The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

This year, we spent a good chunk of November working on Christmas shopping and presents. I am learning that adoption is very much a hurry up and do do do (then wait wait wait). And if you want to get anything done, do it in the waiting. So we did, and it's a good thing- because we have a lot of adoption things to DO right now! It also helped because all of those Pinterest gifts that I usually intend to make (that cannot possibly be made in the three days between the end of the school semester and Christmas) actually got made. It helped us keep the budget semi-down and put more money towards Baby 2.

We struck out on a new tradition: cutting down our own tree. Daniel and I have always wanted to do it, and it's cheaper than buying one at Lowe's or Menards, so off we went!

Daniel is trying to fix the lights, Sawyer is enjoying a branch, and Maggie is loving the empty boxes everywhere!

On the way home from getting our tree- love my flat landscape!

Sawyer thought Maggie's containment in a box meant she needed a Bird to sleep with and a washcloth as a blanket. The love didn't last long.

Discovering ornaments

Each year we add an ornament and put the year on it. This year is a beautiful one, handmade by some dear ladies in Uganda.

Love this...

Then the snow came: A lot of snow! Daniel is the best person to enjoy snow with. He is already a very enthusiastic person, and he loves snow since he didn't get a lot growing up. The boys were both up at 6 am screaming and running around the house to all the windows to look. The festivities continued from there...

"Mmmmm!"

Daddy's idea is to create a snow slide with the sled... fun!

Snowball fights!!!

We always have the cleanest sidewalks in town. Daniel went on to snow blow/shovel the neighbors' drives, the church, and my Grandma's drives. He is a machine!

Anyone need a disappearing murder weapon? 

After a long day playing in the snow...

Merry Christmas from my classroom!

Literary tree

Merry Christmas!!!