We're moving at a slower pace.

December went at a pretty frantic pace. Grandma Sandy came into town for the girls' choir concert, and we did a bunch of Christmas-y things in Philly. 

We hosted four different large parties: a 30th birthday party for a girlfriend of mine, a progressive dinner with three other families, a homeschool Christmas party with 60 kids and 20 parents (not a typo--80 people at our house) and our annual Christmas Eve party with 41 people. It was all so much fun. I hope to do it all again next year.

I begged this perfectly delightful childhood photo of my friend Rachel and had 40 copies of it made in order to decorate for her birthday party.

We made over 100 cookies for kids to decorate at the homeschool Christmas party.

These pictures do not really paint the picture of how busy the house was during the party. It was CRAZY. But also incredibly fun.

I'm so glad I could capture one kid choking another in this photo.

But since the last party wrapped up, I went into a social coma. We have been just doing the basics, but doing them well, and it feels really good. I'm sure things will pick up soon, but as of right now we have been enjoying more quiet evenings at home.

We did enjoy a nature hike with Forest School this past Friday. We made bird feeders from pine cones and peanut butter afterward, but ours mysteriously disappeared (Dan threw them away).

Gwen up a tree. The branches were flimsy, and everything kept shaking. But I know my Gwen. She has to climb. She has to!
 

And the usual church photo:

Today at church, Beck chose a spectacularly quiet moment to shout out, "I don't like Sister So-And-So!!", who of course was sitting right in front of us. I clapped my hand over his mouth until he was good and quiet. But every time I took my hand off, he would scream it again. So I lugged him out of the chapel, and we ran into some good friends in the hallway. Hoping to redirect Beck's attention away from his latest pronouncements of hatred, I said, "Look Beck! The Cramers! Your friends! You love the Cramers!" And he really, truly does. They have lots of fun boys in their family. But of course Beck said, "They are not my friends! I do NOT like them!"

He is a treasure.

The End.