Stanley Hauerwas can say a lot in ten minutes.

Here’s Lisa hard at work. Photos coming soon . . .

Now that all of our Christmas gift exchanges are over, I can post pictures of some of the handmade gifts I worked on this year. The real reason I didn’t get Benjamin’s stocking finished is that I was working on this stuff. The monogram backpacks were probably the most popular, the nesting boxes were the most difficult, and the tractor crayons were the most likely to be confused with candy.

All of these projects were really fun, but I’m glad to have them done and off to their new homes so I can work on my newest project. Details on that tomorrow.

My parents arrived in northern Indiana on Thursday morning–just ahead of all the snow. We’ve had lots of fun discussions and story times with them, and this morning we opened another set of presents.

One of my many projects this year was these stockings for the boys. I didn’t get all three of them done in time, but Benjamin won’t care until next year anyway. Today he was happy enough to take things out of his little gift bag.

The warmest room in our house is the office/toy room because it has lots of windows to let the sun in and because it’s close to 2 heat vents. The boys are figuring this out. Here are two conversations from this morning:

1) A: “Mama,  can we open this window?”

Me: “no, that would let all of the cold air in”

A: “but Mama, the sun is warm.”

2) Me: “Boys, it’s time to pick up all of the toys and then we can go make brownies.”

Me, a minute later: “Jonathan, why aren’t you picking up the toys?”

J (sitting still on a chair–a rare occurrence): “I’m just heating up here first.” (The chair was right on top of a heating vent.)

We’re back in South Bend after a great time in Ohio over Christmas. Today Lisa took pictures of Laura and Johann at Yellow Creek. Tomorrow Grandpa Carl and Grandma Sharon arrive from Kansas. Saturday is the big wedding!

Homer Simpson just won the endorsement of the Pope.

One of the things we enjoyed doing on Christmas day was making gingerbread houses. I’m particularly happy with these pictures because they prove that I’m finally learning to use a flash–these were taken in a very dark basement with only minimal fluorescent lighting.

Pretty decorations

Time with family

Reading stories (the favorite right now is “Arthur’s Tooth.” I’m pretty sure Jonathan is checking for any loose ones in this shot)

More pretty things

Baby Jesse being very Christmas-y

Unopened Gifts

The opening

The toys

The food

and the reason for it all