Ahh, winter in Michigan. Break out the snow-blowers and ice-picks, right? Well, typically, but this year has been freakishly warm. Like we're talking 40s, even 50s occasionally, in January! And as for snow, what's that? The girls have had very few opportunities to go out and enjoy the snow since the most we've had so far at one time barely made 2 inches. Crazy. Anyway, I'm really not complaining. The girls wish for snow but I'm just opening up the shades and enjoying each ray of sunshine and jacket-weather day. I have this awful sinking feeling its all going to end with a bang somehow, like with blizzards and power outages and ice, oh my!
We were very excited to decorate our new place for Christmas. I have been really bad with the camera lately and never seem to have charged batteries in it so most of my pictures are grainy phone or ipod pics, which I'm not posting here. But I did get this shot before my camera shorted out. This is the first place we've lived that has had a fireplace and we've been wanting one for so long. So even though it's a very quirky one, it was our pièce de résistance this Christmas!
And though it hasn't been the whitest Christmas holiday we've experienced, there have been plenty of cold days that keep us indoors. Lex and Caprice have been little pals lately without Kira being at home all day. I love catching calm moments like this when they are just lovey and snuggly.
When Caprice is napping, Lex really has had a hard time not having SOMEONE right there with her. So I've brainstormed special activities just for her so I can use the down time to get something done. A favorite was having a tent in the family room to have her own little picnic and Christmas movie-watching experience (after dressing up for the occasion, of course).
Here's proof that we have gotten some snow up here...I think this is the most we've gotten so far. Just enough to gear up to go out and enjoy it.
Another special winter treat: After finally getting every wet layer off after rolling in the snow, snuggling up by the fire with hot chocolate and Christmas carols (and warmer snowmen friends, of course).
Another exciting winter happening: Christopher's little sister Autumn got married last week! Though we were unable to make it to the Oklahoma wedding due to lack of control over scheduling vacation time as an intern, Autumn wanted us to feel a part, and she and Lawton made the trip all the way up here to take out her endowments at the Detroit temple. It was so nice to have them here for a few days. The girls warmed right up to Dad and Autumn right away.
It was a wonderful opportunity to escort Autumn at the temple and be there with Christopher and Lawton. What a great way to add to the true holiday spirit.
Christopher did have the week before Christmas off and we enjoyed so much having him home. I tend to forget how luxurious it can be to have a partner to wrangle kiddos, cook, clean and snuggle with each day. Since he wasn't home much of December, we tried to do a few extra special things with the kids for Christmas. One night, we had the kids get ready and into bed early, only to find a "gold" ticket in their beds. After hearing a whistle blow from downstairs, they rushed down to find the "conductor" (mom) ushering them into the "train" complete with pillows and blankets to watch The Polar Express, which they had only seen once two years ago and had been reading that week. They were able to trade in their tickets for hot cocoa and popcorn and stay up extra late to watch the special show about the first gift of Christmas.
The next day, being Christmas Eve, we focused on the true first gift of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ. We enacted Luke 2 with our toy nativity as Daddy read from the scriptures. We also had a little birthday celebration for baby Jesus complete with chocolate fudge cake, since we know chocolate would have been His favorite! ;) The girls opened their annual Christmas pjs from Grandma and new slippers that they gave to each other.
We woke up and decided to go to church first instead of suffering the wrath of post-Christmas-present-opening whines to stay and play. This is where I'm really feeling the woes of a dead camera. The girls received a guitar (K), make-up/hairdresser kit (A) and a bounce 'n ride (C) from Santa, along with wonderful gifts from mom and dad and extended family. They were in heaven! I always secretly dislike Christmas day since it means the end of a month-long celebration of my most favorite time of year. But it was so nice to be together as a family and enjoy the spirit of the day on the Sabbath. I was more than ready two weeks later to have everything put away!
