Remember Me?

Wow, I didn't plan on taking that long of a blogging break.  November was busy- making everyone's Christmas lists and buying presents, a prolonged, near-daily fight with our old insurance company over a claim from May, and then researching options for new insurance on January 1.  Add to that an awesome upper respiratory virus followed by a stomach bug and yeah, I had neither the time nor the creativity to put the proverbial pen to paper.

So I'll recap a bit...

The weather continued to stay mild, and we enjoyed as much outdoor time as we could, even after the time change.

That grump-face!

Shadow became somewhat of an indoor/outdoor cat and has fallen in love with her new life.  We have been amazed and horrified to learn that she can hunt, as she routinely plops dead mice on our doorstep now.

We had a neighborhood 80's themed party

and a freak snowstorm on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

We spent Thanksgiving at my parents' where Carter helped put the final touches on dinner

and Jacob read to his younger cousins.

The first weekend in December, we had planned a two-day party for Jacob.  The first part on Saturday with family and the second party on Sunday, also with family.  Well, the Saturday party was cancelled due to illness of the party-goers, and the second part of the party was cancelled due to Jacob's illness!  About three hours after the picture below was taken, he came down with the Great Stomach Bug of 2015.

He was better by his actual birthday, two days later, but the rest of us continued to fall throughout the week.

Fortunately, it worked out that he could meet his cousins the following weekend at an entertainment complex in Edwardsville. The four of them always have a blast together!

By now, we were deep in the Christmas festivities:  decorating,

baking Christmas cookies,

and Carter even had a Christmas program! (He's the little nugget in the red sweater.)

The weekend before Christmas, we traveled to Southern Illinois where we had a party with our extended family one evening

and a lovely Christmas dinner with our immediate family the following evening.

We also celebrated Frank's grandmas' birthdays.  These two have a birthday on the same day and have been celebrating together for 44 years!

We were back home in time for Christmas morning at our house

and Christmas day at Uncle Brian and Aunt Sarah's.  I loved overhearing the table conversation between these three--- it was so grown up, so little-boy, and so delightfully funny.

Whew!  I think that brings us up to current.  It's been a busy, fun, and challenging few weeks!