Let it go!

We are continuing to clean and sort E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G in the girls' room and closets. I really have no idea how they have fit so much stuff in there!!!  We have filled the back porch with bags of trash, the hallway with bins of keepsakes for the attic, and the den with items for donation.  

Here are a few of the treasures we have come across that we have let go...

Sylvia's doodles...

This huge mural poster Annah made in Art 1

Another of Annah's large art posters

Sorting...

Caeden helped run a couple bags of trash downstairs for us.

Everything from the furniture to the floor is getting cleaned with the Shop-Vac and Magic Eraser sponges.  We also cut the carpet that was in the girls' room in half and put half in their closet that didn't have carpet.

I think the girls are going to like having a lot less stuff in their room--and more room for relaxing!

Cold at our house

I snapped this picture of the house while getting the mail after we got home Thursday afternoon.

This morning, from the window in the girls' room, I took this view out their window.

It's pretty cold here.

Sweet memories

While redecorating the girls' room, we are going through absolutely everything in it, sorting, throwing away, donating, and boxing up for storage in the attic. This morning, I got started before Annah was awake, and I pulled several things off a shelf in the closet.  When she found me, I had tears streaming down my face from the memories some of these things evoked.

Jeremy and I chose this lamp and several other items with the "over the moon" theme at Babies 'R' us in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, for the nursery before Annah was born.  They were some of the only items we bought for her ourselves.

Her mobile had happy stars and moons.

I came across some of the kids' favorite books I had set aside to keep, some of the girls' baby clothes, crocheted baby blankets including the striped one in this picture that my Grandma made with a matching bag to keep it in.

Grandma also made this doll's ruffly outfit.

Bonnets and hats my mom made with matching dresses for the girls.

The missing puzzle piece to a wooden USA puzzle that's now at my parents' house.

There are some things that can't be explained, but they are connected to precious memories.  It is hard to believe Annah is now 17.  Going through her baby things, it seems like she should only be about 5 years old.  It's painful how quickly 17 years fly by, but I am ever-so-thankful they have been filled with so many wonderful moments.  My heart is full.

Our tree

Last night I picked up a couple SD cards for my new camera, and this evening I tried it out while enjoying our Christmas tree.  

 

 

Pals and Monical's

My friend Megan and I walk at the village community center as many weekday mornings as we can.  Sometimes it's a few times per week; sometimes it's once in 3 weeks.  Today, she brought her boys over to play LEGO Dimensions with Caeden.  

After our walk, Annah and Caeden and I went to Gibson City to the DMV.  I needed to renew the sticker for our license plate. Since Sylvia was with Jeremy at a 2-day wrestling tournament in Danville, I thought the 3 of us should have lunch at Monical's.

Someone was trying to dance in the booth.  Never a dull moment with this kid.

When we left Monical's it was beginning to snow.  It snowed the rest of the day, and we have several more inches of snow now.  Caeden's afternoon wrestling practice was canceled, and I decided to cancel all my lessons for tomorrow morning.  It is very wintery here now!

Evergreen Place Concert

Our friend Joyce is the director at a beautiful assisted living home in Normal.  She has invited us for the past several years to do a Christmas concert with her family for the residents.  This year, we didn't fit it into the schedule until after Christmas, but today was the perfect day for it.

Annah and Sylvia played some beautiful duets while people gathered.

Caeden waited his turn in the lobby.

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Joyce and her daughters, Ashley and Allison, sang their beautiful rendition of Carol of the Bells.

Caeden played a guitar solo, his first guitar performance in a year.

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Allison played her ukelele and sang one of her original songs.

Annah played and sang Winter Snow.

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Sylvia sang Light of the World with Annah accompanying.

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Ryan played his ukelele and he and Allison sang Can't Help Falling In Love.

It was a lovely duet by siblings.

We all enjoyed our time at Evergreen Place so much.  We were able to visit with some of those who came to hear our concert, and they were so appreciative.  We felt so privileged to make music to shire with these lovely people.