Weekend Fun

January 2014 is past. It was a wonderful month! I don't think we've had this many snow days in one month since my first year of teaching, 16 winters ago. That was before kids, and I'm not sure what I did on all those days home alone! Now our snow days are filled with activity...even if we stay in our pjs. :-) On Friday night, Greg and I were able to have a night out. Part of my Christmas gift was two tickets to the Cathedral Reunion concert, and we had fun listening to the songs that were popular when we were teenagers (which is a lot longer ago than either of us care to admit!). Thanks, Mom, for the tickets and the babysitting!

 

On Saturday, we drove the 90 minutes down to Franklin, OH, where my sister and her family live.  We had planned a birthday gathering the week before, but the weather shut things down and it had to be postponed.  It was crazy that by the time we reached Dayton it was 50 degrees!  Seemed like it was time to break out the flip flops and lemonade!   

 

Evan and Annie both celebrated birthdays in January, and Adam and Valerie's are both in February.  So...we scattered candles all over a cake and had a party.  :-)  This picture cracks me up.  Suzanna loves cake, and she'll always be found right near it (probably waiting for a chance to dip her finger in the icing).  It's predictable and adorable.  Apparently, Annie didn't want her picture taken.  She'll probably get a kick out of seeing this.

 

 

And that is how January ended and February began! 

 

Happy 13th Birthday, Evan!

January 23, 2001

9:02 a.m.

6lbs/12oz/18in

Approximately 12 months

Thanking God for you Evan, and so excited to see how He is going to use your life.

Your tender heart and motivated spirit are an inspiration!

Kindergarten

13th birthday!

January 2014 - Part 1

This has definitely been a snowy winter! Christmas vacation was extended by 3 days thanks to the polar vortex, and most of the kids were beyond thrilled to be back after almost 3 weeks off.

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Sledding - and lots of it!

A new favorite family game for cold winter nights.

Ice skating with church friends

Crafts at the library with school/church friends

Our deer was processed and produced 118 lbs of meat!  I made my first venison roast attempt last night, and it was a hit. The recipe from Pinterest was easy and bursting with flavor. 

The kids were so excited to finally eat their own hunt!

This weekend is snowy and cold, and perfect for relaxing with the family and enjoying our Christmas decor for another day or two.  Cause ya know, after January it'll be a little rednecky!  :-)

Have a great weekend!

Let.It.Snow.

Hasn't this been a beautiful day in Northwest Ohio! About an hour on the sledding hill was all the kids could take. Winter is here, and we're loving it!!!

Happy New Year 2014!

We celebrated New Year's Eve at the school commons with a few friends from church.  We had snacks, played games, and prayed in the new year.  It was a great way to finish 2013!

On New Year's Day, we slept in, ate breakfast in shifts, and played Monopoly Empire.  We had lots of laughs learning the new-to-us version of Monopoly with the kids.  In the afternoon, we headed to Mad River Mountain to meet a bunch of cousins and an aunt and uncle for some skiing.

It's Greg and Jonathon, so I'm told...lol