We had Christmas lunch on the porch--what a beautiful day!

Our kids played with Kate's kids, then we opened presents.  Seldom does a giver of a gift get such an enthusiastic response as I got with the vintage typewriter and table.  Elena screeched and jumped up and down and started typing right away.  Her first words: "Best Day Ever!"

Nathan is more moderate in his response and wasn't off-the-charts thrilled with his books--but he liked his Legos and put two whole sets together during the rest of the afternoon.  Watching his sister jump up and down, he said, "Girls are nuts!"

Pam came by for a visit--as did Kate and Jan and the boys.  Will and Veronica learned so much from Kate--who lived in Japan for five years.  They now have a better sense of what they want to do this summer when they go there for two weeks.

All around, I couldn't have had a better first-Christmas of 2019.