Monday School Holiday

Gift number 16: the smell of cookies baking
Inspired by Ann Voskamp, author of 1,000 Gifts, we are hoping to each list 1,000 blessings by year's end.  Sonja began her list with "door hinges" because "how else would we open doors".
Gift number 17: weekdays off of school...to have the time to bake oatmeal cookies...customized by the girls, each with their own bowl of dough to add raisins, macadamias, chocolate chips or cinnamon to. 
Gift number 18: gift cards...so I could buy "church boots" without guilt...mostly.  Emma, Bridget and I went shopping at Kohl's to get wintry wear on late winter sales.
Gift number 19: winter sales...so Bridget could buy a coat and boots, and Emma could buy warm waterproof boots.
Gift number 20: a sleigh ride through the woods...the beauty made us laugh and gasp.  We rode in a sleigh pulled by big Belgian horses, all cozy with blankets on our laps.  And we nearly came home with a friendly black "catten" with slanty eyes that the girls named Licorice.  The first part of our ride home was very quiet except for the sniffling of disappointment.

Gift number 21: Thai stir-fry...better get it started!

The girls are tucked into bed and the house has taken on a more subdued mood.  I truly want to write in this blog more often...a resolution, perhaps? 
Luke is away at the Grandparent Greenwoods up in the middle of Wisconsin.  For nine days he plans to help Grandpa with projects around their "new" house.  He and Grandpa have a special bond.  They have a quiet diligent patience about their work together. 
Logan is at Carly's house tonight.  The Bulls are doing well and we don't get cable.  I actually was toying with the idea of getting cable as I sat down for a moment with the Chicago Parent paper.  The paper opened to an article about saving money.  The money adviser's first recommendation was to cancel the cable...okay, I guess that's my answer!  Sorry, boys.
The younger girls and I started back to school today, sort of.  We focused on geography all morning since the Bee is this Thursday.  The girls don't mind studying geography especially when I hand out chocolate chips for correct answers!  Then we ate lunch in front of the TV as we watched the DVD Sergeant York.  It was the true story of a man's conversion to Christianity and then his experiences in the Great War.  He singlehandedly captured 132 German soldiers!  We all agreed that we like "true" stories of courage and kindness; it stirs us to do and be the same. 
After lunch the girls had an appointment to get flu shots.  Our brave little risk-taker, Annaliese, was nearly hysterical just thinking about the injection.  The office had two nurses ready for us :) and boom, boom, boom, boom, we were all done.  Annaliese sat on my lap with my arms around her and I don't think the experience lived up to her dread.
Sonja went with the twins to CYT this evening as a guest.  The twins auditioned for the Narnia play and were given the parts of hedgehogs.  We are all thrilled since hedgehogs are one of our absolute favorite animals.