Happy New Year at Home!

We traveled the rest of the way home on New Years Eve, and as we had been up late all holiday long, we decided to break the trend and go to bed "early" which ended up being around 11 pm. :o)

Before going to bed though, Josh and Hope sat down to put together more of the Playmobil set she had received for Christmas.


New Years day saw Josh at home with us, which was a lovely start to the New Year. I was able to get out and grocery shop by myself, and re-stock our empty fridge, which was so nice. :o)

Love his smiles. :o)

She was just playing happily in her rocking chair by the window in the beautiful morning sunlight. :o)

She loves to be funny. Just had to capture it..

Hopey wanted to hold Philip while Joy was still sleeping one afternoon, but she spotted the Charlie Brown talking Christmas card from Granny on the counter first, so she sat there with Philip and the card and probably listened to it ten times in a row! :o)

Storytime with Daddy while Mommy hurriedly does the supper dishes.

He's never alone on the floor for long. :o)

We got out the baby bouncer seat after our return from Christmas holidays, and of course, the girls loved it. We had to do some quick training with Joy, getting it into her head that it was not for her to sit in!!! Philip does pretty good in it - even falling asleep in it the other day - a first for our children! However, he still likes the floor best for play time, as he can move both his arms and his legs more freely that way.

Yes Hope, you're cute too!

I think they were playing "picnic" or something.

Funny how Joy still loves to fit herself into small things. :o) That shoebox dolly bed has lasted a long time, considering all it has been through in the two years since my Mum covered it in pink flannel for Hope when Joy was born.

Time for Hopey's first violin lesson.

Learning proper posture.

But she couldn't wait to make sounds. :o)

No words needed for these. :o)

And this was after another Saturday grocery run. Josh had kept all the kids at home, napping, while I ran to the store. I fed Philip when I got back, and then handed him to his Daddy to be burped, bundled the girls up, and headed out with them to unload the van and mail our Christmas/New Years cards. (I decided ahead of time that there was no way I could get the pictures printed and addressed before Christmas, so I just plain old did it in the New Year, and had no regrets at all. I figured it was more important to enjoy my wee one and take Christmas prep and clean up at a slower pace, allowing Hope and Joy to "help," and if I had to do it again I'd do it the same way. :o))