Look out the kitchen window of Ben and Tina’s new house in Vadnais Heights, MN and you see snow, bird feeders and a stretch of woods beyond the wire fence complete with deer and wild turkeys.

Two grandsons, five great grand children (ranging in age from ten to six months)  ––– all made Christmas 2014 a special time. The best gift in this new house is the amount of space for all eleven  to gather for a meal, plus I’m number twelve.

Gifts enjoyed by the Christmas tree. Family stuffed with turkey and all the accompaniments in their open, spacious dining room. Relaxed play and a glass of wine in front of the fireplace. What more could we want?

A bonanza plus for me with this family –– I always learn new things about technology: computers, tablets, IPads, IPhones, TV connections. Listening to them is better than attending school for a few days. Watching Zander (10) learning Photoshop while drawing on a “drawing tablet” had my mind spinning. Think what I knew when I was ten years old.

Some of the entertainment: