Leftovers

Yet another perk of having Grandpa Owen live nearby is that when you look out your window the week before Christmas, you'll see Santa Claus ho-ho-ho-ing his way toward the house.

(Now, I'm not saying that Santa IS Grandpa Owen, but it is pretty fishy that they share the same car.) Skylark doesn't know who Santa is, but she was willing to give him a hesitant hug, anyway.

Here is the hairstyle Mildred performed on Susannah's hairs, settled here for posterity because you will never see it again.

We told her she looked like interstellar royalty, but she still hated it.

Haven and Augustus got to stay a few extra days after the Johnson get-together. It was great to get more time with them, but our one regret was that the snow disappeared right before they came. In a snow-bereft pinch, bananagrams! (Millie would like me to note her left hand dictionary-ready for bitter disputes.)

The week after the get-together, Aidan was the first to fall.

The five oldest were gone to different sleepovers, leaving me with a bunch of starving ragamuffins, just like the good ol' days. It was a sweet time with just me and the littles (tho' I still rejoiced when the older girls returned!).

I was a horrible documenter when Bryan and Sarah were here. Yes, I've had a fancy camera for nine years now, but Sarah's fancy camera seems fancier, which is all the impetus this lazy mama needs to make her do all the hard work of capturing the cousins together.

I know she's got some wonderful snapshots on her camera! But I only have to blog the ones she passed along. :)

Here are beautiful Keziah and little grumpy Lark on a Sunday afternoon in matching ball gowns.

And all the cousins we had with us, all together. What a gift we have in our Owen kin!

Aidan reading comic books.

Aidan reading comic books.

Snow forts...before the thaw...before the snow...before the freeze.

Oh, my goodness. This was the sunroom earlier this week. We still had spare kitchen renovation supplies in there, and the younger children made shops at which they bought and sold all the toys and jewelry in the entire house.

This is what it looked like when the shop collapsed.

And then I caught Piper and Luci doing school in the empty toybox.

I took no pictures, but the other side of the house was covered in blankets and forts. Yes, home life has been going very smoothly, thanks for asking.