The Holders were away on a travel vacation over Christmas proper, but flew back in to Chicago yesterday. And so we made plans to hang out, and to have a late birthday dinner/celebration for Kirt.
After showing folks around our house (and our newly updated floors)… we decided on something for our afternoon: mini-golf.
Late morning, several of us took Grace to the airport for her flight back to college. On our way home, we stopped off at the Grand Rapids Christkindl Markt.
Turkey-vision.
A pretty lazy day, today. We milled about the house, and mostly took the morning and early afternoon very, very slowly.
For dinner, we met up at Tirami Sú. A lot of great food, and some great conversations. My only regret was that we were on the other end of the table, and didn’t have much time to chat with Jackson, his girlfriend Angel, and Grace all that much.
The pathway to/from the terminals wasn’t just cold concrete. The path took me through a tremendous amount of artwork.
I have to say – the kitchen was a scene of utter chaos. And I absolutely loved it. People moving around, jostling, yelling for space and help. A bustle of activity and collisions and it was just so glorious to witness.
You may gauge the holidays on the meals that are served. But for me, the pleasure and measure of it is in the preparation. A house is full of love when its kitchen is full with motion.
A long day, but faster than it seemed. Despite us being in DC for a few days, it felt like we didn’t have enough time to visit with Kirt, Tricia, Paige, and Lisa/James. It felt like a blur to me, but it was probably doubly so for Liz.
All in all, I’m quite awed by what Liz has done. I know Tricia and Paige also completed the marathon, but for Liz… this was her first. And something she’s been working and training for, for almost a year. I’ve seen the work and struggle up close, and trust me when I say to you: it’s a LOT.
After a bit, we moved outside and got to settle in on a bench just by the front doors. Took this photo of the nearby alley, where this (and other) shops are situated. I learned that Blagden Alley is a bit famous for its murals, and loved that we kind of “discovered” this interesting area within the city.
Incredible designs – even though they’re still, they look to be in motion.
In the far corner, just underneath the deck, there was a nest of young birds. And of course, both Liz and Audrey were very concerned about their well being during our construction.
Today, the kids got involved in the process. Here’s Liz, showing Paige and Audrey how to work the circular saw… and how to cut down some of the debris we were getting rid of (we were throwing the old boards from the second floor, down to the backyard).
We ended up needing a lot more than what was available (Kirt and went through a lot of boards, and discarded plenty). Ended up getting a guy with the forklift, to bring down a few fresh bundles.
Back at the house, Sandy’s cozied up in the living room.
Anne was decorating a lot of these cookies, and eventually Liz joined in on the action. I… mostly ate the cookies?