Ehlana and Ethan:
Happy 4th Birthday, Sierra Stone!
We’ve done our part to help Sierra with having a happy day, but let’s being from the rest of our story from Saturday; and include the birthday news as we go along.
After all of the busy from our time in Maple Valley, we were all ready for a quieter night – and that started with a Pizzeria pizza dinner because Cassie and Michael also decided that they didn’t want to do the extra work around dinnertime. That worked for their six teen guests; we enjoyed the meal; and then our ‘quiet’ evening included a music jam session; two Christmas movies; and a lot of co-ed cuddling and chat time. Staying up too-late happened too, but since we half-rested through the movies; we still managed to re-charge with the naps we had – and made up the difference with some Magi healing.
Sundays are often family breakfast day for the Stone family, but Jake and Stephanie opted for a birthday breakfast for Sierra that only included grandparents and her Saturday night best friend sleepover guest. Cassie and Michael would have worked out being there too if needed, but then Stephanie is about half-way through her current pregnancy; so giving her a break from hosting big-family meals works for them. We had Tai Chi for eight indoors; breakfast was pancakes and bacon; and then we had a happy morning at church with the service and Sunday school – including the usual work on sets and props for the Christmas concert and teen-led services. This year, by the way, will be a bit different with the mid-week holidays; since the timing for local family Christmases are different when there aren’t actually any long weekends. We’ll still have big turnouts for all services and the concert, but visiting guests won’t likely be there for that concert; since driving home late on a work night would be an issue. My thoughts are starting to ramble a bit; so let’s get back to the actual stories.
Cassie and Michael got to keep their six favorite teens for the afternoon as helpers for the birthday party they hosted all afternoon for Sierra and her friends and relatives while her parents were busy at the Inn. The weather was half-decent with a high in the low-fifties, and while most of the games and fun happened indoors; we also did an outing to the park for some fresh air and play time. We had a blast playing with the kids – I mean helping with kid-control; and it was fun spending time with some of Sierra’s favorite adults too. Working adults had everything to do with why Sierra’s birthday dinner was set-up for the late buffet at the Inn. The challenge for us was keeping everyone entertained until then, but we did that and also tired out all of the younger kids; so any of the parents reading this journal in our future can thank us for that gift of exhausted kids by the time we gave them back to them! ;^)
Stephanie hosted the birthday dinner and gave her family and friends both of the smaller dining rooms for the party in the one-room configuration. We – the teens – stayed on kid-control through that meal, and while we didn’t have any major issues; it is challenging to get a bunch of toddlers and pre-schoolers fed at a buffet. Sierra loved everything, though, we all got in on all of the usual birthday fun including the gifts, song, candles, wish, and cake; and then our last ‘job’ of the day was to help with getting Sierra home along with the boxes of gifts and cake leftovers. Cassie and Michael stayed to help with getting the kids off to bed, but we came home from there; and did some work in the office while Dad finished getting ready for his week in the city. Bath or Jacuzzi time was needed when Mom told us to call it a night; and now we’re quickly winding down toward nap time. After another really happy day, we aren’t going to comment on world news or anything else – though I’m as tempted as always to rant at our world leaders and all of the horrors they commit or allow to happen for greed and power, but since I can’t even not do that without starting to rant; I’ll stop writing about that now! Our Christmas music video picks for night can keep the guessing game going too; since Ethan and I are having our own fun with competing favorite choices. Maybe next year we’ll offer our future readers a contest for best songs of the night with the winner between us being most wins out of twenty-five! Okay, we’d need to put a future time limit on those future votes from our journal readers, but it still sounds like fun – and we can do the same thing for the guesses about our picks this year. Ethan just suggested twenty-five years for twenty-five songs, and I like it, so if you’re reading this in twenty-forty-nine or later; there might be a future journal entry with those results! ;^)
Okay, now I’m just getting silly. Ethan and I will be up early to see Dad and Anna Marie off to Crystal Springs; so it is time for those songs for you to enjoy while we head off to dreamland.
Let There Be Peace – One Voice Children’s Choir
Please, Santa, Please – Pentatonix
Until next time, live with love, fellow Magi of the Light!
