January days

January used to be one of my least favorite months; it seemed to drag on with nothing to make the month very exciting. This year I've realized that the slow pace of January definitely has it's merits. The sun arrives earlier in the morning and seems to linger so much longer in the afternoon. This January has just seemed so fresh and full of promise and I'm loving it.

Steve has been home for most of the month, with just a few days of work here and there, and that has definitely made the month much more fun for the whole family. He's able to get some projects done and spend much (much) more time with the kids every day than during the rest of the year when he works so many hours. Despite little bumps here and there, the kids are in pretty predictable stages in each of their development, especially where sleep is concerned, and so we are able to get a surprising amount of alone time during naps and the evening hours after the kids have gone to sleep. We'd love to sneak away for more dates than we're currently able to, but really we can't complain too much.

Our days have been filled with...

fresh snow

 lots of outside play

(despite it being -15 degrees outside)

 plenty of indoor snuggle time;

sleeping bags are always a great way to get

him to settle down and read for a while

 the first rays of sun returning to our yard since November

(one of the negative aspects of living so close to Pioneer Peak,

it completely blocks the sun all day long for nearly three months

of the year; so we get daylight, but no actual sunlight)

 more outdoor playtime for the kids

while Steve and I work on projects

Not pictured: plenty of cookies, hearty soups nearly every day, eggs-bacon-toast for most breakfasts, movie-watching, train-track building, Bible reading, and some deep cleaning thrown in here and there.

January, I'm sorry for disliking you all this time; does it make it better to know that I'm really warming up to you now?