It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Just as I imagined, I have loved having time off during this particularly cold season! There's no need to wake, wondering if school is in session. No white knuckle driving over sheets of ice on the way to work. No dealing with students amped up by the single flake that slips past the window. No, instead, Jeff gets to deal with all that.

Instead, I have been taking in all the sounds, sights and smells of the holiday season. While Andrew naps, I watch Christmas favorites and do my shopping on the internet. I've made yummy cookies and have found several new Christmas decorations at our local Goodwill.

If you recall, we spent last Christmas in a small apartment, stuck between our old house and this one. We had stored all of our decorations for the move and ended up with only a three-foot tall cardboard Christmas tree from Ikea (which was conveniently age appropriate for Nathan). Jeff and I were both struggling to feel that warm, holiday spirit (until we arrived at my Dad's house and found he had put up more decor than he had in a decade).

So, we are feeling especially appreciative of having our new house this Christmas. Having kids at Christmas makes it so much more fun too!

We attended Battle Ground's tree lighting ceremony next to the community center, which included Santa's arrival via fire truck. After waiting in a long line, Nathan didn't want to sit on Santa's lap after all, so we have a nice family picture with Santa and Mrs. Claus. We did try to take a nice picture of the boys using the decorations at the community center.

With Nathan's help, we perfected our holiday themed pancakes.

For the first time, Nathan helped decorate our family Christmas tree. The four of us crammed into my little car to check out a local tree farm where we found a classic Douglas fir. We have used a strand of broken lights for a few years now and decided to invest in some new sets, but I'm always wondering if we need more. ;) While Nathan told his dad to hang each ornament "up there", Andrew carefully supervised the decorations.

We have had no luck in planning a family picture for a Christmas card this year. In the end, we sat the boys in the leather chair and did our best. Those cards are ordered but may be arriving later than hoped this year. Keep an eye on your mail box!

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