Happy New Year

Hello there! I hope you all enjoyed a Very Merry Christmas this December! I thought I had better get on here and share some pictures since it has been all of five months since I have posted! {For that you have my deepest apologies...}

A little more than a week ago, we made our traditional gingerbread houses! Well, that is, most of us went traditional.... Beth saw a new idea on Pinterest and decided to try it - a teepee! It turned out very cute, complete with an open fire and some plastic Indian figures. Maybe next year we should bring out the cowboys too. =P

Two weeks ago all we girls from church got together for a Christmas party that Amber hosted! We had a great time of fellowship and games around egg nog and delicious food!

This was the church's Christmas dinner. We used only light from lanterns and the fireplace! We had great evening and sang Christmas carols a cappella. (For those of you who have experienced the acoustic effects in the church basement, you know how awesome that sounds!)

Another tidbit of news around here .... Andrew and Melinda got a puppy! A little chocolate lab who they dubbed Toffee.

He is adorable!!

Toffee and Bear get along quite well, though it took us a few days to figure out that all the growling was playful, and Bear wasn't going to bite Toffee's head off!

They love to frolic and carry on and chase each other, but despite the size difference, I'm not sure who gets the raw end of the deal!

We are all currently enjoying the break from school! Bethany and Daniel will start back up on Monday, and I get into my second semester of college next Wednesday. All has been going well, but busy as always. =)

We are hoping for some more winter-like weather in the near future. Somehow it doesn't feel like Christmas when it is 75 degrees outside and we're running the AC! We have also been getting buckets of rain, leaving the yard a muddy mess. Not a very festive scenery.... Dreary as the weather may be, however, we can rejoice in the gift of eternal life and the blessing of a New Year!