peeking in the kitchen window...

I need a ladder to wash that window.
today I looked up to see her smiling back at me.
she thought it was quite fun to watch me do dishes from an outdoor perspective.
I have to admit it was rather entertaining having that smiling little face looking back at me.

They are loving

the snow....
there has been digging and sliding.
climbing and tumbling.
they have discovered the challenge of walking on snow, the girls resorted to crawling to avoid the sinking to their chins experience that walking brought.
they are out for a couple hours, in for a few (just long enough for their clothes to dry) and then back out again.
kids understand the fun that is snow.

more snow pictures

awoke this morning...

to the sun shining, and yet another new coat of snow.
simply beautiful.

comparison...

the top photo...august
the bottom photo december.
he would not have been able to touch the top of the tree in august, well not without the help of a ladder, but yesterday he rested his elbow on the top of the tree. Yes, there is that much snow. The kids are loving the perspective all that snow is affording them....places that before they could only glance up to see, they can now look eye to eye.

christmas day...

quite similar to Christmas eve...
same faces, same place, same snowy weather.
that weather caused changes in travel plans which allowed us to enjoy the company of the same group of people.
So fun to share it with family and friends...so nice to not have to venture out in that most unpleasant of weather.

snow fun

christmas morning

ready for santa....

tracking santa...

on Norad.
throughout the night they checked to see just where the jolly old fellow was...
glad to say that by the time he hit Minneapolis they were sleeping soundly.

presents

for Beckie....

your dad opening his gift from you....

my dad

one of the gifts we gave him was a book filled with the photos.
from last fall, these, these, and these .
love that we captured his reaction to the book.
thinking he liked it.

Christmas Eve...

Reindeer food

there were concerns the reindeer wouldn't be able to find the food with all the snow coming down...
I was wondering if we would find all the kids with all the snow coming down.

new book...

a tradition started a few years ago...
a new book for each of the little ones, a library being built year after year, so that someday when they have their own little ones they will have books from their childhood to share with another. This year's book? Where the wild things are. A favorite of mine, and theirs too. We went to the movie earlier this year, they loved it! So it seemed natural to choose this book, they thought so too. All enjoyed reading it on Christmas Eve...and yes we have read it again and again.