New Pictures

The holidays are a busy time for all of us, but that doesn't mean we haven't clogged up my phone with hundreds of pictures of the kids' first fall and Christmas season at home. Here are a few. 

On Thanksgiving weekend, we got to meet up with our old neighborhood/Riverdale friends, the Nathans. How wonderful it was to see my children play with those of my best childhood friend!

In front of our tree. She absolutely loved decorating, while Benjamin Godson absolutely loved pulling all the ornaments off. 

Our elf, Fred, taking a marshmallow bubble bath at Koko and Papa's. Shekina loves to find Fred in a new place each morning when she wakes up. Goddy is starting to catch on. 

Backstage tour with Playhouse on the Square CEO after Peter Pan. Shekina was less concerned with all the mechanical stuff (ropes for making the characters fly), and more concerned with collecting the fairy dust and rubbing it into her hair. She truly believed that if she did, she could fly. 

On the set of the Darling household, collecting every speck of fairy dust she could find. 

Rubbing it all over herself...

Goddy trying to ride Bing, who they have recently and randomly rechristened "Chippy". 

Peekaboo with Papa's hat during a Friday night dinner at Skimo's

Quite tickled with himself! 

Hope everyone is happy and well during this holiday season. 

Much love from the Boltons.

Merry Belated Christmas!

If you haven't gotten a Christmas card from us, don't be hurt. Thanks to students who attended school with the flu, I caught it before school even got out, then passed it on to Shekina. Now I have bronchitis, and my parents and Goddy have colds. We've spent the break sick, and the kids didn't even get to go see Santa (a major disappointment for me), because frankly, I just couldn't do it. It wasn't the first Christmas together we wanted or expected, but in the end, it hasn't been half bad. We've ventured out to a gathering or two to see loved ones and old friends, but mostly we've stayed home, holed up in my parents' house in the country, warming ourselves with soup and hot ginger tea, playing word games and puzzles, and watching Goddy watch his new electric trains go round and round the track for the millionth time. 

When we came home from Congo in July, it was strongly suggested that we cocoon for up to six months. We did so until Shekina went to school in September and I started work in October, quite a good bit of time. That being said, it has been positively lovely, no matter how sick we are, to reconnect in this fashion again. Here's to more days spent together around the fire and Christmas tree. We hope you were able to find the same, minus the hacking and fevers. 

Merry Christmas from the Boltons

P.S. My Christmas cards may not make it out of the house until next July, but by damn, they're going to be sent sometime! 

Pictures from our holidays (so far): 

Sick on the couch, with a fire behind her and a TV in front of her. 

Toasting to our first Christmas Eve together 

This new (used from family) train table has kept Godson occupied for much of the last three days! He LOVES it! 

Mr. Dirty-Nose Conductor 

Christmas dinner 

Christmas fun with cousin Coleman 

And cousin Olivia 

Fuzzy, dirty-nosed Chubs

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!