Cuddle Up!

There's nothing better to do on a cold day than cuddle up with the one you love! We caught Sam & Lilah all cuddled up together in the sweetest embrace! These siblings have never been apart and share a very close bond. We are so happy to have them!

Winter Wonderland

The night of Christmas, it started to snow. We got a good 4 inches on the ground and over the next few days we got a few more inches here & there. There was plenty of cold weather to keep it sticking around, too. This is the first year that the kids have really wanted to spend time outside. Previous years, they would get all bundled up and be back inside within 10 minutes or so. This year, they are outside for an hour or more and loving it, especially Kyrie. I loved being outside in the winter when I was a kid, especially sledding, so I am glad to see them enjoying the snow so much!

Darren taking the kids on a sled ride around the yard. He would take them to the sledding hill across the street after this ride.

The kids were very excited to make a real snowman this year! 

We tend to operate under Murphy's Law around here, so it should be no surprise that right before we got all this snow we found out that our lawn tractor/snowplow was not working. Literally, Darren drove it out of the shed and up to the house, stopped it and it just wouldn't start again. The first round of snow, we have a fab neighbor who plowed the driveway for us. Then it snowed a little more and a little more... and a little more. One morning, I was up before everyone in the house and saw all that beautiful snow outside and decided to get out there and shovel the driveway... our long, long driveway. The snow was perfect for shoveling: dry & light. I took it section by section, enjoying the peacefulness of the neighborhood and the effort of the labor. It took about an hour and a half, but I got it all done. Whew! Of course, snow began to fall again right as I started shoveling, so my progress doesn't look entirely impressive. 

I even shoveled the front sidewalk!

These last photos were from the weekend when the kids asked to go out again & again. They played with the neighborhood kids building snowmen and forts. I peeked out the window and saw this hawk who had caught some lunch. He was so happy to have found a meal in the cold that he didn't seem to mind the near half-dozen children milling nearby. He sat out there for about 20 minutes before picking up the rest of his meal in his talons and flying into the neighboring yard. 

The kids had to check out what was left of the hawk's lunch. 

Kyrie rolling snowballs for the fort. 

Christmas Day 2012

Degen loves Angry Birds!

I can't believe it has taken me so long to blog... it was just Christmas and now it is nearly mid-January! We enjoyed a very happy Christmas. You can tell the kids are getting older because they are more excited about Christmas...and presents! Degen had me up early (which is not unusual) and Kyrie & Darren were up not too long after. As usual, our first stop is our "Santa Piles." We spent much of the morning unwrapping & playing with our gifts from Santa. These photos are a few of the things the kids liked best.

A new outfit for Baby April.

Spending most of Christmas in the living room lets us appreciate the true beauty of Christmas: friendship & love. Our mantle is filled with the photos & cards sent to us by family & friends. We are so very blessed! After our Santa Piles and stockings, we take a break for a light lunch. We will need all the energy we can get to tackle the presents under the tree...ha! 

This is cream cheese topped with our homegrown, homemade Three Pepper Relish/Pepper Onion Relish. 

The kids were super-excited to open their gifts under the tree! We are so grateful to all our family & friends who sent gifts to brighten our holiday! Here are a few highlights of the afternoon: 

Holiday Time, Family Time

Christmas Eve we got all dressed up to attend Christmas Eve service at church. It is rare for us all to be dressed up together, so before we left we took the time to take some family pictures. 

Snow Day

The Winter Solstice brought us a lovely first snow! We didn't get much in the way of accumulation, but it was enough for the kids to get out and enjoy. It was a really beautiful snow, and it helped put the whole family in the mood for Christmas!