The Waiting Game

As you can see in the time stamp, the hour is drawing late...soon the clock in the entry will chime 11 times. The whole family, including the grandparents, are still up, still waiting for the cousins from Idaho to arrive.

It's been a busy day of preparation. Fixing beds. Mixing muffin batter to have ready for 22 hungry tummies is the morning. Baking birthday cakes for a little one turning five in the morning. Answering the age old question....how much longer 'til they get here, Mom?

We have just three short days to satisfy our family fix! Every moment counts when the cousins are coming. There's tea to drink and stories to share, games to play and movies to watch. Lots of talk and loads of laughter.

Hurry, hurry....we're waiting for you to come!

Glimpses of our Christmas

Merry Christmas from our family to yours.

Snow for Christmas...a first ever for this family!

With thankful hearts.

Christmas Sunrise

Am I Ready?

The count down to Christmas has begun in earnest, it's just 7 sleeps away!!!! Tomorrow the Grandparents arrive, which will herald the beginning of our festivities.

Not that we haven't been celebrating already. We've decorated and begun baking, hosted a couple of parties, watched the Sunday School program with our adorable Ladybird and Moonchild participating, and made a few forays to town for shopping. I haven't done all that I wanted to do. I didn't make my photo pages to send out to family...yet, maybe they'll go our for New Year's. There is more baking to do and packages to wrap.

But I'm ready for the pace to slow. I want to savor the days shared with parents. I want to anticipate the arrival of my brother and his family coming to welcome the New Year with us. I want to enjoy the lights on the tree, the abundance of music in my home, cuddle up and read our Christmas books (now out of storage) with any children who want to join me.

I enjoy preparing Christmas for my family...but I love celebrating it with them even more!

Ending The First Term

I neglected to post a "first day of school" photo for my Lavender Girl!!!!! So to make up for it I'll put up this "last day of the first term" instead. My girl who went off to school dragging her feet is now completely sold on higher education and talking of graduate school. Her Dad knew what he was doing!!!!