This week has been a great week to finish up a few projects.   This July,   I participated in Ali Edwards challenge to document a week in our life.   She encourages you to document the little day to day things, so you can look back and see how life has changed.    This project has sat on my computer, since the 1st of August, just waiting to be finished and printed.   I am glad to finish it this week and I am excited to see the printed version.  

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We had a wonderful Christmas day.   Just the 5 of us relaxing at home.  We spent all day eating treats, opening presents & enjoying each other.    Here's a few of my favorite photos of the day.   

Our family tradition is a family photo shoot in front of the Christmas tree before we open presents.   The kids always complain, but I remind them that this is one of  Mommy's presents.  Since they have about triple the # of presents under the tree, it's only fair that I get a little gift of a family photo.   

I love the photos this year.  It's the best gift for me.   

Our other family tradition is that everyone has to sit in front of the tree to open their gifts.   We take turns, usually youngest to oldest.     Of course this is also for my photo taking, but it really helps us to slow down and enjoy each others presents. 


 I made fleece blanket for all three kids this year.   I purchased the fleece back in May already when we were in Canada.   Canada has far more selection of hockey fleece than down here in Iowa.   Of course, I did not have the blankets completed until the day before Christmas.   But they were done and the kids really seem to like them.   

 I hope you had a very blessed Christmas as well.  

December turned out to be just as busy as the months before. The weekends were filled with Hockey, of course. Ben had several more opportunities to officiate some games and is feeling more confident every time. At first he wasn't sure where to stand, what to call etc.... Now, he mentioned that it might even help his hockey playing. Andrew and Ethan's team is doing better this year. They have already won more games than they did all of last year. Ethan has scored about 15 goals this season. Ben's team is struggling a little this year. He hasn't played that many games yet, so we will see how the season pans out.

Nadia took a gymnastics class at City hall this fall.   She LOVED it!   She has been doing cartwheels and handstands all over the house.  

The weather has been really strange this December.   We have very little snow,  not even enough to cover the grass.    Early in the month we had about a 1/4 inch that melted immediately.  Nadia took advantage of it though and make a little "mountain"  that lasted about 1 day.  

The kids have been home from school for the whole week.   This is a photo of  Nadia and Ethan heading  to school for their winter parties. 

Finally a little more snow arrived on Thursday.   This time maybe 1/2inch.  The kids did their best to enjoy the little we had.  Ethan and Nadia tried the sleds and we even broke out the skis from Oma &  Opa.   Unfortunantly,  there was not really enough snow for winter fun.   We actually gave up and headed to the Bowling Alley.

That was our December in a nutshell.