Cozy

It is getting colder, the sun rises shortly before 8, and sets before 5. Hats, scarves, gloves and mittens multiply and replenish the entry way, and I'm constantly asking "Where does your coat belong? On the floor like this, or hanging up??"

Going outside becomes a task requiring at least twenty minutes of prep. Quick! Snow pants, then sweatshirt! Where's your coat? No, not your dress coat, your play coat. Yes, that one. Hat, scarf, are these your mittens or Peter's? Are you sure? Socks! Now boots. NEXT!! Lather, rinse, repeat three times. Out we go! And you're still cold? Yep, me too. Go run around, you'll warm up.

Five minutes later cherry noses and rosey cheeks are ready to come back in. I make them play a little longer because I worked too hard to get them ready. I don't think they mind most of the time...

We have warm soups several times a week. Warm bellies make for sleepier children who sleep soundly in snugly beds and thick blankets.

The house is snug and warm, safe from most of the chilly breezes. We are hunkering down for winter, warm and safe in our home.

Only two weeks before winter break. David is counting down. I am counting down. I miss having him around. He missed two days last week because he was sick and needed the break. We had so much fun!

I have a little boy at my daycare three days a week. He is a talkative 16 month old that has a love for chalk and trains. Peter has taken to him faster than he did the little girl I watch on Tuesdays. Andrea is upset that there isn't someone her age with which to play. We have been arranging play dates for her so she doesn't feel too left out.

Rechartering is nearly finished. A few more signatures and I will turn in our paperwork and a check. I'm only slightly panicked. Next year will be better.

Candle

One of the crafts we were working on yesterday....

Cheer

We walked down the seasonal isle at Kroger yesterday and Peter saw a giant bear and shouted "BEAR!!! HUG!!!!" He could not do anything but squirm and squeal as I handed him that bear. He absolutely adores his bears at home, and he usually has one curled under and arm, twisting the soft fur between two left-hand fingers, whilst sucking his two middle fingers on his right hand. The true test for how soft something is would be to hand it to Peter and see what happens with those two fingers of his. If they go in his mouth, the item is acceptably soft. If they don't, move on; you will find something softer.

I bought pomegranates a couple months ago. Apparently they keep for a long time in the refrigerator! I pulled the last one out yesterday to top my salad and the big kids ate the portion I didn't use. It was the sweetest, juiciest pomegranate I've ever had. It was like eating candy!

The kids devoured every seed and splattered juice all over their faces. I see it as a mark of how good the pomegranate was.

David stayed home from school yesterday. He's home today, too. He's had a stuffed nose the last few days that interfered with his sleeping yesterday and made him feel pretty awful. So he worked on homework and read his scriptures and worked on crafts yesterday. Today will be more of the same.

Something I've been reading

I wish I could say I'd been reading some riveting novel or life changing self-help book... But nope. I've been reading a lot about soap.

We currently have soap bursting from the seams. We've almost got a year's supply!

My favorite soap has been a yogurt soap with lemon zest and lemon oil. It comes out pale yellow, velvety soft, and smells like a lemon cookie. Yum. But not, don't eat the soap!!!

Busy time of year was made busier by rechartering our pack. It really isn't that difficult, just time consuming. And I've got to have our paperwork turned in this Friday before racing off for the RS Christmas party. I'm supposed to play the piano there, so I've been practicing a bit more than usual. AND I have a few sewing projects to tend to. I think I'll turn in early tonight and tackle a few of them in the morning.

Dishes are done, floor swept and mopped, homework filed away. Laundry to fold, time on the treadmill, and I should be done with this day.

A picture I am thankful for

This was the last picture I got of me and my grandmother before she died. I gave a copy to my Grandpa for Christmas that year. He cried. "You're holding her hand!" he said.

I think I got my love for red dresses from this picture. :)

This ends the gratitude challenge. Ready for another?? :D

Something from my childhood I am thankful for

When I was very young my mom had me start writing in a journal. It took a while to catch on, but then it did and I have several journals from the time I was 8 or 9 to when I got married.

All of those journals are in my memory box now along with several other items. I go back and laugh at the absurdity of my youth quite often. Keeps me humble. Maybe I should show David how terrible my handwriting was when I was a kid? He'd get a kick out of that.

For some reason keeping a journal became difficult for me after Jonathan and I got married. I use this blog by default, but there is a LOT I gloss over or just don't mention on this blog. Important details of my life aren't being documented, and maybe they should be. Maybe I can make that a goal for next year.

Saturday fun

Last Saturday David and his Pack assembled a float for this Saturday's Christmas parade. It was so cold, but we all kept busy to stay warm.

By the time I left the float was nearly finished. That is my Christmas tree and tent on the float. It added just the right tough. :)

So today was the big day!

