Nativity

I have been tickled to watch my children this holiday season as, in the course of their play, 

they've often chosen to act out the Christmas story. 

Choosing a doll and some kind of bed to put him in, Laila became Mary and Max would be Joseph. 

Or sometimes he was a shepherd, a wise man, or even a donkey.

On one occasion, I was asked to join in and was watching over the baby while

 Mary ran off to get something or other. 

Max as shepherd kneeled down and told me "you have a cute baby"

And so it was appropriate they got to assume those same roles 

when Grandma put together a Nativity play for our Christmas Eve entertainment.

The whole production was wonderful and quite touching. 

the kids did a great job getting into their roles:

Mary with her calm & contemplative attitude,

the angel's clear proclamations,

Joseph and his cool demeanor,

the wise man's convincing following of the star,

and the shepherds caring for their "sheep"

the result was a palpable feeling of love as we all sang the hymns of our Savior's birth

"Glory to the Newborn King! 

Peace on Earth!

Joyful!

Off Year

We did an off-year Christmas Eve Eve with the Westovers. 

Dinner and then the kids got to decorate the tree. 

Max was too busy with the new train track downstairs to be drawn by ornaments.

faux

I finally did it. I went artificial Christmas tree this year.

No more "nature in our living room"

with pine needles on the floor and water sloshing about.

Instead we've invested in a tree that will stand each year

We can set it up right after Thanksgiving

we don't have to worry about how to dispose of it when the holiday is done.

but it was an agonizing decision

What about fresh pine smell in the house?

What about choosing a new, unique tree each year?

tall, sparse & skinny vs. squat, full & bushy

but I suppose that enough time goes by between Christmases each year

getting the same tree out will seem new

so here's to the faux Christmas tree:

no mess & less stress now and in the years to come ;-)

Advent

Last year's advent adventures proved to be a little overwhelming for all of us. 

So this year I toned it down to a cute Nativity puzzle. 

Each day we choose a scripture and a simple activity that is Christ-centered and short for a small child's attention span. 

Then we get to choose a puzzle piece to glue onto the puzzle.

So far we've learned the importance of gratitude, 

enjoyed Christmas songs together,

shared childhood Christmas memories with each other, 

and reminded ourselves to keep a prayer always in our hearts.

We started late, so each child gets to put a piece on each time. 

And I let go of the idea that we MUST do it everyday.

But by Christmas, our picture will be complete

and, hopefully, our hearts will be more full of our Savior's love. 

It's autumn time

"For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.

For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad."

-Edwin Way Teale

I got to teach the preschool about Autumn and Harvest and I am really loving this time of year.

the colors 
the crisp, clean air 
crunching leaves 
eating the fresh gifts of the garden 
(which I haven't enjoyed as much this year since I currently hate food)


I thought that my favorite season was Spring because it brings new life and renewal.
But today my favorite is Autumn, 
because it is sowing much that will flourish in the Spring.

just because cake

Nobody's birthday and no holiday in sight. 

It was just a regular Sunday evening. 

And just because I couldn't stand the thought or smell of almost any food, 

didn't mean I didn't suddenly need a big piece of chocolate cake. 

But we were out of eggs.

Just because I wanted it, he toted the kids over to his parents' house on a quick trip
 to borrow said missing eggs so that he could make me that cake. 

As sometimes happens, it took longer than expected,

so the kids were sent immediately to bed.

one, however, snuck out to help Dad, who insisted on still making cake, 

despite the lateness of the hour, 

just because I had a craving.

So when I finally got a taste of that much-anticipated cake, 

complete with homemade frosting, I ate two big pieces.

It was the sweetest, most moist, tastiest cake I've ever eaten, or will ever eat.

 just because it was so full of love

New suit

When the not unexpected 60 day notice came, my excellent husband didn't skip a beat. 

He polished his resume, went out and bought a suit and proceeded to apply and interview with the zeal of someone doing their most favorite thing.

It was almost like a full time job for a while there, running from interview to interview, taking calls from recruiters and filling out online applications. 

Not to mention taking night classes at the university.

He was unstoppable in that new suit.

Sixty days and four offers later, when it came time to say 'farewell' to 5 good years at that first "real" job it was also immediately time to say 'hello' to the next one. 

No lapse in paycheck, no lapse in insurance coverage, no lapse in livelihood.

What a man! 

Our working warrior who braves the world everyday so that we can live happily and comfortably; 

And then comes home with a smile on his face, always ready for a romp with the little ones.

And so I am grateful that he is a hard worker, a smart worker, obedient and full of faith; that he is Loving, Loyal, Fun and Light-hearted. 

Most of all, I am grateful that he's my husband, my best friend, 

and that we get to work together for all that is truly valuable.

Thank you, Joe. I love you.

News

Breaking such news must, of course, be a memorable moment, even if it is to a 2 and 4 year old. 

After all, their lives are about to change, too.

So on a Saturday morning Dad created a treasure hunt for them to follow and we all went in search of the clues:

"One day soon, a visitor will arrive . . .

