our mountain getaway - part two

Here's part two of our mountain getaway!

December 24th was Benjamin's tenth birthday. I can't believe he is ten years old! My goodness. We started the day with a big pancake birthday breakfast. Here's Benjamin having hot chocolate in his new Star Wars mug! He was super excited about that gift!

Here's some cute photos of the rest of the kids at breakfast:

*********************************

Benjamin and I took a walk in the woods and explored the creek after breakfast, just the two of us. It was super cold out! But, it was really special! Here's a bunch of photos of our time together:

I love this shot!

Benjamin drew "10" in the sand on the banks of the creek. :)

here's a little video I took on our walk. isn't it so beautiful and peaceful?!

Clint gave each of the four boys a foam sword to play with. They had a lot of fun sword fighting around the cabin.

and on the back porch!

I tried a french braid in Ruth's hair for the first time while we watched a Barbie movie together by the fire.

Clint playing Scrabble with the boys

sweet Joseph

relaxing together on the couch while I read the Little House in the Big Woods 

we surprised Benjamin after lunch with a little family birthday party
(and i know that birthday cake looks pitiful - haha! I was going to make a new one, but there was a pretty big section left over from his big fancy birthday cake that I had made for his birthday party we had for him and his friends the day before we left for the cabin. so, i just used that instead of making a brand new one. the kids were just as happy to have the leftover cake! cake is cake. :) )

waiting for Benjamin

cutie

surprise!

happy birthday to you!!

everybody loves a birthday party!

can you tell he liked his present?! haha

Leo was also very excited about Benjamin's presents! love his face! haha

that afternoon before dinner, the kids and I made a gingerbread house! It was fun decorating it together. :)

after dinner, we all sat down by the fire and watched the Little House on the Prairie Christmas special. It is so sweet. then, we gave the kids presents from our pastor and his wife. They give gifts to all the church and school staff's children each year.

the next morning, Clint surprised the children with lots of little gifts before we left the cabin to head home. They were so excited!

he even hung up each of their socks on the mantle and filled them with treats that were just like the ones that Laura and Mary had in the Little House movie.

an orange, a candy cane, nuts and a piece of chocolate. so cute!

We had a sweet time together, enjoying eachother's company. Cherishing the simpler times. The sweeter times. It was so nice to be "unplugged" from the world for four days. Clint really impressed me with how he lavishly gave little gifts to the kiddos each day we were there. He had secretly been buying little gifts for the kids over the past months and kept surprising them the whole time they were there with little treats and gifts. 

It wasn't just one specific time; it was the whole time we were there at that little cabin. He just kept pulling things out of his "stash", surprising them with little presents. So so sweet!

I am blessed.

Seeing how Clint was with the kiddos reminded me of this scripture:

See what great love the Father has lavished on us,  

that we should be called children of God! 

And that is what we are!

I John 3:1

God gave us the ultimate gift when He gave us His Son, Jesus Christ!