First accumulation of snow for this winter!!!!

 

Monday we were surprised with big, white snowflakes dancing all around our house!!!!  Hadassah was cleaning.  Matthew and Ashlyn were in school.  Austin and I were home doing Monday chores of laundry and clean up from the weekend.  I usually go for groceries on Mondays and restock the pantry for the lunches all week.  Austin was not wanting to go away and I complied.  Instead, I worked in the kitchen! 

Fresh granola was baked and made the house smell so good!!!

Austin wanted to make a snowman craft and he's all about the ideas but not so much the cutting out and craftiness.  I had to help but he had a fun time.

We were just tickled when the snow started falling!  I love my kitchen window view!!!!

Austin was ready for it!!!!  The new snow gloves we bought at Bass Pro Shop got used already!  He got dressed warmly and bundled up for the outside.  I loved that I could capture some facial snow shots!!!!  This one is my favorite from the day!!!!

Just gotta love that smile as he slides down the sliding board in the snow.

Then I captured his first taste of those wet snowflakes!!!!  So cute!

I think he looks like Kevin on Home Alone here!  :)

I did end up outside doing a snowball fight with Austin!  We ran around the back lawn making snowballs as we grabbed the snow off of the ground.  He brings so much good out of me!

And this is my view onto the living room from the kitchen and I love it!!!

When it was time to pick up the school kids, we had a winter scene!

My lunch consisted of a grilled balonie wrap with a big side of fresh kale!!!  So yummy!

While Austin was playing outside, I was baking inside!  I've been dreaming of whipping up a batch of these molasses cookies!  They turned out so cute!

He would keep coming to the door with snow and asked for chocolate syrup and a spoon.

The children were so excited to start with opening up the books under the tree!  We have twelve this year and they open one each day leading up to Christmas morning.  Most of the books were thrifted!  It's such a good way to inspire reading for them!  Some are Christmas themed, others are not.  They don't know if the book was new or slightly used.  It's a great way to spread cheer to the little ones, add to their reading collection and open a gift each day!

This is the book for today!  So cute!

Snowy days are so cozy inside!!!!  The house smells like ginger and fresh granola!  The candles are lite and glowing as I finish up laundry!  Christmas music on my Mix on YouTube is playing nonstop!!!!  It's the best day in December so far!!!!  

We are excited for Wednesday!!!  There's a lot more snow in the forecast and we are geared up for it!!!! They are telling us to expect 8-12 inches.  We shall see!!!! 

Happy snow days!

December activities.

 

I have written a Christmas letter for many years.  It just gives a run down of our family and where are in life.  I asked Ashlyn and Austin to help fold the letters while I stuffed envelopes.

Some years, I just print out mailing labels and send them off with love and good cheer.  Some years I like to write out each card by hand.  Ashlyn was all about helping with some art work! 

We had a fun event at church where we made Christmas wreaths.  This was my first time doing this and we had our first snow flakes fall outside while we were having fun!

Watching the children in the school program this year was different than other years but so sweet and short and still very good!  Each elementary class sang a song. The crowd was smaller.  We are so blessed to have a program this crazy year of 2020!

Austin stood on stage with his hands in his pockets.  So adorable!

After the program, we had promised the kids that we would go to Bass Pro Shop and let them each use up the gift cards Mike had.  Hadassah and Jeremiah decided to stay back home because his dog has ten puppies that they need to feed by bottle.  It takes up so much time!!!

On our way home, we swung by Messics to watch their light show.  Cool!

The next night, basketball season began!!!  Matthew's been working hard at each practice.  Some practices have been at 6 AM, and he's all about it!!!  Because of sport restrictions, only two people per player can watch the game.  Mike and I were there to cheer through our masks while the littles were with Lena at a Fireside event.

The Warriors were ready and won their first game against Dayspring.

New coaches.  New strategies were practiced.  More muscles.  Good job boys!!!

Then it was the weekend!!!!  Well, almost!  Governor Wolf put out more COVID restrictions and the local restaurants are hurting from it.  I feel so bad for them!  I decided to make a stop at a greenhouse in Strasburg and then swing by and give my friend Ruthie a hug.  Her family has been working night and day to get a new restaurant open locally and they are now open and busy and now this.  Back to take outs.  We need reminders to trust God in everything and know that there is good, good plan in all of this!

And because the new restrictions, Ashlyn and I decided to go have breakfast at Agape Saturday morning!  We had to order take out but there were some indoor seating available!  We've been wanting to go here together and decided to make it a win win and support these locals that are working hard to earn a dollar!!!!

The younger children were excited to be able to open up their first book that is under the tree!  I went thrifting for books and we have twelve to open, one per day, until Christmas morning.  This gives the children fresh books to inspire them to keep reading.  Many are Christmas themed!  This is a very inexpensive way to give to your children if you look at thrift stores.  They don't care if the books are new or slightly used.

We had a beautiful December weekend with the weather being on the mild side.  

Happy December!!!!

Our hometown during the holidays!!!

We had such a fun time touring our own little town last Saturday.  Normally, we like to do the open house riddles and go from shop to shop gathering treats for the children and solving riddles.  Because of COVID-19, the stores are not doing the open house events but we decided to still go through town!  

Kitchen Kettle is a small village filled with shops!  They make homemade fudge and chocolates.  There's a  coffee shop.  You could roast marshmellows and make a s'mores.  Matthew got a hot cider as we walked around!

The children loved to see Santa and Mrs. Claus.  They actually told him what they would want for Christmas even though we don't believe in Santa's deliveries.

Mike ordered some fried and hot dog with kraut.

There's an art gallary with some gorgeous art!!!

I loved this!!!!  A man was playing the violin and singing Christmas songs in the center of the village.  He had bells on his shoes and he was tapping his shoes all to make music.  The neatest talent!!!!

And then there were these musicians!!!

We left the village and went down the street to Ken's Gardens.  It is so beautiful in there right now!!!!

Austin was tickled with his candy treats he collected from place to place.

This was such a fun afternoon with the kids!!!  I love little outings like this with no schedule to meet but just to have a good time!!!