Pictures from the last two weeks

Things have been a little quiet around this blog for awhile - in fact, it has been rather silent! But it hasn't necessarily been quiet at the Erber home. So here are a few pictures just to briefly catch things up here.

A few unphotographed events of the last 10 days include, Josh & Abbey's Christmas party, Tara Y's birthday party, Joanna's violin recital, snowman building, shoveling, pushing/pulling cars out of ditches, rehearsals, shopping, decorating, cooking, baking... etc!

This picture was taken on Sunday, December 7th, on the way to the Yen's house in the early afternoon.


As we did last year, several families from our church headed over to a retirement community to share the story and songs of Christ's birth with the people there. This year, Caroline and William joined as an angel and a shepherd.

I wish we had gotten a picture of Joanna with one of the ladies we spoke with afterward. She was 90 years old, and had been trained on the violin at Julliard, and had performed for many years with a variety of symphonies in the Chicago area. She said that on Saturdays she walks the halls of the retirement center/nursing home and plays her violin still. But, she said humbly, nothing impressive - just songs she knows. After Julliard and symphonies I can only imagine what is in her "non-impressive" repertoire! She didn't play anything for us, but did beg Joanna to play some more for her, saying how wonderful it was to have someone in her home playing the violin again!




Before all the family showed up for a family Christmas celebration with Mom's brother's family, we attempted to get a picture of all six grandchildren all dressed up. I think it might have be close to impossible... I held the camera and just kept snapping away while grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and puppets strove to get them all looking at me smiling!

But then, Uncle George and Aunt Lori did show up and we indulged in a great spread of food (we're Italian, remember, and food must always the centerpiece of every gathering).

Then there was lots of talking, games, and ginger bread house making! I love the father/son expressions in the picture below. They don't resemble each other any, do they?



One final picture. Yesterday all the ladies were here with their little ones for a day of Strufoli making (and more ginger bread house decorating with all the leftover stuff!). Of course, you can't have mothers of toddlers around without discussions of parenting and (as they grow older) phonics, etc. So Mom pulled out old books, curricula, games, etc, used around here in years past. A regular Home School Convention/Book Fair right around the table! :-)