~ early december and birthdays ~

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***

I offer no explanation for my absence

other than I have enjoyed not being on the computer.

***

December was busy and fun.

We really wanted to make this holiday time 

beautiful and special for the girls.

Every year since we've been together, 

we have traveled to be with extended family.

(Unless you count the year I had 2 week old twins.)

Making the decision to stay home was difficult,

but we made the right choice.

We had a great month,

and our family celebration was truly magical.

We put up our tree.

This sweet picture of Daddy and the girls

was taken after the first of the decorations were up.

We also attempted a family picture.

(Sorry folks, I have Photoshop but don't feel like using it tonight!)

Blogger feels it knows better than I the proper orientation for pictures.

Ahem.

But here we have a toilet paper tube snowflake.

We discovered that many of our holiday decorations molded in the attic.

A helpful child decided that fresh arrangement needed to go into storage as well.

Another ahem.

Sweet picture of Lela and Laurel

Saint Nikolaus came to visit!

He left the girls some slippers, a holiday mug, a peppermint cane and booster seat.

Thank you St. Nikolaus - those booster seats were desperately needed!

This is a very, very special picture of me and Santa Claus.

Do you know why?

Since many decorations had to be thrown away,

we had no choice (heehee!) but to craft, craft, craft!

We made wrapping paper with potato stamps (in the background)

and here the family is preparing to make felt ornaments by wet felting in a form.

Here are our sweet ornaments!

(Thanks again Blogger!)

And in the middle of all that crafting and family fun,

a few days before the Winter Solstice,

came the 4th birthday of my twin babies!

Daddy made them each a set of walking blocks.

Aunt Bec sent them a lovely photograph (she took!)

Their GG sent a sweet version of The Night Before Christmas,

illustrated by Jan Brett.

I needle felted them a tiny doll with a "4" on the front, and a heart on the back.

Happy Birthday Olivia!

Happy Birthday Laurel!

Lela's gift - a calendar for each of her sisters.

Laurel and Liv requested a catfish dinner, with pea and mashed sweet potatoes.

The catfish was locally caught, an added bonus.

Happy Birthday my sweet babies!

You are growing up so fast!

I still have pictures to share of our Winter Solstice lantern walk with our Waldorf families, and pictures from our family celebration.

~carrie~

The Last Two Weeks

Happy Holidays from all of us!

It is an understatement to say that the last two weeks have been most hectic and stressful for our slow-paced family. So a sampling of pictures will have to do while we are in recovery mode!

Dec. 16 - Laurel and Olivia are THREE!

~ Liv opens a gift from Aunt Bec, penguin from NovaNatural ~

Dec. 16 - That very night, there were fevers in three of three daughters.

Dec. 16-20 We all got sick and the girls felt quite ill for four days, and were up most of the night. Suddenly, our plan of quiet evenings making Solstice gifts was upended. We stayed up all night, taking 30 minute chunks of time between comforting feverish children. That Momma and Daddy weren't more ill than they were is a miracle of sorts.

~ sick chickens ~

Dec 21 - The fevers finally break just in time for our family Winter Solstice celebration. All got a new dress for their doll. Lela got a new teeny doll, Laurel got a wooden wagon/stroller, and Liv got a balance bike, painted glitter red! And their big gift, of course, was the wooden kitchen made by Daddy!

~ happy girls love their Momma-made dresses for their dolls ~

Dec 24. - Happy Birthday Grana! Happy Birthday Aunt Virginia! We love you!

Dec. 24 - Then just three days later, snuffles and coughs still a nuisance, we travelled to Virginia to be with family for Christmas. There was still snow on the ground and it was so beautiful on the farm.

~ Loving Gran ~

Dec. 25 - Christmas Day, we gathered to eat, play the gift exchange game and have a great time together.

~ Four Generations ~

Dec. 26 - Happy Birthday Grandaddy/GP! We love you!

Dec 28 - We left the rural Piedmont of Virginia by way of mountainous Blackburg, where one of Mike's brothers lives. We spent the day with Grandma, Uncle C and cousin A. I didn't get any pictures, but the girls had fun and there was quite a bit of snow on the ground and flurries.

Dec 28 - We arrived back home a few hours after dinner, and plopped the girls in bed.

We are still recovering and will be for a few more days I expect. Hopefully, after the long weekend, we will feel like ourselves again. :)

Peace,
Carrie

P.S. This post and pictures are made possible by the external harddrive my parents gave me for Christmas. Now I have somewhere safe to store my beloved pictures. My computer is completely filled - not a single picture could be uploaded. It is also nearly 6 years old. Gratefully, we received funds to buy a laptop! I hope this will happen in the next few days, and that by soon after the New Year, I will have a shiny new toy. :)