Christmas, Clean-up, and a Card

 

Christmas is long gone.

Another year. "Another Baby's First."

 

Celebrating at home was special in so many ways:

 

1. It was our first Christmas ever in 12 years of marriage to do it alone.

2. The days before were spent in Keystone on snow covered peaks.

3. Henry's first Christmas made a very merry occasion!

4. It was our first Christmas in Colorado.

 

We did, however, miss our family-

but we had a nice Skype visit with about 10 of them in Arkansas Christmas afternoon.

 

 

Before opening presents, David read the kids the Christmas story.

Harbor is starting to really understand it.

He is always so concerned about Jesus in the hay.

From being on the farm with my parents, he understand fully how itchy hay is!

Ha!

 

And they both reveled in all the pretty paper and sparkling lights.

 

With Henry still crawling, we didn't put out any gifts until the night of Christmas Eve, after the kids had gone to bed. Seeing their little faces at the shock and wonder of it all was precious!

 

Harbor helped Henry with his gifts.

 

In fact, Harbor helped everyone with their gifts!

: )

 

And I set up the tripod and video camera and let it roll non stop.

For about three hours.

: )

 

I was super excited to find these new pans under the tree!

 

We made a full Christmas dinner alone.

I made stuffing from scratch and deviled eggs.

David tackled the rest.

 

 

And a few days later, more gifts from Arkansas arrived on our porch!

 

Including this homemade Arkansas pillow!

Love!

{I joked that I needed a Michigan and Colorado pillow to finish the set.}

 

We had several big family breakfasts at home courtesy of Daddy.

 

We're so abundantly thankful for his new job here.

He has had every single weekend home with us- both Saturday and Sunday.

This was unheard of in Michigan.

Breakfast tastes better when he is home.

: )

 

And then the mass exodus of Christmas cleanup began.

 {David promptly settled into the couch and a Tupperware bin with a movie!}
Ha!

As did Harbor!
{I love their help, but honestly, work better alone, so it was a good plan!}

 

After Christmas was put away,

I felt extra motivated and created New Year's cards for our family.

We were even invited to a New Year's party with friends from church.
There must have been close to forty people there.
So many children for Harbor toplay with.
What a blessing to us!

 Valentine Day decor is already up.
Henry's first birthday is in a week.
Today, Harbor and I started back to homeschool preschool
with a new and improved schedule.
Gymnastics start back tomorrow.

Nothing like hitting the ground running to make you realize how much you over ate!
: )

Happy 2014!
Hope your holidays wrapped up nicely, too!