Bob got involved in the Facetime chat, asking Audrey some questions as she tried out the “lie detector machine” we got her as a gift. Apparently, it dings when you tell the truth but shocks you if you lie.
We couldn’t really come up with a good gift idea for my parents this year. With my dad getting some surgery on his eyes recently, his vision has drastically improved. So the idea of doing a VR thing came up – and we decided to turn it into a big, group outing.
Candle service, close to midnight. The lights go dim, and everyone sings “Silent Night.” There’s a part of me that wishes I could record this moment each year, as it’s quite lovely. The whole room darkens, and the candles flicker their light against the walls… and everyone sings softly, as we near the midnight hour.
Attending this service is something all the relatives in town would do, accompanying my Grandma Phoebe. Since she passed, it wasn’t clear if we would be going again.
My dad decided he wanted to attend, and so the two of us decided to go by ourselves.
Jasmine, executing a complex move as Andrew looks on.
A delicious meal of dumplings, pot stickers, and fried rice. If I was asked to manifest my childhood as a single meal, this would be it.
Another milestone, for my Grandma Phoebe – as family and friends gathered to celebrate her 105th birthday. Lots of dim sum, birthday cake, balloons, photos, and no small amount of face swapping on our mobile phones. A fun day catching up with cousins and nieces and nephews from all over (and technically all over the world).
On arriving, we met the newest addition to my sister’s family: Layla. She tended to bark a lot when first meeting us, but warmed up soon after. She was super sweet and got a lot of attention from me and Liz during our stay.