January

So I awoke today to an icy white world, an unexpected snow day home from school, and the stark realization that the month of January had entirely passed me by without a single blog post.  What?  I certainly didn't plan to take such a lengthy break, but I suppose it always takes me awhile to ease back into a new semester.  Often January passes for me in a blur of freezing temps, long days, and wintry blase carelessness.  Today is February, though, so I'd better get myself in gear, eh?

But first, I can't resist a recap.

This holiday season, I'll cherish many simple memories of the kiddos together, like this moment where they decided to "camp-out" in front of the Christmas tree.  They cleared away the playroom debris and replaced it with a homemade campfire, blanket sleeping bags, and books to read before bedtime.  As a child, I always enjoyed playing magical games near the lit Christmas tree, and I am so glad to see them carry on that tradition.

Then this happened: adorably festive holiday outfits for equally impressive Christmas programs.  Nothing makes me smile like watching Ava and Hudson sing Christmas carols, and this year I was not disappointed.  Not only did they perform beautifully at their respective programs, but for the first time they really embraced singing at home.  Hudson especially memorized a dizzying array of holiday tunes and sang to us happily throughout the season.  Our house was so joyous!

 

Although I didn't get any shots of Ava's performance (which was amazing as usual), I did snap this one of Hudson's precious get-up as a reindeer.  He was a bit nervous for his first-ever school program, but you would never have known it by his performance.  He was fantastic!

 

This was the night before Christmas, all dolled up in holiday jammies.  I feared this may be our last Christmas where Ava truly believes, so I soaked up every moment with her especially.  Look at that anticipation!  Believe me, they were not disappointed, and I thank everyone (Santa included!) who blessed my kiddos this year.

And let's not forget....we actually had a white Christmas this year!  A beautiful blanket of snow provided fun-filled memories in our own backyard.  We built a snowman, launched snowballs at each other, and even frolicked with the neighbor's new puppy.  What a way to cap-off our favorite season of the year!

Now that January has passed us by, and I've finally adjusted to the new year, I will try to maintain this 'ol blog a bit better.  Welcome, 2013!