A "quiet" day after Christmas

Quiet in the sense that there was no where to go. Not quiet in the sense that we had three little girls still on a Christmas-new-stuff high. So, we just enjoyed time together in the apartment.

The girls entertained themselves, and us, with concerts and stories on one another. Paul calls it "the effects of 'CQC' (close quarters combat)" as the three alternately sided with one, then the other in a 2-against-1 scenario. On a couple of occassions, it was every man for himself. But, before too long, all three were best friends again. Overall, the girls have been so well behaved. We are very proud of them.

Our friend, Feri, stopped by for a visit and introduced us to his friend, Mitchell. Both young men were raised in the harsh world of the state orphanage system during the communist years, aging out in the early '90s. We shared lunch and great conversation.

Our treat at the end of the day was to introduce the girls to…Tillamook Cheese!!! A HUGE hit! I don't know if they have ever had any version of aged cheddar, but they are big fans. We could hardly keep up with the requests for more! Thanks, Mom and Dad, for letting us open our gifts early so we could bring them to share! We only wish we could have brought the butter too...

The girls also watched "The Nativity", a beautiful rend