Is It Really January?

Everyone had the day off for the MLK Jr. holiday yesterday. The high in Springfield, in the middle of January, was 69 degrees yesterday. That is a day that you have to take advantage of and get some fresh air. So, after a yummy little lunch at Jimmy John's we headed to the nature center. The nature center in Springfield has some wonderful trails on its property. We have never taken advantage of all the trails since in the past we have had Ella in a stroller. She couldn't keep up on the long walks so with the stroller we had to stay on the paved trails.

Yesterday, she was ready to keep up with the rest of us and we hit some of the rockier and hilly paths. It really was beautiful even with nothing in bloom. I would love to go again this spring though to see the trail with some green on it.

We had a wonderful time walking, talking and spending time together as a family. We also stopped along the way to enjoy some of the great outdoors. We skipped rocks in a creek, watched deer eating acorns, counted ducks and looked for state shapes in some of the big rocks along the trail. I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend a day in January.

Puzzle Bug

My mom bought a few puzzles for everyone to work on, on Christmas. Ella and John worked on a smaller puzzle together and ever since that day they have been bit by the puzzle bug. That pesky bug has also bit both Sam and me. The week after Christmas John and the kids put together a new puzzle Ella had received and a few others from our playroom. Last week Ella put together seven small puzzles with only a little help from me.

So, with the three day weekend coming up, and knowing we would have John to help, I bought a 300 and a 500 piece puzzle. Not really sure we would get both done but I wanted to be prepared. Both puzzles were actually completed by Sunday night. So from the request of all my family I am off again this week to find more puzzles for the upcoming weekend.

Gone Fishin'

The boys with their haul

John and Sam had a "guy day" yesterday. They headed to Stockton Lake where a guide took them out fishing. They both caught their limit of crappie, although Sam had some help catching some of his. They also fished some for walleye. They both caught some large fish and had a great time.

Sam said his favorite parts of the day were getting to drive the boat and just the talking. It is nice to just have time to visit without a lot of other distractions. Maybe I should take up fishing with John again :). Now we are all looking forward to a big fish fry!

Paine Family Christmas

My cousins and their spouses. Hopefully somebody got a better pic than mine that they can pass along to me.

The kids!

We spent our Christmas Eve and Christmas in Kansas City again this year. We arrived on Christmas Eve just in time to change clothes and head to mass with the Siegels and my family. We took up a whole pew and as Aiden said, "we have a crowded family." It is so nice to be together with everyone celebrating the birth of our Lord.

Then it was off to dinner with John to celebrate his birthday. I don't think his birthday celebration would be complete without a steak at Houstons. The dinner was delicious and I was so glad to have time to celebrate him!

Christmas morning is just with my parents and brother and sister's families. Everyone enjoyed some breakfast and gift opening. Then the house begins to fill as all of my mom's family comes over to celebrate. There is nothing I love more than a house full of my family. It is so nice to see everyone and enjoy time together. It was a wonderful holiday.

Medley Christmas

Last night we hosted Christmas for John's family at our house. It was a yummy potato soup and chili supper. Ella was so excited when she saw the gifts come in that she actually just sat and looked at them for a while. Sam was just happy to have his buddy Caleb at his house to play. We enjoyed some snacks, opened gifts and then the kids played while the adults visited. It was a nice evening and the type of the thing we should do more of throughout the year. The gifts were a success too because Ella and Sam have been playing a lot with their new things.

Gingerbread Houses

Sam's class made gingerbread houses this year. Ella and I were able to go in to help out in the classroom. We thought Ella could just help her brother a little but there were enough supplies for her to make one of her own. She was very excited! All of the kids seemed to have a great time making the project and it was fun to watch them create. Sam just kept building and decorating and came up with some neat ideas. It was a project we might have to make a yearly tradition.

Cookie Time

After a year off, we got back to our tradition of making Christmas cookies with the cousins. The skills have definitely improved this year, there were some very impressive cookies! The kids young and older all had a good time creating some beautiful cookies. It was a fun time with family that I hope we can continue for years to come.