Happy New Year!

The last day of 2008! That seems to call for a post of some sort. This time last year, Brian was in Kenya, the kids were sick, and we were with my parents while he was gone. There was a good bit of unrest in Kenya at the time so I was pretty nervous. We were so glad to have him home even though it really was a wonderful trip for him. Lots has happened since then. Brian graduated from RTS in May, we moved back to Virginia in June, and he was ordained in November. Other things that stand out for me:
Jack finished kindergarten, began first grade, and reads so much I have a hard time keeping books in his hands. Kayla took ballet lessons and performed in her first recital. She has since decided she's done with ballet. Samuel has gone from baby to an almost two year old, learned to love Elmo, and branched out very little from his favorite food, cereal. There have been swimming lessons, soccer games, making new friends, leaving old friends, a great new church, snow, a trip to Busch Gardens, pizza and movie nights, many trips to the duck pond, biking with no training wheels, "real" haircuts, this blog, hummingbirds, being sick at Christmas-again, being much closer to family, celebrating birthdays 34-1-6-35-5, losing teeth, and lots more I will think of later.
We really are thankful for where the Lord has brought us and look forward to what this new year will hold.
Happy New Year!!!

Foggy Idea

I checked out Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson. Excited for another of her books after reading Gilead. I pulled it out as we headed down the road to my grandparents for Christmas. Just a few pages, maybe even paragraphs, into this book I began to get this strange feeling that I have read it before. It became pretty much maddening. I mean, it was driving me crazy. I have foggy ideas of what's happening next. The characters are familiar to me. And yet I cannot recall having read this book. But I must have. Sometime. In Charlotte? Bridgewater? How did I come across it??????? Oh!! It is still making me crazy.
Well, all that to say, pick up a copy. It's well worth it!

A Visit with Santa

So, there they are. With Santa. We visited the Yankee Candle store in Williamsburg last week. Almost as soon as we walked in, Kayla shouted, "There he is!" The same Kayla who also said to someone who asked her what Santa was bringing her, "Nothing. He's just pretend." Well, not pretend enough to keep her from sitting with him twice. After they had talked with him for a while and gotten a candy cane, we did a little browsing. I'm told she saw the mailbox where kids leave Santa a note if he's not there when they visit. She just had to go back, sit on his lap again, and make sure he knew that there was a box full of letters for him. After a hug, her job was done.

I don't guess this needs much explanation.

Even Samuel visited with Santa, ever so cautiously. He gave Santa a "5" and a wave.

OK- Brian informed me that Martha Stuart is not Stuart but Stewart. Further proving my point...

Another Note

I love it when these notes come flying down the stairs after the kids have been tucked in. I guess Jack wrote this for Kayla because when he came down this morning, he asked if I got Kayla's note. Smile.

I May Not Be a Martha Stuart...

But I do love to see this little tree when I come down in the morning. We often forget to unplug it at night so it's soft glow is quite welcoming. Jack's job was to put the lights on it. And he did. Just kind of laid them on the tree. So even though there is green chord sticking out everywhere, I love that he tried.

This music box has been around a long time. For some reason it's one of the Christmas decorations that always sticks out in my mind from my childhood. I shamelessly asked if I could have it and Mom graciously said yes. It still plays Jingle Bells. The kids say it's really old- 35 years maybe!

I have always been partial to snowmen. The country type. I had a hard time finding them on the tree for a picture because little hands, particularly the littlest ones, keep rearranging the ornaments!

I guess my favorites are the ones we make. I'm not sure what you would call these little guys but the kids love them.

What's better than getting out sequins and glitter?

Our Ballerina

Our Beautiful Ballerina

OK- I have to qualify this video . Maybe justify is a better word. This is the first video I've posted and it really isn't very good. But, the content is so sweet and if you watch carefully you'll catch it. Kayla had her first ballet recital today. All week, Jack has planned to give her flowers after the recital. My plan for getting the flowers fell through so Granny and Grandpa came to the rescue! I love the look on Kayla's face as she and Jack walk off together.

