Disclaimer::I will apologize in advance, but here is another picture heavy post that is pretty much a photo essay on What I Did Over Christmas Vacation. Ever since I discovered that you can have your blog printed, it has become (for the time being) my main form of scrapbooking/memory keeping...so I have to put in lots of photos, for posterity of course!
We REALLY enjoyed our Christmas break & the BREAK part most of all! There were several days where we stayed in our PJs all day long, we played Wii & read books. We enjoyed hanging out with each other (in between driving each other crazy!) And in a flash, the New Year was here & break was winding down. It is already January 5th and I'm still processing that it is a new year, a fresh beginning! I'm still trying to pray about what God wants my focus to be this year...well, I know He wants my focus to be Him, but I guess I'm trying to pin-down exactly where He wants me to focus my energies...I hope to post more on that later. So for now, all you get is like 937 pictures of us doing basically nothing, sorry! (And, Mom, I had so many pictures of Pete with the kids that I think I'm going to do a separate post on his visit.)
2nd Disclaimer::I also want to apologize for some of the pictures being blurry or yellowish or just plain bad! I recently decided that after almost a year of using my new camera on the Auto setting 90% of the time, I am going to actually learn how to USE the camera...I've been reading some online tutorials & basically just practicing...so some of these shots are pretty rough...please bear with me & hopefully in time I will improve (or go switch back to Auto!)
These photos were taken the Sunday after Christmas...after church, just hanging around & playing! I'm hardly ever in a picture with all of the kids, so Jeff snapped a few pics of us. (Hopefully this year I will make a point to be IN more pictures instead of taking them all! LOL!)
The kids all enjoying their Ring Pops from their stockings. Except for Drew, he's gnawing on a toy ring!
Totem Pole of Howards
Drew says, "Hmmmm I wonder what these buttons do?"
And this is what happens when you are horsing around with your brother while eating a Ring Lollipop...
We had oranges with our supper & Drew really wanted to try them...despite the horrid look on his face, he REALLY loved them! He would keep sucking them & chewing on them to get all of the juice out. But I think his eyes were watering!
He loves mango, too!
This next group of photos is from an evening when we met some good friends out for dinner & then impromptu came back to our house for ice cream & Wii! ALL of the kids (young & not as young!) had a lot of fun playing Wii sports...especially the boxing!
This last group of photos brings our 2009 to a close! We spent New Year's Eve at the lake with Jeff's family & had a GREAT time! First we shared a delicious meal of steak, baked potatoes, green beans & fruit salad, YUM!
Our 3 nieces brought 4 friends, so there were lots of girls...and Jack!
The grown-ups enjoying dinner!
Drew is enjoying his first bites of chocolate cake! (Side note: I remember Jack having his first cake on his birthday...I guess we are a bit more relaxed for #4!)
Darcy has already had her dessert, but she found someone willing to share more!
Drew talking with Pop & Grandpa.
Sophie with Uncle Pete! Sophie adores Uncle Pete & enjoyed every minute of his time here from Chicago!
Drew talking on the phone with Molly & Emma. He got a bit of attention...
The boys!
After dinner, we moved outside to enjoy the newly built fire pit area. The fire felt wonderful on the cold night. And it made the perfect spot to watch the kids run around with sparklers & also enjoy the fireworks show by Uncle Tom. Darcy did not enjoy the cold or the fire, so she pretty quickly went inside to watch from the window!
Just enjoying great company by the fire! It was a really nice way to end a great year!
I am wishing all of you a very blessed 2010!
May this year find you surrounded by love, enjoying good health, joyful in all things and drawing ever closer to Him who makes all things new!
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17
3 comments:
Nice post and neat pictures! I am in the same boat as you.... still trying to get organized after the break (that really was a break), and still needing to seek the Lord as to what He wants my focus to be. I will be glad to be back in Bible study next week! Blessings!
LOVE all the pics! It looks like you all had a nice (much needed) relaxing break too!!
I too use my blog as my scrapbook.
My blog has been the best and easiest way for me to keep up with our life and all my pictures.
Talk to you soon!
Great pictures, it looks like you had a fabulous break. Love the "boys" playing Wii!
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