Happy New Year!

Thought y'all might enjoy seeing some pictures from our Christmas. We had a very happy, low-key day. I got up feeling like a zombie that morning after a rough night with Jackson, but seeing the kids' joy and excitement soon snapped me out of it. Jed's favorite gift was the colonial general uniform you see him modeling here. Chloe got all kinds of pink girly things, including this feather boa (don't ever buy one of these! They shed EVERYWHERE!) and a beautiful nightgown made by Grandma. Tucker got a police car tent that has provided all kinds of fun. His favorite gift, though, was a big semi that makes truck noises. If you say, "Tucker, is that your favorite truck?" he'll look at you scornfully and say, "No, BIG truck!"

My favorite gift was having Jackson there to enjoy! He brings us so much joy. He's been badly congested ever since he was born. We're trying to figure out how to help him with that. And he eats like you wouldn't believe--every two hours, with great appetite. The nights are pretty hard, since he hasn't figured out yet that nights are for sleeping and not eating, at least not with the same frequency as during the day! But he's awfully sweet. We get a kick out of his constant scowl. He looks grumpy most of the time but it's all for show.

Nana (Evan's mom) came down on Friday and has been blessing us all with her presence. Once again I am in awe of her ability to put her own needs aside and look for whatever she can do to bless the people in her life. The kids adore having her around to play with, and I've been so grateful for the chance to go take a nap whenever I can. She even did Jackson duty on Saturday night so I could get a few extra hours of sleep. (I might add here that Lindsay took the little guy for a few hours too, bless her heart.)

Mom, Evan, and Lindsay have all been hit hard with a stomach flu, though thankfully it's short-lived and Mom and Evan are back on their feet, pretty much, today. We're trusting for a quick recovery for Lindsay too. And since the roads are sheer ice, I get to have my hard-working husband stay home today after all! Thank You, Lord!