Highlights from this week

* Probably the best thing about this week was that Pete started a new rotation. Last month he was working 6 days a week from 6 am to about 8 pm. He would go days without seeing the kids and had to work a few Sundays. On Monday he called me at 5:00 and said he was on his way home!!! I seriously never thought having a husband leave work at 5 would feel like such a treat. He had dinner with us every night this week! He literally didn't have dinner with us the entire month of November except for the 1 day a week that he was off. So we LOVE having him around more. He also had his first weekend off in 2 months! Wow, I could really get used to this... but I probably shouldn't because it will most likely only last until he changes rotations again. We'll enjoy it while we can!

* After coming home from the library late one afternoon, I told the kids they could look at their new books while I got dinner ready. Things were very quiet, so I peaked around the corner to find this. They are the sweetest little guys!


* A few days later, again while I was getting dinner ready, the kids again got very quiet. This time they were all coloring by the light of the Christmas tree. I wish I could say every night is this peaceful... but normally I'm shooing everyone downstairs to play/fight where I can't hear them as well. But it's these sweet moments that I like to remember!


* John's last day of karate! He took for 5 months and we have decided to take a break... either for now or forever, we don't know. He liked it, but after going twice a week since the beginning of July, I think John was very burned out. As was I.


* Joe experimenting with his paints. He's painted before and loves it, but this time I was helping the other kids with other things for probably 20 or 30 minutes and came back to find that Joe had mixed all the colors together to make black. I guess it's good to let kids experiment, right? We just might need to buy some more paints.


* Our first Michigan snowman! This was a couple days after it had snowed, so we had to scrape up some of the wet snow from the side of the yard then pull it around to the back, where we thought it would last longer since the sun wouldn't see it as much. But it rained all day today, so our poor little snowman is now a big puddle. I should probably bring in the scarf and buttons laying on the grass.



* Seeing Santa. Well, let's be honest, this wasn't necessarily a highlight. Joe wanted nothing to do with Santa and just kept giving him crusties from a couple yards away. And I don't think John and Dan cracked a smile the whole time. Oh well. The highlight was having our friends Romney and Ashley and their 2 sweet girls come spend half the day with us. We saw Santa, went to the library, did some window shopping, and came back to our house for soup.


* Joe finishing his Sunday afternoon nap snuggled up with dad.


* Night time walks Saturday and Sunday nights. We can still pack the kids all in to strollers, and surprisingly they quite enjoy the ride. Sunday night John and Joe were in the double and serenaded us with "Angels We Have Heard on High" (the "Gloooooria" part) the entire ride.

* Watching the Christmas devotional. Joe snuggled up with Pete and John with me and they stayed put and quiet the entire time! A great way to finish off the week.