Christmas Break....

I have been ENJOYING my time at home...  It has been the perfect blend of busy and peaceful.  We started break with our first "measurable" snow that made the dry brown outside a beautiful white wonderland.  We were able to enjoy the wedding of our friends Paige and Ryan.  We spent time with family celebrating our Lord's birth.  We we went sledding.  We stayed home and baked yummy meals.  We rang in the new year with dear friends.  We played board games, laughed, giggled, snuggled and enjoyed one another.

Merry Christmas from some 'crazies'

Another thing that I tackled was something that I had always thought would be fun but never really set out to do.  I illustrated a book.  Last summer a friend approached me about doing some illustrations for a book she was putting together.  I said sure but never really got around to doing much about it (something about life, 3 kids and a full time job).  Her husband was a preacher and every month he would write a parable for the church bulletin that illustrated a lesson he had learned from his beloved miniature donkeys or chihuahua.  I chose one lesson from each year to illustrate and below are the finished products...

I have 2 days left to finish enjoying this time.  Sadly that also means I have to take down my Christmas tree.  It is one of the saddest times for me.  We go to a tree farm and cut a tree every year (LOVE IT!).  It makes our house smell wonderful and it is so beautiful.  By now it is time to put things back in their place and the tree is starting to loose it's "sparkle."  However, I am going to let the kids have one more night sleeping by it's light... 

our family hand picture

~Welcome 2013~