12.23.2017

12.22.2017

12

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It was such a lovely day of celebrating 12!   

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We had a nice morning of skating and making gingerbread cookies.

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And of course opened gifts. As always is she was so appreciative of her gifts.  And as they always are, her siblings were so excited to give them to her.

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We will have her official party sometime in January.  Today was just a relaxing day with some family visitors- Grandma Lee and Papa, Kris and Katie.  Perfect really.

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I can never believe it when one of my children turn a year older, but especially with Grace it seems.  12 is just so old.  But I'm so proud of the beautiful person she has become.

12.20.2017

Making

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I found this pretty little Christmas mess yesterday.  It seemed document worthy.

12.19.2017

Skating Season

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{Nora's first year on one blade skates}


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{Putting on a skating show}

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Iyla and I walked down to see the skaters today.  She wasn't too thrilled with the temperature.  The skaters on the other hand thought it was just lovely (even complained about being hot).

They've been coming down here everyday since the pond froze over.  They take turns holding Iyla as I help tighten their skates.  Then excitedly they trek down the hill to our sweet little skating rink.  It's one of those things I never knew I always wanted for my kids until we landed here.  Now I wouldn't have it any other way.  I am certain as grown ups they will recall the pond as some of their happiest winter memories.

12.15.2017

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What I recently realized I really love about this space, is that it somehow creates the feeling (illusion) of time slowing down.  Somehow stopping to reflect on life creates the feeling of an actual pause as well.  I need that more than ever right now.  A pause.  There is nothing like a baby to make you feel like time is moving at record speed.  I'm really going to make an effort to come here.  Once a week?  Could I write once a week?  I will try.

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{Christmas card outtake}

Grace offered to write a Christmas letter this year and I couldn't be more proud of her- for both the letter she wrote and for taking that on.  It is so sweet and simple, and yet encompasses very nicely the true highlights of our year.  I am hoping to finish addressing the cards this weekend and finally get them out.

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{Making some glitter play dough for the littlest cousins}

 We celebrated our first Christmas last weekend.  One out of five.  Good thing we like Christmas.

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{Presenting their "person of history" for homeschool group}

The kids spent so much time over the last month working hard on their homeschool presentations.  Grace did Sarah Edmonds, Jackson did Crazy Horse and Nora did Maria Merrian.  Those projects represent what I think all of us would consider our favorite type of learning, project based.  It is very hands off for me (which I love) and very hands on for them (which I also love).  Plus they ended up doing a lot of reading together to learn about each of their people so we all learned so much.  There are some homeschool families who do all their homeschooling through project based learning.  I'd really like to try and incorporate more of that into our year.

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{Making pomanders with our dear friends)

I wasn't sure how this Christmas season would go given little Iyla's arrival.  But I feel like we have still been able to do many of the traditions we love, maybe just scaled down a bit.  This weekend is our making weekend where we sneak around making each other gifts.  It is my favorite.  We tried to keep that simple too this year, given that our first priority is to enjoy ourselves.  Iyla told me she is most happy because she doesn't have to go anywhere this weekend.  She's not a big fan of the car these days.  I'm really looking forward to that part too (being home) and some Christmasing with my people.

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