Chicago with Bill and Joan!

We spent a wonderful 2 days in Chicago with Bill and Joan this past week! What fun! What memories! What a lot of food!! We are so thankful!

Merry Christmas

We had an amazing first week of Christmas break, and a beautiful Christ-mas weekend. We are so thankful. We are so blessed.

Kids helping me wrap presents

Making Christmas cookies

Dressed in costume for the Christmas Eve program at church. They did great!!

Enjoying their gifts with grandmas on Christmas Eve night.

Noah trying on his new snowboard boots with grandpas

Checking out dad's new foosball table

Abby opens her AGD horse from Santa Christmas morning

Happy Sophie Christmas morning

Noah checking out his Airhog hyperactive (great name!)

Love this shot of the second book written by the author of 'Hugo' (that we loved!)

Sophie showing her new wheelchair off to grandpa and Ernie Christmas morning

I've been waiting to see the shadows made by the snowflakes we made last week, found this Christmas morning and was so excited.

Peaceful chaos :) Happy kids.

On Christmas night after many, many gifts and lots of toys, wrapping and bows Sophie wrote in her gratitude journal: "For Christ Jesus" and for that I am most thankful.

First Day of Christmas Break

We had a wonderful first day of break. I'm pretty sure Sophie never got dressed! The other two shot hoops in the driveway for a little while so they got partially dressed for a time. The rest of the day was spent snuggling, reading, knitting, and making both sock puppets and paper snowflakes (no real ones in sight!). The kids loved creating their own puppets, and there were many puppet shows today and tonight! The paper snowflakes were also a big hit, and now hang in our kitchen, laundry room, and family room. Oh how I love having my kids at home!

Fun at School

I was able to make 2 trips to the kids school today. This morning they had a Christmas breakfast. They had fun eating with their class and being silly! They also loved doing an art project! This afternoon I went back to work in their math groups. I love being in their classroom, interacting with their friends, and stealing a few extra snuggles from my kids.

We are looking forward to the last day of school tomorrow! Bring on the break!!

1000th gift

#999: the joyful excitement of the first accumulating snow of the season
#1000: harvesting thyme (for a meal for my dear friend Kate) from our garden plot...in the snow

For the past 12 months I have been recording 'gifts' in my life. As I have said in an earlier post, it helps me to be present in the moment...the only way I can figure out to 'slow down time' with my kids. This morning, almost 1 year from the day I started I reached my 1000th gift. Of course, I've had many more than this, but these are the ones I slowed down to record. It has been an amazing journey, one that I will continue. One that my kids started on their own. They each have their own journals and are listing their gifts one by one each day. It is beautiful.

I am so thankful for the many gifts in my life.

We did it!

Reading on the couch in front of the tree....
Reading in the backseat of the van at the beach between school and religious ed....
Finishing the book BEFORE dinner on Thursday (we couldn't wait!)

While Tom is in Tokyo this week the kids and I set the goal of reading, "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick. It is a 500+ page Caldecott medal winning book. We started on Saturday, and FINISHED it tonight. It was one of the best books I have ever read, and the kids were riveted as well. It is a "novel in pictures and words", you'd have to pick it up to understand what that means. It is truly a work of art. As a reward we are going to see the movie tomorrow after school. We highly recommend this book to you!

Rollerskating Party!

The kids had their first rollerskating party last night! Their entire school was there and they had a blast! The best news was I didn't have to put on skates!! I have less pictures of Noah because he was in the 'big and fast' rink and I was sticking close to the girls in the smaller rink! It brought back memories of my childhood (I think it might be the same skates!!)

"Christmas" with cousins!

Over thanksgiving both of my sisters were in town with their families (except Chuck, we missed you!). We enjoyed being together, watching our kids laugh, wrestle, and squeal with delight in each other presence. It was loud, but it was awesome! My favorite picture won't upload....all 7 cousins (8 including Chessa, but she wasn't in the picture) had homemade pj pants by Martha (yes, she has a newborn. no, I have no idea how she does it) and were snuggled up in sleeping bags for a slumber party in my parents basement...it was amazing! I'll try another time to get it to upload!

Pumpkin Pie

On Thanksgiving Abby and I made a pumpkin pie together. It was so fun, and the pie was one of the best I've ever had! I am so thankful for that time, slowing down, laughing, and savoring the moments with Abby.

We are thankful for fun!

The kids with their 'fans' after their "Bring in the Harvest" play at school
Abby speaking her part (as a pea farmer)

Noah speaking his part as a distraught bean farmer who did not have a good harvest.

Sophie speaking her part (as a potato farmer)

Snuggles during 'Sunday night movie night' We love having our cousins here from LA!

The girls relax on Saturday morning while.....

Tom and Noah head to East Lansing for Noah's first MSU football game! Go STATE!!!!

We are so thankful this week! We are blessed beyond words.

Sophie's feather

Sophie saved her allowance to get a feather in her hair. Monday was the big day! She selected a great blue/black one, and she loves it!!

A Friday afternoon

Here's how we spent our Friday after school.....working backwards....

Sophie's 'hip hop' dance class

The girls playing school in their room (they each have their own classroom)

Noah 'reading a little more' than the 'required' 20 minutes a night so he could finish his book! And Ernie with no more stitches!

Hot Chocolate Friday (back for the 2nd time this fall to their favorite place, Seattle's Best)

Wow, that's a lot of fun for only 4 hours!! Happy Weekend!