A white Christmas, part 1

One week before we were scheduled to drive home to Michigan for Christmas we discovered there was no way our current tires would survive the trip. So the Saturday morning before our voyage we shelled out several hundred dollars for some shiny new ones! Matt could not be more excited about the purchase, since these knobby BF Goodrich All Terrain tires were something he had been drooling over for over a year.



And he was even more excited to see them caked with fluffy white snow. Can't you tell? He took pictures from every angle. If you're really interested, we have some close-ups, too;)

We were 'warmly' welcomed home with a foot of snow and near-zero temperatures on the Sunday before Christmas. We were ecstatic, believe it or not, because we were finally going to see winter! Our first wintery experience of the season, however, was the night before as it was zero degrees or below at the rest area we slept at! Our sleeping bags kept us pretty warm, and we only had to turn on the heat in the car once during the night!



The day after we arrived home, Matt couldn't keep his Mom and Dad's Christmas present a surprise any longer. (Isn't he just like a little kid?) Part of their present was a wok with the ingredients for our beloved sweet and sour chicken. Here is Matt and Cindy preparing the chicken for frying.



Here's Mike helping a little, too. Or maybe he's trying to get a taste test?



Mom and Cindy posed as we awaited dinner. It was getting a little smoky in there, but it turned out perfectly.



I absolutely love Christmas time and that we are able to visit family and friends. As we get older, though, the number of get-togethers grows and grows. The Christmas parties were tiring for all of us. Here are Brian and Kristen taking a breather. This was Christmas Eve and they had just driven a couple of hours to get to Mike and Cindy's. Christmas Eve was the first time Matt and I got to meet Kristen, Brian's fiance. They got engaged over the summer, and Kristen has been teaching English in France since September. We're glad she was able to come home for Christmas and it was so nice to meet her and spend some time together. Kristen will be in France through May, and she and Brian will get married in June.



Here's Matty and I on Christmas Eve. Here's how the Christmas Eve tradition works: First, we all make homemade pizzas together.



This is Mike and Cindy, Matt's Mom and Dad.

After the pizzas and Christmas cookies for dessert, we drive to the cemetary. We put homemade luminaries on the graves of Matt's grandparents and my Dad. Mom and Lisa met us there this year, and we started a tradition of putting a dime into Dad's luminary as a Christmas gift. Dimes have a special significance for us, which is a very long story, but basically means God is present; trust him and embody his love.

After going to the cemetary we drive around looking at Christmas lights. Historically, in the Keilen family at least, this was to give Santa time to deliver presents, which we always open when we get home. When Matt and Brian were little, they would always stop by their grandparents' house for a visit, too. Mike would "forget the camera" and run home to put out the presents. Pretty sneaky... Anyhow, this is part one of three Christmas vacation posts. Coming next will be the Davy Christmas:) Much love to all!