Weekend Recap: First of the Year!

Our last day of the old year we did some majorly exciting things!  Get ready people: we changed out the lightbulbs in our house!  :)  HUGE!  While this may seem small or insignificant, changing our bulbs from the warm hue to what is called "daylight" has drastically changed my life!  I can see in my computer nook, the lighting in the evening when I cook dinner isn't so dreary looking and it generally makes the house feel happier!  The only downside effect has been some near blindness when turned on first thing in the morning!  

In all seriousness, we knocked out a few projects that we had been itching to do: change lightbulbs, touch up paint, get a mirror for our bedroom, upgrade the knobs on our dresser.  You know, the little things.  Once having knocked these out, we had an early dinner and then proceeded to make our traditional pigs in a blankets to snack on throughout the rest of the evening!

What we don't have is a picture of the three of us because just as we were about to snap it, the plate got tilted a leeetle too far down causing our yummies to fall onto the floor where an eager and willing Lulu was all too ready to gobble up a few of our delicious pigs!  

With Lulu's belly full and most of our snack saved, an epic session of "ruckus" ensued at the request of Winston!  One of Winston's favorite iPad apps is Endless Alphabet and thanks to the discovery of the word ruckus and it's meaning, making one has been his favorite thing to do in the evenings.  While it leaves our ears ringing in protest at the end, we sure do put actions to "make a joyful noise!"  And it's sweet that he assigns us all instruments to play and when it's time for his solos, he tells us to, "Put your hands in your lap, MommyDaddy!"  

Sometimes the best fun comes from ordinary objects.  Like sailing in a plastic bin!  

Benjamin and I actually stayed up until midnight to see {and hear} the new year come in!  The next morning, I started preparing our traditional meal and added a new dish this year: Pioneer Woman's Zannie's Black Eyed Pea Dip.  With our roots being from up north, sauerkraut is our thing to have and we normally skip the black eyed peas.  The dip was a hit and I highly recommend it, for any time of the year!

Sweet cousins singing and making a happy ruckus!

Our dessert for this year was s'mores cortesy of our new s'mores maker!  Winston was more interested in having ice cream while Mom and I were super pumped to try it out!  I actually ended up eating two of them....they were delicious!

It was good to have everyone in our home.  Though we live so close it's a rare occasion when we are all together for a meal to enjoy each other.  There were moments when the house was a-buzz with two littles chattering away, two dogs running around and six adults having conversations but my heart cherishes those moments.  

Family nap time ensued after everyone left and the evening was spent, you got it, making a ruckus and being curled up on the couch reading books.  

Saturday morning brought the pitter patter of little feet jumping into our bed with requests for donuts!   After breakfast we took down the Christmas decorations with a lot of help from Winston.  He was great at finding the ornaments on the tree to put away.  Tears were shed when we packed up our Thomas Christmas train pieces.  I know exactly how he felt; I always get bummed when Christmas goes away for another year.  So, in order to keep the morning on the up and up, we went outside!  

How hilarious is this hat?!  Isn't it great?  Benjamin purchased from the local people group in Quesimpoco, Bolivia on a mission trip years ago.  It's a handmade traditional hat for the group of people he served.  I found it while cleaning out our coat closet and was ecstatic when it fit Winston!  He looks like a happy elf!

Our afternoon activity was a trip to the movies to see The Good Dinosaur.  We have taken Winston to see movies before so he was familiar with the routine which for him involves a blue raspberry Ice-ee!  He liked the movie well enough but Benjamin and I agreed that it was a solid 2 out of 5 stars.  

Sunday morning we got ready for church and snapped a photo before heading out the door.  At Winston's brilliant request, Lulu joined us for the picture!  I love their little relationship.  He walks around the house these days calling her "sweet Lulu baby" and is quick to give her hugs and pats on her back when they cuddle together!

Winston has been interested in taking pictures recently, so he told us: "I take four pictures of you, okay MommyDaddy?"  I just love the expressions Benjamin and I have on our faces.  It's like we get a snapshot of seeing what Winston sees when he looks at us looking at him.  It has always been our hearts desire that he know that we love and delight in him!  We love him to pieces and I'm pretty sure he gets it!  :)  

After nap activity involved making obstacle courses involving stretching, hopping, jumping, tip-toeing and weaving!  Winston would get to the start, we would give him a countdown to start, he would rev his engine and be off!!

Our weekend ended with breakfast for dinner {thanks McDonald's!}, lots of book reading, and song singing!  We had a wonderful time having Benjamin home and are sad to see that holidays end.  But there is a season for everything and our next season will be just as delightful!  We have less than 50 days until Truman will arrive and our goal is to be intentional on how we spend our family time - preparing for our new little and cherishing time as just a family of three + Luli!