Celebrations

We celebrated Candlemas in February, a day in honor of St. Brigid, patron saint of midwives and birth. There is a tradition to make candles...

... and place them in the ground to warm the earth and help bring forth spring.

Sophia was also busy sewing and stuffing a Valentine's heart for Grandma's birthday.

The First Haircut

Matt's cousin Jaime met us at Great Grandma's after dinner one night to give the kids haircuts.

Here is Daniel before...

during ...

and after.

(yes, it is still very long, but a little more like a boy's hairstyle, right?)

At Bee Bampa's

We spent an afternoon playing with Great Grandma, making press cookies and get well cards for Grandma and Grandpa.

more random things...

Ready for rain.

At the zoo...

Farmer Dan

Sophia loves her puppet theatre. She puts on some really cute shows, like "The Selfish Dragon," "The Selfish Unicorn," and "The Adventures of Sophia the Gnome."

Cinnamon sugar pretzels, anyone?

We went to the Museum of Science and Industry on New Year's Eve Day and took this family photo. We look good in thermal imaging.

Sophia setting up the Winter table.

Sopo rocking on the glockenspiel.

winter things

Little boy blue, take one.

Little boy blue, the post-sledding version.

Snow angels.

Hiding out in the snow fort.

The bigger snow fort, moments before collapse (if collapse means "Matt jumped on it and it all caved in").

Visiting the farm.

Great Grandma gave Sophia skating lessons for Christmas. Here's her first time out on the ice!

Christmas

Our tree (it was way too big for our living room!)

Visiting Father Christmas at the cabin during Christmas in the Valley.

For reasons unknown, Grandpa Joe always asks for a "hand painted solid gold salami." Sophia broke out the gold paint to do it up right!

We made a lot of gifts for the kids this Christmas. Here Daniel shows off his knit ball ...

Sophia has a basket of handmade wool felt gnomes.

Daniel loved the Cabela's shirt Grandpa Joe gave him. It went nicely with the pop guns from Papa.

Sophia got a sewing box and a basket of fabrics to use. The little sewing box was the best thrift store find.

And the gift I was most proud of, the dolls I made for the kids. The kids named them Sophia and Robert.

Ho, ho, ho...

Piling on the couch at Great Grandma's.

Daniel's hat.

Daniel with Grandma and Grandpa Holmes, showing off his shiny new firetruck from Bee Bampa (um, that's Great Grandma, for those of you who don't know).

making things

Shaking a jar of cream to make fresh butter for Sophia's Bakery.







Sophia made this card for her Uncle. We thought it was pretty good!



Daniel was surprisingly diligent in his cookie decorating at Uncle Dan and Aunt Jenny's.



Daniel got the aerial view of Uncle Dan's fish tank.



Sophia loves this toymaking book Aunt Jenny gave her.

An amusing dinnertime exchange.