sledding.

in mn, they call this sliding, but since this fantastic snowfall collided on this wonderfully long hillside in ny, it must adopt the appropriate title; thus, sledding! i know that it's hard to top the always-exaggerated memories of childhood, and we have lots of those when it comes to sledding, but i have to say that this sledding track is hands down my favorite in all of recent memory. it acquired a base of about a foot on christmas day, then was renewed with fresh snow at least a couple more times over the next week. the hill is long and gradual and slow and peaceful. you can enjoy the winter skies and woodsy scenes on your way down, that is, if you're not otherwise engaged in whooping and hollering and the occasional attention to steering. then the unexpected: the entrance into the woods & the unseen. we called it the double black diamond. it's steep and surprising and thrilling. even for a non-roller-coaster kind of gal. even for grown men with thick beards. even for a three-year-old who has never learned the word 'faceplant' before. (which will now likely be dubbed 'plant-face' for the rest of our family's life) even for the californian who didn't pack snowpants. perhaps you can tell by the way i am waxing eloquent with way way too many words, that we have enjoyed many a ride down this hill by now. it has been a central part of our family time and visit, and so very fun! what a bonus on top of so many other blessings of these weeks.

christmas.

christmas 2013 was a blast! we celebrated in true wagner fashion with an abundance of generosity, a heaping dose of love, and a ready memory of the One who came to save us.

preamble.

we had to have a little preamble to christmas before we left duluth. partly because of some oversized gifts that didn't need to travel in our luggage, but mostly to kick off the season together as a family of four, under our own tree, with a bowl of popcorn & lukewarm mugs of hot chocolate. what a blessing! happy birthday, jesus! thanks for letting us celebrate with you. ;)

it's lj's first christmas & he's a quick learner when it comes to ripping wrapping paper. kj can now become our family historian. and nj is ready to saw something large. as for mommy, she's ready to chop & grind with her new food processor. whee!

dishwasher.

remember this post about our firstborn following in our footsteps with early helpfulness?
http://wellwatered.blogspot.com/2010/11/dishwasher.html
let's title this post: dishwasher revisited, starring lj at 9mo.
runs in the family, i guess!

three.

happy happy birthday to our sweet three year old! what a fantastic age! we love you, kj, so very much!

what a nice morning of an 'open house' style birthday celebration, complete with decorate-your-own cupcakes, make-your-own quesadilla bar, and lots of good old-fashioned play. we've come a long way from year one when she wouldn't even touch the frosting, to year three where only frosting (& probably a little candy as well) was consumed. kj was so thankful and so terribly excited to have friends in her home for such a momentous occasion. a true testament to the friend-loving girl we have come to know. thanks for spoiling her with your presence, dear friends! ;)

tile.

kj is beginning to think that poppa coming over = work on the tiling project in our master bathroom. while we are immensely grateful & indebted for his part in this exciting endeavor (heck, it wouldn't even be happening, let alone almost done, if it weren't for him!!), i have a sneaking suspicion that something else might be drawing him back to duluth this month as well... see if you can find the clue in the photos below. ;)

together.

so rare to get a photo of both kids looking great together! too often it's too real, kinda like in the second picture below. i love having both kinds of memories, and i am rather glad we were able to capture these right after naptime today! they have quickly become my favorites to date. too bad i finally ordered my christmas cards last night. =P

stretching.

we are stretching out the christmas season this year! starting early with the johnsons, extending late with the wagners, with plenty of celebration time in between as well.

we're thankful for our weekend with the johnson families. the theme this year was sports. a very integral part of this family & every family gathering. poppa promised 'cagefighting' but really, a family dance was in order! what a sweet surprise! thanks so much to friend dh for the polka, waltz, and christmas music! we were all enthralled & loved having a family dance. we sang happy birthday to kj & uncle m as well. then the true competition got underway to discover the master archers of the family... it is a testament to my mother-in-law's love of play that she allows such an event to happen in her living room. the winners? i don't want to brag, so we'll move on with the weekend recap. ;) we kept up the tradition of caroling together & reading the story of jesus birth, followed by gift-giving and a swedish meatball dinner. we put on our christmas finest & filled up a pew at church. and after all that, my in-laws managed to host the extended family for the annual christmas gathering. wow! how full of fun and blessings.

we were having so much fun that kj, lj & i decided to stay an extra couple of days! we just had to visit great-aunt jr & great-uncle dr at their breezy point 'cabin,' go for a swim, & make a pinecone wreath. not to mention play play play with nanna & poppa. ;) thanks for having us!