I met David at the end and we managed to catch the end of the parade and Santa!

After we headed home and relaxed. The kids worked on their gingerbread houses and watched Fraggle Rock.

A store I am thankful for

I am so thankful we have a place where I can outfit our kids without breaking the bank. The kids grow so fast!!

Close seconds right now are grocery stores and Amazon. Thanks to those two I've got Christmas done! :)

A tradition I am thankful for

I am thankful for our Thanksgiving Day traditions. We watched the parade in the morning, cleaned, and cooked.

We had friends join us for dinner , and it was wonderful to share the bounty of our day with them. We had so much fun, and so much good food!!

I hope we are always able to share a meal with friends and family on Thanksgiving.

Something new I am thankful for

I'm thankful for my new daycare license. Can't wait to get my full house!

Something old I am thankful for

I am very thankful for my piano. It is terrible out of tune, doesn't have a bench, and needs to be stripped and re-finished, but it plays and allows me the chance to break out my old ( land some new) tunes when the fancy strikes.

We went to the Maxwell's Greedy Pilgrim Pie party tonight. Everyone had a blast, and I enjoyed getting to socialize with people. I am afraid no one ever sees the happy me. Teaching sunbeams can be a bit isolating, and by the time my two hours with them are over I am beat and ready for a nap, forget trying to make conversation with me! So I was able to show people that I really am a fun person!! I promise!!

The pies were really tasty, my favorite was a butterscotch pie. Now to finish prepping for tomorrow's feast with the Governs. :)

Something green I am thankful for

Six years ago we wanted a sibling for David. We felt it was time, it seemed like a good space between two kids. But nothing. For a long time, nothing.

And then we found out there was going to be a baby! We were beyond excited. I met with my midwife, I was sick as a dog, everything seemed to be going smoothly. And then our hearts broke when we learned that our little one had died.

The day I finally miscarried was tough, and my mom was miles away in California. The one person I wanted next to me couldn't be there, but I knew her prayers and thoughts were with me. I'm pretty sure my mom's last words in this life will be a prayer for her children. And then she'll keep praying for us, that's just the kind of awesome mom she is.

Sitting on the beach, miles away but still very much with me, she found beach glass. As it was right after 4th of July there was an abundant supply, and she picked up many, many pieces and brought them back to Texas. She put them in a beautiful glass heart vase and gave them to me. That little heart, with so many beautiful bits if broken glass, meant so much to me. It was MY heart, shattered in so many pieces, the sharp edges rubbed smooth by rough sand and tumbling waves, made beautiful by trial and bound again into one by another power.

Andrea's pregnancy was not the healing experience others said it would be following the loss of Hannah, I think it came too soon and I was so scared of losing another baby. But Peter's was healing. I devoted a lot of time to preparing myself, bonding with him and settling into my space.

Those little pieces of beach glass worked their way into an art piece during that time. It sits in my room still, and is a constant source of peace.

I'm thankful for peace. I'm thankful for my mom's understanding heart, and the love she has for each of her girls (and grand kids, too). I am thankful for those little pieces of beach glass that remind me that even broken things can be beautiful.

A part of nature I am thankful for

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

BY ROBERT FROST

Whose woods these are I think I know.   

His house is in the village though;   

He will not see me stopping here   

To watch his woods fill up with snow.   

My little horse must think it queer   

To stop without a farmhouse near   

Between the woods and frozen lake   

The darkest evening of the year.   

He gives his harness bells a shake   

To ask if there is some mistake.   

The only other sound’s the sweep   

Of easy wind and downy flake.   

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep.

Despite the cold I really love the still beauty of the snowy woods that are all around us. Last week certainly looked lovely. And it is definitely dark now. The sun sets shortly after 5 p.m. But I really like the snowy trees better than the brown, bare trees.

Today was a busy day. My Amish Friendship Bread was finally ready to finish. We turned it into two loaves of Blueberry-Mango bread, 24 Apple-Cranberry muffins, 24 Cinnamon-Raisin muffins, and we've got sourdough rolls rising for Thanksgiving, and I only lack two ingredients for the sandwich bread. But that's got breakfasts set for two weeks, and sandwich rolls after our Thanksgiving meal.

We also made a bunch of tortillas today, so the kids are looking forward to quesadillas tomorrow for lunch. The kids didn't so much like the burritos we had tonight. :( But hey, the tortillas were tasty!

A view I am thankful for

He is headed into Mosiah tomorrow. His teacher asked what we did to get David reading a whole grade ahead of his peers. I believe it was his decision to read scriptures every day. I am really proud of him.

A dessert I am thankful for

It is a really good thing these are only sold for a month or so every year. It is amazingly easy to eat a single box in one sitting. Our first winter here, when I first discovered Candy Cane Joe Joes, I did just that on accident. Twice.

