House O' Sullivans

. . . unless, of course, something amazing happens tomorrow. Lindy: I can't believe how grown up she is looking these days. My friend Cody knitted Loo this cute little red sweater more than a year ago and Lindy finally fits it. We call it her "Christmas sweater." Lindy likes to search it out and bring it to us so that we'll put it on her. Lindy in her Christmas sweater.  On Christmas Eve, we joined with the rest of the Sullivan siblings, several of the in-laws’ parents, and some family friends, for the annual nativity in the barn except this year it wasn’t in the barn. Our numbers grew to epic proportions, necessitating a last minute change in venue to a local church building. We started with dinner and moved on to the nativity, this time on a stage complete with a mural of Bethlehem taped on front (thanks to Kim’s dad). At least we were warm . I thought that maybe the church gym would feel impersonal and cold, but it was one of those smaller gyms and w...

We've been busy this month with home school activities, Christmas concerts (Salt Lake Children's Choir at the Cathedral of the Madeline and the Mount Olympus Stake's quasi-professional production of Handel's Messiah ), get-togethers and dinners with friends and neighbors, family outings, and December Sullivan service (finding a way to serve someone outside our family meaningfully each day of the month).  Here are a few of the activities that I actually  documented so far this month: This was the second (or maybe third) attempt at installing the mantel. After removing it yet another time, it has now been reinstalled for good! That is correct. We have a mantel!!! Casey is working furiously to get the stone filled in below the mantel, so we'll at least have the lower half of a finished fireplace. The living room is starting to look more homey, less like a work site. The first Wednesday in December always marks the one-day Bonneville Glen live nativity. My ...

Saturday night marked a significant advance is the continuing saga of the Sullivan family fireplace.  Casey actually finished bricking up the gaping hole in the living room wall, rendering his masterpiece functional (though still far from finished).  He'd been worrying these four years (since he ripped out our old fireplace and started constructing this one) if his fireplace would draft correctly.  When he saw the smoke rise deftly up toward the damper and out through the chimney, he smiled, satisfied and relieved.  His latest promise was to have this thing finished by June.  One month left.   The mason with his evolving masterpiece. 

More than three and a half years ago, Casey Bert ripped out the old fireplace in our living room.  Each Christmas, as has been told previously, there is the promise: "Fire by Christmas."  Hope rises.  Christmas passes.  The hole in the wall remains.  However . . . we DO have an arch now.  Casey's first. The arch before Casey removed the supporting form. The stone carver, his apprentice, and the evolving masterpiece. Looking more and more like a fireplace, I must admit.