This is the first year since Nora was with us that we are not traveling at all over the Christmas holiday break. This time around, we still got to see lots of family and were able for the first time ever to help host the Benner celebration in Keezletown. That came to a close on Sunday and yesterday we welcomed my parents, who will enjoy their in-law quarters for two weeks while it is otherwise unoccupied with Jonathan and Rachelle doing month long trip to see family. So we have been enjoying creating special memories together at home, and getting some long awaited house projects accomplished. I'm trying not to think about the end of the break which is fast approaching but soaking up a few final days at home. So here's some final images from 2013 before we welcome the New Year. Kali is still trying to figure out who in this household might make it until midnight with her tonight!
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| Making gingerbread cookies together was our one Christmas cookie adventure and the girls had fun decorating them with friends. They didn't last long! |
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| Alida is helping with our waffle brunch for Christmas morning! |
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| A little pre-brunch dancing to Christmas music |
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| Do I really need any other Christmas presents? A definite "no!" |
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| We couldn't "live" without our own Spot It game so here they are breaking in our cards - a gift for Kali but definitely intended for the whole family! |
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| My love for my hubby runs deep and I even get a kick out of his love of stainless steel bowls! This was by far my best Goodwill find of the season. I'll even forgive him for forgetting what I got him when I asked him to show his present to my folks last evening. |
Following our relatively low key Christmas celebration, just the four of us, we geared up for a celebration of 20+ with all the Benners joining us. The weekend went way too fast...we hope there will be more times like it in the future. The girls soaked up all the relatives - kids and adults alike were all considered additional playmates (for Alida that meant lots of rounds of Spot It).
Here you can enjoy Alida's antics eating one of the many incredible meals we enjoyed over the weekend. I'm pretty sure we caught her doing this soon after we were doing blind taste tests of yellow and green dilly beans. She didn't pick up anything except that you squeeze your eyes shut and eat without looking at what is going in. :)
Here's a few other images from our time together:
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| Alida is a big fan of her new hat made by Aunt Anna and her new fancy outfit from Aunt Emily and Uncle Jonas. |
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| One of our meals together - glad for our large front room! I also get a kick out of this photo - who knows what wisdom Jason is imparting but he has an audience! |
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| The first day was beautiful out and we got to enjoy a long tour around the property - the next morning it was pouring rain! |
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| These gingerbread cookies didn't last long either... |
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| Storytelling time! And there are actually 6 on the couch - you just can't see the third cousin who has not yet emerged, but likely will before too much longer! |
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| I could have enjoyed many more hours of hearing stories shared. Alida's attention span wasn't quite up for it, so you can see Jason playing Spot It and hopefully picking up on most of the stories. |
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While we have been doing a lot more eating, game playing and visiting than normal, there is also visible proof of some of the project time this break has afforded us. Jason has completed the trim on the windows we installed last year, all except for the final coat of oil that will hopefully be applied this evening. He is working with my dad on finishing out the 3-season room in the in-law quarters and is laying tile today - which he seems very happy to be doing.
Kali is busy working with Grandma on the sewing machine, Alida is catching an afternoon nap (will she make it to midnight with her big sister? do we want her to?) and I'm about to sort through books and finish up a little rearranging project. The goats are tethered outside doing their strength training. You should be able to see the jug in this picture that Cookie Dough is attached too - Jason had a nifty idea of filling it with concrete so we could let them graze in various locations. They like it and are crying less so that makes me more amenable to their presence at Tangly Woods (which relieves Kali of her worry that I'll give them away in a moment of frustration!). Anyway, the little guys are working at getting strong enough to pull their tethers around and so they are often not where we put them. We are thinking maybe they will be able to pull the wagon around before too long. It they aren't careful, we'll come up with some more jobs for them! Right now they are happy to work at eating our lawn down.
Until 2014...
Kali is busy working with Grandma on the sewing machine, Alida is catching an afternoon nap (will she make it to midnight with her big sister? do we want her to?) and I'm about to sort through books and finish up a little rearranging project. The goats are tethered outside doing their strength training. You should be able to see the jug in this picture that Cookie Dough is attached too - Jason had a nifty idea of filling it with concrete so we could let them graze in various locations. They like it and are crying less so that makes me more amenable to their presence at Tangly Woods (which relieves Kali of her worry that I'll give them away in a moment of frustration!). Anyway, the little guys are working at getting strong enough to pull their tethers around and so they are often not where we put them. We are thinking maybe they will be able to pull the wagon around before too long. It they aren't careful, we'll come up with some more jobs for them! Right now they are happy to work at eating our lawn down. 
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