Retreating and Bread Baking

Last weekend we got away with our friends for the 8th Annual Advent Retreat. It's a lovely tradition we look forward to each year. Eight years ago we were a group of mostly single folks, except us and one other couple. This year there were enough kids to hire a babysitter for the adult conversation part of the retreat. It was a great weekend! Our boys did pretty well, and its nice to think of them growing up in this group of people.

Sam and Elena - the 5 year old matriarch of the group


Fun in the snow


Once we get home from the retreat it's time to get more serious about some holiday stuff - like the bread baking! Each year we share some Irish Soda Bread with the church staff, taking the wagon full of bread up and down the halls of the church. It's a nice tradition and gives us a chance to say hello to everyone. This year it seemed Casey might be up to helping bake a bit. He has been getting more curious about what is going on when mom is at the stove. So he stirred a bit and had a good time with it! Hopefully he didn't add any other ingredients when we weren't looking :)
Sam was a real trooper during the baking when no one had free hands. He really loves the exersaucer! Sam has a tooth arriving as we speak - I can see the white emerging in his gums - poor thing. Hopefully it will break the surface soon and give him some relief. And then maybe we can do another one of those longer stretches of sleeping! That may be all I want for Christmas this year. :)