The first weekend of December was wonderfully full of many good things!

It did make us “divide and conquer” as Blake took the youngest three children to a Combat Robotics Competition in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, that Saturday.

Lane had qualified to compete in the Midwest Combat Robotics Championship!!

The fact that Lane qualified for this competition was enough, but he ended up tying for eighth place that day – out of the thirty-two best robots in the Midwest!

This also made him tied for eighth place in the 250 robotics participants nationwide!

Lane worked SO hard designing, building, and preparing for this event.

We are thankful for the growth, skill and knowledge it has brought!

One proud mama here!

There is great joy in watching your children excel and grow in things that interest them!

While Team Lane was away that day, I had a trip planned too!!

I headed out bright and early to visit a long time friend so that we could spend the day together!

It has been awhile!

This sweetest friend usually always comes my way because of the season of life I am in.

I was very excited to head north to not only see her, but also her two daughters and grandbabies!!

We had the BEST day!!

Shopping, laughing, talking non-stop, visiting those adorable babies and their mamas…

I hope we get to do it again soon!!

After our day together I headed back home to get ready to go to the Rotary of Lights that evening.

It is a Christmas tradition to be volunteers for an evening at the Rotary of Lights display in LaCrosse.

One of my favorite traditions for sure!!

We were missing most of our crew because of that robotics competition, but we still had a wonderful time!

The weather was cold, but dry and not windy.

The crowds were HUGE!

I stood at the exit to collect monetary donations and donated food for the food pantries.

I said “Thank you so much! Merry Christmas!! Don’t forget to turn on your headlights!” hundreds of times!!

My face was sore when our two hour shift was over from smiling so much, ha, ha!

About this first photo – got to love a blurry selfie while driving, am I right?

Sunday of that weekend Team Moschel was in charge of our meal day at our church.

It is a FUN job!

Once we got that all cleaned up, everyone headed to Twin Oaks to hang out and have some snacks at dinner time.

SUNDAYS FILL MY CUP, you all!!!

And we woke up to a little bit of snow that morning!

Phew!

Reliving all of that made me happily exhausted all over again!!

We said yes to A LOT in December – more posts about all that coming up!

I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

I have a deep craving right now for community.

For people.

For face to face time instead of “facetime”.

Maybe it’s my age?

I actually think it is because our pastor has been speaking of community and its importance in his sermons lately.

Do you realize that the people (people JUST LIKE US!) in the Bible had to TELL each other things face to face?

It was their ONLY way!

Thought provoking!!

Because it is the end of the year, it is a good time for reflection and a new direction.

I hope that you can look back on 2023 with gladness for all the Lord has done!!