Snippets of Christmas

Is it too late to talk about Christmas? 

Not in this house it isn't. (After all we JUST took down our Christmas decorations last week)

We celebrate all year around here. 

The crafts and decorations

and food...

it's all such a wonderful way to bring those we love together. 

While not all of our celebrating is focused only on Christ's birth,

I do like to think it makes His eyes twinkle when His flock are together laughing and enjoying each others company. 

Certainly the kindness of Mr. Claus is not lost on our Lord.

I'll never forget how sincerely he told us when we visited in his Auburn Chalet that Christmas is for the children and he does what he does for them.

Surely the heart of St. Nicholas was full of love for the Christ child. 

Having a wee one of our own brings a new kind of truth to the reality of Mary's selflessness.

The story of Jesus' birth just hit me differently this year.

Father Dave even mentioned to us once, "Jesus was a little baby just like Leonardo!" 

So I guess we weren't the only one's that were thinking it.

This year we had much to celebrate, and our favorite gift came two months early. 

Best.

Christmas.

Ever. 

(Well maybe not ever, the birth of Jesus you can't really beat; 

how about best Christmas yet in our lifetime?)

Stuffing Stockings

Leonardo's stocking WAS knitted in time for Christmas,

Eric wasn't sure it would be big enough to fit all the goodies inside,

but it's about four times as large as what I grew up with,

and I was on my last skein of yarn from that lot, so I decided it was.

Many other projects were completed in warp speed this year...more to follow soon.

January Thaw

"The sun came out,
And the snowman cried.
His tears ran down
on every side.
His tears ran down
Till the spot was cleared.
He cried so hard
That he disappeared."
-  Margaret Hillert, January Thaw

Last week we had lots of beautiful white fluff as far as the eye could see!  

It was so pure and clean and lovely.  One morning we were treated to the rare delight of frozen fog all piled up in stacks of white outlining all the trees and scruff along the banks...

it made for the MOST beautiful drive to work, watching the sun rise paint it's beautiful light on the scene.  I often hear people comment about snow being a waste after Christmas...

they'd rather it just ended in December. 

I mostly nod and smile as if I agree, but secretly I enjoy it

(even last year when the roads were covered until April and I had double the drive time and one lane roads half the winter)

I think our little fellow might be on my side.

I cannot wait until he's old enough to build snowmen and sled and ice skate with us and then curl up inside for board games and hot chocolate. 

Game Day

Yesterday was a big day for those of us from Indiana. 

We were all geared up to root for our down-home favorites (those good old Colts!)

Turned out to be a rough game to watch....

especially if you were cheering for those underdogs.

Of course, my favorite part of football has always been the food; 

that's good win or loose.

those toes are so interesting these days!

I guess there's always next year Mr. Luck.

You MUST Be Yolking

I cannot believe I've failed to mention some very exciting news for the Thomas Homestead...

Thelma and Louise are officially earning their keep!  

Our Easter Egger was the first to produce her golden yolked beauties;

We couldn't have hoped for a more beautiful shade of blue. When our nephew Ryder first saw our homegrown eggs over a year ago, he didn't realize a chicken could lay anything other than a white egg and thought we had dyed them! 

But, those were Sally and Peg's eggs...RIP. 

These new gals are laying steadily (one egg a day per hen even in these frigid temps) 

There is nothing like a farm fresh egg, especially when it comes from your own backyard.

3 Months and Counting

It's official, our little man is already 1/4 of a year old! 

"He's growing like a weed," is what my Grandma would say.  

Weighing in at 16lbs on the home scale yesterday, this boy still likes to eat.  

He's been spending 2 days a week at Aunt Ruthie's house while Mama is at work, and she says that sometimes he will cry when the bottle runs dry.

 It seems like he picks up on something new each day...

his head control is improving and he really likes to stand if you hold his arms up. 

Leo can definitely tell who his Mama and Papa are now,

and he'll track us around a room and follow our voices-makes me so proud! 

He has always been a sneezy babiloo and usually they come in multiples, but you can always tell when he's finished sneezing because the last one ends in a coo.  We've always gotten such a kick out of this and Eric and I never knew where he got that from until I got a bit of a cold and sneezed....Leo is my baby after all!  (and now I like this quirk even more) 

In the last couple of days he's started grabbing onto things and shaking them a bit before he lets go.  He gets so puzzled about what's going on;

I can almost see the wheels turning in that tiny head of his.

Leonardo holds his little hands together

 (I like to thinks he's praying, but I'm told it's a milestone...that he 'found' his other hand) 

Just like his Papa, he still sleeps quite a bit, but not always in long stretches at night; I'm sure that will come in due time. 

Now during diaper-changes he'll hold his legs back...

cousin Leah would be proud!  

In the last month, bathime has become transformed from a crying can't-get-it-over-quick-enough part of the day to FUN!

  Leo will kick his feet and splash the water and we've made it through several without a single tear shed!

While most days are filled with books and songs and the day's highlight might be tummy-time,

You just have to love a baby mullet

I know there is so much this little person of ours is learning.

Sometimes he finds his thumb if his pacifier isn't around

Yesterday someone saw Leonardo and said, "I might be looking at the next President!" Well isn't that a thought. 

 

It's so lovely to imagine what life has in store for this beautiful blessing of ours.

Expect the Unexpected

Some days you wake up and plan to go to the Fort to have a day of shopping and a little bit of time doing just what you want, and some days life laughs at you.  

Can you guess what kind of day we are having? A day of emergency vet appointment and leg injury for the mykadog

and an emergency doctor appointment for the daddy with an overnight hospital stay to follow. At first they thought appendicitis but ultimately the ct scan of his appendix was okay and they are saying it's viral...what a nasty virus!!! Thankfully this is now how both of my human babies look...

and I hope my mykadog is sleeping soundly too.

God keeps teaching me to have patience and put my faith in Him, let Him be the driver on our life's journey.  I must be a very slow learner because I keep getting these lessons over and over again.

Soon, oh so soon, we will be doing this again (I hope)