3:00 p.m. Friday afternoon

So, it's a rainy Friday afternoon here -- the perfect weather for opening the windows and letting the cool breeze blow in, finding a comfortable chair, and curling up with a good book and a hot cup of tea. I saw that my family had all scattered to various corners to do something fun, so I thought I would share it with you.

We are...

...baking cookies (recipe courtesy of Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight. These cookies taste just like lemon coolers! Anybody remember those? I haven't seen them in the grocery stores for YEARS, so I was thrilled to see that she shared this recipe with her readers! Thomas is having a bit of trouble making balls, so he opted for "worms" instead)


...doing puzzles (here is my beloved working feverishly on a Star Wars puzzle and listening to Stacey Kent. I think he's crazy. No, not for listening to Stacey Kent, who is phenomenal, but for doing this puzzle. It's in the shape of Darth Vader's head... we think... and is printed on BOTH sides. Two separate puzzles, one set of puzzle pieces. Plus, the puzzle doesn't match what's on the box, so basically he's going at this blind, not sure which side to have up, or what the picture is supposed to look like. He calls this "fun" and "relaxing.")


...playing video games (everyone is watching Sean as he makes his way through the next challenge in Rune. I fail to understand the fascination with watching someone else play a video game, but obviously I am in the minority here. Even my brothers do this whenever they get together for Christmas!)


...looking darn cute (she is the "girliest girl" I've ever had. My other daughters love to dress up as well, of course, but she has started VERY early. She loves to wear anything pretty and sparkly, and usually insists on wearing beads.)


...and I, of course, am the hidden one taking pictures.