Winter Break

Aside from me feeling bad for Ryan having to go off to work everyday on such cold mornings, I am finding myself so content with my winter days right now.  We have been particularly lazy here at home while "off" from school, staying in our pajamas all day keeping warm by the fire.  It is so peaceful.  I am even (still) enjoying the cold.  It is fun to have a reason to stay in.  And when we do venture out as we did this evening to surprise Ryan by bringing in armload after armload of wood (usually a job he takes on) I found myself taking in deep breaths of the cold, invigorating air.  It felt refreshing actually.  I came in completely renewed.  Over the next few days I will start to get ready for our lessons which will begin again on Monday.  Until then though I am savoring these moments.

Welcoming 2014

New Year's highlights...

~ Going to Vertical Endeavors and watching Grace and Jackson climb to new heights (Grace all the way to the ceiling)

~ Going out for pizza at "Quickfire" the new wood fired pizza place in Stillwater.  (Delicious)

~ Coming home and playing hide and seek by candle light.

~ Putting Nora to bed and playing games with Grace and Jackson (and laughing really hard the whole time).

~ Putting Grace and Jackson to bed and Ryan and I staying up until 1:15 in the morning!  A new record for us post children.

Happy 2014!

Frosty Morning

Christmas at Grandma Lee's

Santa Was Here (Christmas Morning)

Our Christmas

{ Jackson's gift to daddy- an invention to trick the deer into thinking a bow is pointed at them so they move forward a little where the real bow will be waiting}


{crowns and capes I made them}


{Grace's gift she made for Jackson- pirate hat, patch and "hook"}


{Ryan's gift he made for Jackson- a tool bench to keep out in the shop}


{while daddy and the big kids went out to play in the shop my little sidekick helped me make some tortillas for our Christmas dinner}








{Christmas dinner- enchiladas, our homemade applesauce and salad}


{bunk beds Daddy and Jackson made for Grace}




{ending Christmas Eve as we always do with Daddy reading "The Night Before Chirstmas"}

We do a lot of coming and going for our Christmas celebrating.  But over the last few years we have managed to carve out a full 24 hours of just "us" time at home.  Christmas Eve and Christmas Day morning are just ours.  This year, with Nora being just old enough to really understand what Christmas was all about, and Grace and Jackson being just old enough to really plan and make many of their own presents, it might have been one of my favorite Christmases yet as a parent.  When it came time to open our gifts they begin pulling out wrapped packages of all shapes and sizes that I honestly had no idea what was inside them. I got a beautiful painting from Grace and a "Hidden Picture" find from Jackson.  They are some of my most treasured gifts.  But what was even more of a gift was seeing how delighted they were to surprise us with their homemade presents.  Another highlight- the delicious cat nap I had by the fire to the sound of Christmas music and children happily playing with new toys.



After all the kids were in bed, I went to bring the garbage out and had to stop for minute to take in the glittery snow and the twinkling barn lights (Ryan out in his shop to finish one last gift).

Christmas at Grandma Sam's

Meadow Jams

I think I say this every year but this really is one of my favorite Christmas traditions.  The jams are always a surprise that they anticipate which come during one of the days of advent (with our advent calendar).  The fabric is "Meadow" from here (a company that I absolutely love).  I don't know how many more years they will actually get excited about getting homemade pajamas (probably not much longer) so each year I take extra care to revel in their cheers and joy over something so simple.

Past years...
Cardinal Jams (2012) 
Reindeer Jams (2011)
Gingerbread Jams (2010)

Eight

We celebrated eight as we have done for her birthday for the past few years- staying in our pjs all day and spending time with family.



As always I spent the day not believing another one of my children had turned another year older.



It was a beautiful snowy day.  We did some sledding and had some family visitors.  In the evening the cousins came over for a little pizza party.



And now she is officially eight.