Good-Bye 2009

It's been fun. The second half of the year has been more than I ever could have imagined. I can't wait to see what 2010 holds for all of us. I think it is going to be even bigger than I can imagine even now with my brand-new mind and heart.

God, thank You for Your incredible love for me. Thank You for everything You have done for me this amazing year, and all my life before this. You have been with me through everything, good and bad. Thank You!!!


Psalm 126
When the Lord restored his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream!
We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said, "What amazing things the Lord has done for them."
Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us!
What joy!
Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert.
Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.
They weep as they go to plant their seed,
but they sing as they return with the harvest.

It's Snowing!!

The boys are super excited. They insist the rain now coming down to melt the snow we got over the last couple hours is simply more snow. It's switching back and forth between a light drizzle and a light snow. Joshua is outside with a garbage bag trying to slide down the driveway. The mixture of slush and gravel that is his trail is not looking very promising. I have to give him points for enthusiasm though :D

A "Few" Christmas Pics

The first view of Christmas morning...at 4:45 a.m.
They took turns picking each other gifts to open. I love Joshua's pose: "what to pick, what to pick..."

I think he likes it

After carefully informing us that he likes piano better than guitar and that he really would like a real-size guitar some day, but that he is perfectly happy with a little one in the meantime...

Brannon with his sand castle and jungle stickers demonstrating with a shiver that it is too cold outside for either of those scenes in reality

At Grandma and Grandpa's house after a marvelous and ridiculously large breakfast contributed to by everyone we set about exchanging gifts. Here is Chloe helping us not get buried under discarded wrapping paper

All the kids opened certain gifts from Grandma and Grandpa at the same time. It is Grandma's theory that clothes are much more exciting received as a group...

They all look pretty excited to me :D

Ely is so stinking cute! :D

Chloe is getting way too big you guys! I can't believe how fast they are all growing up

I think this one takes the prize for best pic of the day. An Eliana and Grammi moment...

They Love the new hats Aunt Naomi!!

Nate and Jake, checking something out. Maybe Nate's new ipod case.

Half the crew...

Okay so, Grandma and Grandpa got Joshua a really great gift, a battery powered LED lantern. A real one. He looked a little puzzled for a moment until I explained it was a real lantern for going camping. At the word camping he got a huge grin and started to bounce up and down and hug his lantern. Then he stuck his hand inside and began to pull out the batteries Grandma had put in the box. Now, a week or two ago Papa pulled the nine-volt batteries out of the smoke alarms to check them. In a move only a dad would be responsible for he enticed each boy to stick his tongue on the end of the battery. Brannon was not too thrilled with the ensuing surprise. Joshua, on the other hand, in typical Joshua fashion found the shock very entertaining.

So, to the general hilarity of the rest of the room...

Noah and his sweet mama

It's me, so happy to be happy.

If you weren't there to hear Haylie shriek in delight at receiving an umbrella...I'm sad for you :)

Merry Christmas everyone :)

Merry, Merry Christmas!

We have been busy around here cleaning house and cooking. I have two more gifts to wrap, and craft supplies to find so we can make some ornaments tomorrow if the boys feel like it. The orange banana tapioca and eggnog are made and chilling in the refrigerator. I am so looking forward to the candlelight service this evening and driving around to look at Christmas lights afterward.


Tomorrow Nate and I will rise a little before six, turn on the Christmas lights and music, pour tea and eggnog, and gently wake the critters. They will stumble out rubbing their eyes and starting to grin. I think they will be a little bit thrilled with the giant candy canes in their stockings (pretty sure it will be Joshua's favorite gift of the day). A handful of gifts to open, then it's off to Grandma Shelley's house for a gift exchange and a giant, noisy breakfast. We will eat quiche, potatoes and sausage, orange tapioca, and fruit, happy to all be together in one loud house. We'll visit for a while then wander home to do some crafting, Christmas story telling and cookie making while the rest of the family dashes around from house to house to visit other relatives. This is new for us this year. Every other Christmas we've run the gauntlet for two or three days, making sure we fit in everything and everyone. This year we decided to take it much slower. Saturday we will have another gift exchange and breakfast with Nate's family.

I am so thankful for my lovely families and the time we get to spend together over the next few days. I love some of our traditions and am excited to be making some new ones. We will experiment until we find what works for us. Some of the ambitious plans we laid last year for the month of December did not even come to mind over the last few weeks. We've been preoccupied with so many things. As always I hope to be more together next year. But I am happy with the few familiar traditions that are so ingrained they come easily, without planning and working.

Wishing all of you the very merriest of Christmases, whatever you may be going through right now.

"Suddenly the angel was joined by a vast host of others--the armies of heaven--praising God: "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors." When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Come on, let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

Perfection in Glass

Ramblin'

My poor neglected blog! I will write a little something for you today...


December is flying by as quickly as every other month this year has flown. I can't believe it's almost Christmas. I don't feel terribly Christmas-y. Once again I have let the month slip by with very little in the way of crafts and baking and storytelling. *Sigh* We do have a tree and other decorations up. I have a bit of sewing, gift wrapping, and cooking to do this week. Sadly I think I may need to venture into a grocery store. I thought I had everything I needed for the week, but I've forgotten a thing or two.

Nate was in a rotten tomato fight this afternoon. The boys and I stayed home to nap, so we missed out on the...um...fun. I've been informed over the phone that a very smelly, slimy husband is on his way home.

My writing project is going well. My partner keeps asking if I am still having fun. I've even been called a loon. They can't quite imagine writing being fun rather than a chore. I am actually giddy with the fun of it. I love words and the rearranging of them into a pleasing form is enough happiness to make me silly with it.

A week or two ago I introduced my boys to the movie "The Neverending Story" for the first time. No one was feeling quite up to par that week and so they watched it nearly every day. By the fourth watching they were happily quoting their favorite parts. I enjoyed their enjoyment immensely.

Well, while it's not a very long ramble, at least I wrote something. :D Merry Christmas everyone!

Swordfighting in the Park

Father and son exchange blows

A peaceful exchange

Can I hit you and still keep out of range?

Good times all around

Retreat!

I realized later I didn't take pictures of the funniest swordfighting a little later in the day-- the two dads duking it out. Bear and Nate are peas in a pod when it comes to silliness :D

My Crazy Ducks!

You may have noticed that the previously suggested posts have not been delivered. Sorry to say it's not happening this weekend either (sorry for me any way because I really do want to keep up this blog thingy) too busy with good stuff. I am happy to report I have begun my little writing adventure, just today in fact, and am finding it every bit as marvelous to play with words as I thought it would be. I'm a little nervous still, but that just adds some spice, right? The dear person who I am writing for claims to have no expectations, therefore there is no reason to be worried about it. Ha. Ha, ha, ha. Easy for you to say. I can't wait to talk with them, hopefully tomorrow and show what I've done so far and see if we are on the same page. Good times :) Hopefully I will have some new pics up in a couple days and a new progress report on the writing. Until then, have a wonderful weekend full of happy Christmas plans.

I have pictures of boys sword fighting with foam swords; maybe I will get them on the computer tomorrow and post them. Maybe I will even take a picture of the wonderful-looking cranberry bars I am making tomorrow. And if we find a Christmas tree you may hear about it. Or maybe not. No promises :) I might find napping or cooking more important than blogging tomorrow. Especially if the pics refuse to load...

Very...um...exciting stuff I know. I'm not very good at blogging about little projects, Christmas crafts and such. We haven't really gotten into any of that stuff yet. We've been busy trying to get our house clean around all the usual stuff there is to do. Yikes! And the kitchen and laundry look like I've been ignoring them for a week. (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

:D