So this last week when I made the special trip to Trader Joe's, imagine my joy to see boxes of my favorite cookie!! I got my turkey, a box of Candy Cane Joe Joes, AND a box of their new gluten free Candy Cane Joe Joes for Andrea!! She was so happy! So I wasn't able to get the advent calendar (they'd run out completely within a week of getting them, boo. That's two years in a row I've missed out on getting them for the kids). But I got the good cookies! Probably the only box we're getting this year, I only make the trek to Trader Joes once a month. So I'd better savor those cookies!!

A wooden object I am thankful for

I am thankful for the super sturdy bunk beds given to us by my parents. They conveniently split into two beds and are currently residing in two separate rooms.

I'm thankful for Peter's crib. It is sturdy, simple, and keeps him comfy at night.

I'm thankful for my spinning wheel. It makes me happy and keeps me sane. Another therapeutic thing for me is spinning. Steady, repetitive motion is what does it for me.... Maybe I should take up yoga?

I am thankful for my piano, too.

See? :)

I told you cats helped with stress. :)

Something soft I am thankful for

 I am thankful for our dear cat, Susan. She's a little cuddlebug in the evenings, and just when I'm ready to wind down she's ready to settle into my lap and be a warm, comforting companion. She's been a big help with my depression, too. Something about having a cuddly animal friend to stroke and scratch is very soothing and calming.  Periods of high stress require Susan, I've found.

Susan has been a little feisty since the snows started. She doesn't like the cold. At all. So she doesn't really like to go outside anymore. But it has stopped her from running and hunting her feistiness out and so she gets a little spastic with us. At least we don't have dead mice showing up on our front porch any more.

The littles bundled up this morning for story time at the library. I really didn't want to go, I've come down with strep throat. But the kids needed out of the house. Arming myself with hand sanitizer and carefully not interacting with anyone but my kids, we bundled up and walked to the library (Jonathan took the car to work). When we got home the kids played for an hour in the front yard. Peter was so happy to get out! Now he's really tired, so I anticipate him taking a long nap this afternoon. Yay!

I love his "new" snow suit! It is a nice one from Jonathan's co-worker whose son had outgrown it. It is the highest quality set we've ever had, and it kept Peter warm. I am so grateful for hand-me-downs!

And now I need more honey-lemon tea to warm my belly and soothe my throat.

Something in my home I am thankful for

I inherited many of my Grandmother's samplers. We have one in every room, two in the hall, two in the kitchen. I love these samplers, they remind me of Grandma. I have a lot of fond memories from days spent in Amagansett during the summers. When I was a teenager my grandparents moved to North Carolina, and I swear that house was haunted, but we had a lot of fun visiting there, too. 

I particularly remember one visit when Grandma had just started driving again after a surgery had restricted her driving ability. She kept trying to fiddle with the cruise control and would forget to maintain her speed (and lane) and would realize, suddenly, that she was going 30 mph down the highway! I laughed, but I believe my mom was afraid we were all going to die. And then, on the way to a fun little shop, The Wrinkled Egg, Grandma drove into on-coming traffic before realizing there were cars coming and she couldn't turn yet. Mom about died, Grandma yelled, "Woah!!!!", and I lost it in the back seat. It really wasn't funny, but it was.

I wish my kids had been able to meet her. They definitely would have tired her out, but I think they would have loved her as much as I did. :)

Something warm I am thankful for

On this blustery, snowy day I am most thankful for a warm coat. My mom got me this amazing black, down coat with a faux fur trim. It has an incredible fleece lining, hits my knees, and keeps me incredibly warm. The first time I tried it on we had been putting off turning on our heater and it was pretty chilly in the house. I put it on, pulled the hood down over my head, and the warmth took over and I fell asleep. The coat makes me want to hibernate sometimes!! It has been a long time since I've had such a nice, warm coat. Last winter was tough, I froze a lot of the time. But I have a feeling this winter will be cozy, though hopefully not filled with naps. :)

Kids are nearly all better. Coughs are subsiding, stuffy noses are clearing up. Now if David could just stop re-hurting his foot! Not sure what to do about that kid and his little sprained foot. :(

Five weeks until Christmas, guys. I'm starting to panic just a bit. My list is as follows: slip-covers and curtains (paid gig), kid crafts, Emma's gift (WHA????), kid gifts. David has asked for Legos, Andrea has asked for a rainbow unicorn. If you have any leads on a rainbow unicorn please pass them along because I am at a complete loss and I really don't want to MAKE another unicorn (I've got enough sewing projects on my plate, thankyouverymuch). And then there is Peter. I bet I could make him something and slap a picture of Bob the Builder on there and he'd be happy. He loves cars. I'll probably get him another toy car...

