What We Did on Our Christmas Break
Hi, everyone! We hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season. We all enjoyed time off with our friends and family during our Christmas break—some of us spent the time relaxing at home, and others were jetsetters. Now that 2014 is officially in swing, we’re all rested and back in action. Just in case you’re curious, though, here’s what some of us were up to while we were away:
Jason
This Christmas break was about treehouses for me. I’ve always had an obsession with them, and this year, that obsession was renewed.
It started with a painting my dad gave me. He had built a treehouse for me and my brother when we were kids. He’s gotten into painting lately and he painted that treehouse for me as a gift. It’s almost like he built another one for me.
Then, Jenny got me a new Peter Nelson book (he’s the treehouse guy). New Treehouses of the World shows treehouses of every style imaginable. Some you could live in, and some are just for fun. I can’t wait to read it, but I can’t get past the pictures yet.
Next, Jenny and I went to a place in Maryville, TN called Butterfly Gap Retreat. They have about six guesthouses and are currently building a new treehouse guesthouse. We got to go inside and see the progress. I NEED one!
Now I’m back in the real world, but I have my sketchpad ready to go when inspiration strikes. I’m sure there is a treehouse project in my future.
Jenny
I learned to hand knit—with my arms rather than needles. Jason and I also went to a 1920s themed party at Ruby Falls to celebrate its 85th anniversary.
Jamie Ann
I went to New York City with some of my best friends from back home in Alabama. We went to a Phish concert, ate some really good Chinese food, and had a blast ringing in 2014 in the city!
Ashley
I had a relaxing Christmas break at home. Brent and I went to the Ruby Falls anniversary party, saw a movie, and just enjoyed some time off together.
Michael
Over my Christmas break, I performed technical support for my parents in Memphis. They now have a shiny new Windows 8-enabled laptop and a Kindle Fire, both of which are upgrades to the embarrassingly old technology they were used to. Surprisingly, they seem to have picked up on the things I taught them and, overall, they were both really happy with their gifts! As for myself, I probably spent around three hours or so record shopping around town.
Amanda
I spent my Christmas break at home, taking it easy and enjoying the time off. My family and I went to Rock City, and we served lunch to people in the ICU waiting room at Erlanger on Christmas Day. It was an eye-opening experience, and it was wonderful to (hopefully) be a bright spot for those people who were in such a stressful situation. I love knitting, and I took advantage of the downtime to complete several projects as gifts for family members and friends. In the process, I also got addicted to the show Scandal on Netflix.
Crystal
After making the rounds for the Christmas holiday through Ringgold and Atlanta, GA, my husband and I spent the rest of our time off relaxing at home.
When I say relaxing, I mean trail running at Stringers Ridge, hanging out at the 85th Ruby Falls anniversary party with my Papercut family, ringing in the New Year at the Flying Squirrel and celebrating the first day of the year with a mountain bike ride at Raccoon Mountain.
Johnathan
My wife and I went to Seoul, South Korea and explored the city and tried new foods. We went up in Seoul Tower (the geographic center of the city) and survived North Korea.
Win
Win is home sick, so we haven’t gotten to hear about her break yet. Get well soon, Win!