, but even though there’s no school or CCS sessions, that doesn’t mean he isn’t getting any therapy.  Big brothers have their own regimen they put him through.  Last night, Rolf and Wilson were working on a project in the garage and Rudy scooted all the way down the hallway to investigate until the only thing between him and joining in was the little step down.  He’s always been content to perch there and watch, but he sure wanted to join in the fun.  Big brother devised his own therapeutic approach complete with incentives and rewards:

Yup, he’s pretty proud of himself.  Just wait until he figures out all he can do with those little bird legs. Today the garage step, tomorrow the roof jump!

Oh my, two weeks+ have passed since Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve is exactly two weeks from tonight!  As is to be expected this time of year, each day is filled to the brim and the season is racing by.  The Wednesday after Thanksgiving, Olivia and I flew to Kansas to help my mom celebrate her 80th birthday on December 1st.  Rolf’s mom flew in from Alabama the same day to help take care of Rudy in my absence and it worked out for Livy and I to give her a quick hug in the airport as she arrived and we departed!  Ha Ha  Olivia and I had a wonderful long “girls” weekend with Grandma Jo doing and eating whatever we wanted!  The rest of the family had a marathon weekend with Wilson’s Jazz performance at school and marching band gig in the Santa Barbara Holiday parade & Max’s theater arts class performance of “Got Broadway” at his school.  Rudy managed all the craziness at home well and passed on going to all the activities involving applause!  ha ha  He is, however, enjoying other holiday sights and sounds…especially Christmas music and the bright lights on the Christmas tree!  Rudy’s enthusiasm and energy is a joy to watch and he’s certainly taking his cues from the big kids!

Rudy is battling relentless congestion but he has been able to keep up with his therapy and school schedule.  He is officially going to school “by himself” with the help of Nurse Marie and is adjusting very well.  The loud bus ride is a bit distressing for him but once he gets to school, he is happy and motivated to learn.  We’ve noticed a huge leap in his desire to verbalize and he is now saying two-word sentences such as “Hi Mama” and “All done”.  It’s pretty thrilling and no matter how often he proudly repeats himself, it doesn’t get old!  He’s even starting to “sing” a bit by inserting key words into songs.  SO FUN!  As always, it’s just so much more fun to show you rather than tell you about it…so sit back–this may take awhile…

And Rudy’s last bath in the old sink…

I’ll never tire of hearing this…

Singing with Mama…

Drumming with Daddy…

And playing with Maxo…