Halfway Through Winter

This coming Thursday we hit the halfway through winter mark!  Time to celebrate! Perhaps I will bake a cake.  Yes, for certain I will.  And I am going to start making plans for Valentine's Day.  I love to celebrate this holiday as a way to show God's love to my family.  I cannot wait!

 Last week was so wet and dreary that today's sunshine is most welcome.  My new favorite winter day is sunny and above freezing.  Thankfully, this week might just be filled a few of these wonderful days.

The sunrise from my favorite beach cam.

 It is also going to be a wonderful week because I don't have many extra social engagements on my calendar.  Last week was too busy.  You know it is too busy of a weekend when you are secretly longing for Monday so that you can be home!

Eiffel Tower picture from my mom's trip.  

Best of all, my sweet mother and father are back from their trip to Paris, France.  Oh, how I missed them.  I talk to my mom each day, so a whole 10 days without a hello is too long.  I savored every text she was able to send my way last week.

Mom and her exhausted puppy, finally home! 

My list of books to read has grown.  I am currently trying to read five books and not doing so well, as I bought a new book this week and downloaded an electronic library book.  I must stop and finish a few before I add any more to the ever growing stack.  This must stop.  :)

Better get reading!

We have received our state testing dates and times.  These tests no longer strike terror into the hearts of my sweet children.  They are so smart, they say,"bring it!"  :)  I love their work ethics with their school work.  They love their online school.

My darlings.

Lastly, I am contemplating how to help a little outside cat who likes to hang around our bird feeder. There is a community cat program that loans traps to people for strays.  The cats are seen by vets and neutered if needed.  They are then brought back to the community where they came from.  I have set up a shelter and feeding station with a heated water dish.  He seems very scared of people.  I need to go over and talk to the people about getting a trap, I guess. I hesitate because I do not know how that would all happen.  I must go investigate.  At the moment he seems well enough.

My adorable Dorothy. 

So there we have a little this and that from my corner of the world.  I hope that your week is off to a good start!