Around here we have been…

DECLUTTERING our rental house. In preparation for our BIG MOVE into Arrow Hill Cottage in 2019, our family is working on minimizing our belongings. Because… well, nobody wants to haul a bunch of things they won’t use to a new house.

Angela went through a series of 4 decluttering challenges. She minimized the Christmas decor, found 60 items for the donation bin in just one hour, deep cleaned our laundry room and created her first capsule wardrobe. It was a busy month, but the jump start this gave us is keeping us motivated going into the new year.

We see our move as a clean slate of sorts, and it is our desire to live more simply and intentionally. If you are wanting the same for your family, consider subscribing to the Arrow Hill Cottage YouTube channel – where she is documenting our process. Perhaps you will be inspired.

SINGING our hearts out. The kids had so many programs in the month of December. We started right after Thanksgiving by singing at the fort with their school. They caroled around the community, and both {D} and {I} performed for the Jingle Bells Telethon.

Of course, there were plenty of school and Sunday School performances in the mix as well. Whew! It’s such a blessing to see them sharing their gifts with others.

CELEBRATING Christmas with extended family. Our group decided this year to go with a ‘no gifts’ event, and instead rent a house together – where we could hang out and play games, etc. This was absolutely the best decision ever. We all were so much more relaxed and enjoyed our time together immensely.

The weather was warm enough that we were able to spend time out on the frozen lake. Sled pulling, snow angel making, and attempted ice skating.

A very interesting thing happened. Not one of the  10 kids even ASKED about presents. We were all too busy having fun enjoying each other’s company. I’m loving this new tradition!

SHOVELING! A huge winter storm went through our area right after Christmas. It dumped over a foot of snow in our town, causing quite a mess! Poor Craig spent hours snowblowing the driveway, only to have it drift in by the morning.

The good news is that he was able to direct the snow toward the play fort, and the kids are creating their own sledding hill. If the weather ever warms up, they will use it.

The white snow sure does look beautiful though. Maybe a great reminder going into the New Year. Clean slates. New beginnings. We are so excited for 2019!

This is just a glimpse at what our family has been up to. If you’d like a closer look, be sure to check out our weekly ‘mini vlogs’ on our YouTube channel ARROW HILL FAMILY. Be well everyone!