catching up a bit

Whoa. So it turns out I just need a month off every winter! Who knew? I am feeling back into the swing of things now that vacation is over and I have triumphed over a pretty nasty cold. I knew I was ready to get back to blogging when I started noticing tiny things that I wished I could share, if only I weren't so behind. So this will be one big catching up post, and then on to the current events and everyday life this week.

Decorating our tree:




Oragami cranes by Daisy for the tip top this year instead of a star. And berries that we actually found growing on the trees at the farm! So pretty.





And our Christmas Pickle. We hide it in the tree over and over again during the holiday season, and take turns trying to find it. Everyone has a lot of fun with it. 


We visited with family and had lots of fun with cousins and grandparents




And had a very merry Waffle House Christmas breakfast before everyone headed back to TX and OK. This is one of our most beloved holiday traditions!






When we got home from Waffle House, our own family's Christmas began- with lots of presents to open from our MN relatives, and from each other. We spent the weekend playing with new stuff and settling back in to our quiet(er) house without all the extras. We had so much fun visiting but it was good to be on our own again too.
























Stella lost a tooth on Christmas Day, and we went for a drive to enjoy the lights and a snack of fries and Frosties from Wendy's before bed.






The lights downtown always look just like a starry sky. I love it so much.




Well- that's just a quick wrap-up and some pictures of the kids. We had a really crazy but really great month, and I am looking forward to posting about some non-holiday related stuff that has been going on around here since. THANK YOU so much for coming back to check on us here even though I have not posted in so long. We appreciate every single reader we have! Happy New Year to everyone!