Out of the Mouths...

Kayla has had some interesting views on the Sabbath in the past. One Sunday afternoon in Charlotte we were at our neighborhood park. As we were leaving, a dad we didn't know asked if the kids were going to watch some TV when they got home. Kayla piped up, "Of course, no. It's the Lord's day!" I was surprised to say the least.
Another Sunday afternoon Brian and Jack were riding their bikes in the cul-de-sac. Brian asked Kayla if she wanted to ride, too. She shook her head and yelled from the porch, "No Dad. I don't ride my bike on the Sabbath." Hmmm...
Well, now she has given me something else to think about. We've been making ornaments, cookies, that kind of thing. Of course, Santa has come up.
One day the kids and I were talking about how Christmas is about Jesus and even though we enjoy those other things, Jesus is what's important. Well, guess who had a comment.
"Mom, when I'm thinking about Santa, I forget about Jesus. And when we were making ornaments, I wasn't thinking about Jesus."
Oh boy. What do you say to that? I want so much to create sweet memories for my children. I have so many of my own. But more than that, I want them to make much of Christ. At Christmas. Anytime. Is anything worth taking away from Him?
While I don't think we'll stop making cookies or ornaments, we may need to adjust our perspective on them.
And I have to ask myself, what's keeping me from thinking about Jesus?

The Christmas Tree Hunt

The hunt begins for the perfect tree. Jack looks a bit too eager with that saw...

Our "lumber-jack" for the day
(I couldn't resist that)

We found the one! Samuel was less than thrilled to be out in the freezing December air.

Working so hard

And down comes the tree!

Mission accomplished.

Gingerbread Men

Mmmm... Can you smell the gingerbread? It makes the house smell so good! We really had fun making these today. I can't tell you how many times the kids wanted to check and be sure the gingerbread men were still in the oven. They were really hoping those little guys would have jumped out and run off. But no, here they are, ready to be eaten. After all the work, Jack said, "Mommy, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I don't like them.. I think if you had left the molasses out they would be just right."

Oh well...
I'd highly recommend Jan Brett's "The Gingerbread Baby." Beautiful illustrations and a charming retelling.

Later in the day...
"Mom, aren't you having a grilled cheese?"
"No, maybe Kayla will share part of hers."
"I don't know, Mom. Kayla eats all the grilled cheese she can get."
I ate saltines.

Just For a Smile

Some snippets from around our house lately...

Kayla: "WHY did we move here if there is no Costco???"

After Brian checked our spaghetti to see if it was done by throwing a piece against the wall (hmm..), he gave it to Jack, who yelled "Spaghetti launch!!!" and threw it on the ceiling. Periodically throughout dinner Samuel would look up at it, grunt, and point. I think it's still there...

One night in the car after having spent some time earlier in the day at a dairy farm:
J: "Mom, did you know cows are mammals?"
S: "Mooo. Mooo."
K: "Mom, did you know Cal says he's a cow?"
S: "Moooo..."

Today during school, I needed a break. I mean, I really needed a break. I sent the kids upstairs and saw our ABC puzzle pieces on the table. I threw them across the kitchen. Several of them. As I was throwing them, I thought to myself, "What are you doing? Where's the grownup???" I later confessed this to a friend who said, "Hmmm. I usually look for a glass plate." Smile...

Mooo...

Samuel is picking up new words. The latest, no. "Sam, can you say book?" "No." "Can you say ball?" "No." "Say mama?" "No." "Sam, can you say no?" Smile. Silence.

Samuel usually wakes up crying. One morning, I heard him talking, the Sam way. "Aa-aa" (This means Jack) I went upstairs quietly, still hearing him jabbering. Then I heard Jack's sleepy voice. "Right Sam" "Aa. Baa." "Yah Sam." Some grunts. "Really?" And it continued. A nice conversation between brothers.

That's good for me. Sometimes I need to just remember to laugh a little.

Enjoying
the
wonder
of
snow
together...