Perhaps cute and strong like the greatest boy the world's ever known . . .

Or fun and happy like our own special ray of sunshine . . .

Look to the heart we all share together, from our own special mother 

the end of our tale you'll find there."

We're having a baby!

lunch

I made myself a tomato lettuce sandwich today.

Tomatoes were fresh out of the garden and it was oh-so-delicious

but when my little guy kept asking for  bites, 

I knew I had better share the goodness

and I was pleasantly surprised to find just how much they gobbled up.

Such a nice change from our usual mid-day meal.

Birds, Aug. 30

Bear Lake

story time on the drive
ice cream as we're packing up

slug

Yesterday we caught a slug

we gave him lots to eat:

green grass & juicy romaine, what a yummy treat

but this morning it appeared he had eaten, and then fled

except for something small and lifeless, lying on his bed.

our day is greatly saddened, to learn this slug's poor fate

for we failed to give him water, and his thirst he could not sate.

anniversary 8

What's in Wendover? not much.

but it sure was a great get-away:

when all you need is a good night's sleep,

some history to tickle the mind,

a hike to exercise the body,

freedom from responsibilities,

time to think-

pondering on the abundance of joy that is your life

and the choice you made eight years ago

that you would make again today

So while there's not usually much in Wendover,

over the weekend there was my whole world.

Here's to our next adventure together!

Pineview

picnic

Sometimes . . . 

a picnic is enjoyed best alone.

Monday's child is fair of face

Little Bo-Peep had lost her sheep and brought her friends over to find them.

They searched high and low; found five in a row, each bringing a rhyme behind them. Each rhyme was a game:

Our friends were nimble and they were quick, they jumped around in the bouncy house 
(No. No candlestick)

They raided the haystack looking for Little Boy Blue; 
instead they found treats, treasures, & a little stuffed ewe. 

Then ringed 'Round the Rosies, with Pockets but no Posies, 

Ashes, Ashes they all fell DOWN.

1-2 buckle my shoe, around in a circle on numbers they flew
3-4 knock at the door, they stopped with the music & won prizes galore. 

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, when crafting with 10 kids, ONE mom doesn't go far
But Mary's little lamb had to follow her to school 
so we brought in parental reinforcements, and then the craft was cool.

Jack & Jill went up the hill, each with a pail of water

they dumped it in the table & ran back as fast as they were able,
then passed the pail to another.

Pat-a-cake Pat-a-cake, it tasted so good
they ate up those cupcakes just as fast as they could.

and after all this (plus presents) there was still 45 minutes so since it was HOT,
we went inside to play until moms & dads came our way.

company party

Everyone knows that a party must be attended in one's best dress

even when it is a PLAY party, complete with rOcK cLiMbInG, 

mini golf, bumper cars, bowling, and even indoor surfing for those so inclined.

We stuck to the kid-friendly bowling and mini golf; had a little too much sugar and whole lot of fun;

and though our camera didn't catch it, we learned that those adorable shoes work just as well for dancing.

sewing confidence

My mom taught me how to sew when I was young. 

She was the 4-H mother.

I even won a ribbon in the county fair for an outfit I sewed, once.

But I wasn't that interested and I didn't practice.

In 7th grade Home-Ec, my teacher told me I was a horrible sewer

and I made up my mind that sewing wasn't for me.

In the many years since, I've had little need or inclination for this art

until my little girl said she wanted a Mary Bo Peep birthday

and my mom found the most adorable pattern.

So with some trepidation and a LOT of help and coaching from mom

I am creating that outfit.

It is not surprising to discover I CAN, indeed, sew.

I have been surprised that my love for my daughter has increased 

as I spend time and effort creating something special for her.

She loves helping and maybe someday, if I practice enough, 

I'll be able to teach her.

thanks, mom  :-)

card making

I'm taking an online class to learn photoshop techniques 

for making cards and digital scrapbooking.

It is through JessicaSprague.com

The best part about it is, I can do the projects at my leisure

all the instructions and materials are available to me forever

(as long as I remember my login)

And it has turned out to be quite timely, as I 

used some of my newfound skills to create these invitations 

for Laila's upcoming birthday party.

She even got in on the action. 

not the photoshop, but she sure assembled like a pro.

dahl

I finally found a use for those lentils that I picked up at the one-time co-op I tried over a year ago. 

Indian Dahl (or Dal) was actually pretty good. Very comfort food-ish.

If you are interested, find the recipe here

craft zero

On craft day, we drive down to the local Roberts Arts & Crafts

where we spend an hour or so making the scheduled item 

(that someone else came up with ;-)

 It requires of me zero prep, zero supply storage, & zero cleanup

we walk in, sit down, do our thing, and walk out 

. . . with balloons trailing behind us

All three of us having a marvelous time, bringing home our treasures with pride

treasures like the friendly frog and lovely ladybug 

who now greet us at our back door each day, chiming in the wind. 

Bridger Lake, July 2