December 2023

Today we kicked off our first day of Winter Break, and we couldn't be more excited about all the fun family time ahead! We celebrated by sleeping in this morning {insert all the praise hands here!} & taking our first family cross country skiing lesson. The girls went cross country skiing a couple times in P.E. last year at their elementary school, but this was their first time of the season this year & the very first time ever for Derek, Brady, and me. It was a fun day!

December has been a fun month! Highlights included Shelby's Christmas orchestra concert, Hadley & Brady's Christmas on Ice performance, lots of snow {as of December 18th, we were at over 70 inches of snow for the season, which is a record high for Anchorage; the average is 29.5in by this point in the season}, Christmas fun & Advent traditions, and lots of chess. ;)  And although there isn't any photographic evidence, Derek had ICL {implantable collamer lens} eye surgery this month, and it went well!

{Hadley made & sold items in a handicraft fair}

{the kids made glass fusion Christmas ornaments at the Arts & Crafts center on base}

{the final products for BooBoo's annual Christmas craft!}

{we went bowling one day, and Brady wore his UGA football helmet almost the entire time, which was just about the cutest thing ever}

{opening early Christmas gifts from BooBoo}

{we read aloud a chapter of Luke every night with our Advent traditions, and Brady has followed along and read with us this year which has been so fun!}

{I took this picture around 9am one morning, and it was still pitch black outside, ha!}

{this is what homeschool dreams are made of: crocheting and weaving by the fire while I read aloud}

{Brady wrapping gifts for his sisters}

Yesterday marked the Winter Solstice, and daylight will slowly but surely be returning to us. Today the sun rose at 10:14am, and sunset was 3:39pm. Winter in Alaska is definitely an experience!