Lemon Bread

 The cooler weather begs for baking, sipping hot tea, and devouring novels. I was lucky enough to have plenty of little helpers home enjoying a day off today. I spent the morning in awe of how well they were all getting along saying things like, "I love you" and "you're the best brother ever!" Hyrum hugged me and told me that this was the "goodest day" he's had in a long time. I think he was happy to have a day off school! 

There's was lots of opening and closing the door as they played with neighborhood friends both outside and in. The air nipped at their fingers and cheeks and when they couldn't take the cold any longer they would come in to warm up. 

The oven made our home feel extra cozy and the kitchen became a gathering place as I put together the ingredients for some lemon bread. I doubled the recipe, knowing how quickly we can polish off a loaf, and enlisted my little helpers. They ran back outside to play while it cooked and when they came back in they all sniffed the air and exclaimed, "mmmm!" 

In the early afternoon Camilla asked if she and her friend could make chocolate chip cookies. I couldn't think of a good reason not to, so back to the kitchen we went to mix up some cookie dough. The girls did most of the work, dropped the cookie dough on the pan, and pulled them out when they were done. It was a great team effort! 

By the time dinner rolled around, I was exhausted. It was sure wonderful having my kids home today, and seeing them play so well with their friends. I checked on all of my littles after they fell asleep, just to soak in a moment of stillness.