Wintertime 2015

James, at age 5, has taken naps in the afternoon since forever. He is finally starting to grow out of falling into a deep sleep in the middle of his play on my floor. We built this fun little tower together one afternoon. Rafoo the Giraffe keeps him company.

Eden is quite the cherub at bathtime.

 

 Except for when she's not.

To her great delight, Mercy's ninth birthday came in January. We had fun decorating with butterflies and pink together and preparing for her little family party.

 Reuben's need for his "bweathing medicine" returned as it seems to each winter. I am thankful that he only really needs it when he has a bad cold.  Also in this shot you can see evidence of Reuben's ability to lick his own face constantly- chapped skin is definitely a winter time thing in our house.

Where we live, we often wish for snowy winters and celebrate the rare single snow day, if and when it comes. Rather than consistent snow, we enjoy moderately cool temperatures and lots of rain. Other winter pleasures for me include cooking in my kitchen without becoming unbearably hot, being able to wear pants and layers (I love layers and shorts look dumb.) and sleeping comfortably at night without the buzzing sound of fans. So, I love winter and fall and any spring day that does not resemble summer in any way.

That said, when my parents' surprised Bob and I with a mid January trip to Mexico, without our offspring, to a place that is indeed warm and sunny on purpose, we went and had a lovely time. Turns out that warm weather can be quite pleasant if you spend your time reading, smiling and pretending you speak spanish really well and if you don't have to cook in it. Who knew?

Coming soon: pictures from our trip. :)