We awoke to a winter wonderland this morning. I hadn’t even considered the possibility of a white Christmas. What a treat!
The kids had an absolute blast playing in the snow–jumping, making snow angels (not Clara’s favorite), catching snowflakes (Simon and Ian both posed for the camera, but Clara did it on her own without being prompted–so delightful), causing avalanches off the trees, and chasing each other around with snowballs too light and fluffy to stick together. And then when they had worn themselves all out, Jason had hot chocolate ready to go.
Usually we do new jammies, a ride to look at the Christmas lights, and a special meal of tempura on Christmas Eve, but this year we opted for a saner option and did those three things on Christmas Eve Eve (don’t worry, we have plenty of traditions to carry us through tomorrow as well). After about three hundred pictures of the kids in their matching jams, Simon took over directing the shoot. “Pretend like it’s Christmas morning” was his idea for this shot.
Car fulla kids ready for Winter Break!
Then he got an idea! An awful idea! Simon got a wonderful, awful idea!
Book club and cheesecake for breakfast. Saturday morning doesn’t get much better.
A toast to all of our Life Group being able to gather to laugh and eat really good food and celebrate Christmas together. There was something in each of these families’ day or week that could have prevented them from being able to join us, but we all made it, and I’m ever so thankful we did. This year with these friends has been transformative. It is absolutely our pleasure and privilege to gather with, live in community with, and pray for and with these people. They are good ones.
I can’t really explain why I like this photo so much. I think it’s because it feels like home to me (well, I mean it is home, but…)–everyone crowding around to take their turn hanging an ornament on the Jesse Tree (we had several days of catch-up to do). A little crazy. All my favorites in one room.
So, truth be told, the help today didn’t last much longer than the photo op. He lost the scissors, I guess? I don’t really know how that happened. I won’t complain, though, that’s two less gifts I have to wrap this year.
* Ian is pretty much always game for helping to wrap gifts.
Ian came home from school yesterday with a bad stomach ache. Clara, ever with an opinion, helpfully instructed him, “Now, Ian, if you feel like you have to frow up, you just go to the baffroom and put your mouth over the toilet.” Her advice eventually came in handy, so he is home from school today. Because he is mostly feeling better, these two have been playing together all day (with only one screaming fight so far, something about Clara dancing at the beginning of the song when Ian wanted her to be by the couch). Here they are playing that Ian is Clara’s pet–she is, of course, telling him how to be a good pet because apparently he wasn’t doing it right.
