A Merry {sickie} Christmas

Our Christmas was a bit different than expected.  I'd been fighting a cold for the past week that turned for the worse and took me completely off my feet on Christmas Eve...just as Jason also started struggling with the beginnings of the same cold. Only the kids fared well and with their Christmas enthusiasm were even more energetic than their usual selves. :)

I am very thankful Jason's employer closes for the week and that he is able to be home. We have been able to sort of trade off on parenting & house chores to keep things semi-sane around here. And in spite of sickness, we were able to have some very sweet moments with the kids and had a lovely Christmas Day -- albeit with oatmeal for dinner.  As we walk with friends/family who are going through difficult loss or serious health situations, we know we have so much to be grateful for.

Even though this time of year can make us feel really removed from our family and friends, we can appreciate that our aloneness allows the kids to move through Christmas day at their own pace. Of their own accord, each gift that was opened was played with (some for hours) before the next was opened. This would be very difficult if we had a schedule to keep, but for us it was a beautiful way to spend the day as a family. We were opening the last gifts just before bed.

Heading out to church with Jason on Christmas Eve for 'Carols, Cocoa & Cookies'

Ready for Christmas morning ... complete with Guatemalan nativity scene. 

Christmas morning -- getting into stockings, playing checkers on the handmade board from Jason & crafting with new supplies.

Mabel wearing her gift from Luke -- butterfly wings!
I still managed to get at least our Christmas Tree Coffeecake made :)

Watching November speed right into December

November came and went so quickly! I can hardly believe we're already nearly to Christmas day!

So many of my days slide by made up of the boring, daily grind stuff (for which I am thankful to have such a luxury!); however, when I look back at photos there are also lots of fun, sweet moments too. Thankful to have photos to remind me of those moments.

We have also been incredibly grateful for God's provision to us during these weeks after Jason's Guatemala trip where we've been on a leaner budget. We have been absolutely overwhelmed. We received generous financial gifts both from our church and another family, a friend purchased groceries for us, another friend gave us a coupon for two free Hello Fresh meals, a co-worker gave Jason a large box of beautiful oranges and an acquaintance just gave me money last week stating she'd been praying and felt like she was supposed to help us. That has never happened to me before and literally brought me to tears. Jason even received an unexpected bonus at work which allowed us to pay for some much needed repairs on both our vehicles. I haven't really known how to respond to all of this except to feel completely thankful, thankful, thankful. We have been able to pay our bills, have food to eat and even have a little to use toward some small Christmas gifts. So overwhelmingly thankful!

These goofy, adorable kids doing their things.

Opportunity to serve/feed a pre-Thanksgiving meal to some of the needy in our community.

Our "thankful tree" -- love the visual of the abundant leaves showing the many things we have to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving fun with friends!

Fun activities while Jason was on a work trip.

Checking out a pod of Milkweed seeds.

Winter hiking at Buzzards Roost

Our annual Christmas tree hunting trek -- on our way Mabel fell asleep with a crayon in her hand! So cute!

Christmas crafting

Fun with Dad

Our winter wonderland

Mabel, Mabel, Mabel -- eating her way through a box of oranges
                                    -- writing her name (without coaching or assistance!)
                                    -- trying to keep up with big brother