Looking Back at January...

Looking back at January means snowmen...

 (and a pug, naturally)

 

 

 

I got the little chalkboard from one of my first graders for Christmas.  In case you can't tell, I wrote, "Let It Snow" on it.  I didn't know it was a magic chalkboard when I got it. Next month I'll be writing "Let Us Win the Lottery" on it.

Snowy owls...

 and, of course, snowflakes 

Snowflakes on the mugs for my hot chocolate and coffee bar...mmmmm



 

 

and snowflakes of the real variety



 

Looking back at January also means a book challenge group I created.  You can read about it here.  It's not too late to join if you want to play along.  This book challenge means that this is what my nightstand looks like right now.

Aren't public libraries one of the best things about our country?

It also was the month in which my niece was baptized.

We were honored to be the godparents.  They made us an offer we couldn't refuse. ;)  I actually didn't come up with that.  A friend of mine on Facebook did.  Too good not to share.

I purchased my first sewing machine.  My daughter and I made two little bags for her American Girl doll.

This was a good project for one of the four snow days we've had this month.  So yes, the Polar Vortex is something I'll always remember about this January.  It made me remember the January I turned seven.  That winter was so bad that we cancelled my birthday party three different times due to the weather.  We finally had it in February.

My husband and daughter attended their third Daddy/Daughter Dance.  I love this event.  And more importantly, I love that they both love it.

 

 

I also made a birthday dinner for my nephew who turned nineteen this month.  I don't have any pictures of him because he's nineteen and I didn't want to mortify him.  I did, however, take some pictures of the food -  lasagna and cheesecake.  I have decided I want the Pioneer Woman's job.  Not the starring in a t.v. show part.  Just the part where she makes large, delicious meals for cowboys.

To serve this meal, I used my mom's blue willow dishes that she collected when I was growing up.  She gave them to me about a year ago because she knew I'd always loved them.  You can kind of see them in the picture above. 

At the end of every January comes my birthday.  I'm an Aquarius.  I don't really buy into astrology, but I think it's kind of fun.  I've always felt the characteristics of an Aquarius fit me pretty well too.

My sister-in-law, who also happens to be my co-worker, surprised me with a bacon donut at work the morning of my birthday.

My family took me out for dinner to our favorite Japanese restaurant.  I then requested CherryBerry because, hey, it was my birthday.  We came home for cake afterwards even though we were all too full to eat a piece.  But I had to have one bite that night for the ceremony of it.

I feel like 2014 is off to a fantastic start. 

Kim