A lovely weekend

Our first Christmas back in New England was a lovely one! It started with a weekend visit from NH friends and their kids, ages 5 and 2. A million thanks to Nikki and Michael for bringing us so many hand-me-down toys, clothes, and gear. We got a 2nd high chair and a 2nd exersaucer that have already made such a difference! Nikki introduced us to the wonderful world of homemade baby food, and she cooked the moms some banana bread, Sheppard's Pie, and a chicken pot pie to nourish us after they were gone. Michael strapped on the ol' snow shoes and trekked out to the back 40 to cut us down a Christmas tree, after our efforts to get a tree were thwarted at 4 sold-out tree places. (I've got to get a picture of this tree up on the blog soon. To call it a Charlie Brown tree would be the understatement of the century. But, it was free and it was all ours!) Nikki and Michael also helped us to manage Jordan's asthma through steam follwed by cold air, when the nebs were not quite cutting it. So, a million thanks to N&M for an amazing visit, that was so filled with love and support. You are both truly amazing people and we are so lucky to have you in our lives.

The kids had a great first Christmas with their aunties, uncles, and cousins. We had the Penny's family over to our house on Sunday for a potluck and gift exchange, and then we went to Penny's sister's house for dinner on Christmas day. Our kids are so loved and supported by these guys and we are so lucky to live so close to many of them. Many thanks for the super cute clothes and toys for the kids. You guys are so generous! And thanks, too, for holding and playing with and loving our babies so the moms could get a little break. We are lucky to be back in VT, so close to you guys!

Thanks to my brother, Bill, and his wife Michelle, for the Target gift cards for the kids...even though it makes me want to kick your asses because we agreed we were not exchanging gifts this year. GGrrr! And thanks to Mimi (my mom) for the gifts for the kids: some great "1st xmas" ornaments, a cute barn with animals that make sounds, and an amazing Radio*Flyer wagon with built in seats and a canopy for transporting the kids around. We can't wait to use it this summer!

Penny and I are back to work today and the kiddos are back at daycare. Starting the 2nd week of January, I will be working a 4-day work week. Yay! This is so great because it means that the kids will only be in daycare 4 days a week, instead of 5. And it means that I get an extra day with the kids. After working so hard to get these little miracles into our lives, having them with us 3 days and in daycare for 4 days a week feels so much better than with us 2 days and in daycare 5 days a week. I know it is just a day, but it feels like a much better fit for us. Plus, it saves us a bunch of money in monthly daycare costs and we love that!

Hope everyone had a happy and healthy Christmas. Hard to believe that New Year's is right around the corner!