We loaded up the vehicle with 6 people, one large dog, Christmas presents, air mattresses and pillows, and made our way to Dayton to celebrate Christmas with Jake and Tiffany.

It was well worth the effort–we missed them terribly on Christmas Day and were all so eager to see them. We got right down to business when we arrived and opened presents.

Molly offered her help.

J and T were dog-sitting their neighbors’ dog, Sasha. This may be shocking, but Ruth fell in love with her right away.

What’s even more shocking is that Molly did not fall in love with Sasha. They remained in their separate corners of the room most of the time. It didn’t take long for Sasha to sniff out Molly’s fear of other dogs, however, so the small one would occasionally snap at the large one.

They remained socially distanced, even while walking. The dogs were happy to comply with the restrictions.

We played games…

and the brothers got along most of the time.

Meanwhile, Jim assembled their new grill.

On New Year’s Eve, all the guys went to a local fireworks store to load up on explosives. Then as the night wore on, Ruth helped Jake make chocolate chip cookies.

We all headed outside to start making some noise.

The fireworks varied from roman candles to big loads. This one was the most impressive.

Here’s the emptied box.

We had a great visit and enjoyed time all together. Jim and I are grateful for the community with which God has surrounded Jake and Tiffany. One neighbor gave this gift to all the cul-de-sac neighbors.