While we were on Christmas break I used some of the free time I had to look back at this little blog of ours!

It made me very glad that we have these memories kept here!

What a joy to relive those memories and see all that the Lord has allowed and done.

It spurs me on to keep posting in this space for sure!

We had a lot of normal things in December amongst all of the busyness that comes with the holidays.

It was a GOOD month!

I still start every morning in the quiet house in a comfy chair with my Bible….it was more enjoyable with Christmas tree lights and hot cocoa!

The Christmas tree is put away now, but I kept some lights up to enjoy during these winter months – I just love them so much!

I bought this devotional book in December and have been enjoying it very much.

We finally had an appointment with our Lyme doctor at the beginning of December.

We suspected that Eliza had Lyme disease, and we were right.

Sweet baby girl!

We had everyone checked and I was sad to learn that I also had been re-infected with Lyme disease as well.

It makes SO much sense – I had been fighting so hard for health most of the year!

We were using lots of essential oils, good food, and rest for Eliza while we waited to get into the doctor – and they were helping her some.

This is after the first appointment we had with the doctor where Eliza and I had the CBT Lyme Stop treatment – it is not easy!

Eliza slept over twelve hours that first night and was feeling better already the next morning – praise the Lord!

I know so many people struggling with Lyme disease who do not have access to CBT or a doctor who understands the disease fully.

It just makes me so grateful we have this doctor so close by who can help us.

She and I both have had many days of rest since then…but we are both feeling so much better!

We did LOTS of eating in December!!

More than normal?

Possibly, ha, ha!!

I had some fun days in the kitchen though!

If only these counters could talk, right?!!

I made grain-free waffles for the first time.

THEY WERE SO YUMMY!

This was the first attempt that day, just so you know everything does not always go as planned.

I also made English muffins for the first time!

They got rave reviews!

I am going to try cinnamon raisin ones next time!

We have been enjoying a website called Unbound Wellness.

It is where I got the grain-free waffle recipe!

You can find them here.

Tate and I made the Chinese Lemon Chicken from that website and it was SO GOOD!

I made some Orange Bread one day – we delivered two of those loaves and kept one for ourselves.

Our treats look more like this when Addie is home!

She always makes the most yummy things that are pretty too.

I helped Kayla make rolls one day, so then I had to make them again for us!

My hubby told me these taste like La Gondola rolls – which is an Italian sandwich shop we used to go to all the time when we were first married and living in Illinois!

They had the best bread so I will take that as a compliment!!

I am usually playing a game called “how much can I fit in my instant pot?” around dinner time everyday.

Twelve sweet potatoes – not bad!!

Addie made us fish tacos with all the fixings on New Year’s Eve.

It seriously was the best meal I had eaten in a LONG time!

So many flavors going on with all those yummy toppings!!

Also…it’s soup season!

We still enjoy salad in the winter, but we don’t eat it near as much.

We are still enjoying Kombucha too, but we do not make it very often!

Blake is my great Kombucha helper.

We are definitely here for the leftovers from Addie’s Christmas parties!

It seems I am always baking or making something for snacks!

And of course someone has to buy all that food, remember???

We missed date night because of a snow storm one Friday night, so I went and got grocery all by myself the next day!

So rare – but I enjoyed it!

Speaking of snow, we had two good snow falls in December.

They were beautiful and the second one has stuck around!

Playing in the snow means hot cocoa afterwards!

We enjoyed our monthly Hymn Sing get together in December!

It had the added twist of a cookie contest and a rowdy game of Do You Love Your Neighbor?!!

The kids like to play Dutch Blitz when we are together too.

Our Christmas break gave us the opportunity to chose whatever we wanted to do each day!

It was a challenge that I gave our trio – to use their time wisely, but to enjoy the change of pace.

We DID enjoy it!

A lot!

Of course lots of games were played….

We watched a new movie one afternoon….

Made a puzzle another afternoon….

The kiddos water colored in their new watercolor books, and Lane built his new airplane….

We read books and Eliza had some new ones to read that were a gift from her pen pal….

We also covered the sliding glass door with paper snowflakes one day….

(please make note of Lane’s crafty snowflake!)

Those snowflakes make it harder to get a photo of all of the beautiful visitors at our restaurant on the deck!

I spy with my little eye a beautiful red cardinal….

I used Christmas break to catch-up on all kinds of things I do not get to during school days!

I spent one afternoon ordering photo books to be printed – looking back at all of those photos pulled at my heart strings!

Our pups Sadie Jo and Ruby Jane enjoyed Christmas break too!

It was just like every other day for them though, ha, ha.

I gave Ruby this candy cane shaped bone for Christmas and she takes it everywhere she goes!

I think she knows another pup who would steal it without a second thought if she doesn’t keep an eye on it!

Even though these two had a break from school, they were still always together.

They are better together!!

We spent New Year’s Eve at home enjoying those fish tacos (see above!) and playing the game Kemps with oversized cards.

The kids know to never invite me to a fast paced game because I am useless and can only hold my cards and laugh the whole time!

I worked on some goals in my journal while I watched them all play!

There were SO many beautiful sunrises and sunsets in December!!

I was constantly running outside to take them in and get a photo of them.

I told you December was a good month!!

Thankful for all that it held!!

Looking forward to many more!!

Hope you all had a great end of the year too.

Welcome, 2022!!

We are ready for you!!

Happy New Year, Friends!!