A tradition I am thankful for

Some traditions we have in our family:

Every year we go camping for Father's Day. It is nice to get away from house and spend some time together hiking, swimming, and roasting smores. We didn't get our trip in for Father's Day this year, it was too chilly still. So we've got a camping trip to make up for next year.

Every Christmas the kids and I put together a gingerbread house. It is one of our favorite things to do during the holidays.

Another Christmas tradition is to make as much of our Christmas gifts as possible. This year we've been working since June on fun projects that are going to family as Christmas gifts. The kids are having a lot of fun, and I believe the recipients of our gifts will be pleased.

Jonathan and I have been talking a lot about traditions lately. We'd like to incorporate more of the traditions from our youth into the traditions of our family, and we'd like to establish some new traditions to help strengthen our family. We have so many grand goals, but we've been able to implement a couple of our new traditions and have watched how they've blessed our children and our family. Hopefully we can keep a good thing going!

A(nother) color I am thankful for

Red is my sassy color. I love the color red, it makes me feel happy and bold. I am not nearly as confident in myself to pull off wearing red all the time, but I sure have fun jazzing it up with the red every once and a while.

A technology I'm thankful for

I'm thankful for the technology that allows for easy transportation. I especially love our car! David and I showed a little love to the Suburban today by washing it down and topping it off. It deserved some car comforts today, it has been so good to us, especially with the fabulous seat warmers on the chilly mornings of this last week. :)

David went to a birthday party today. It was at a Chuck-E-Cheese-like establishment with a bigger playground than arcade and more windows. David had a lot of fun, but he ran a bit too much on his bad foot and is sore now. Hopefully it will be better soon, the doctor said he should only be off it this week then be back to normal.

Did I mention that earlier? I don't think I did. Last Saturday David took a flying leap off the basement stairs. He landed wrong and immediately couldn't walk on it. He needed Tylenol to numb the pain so he could sleep. After church I checked his foot and it was bruising. He was still in a lot of pain so I took him to the ER. Fortunately he didn't break anything, but it was a pretty nasty sprain. He got a doctor's note to stay out of gym for the week and he had it wrapped most of the week. We were told he should be fine by today, but it is still giving him a lot of trouble. More Tylenol. More heating pad. More rest. Just what a 7-year-old wants to do. ;)

A smile I'm thankful for

This wonderful lady is one of my greatest friends. I wish I could be around her more often. Somehow phone calls and Skype just don't cut it when it really comes down to it. She flew me down in September to go to Time Out for Women and we're really looking forward to going next year. She will never know how much that little weekend away blessed my life. I heard words that strengthened me, and I was able to see friends and family who I really, desperately, needed that weekend and it was all thanks to this wonderful lady. I believe when we get to heaven it will be made of people just like Chandler.

Love ya, Chandler! :)

A color I am thankful for

I am thankful for the peaceful, calming, color blue. It is one of my favorites, but more so because of the emotions and memories I have associated with the color. I love looking at the Turquoise House blog. Someday I will have a blue house like ones featured there.

An appliance I'm thankful for

I am thankful for my Kitchenaid. I got it as a wedding gift from my Aunt Julie, Uncle Greg, and cousins Amy and Jesse. Love, love, LOVE my Kitchenaid. I don't think I'd be as willing to make cookies or cakes or frostings or tamales without it, so my kids are grateful for it in a round-about way, too. It is just a wonderful part of our life! :)

A time of day I'm thankful for

Nap time. It is the most peaceful part of my day. Part of the daycare requirements for the state is that children be watched during naptime. So I've got a nice comfy chair in the littles' room that serves as my rest-hour chair.

It is a nice quiet time to sit and think. It gives me an opportunity to do some real reading. And I get a small, quiet break. I'm very thankful for nap time. :)

A book I am thankful for

I don't believe it would be possible for me to choose just one book that I am thankful for, so many have influenced my life in different ways. So here's a few of my favorites:

I read Ella Enchanted so many times that I had the first chapter memorized. I still occasionally revisit my friends in Frell. 

When I was twelve I sat in a doctor's waiting room with my grandmother, and she had me read the first line of this book aloud: "It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that a single man, in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." Three old ladies sitting across from us sighed and smiled. I learned that appearances can be deceiving, and to not allow myself to make any judgements until I had as much of a story as could be had.

Cry, the Beloved Country pushed me out of my comfort zone with its writing style, but sucked me into the world of apartheid. I reread this one frequently and used it as reference material for many of my literature classes in college. It taught to me maintain some connection to my roots, my culture and heritage.

I grew up with Harry! I eagerly awaited each new installment of Harry's adventures, cried and laughed through the entire series. I sure was disappointed I was never called off to Hogwarts, but I was sure glad to learn, alongside the trio, that dark evil can be beaten with the simplest of spells.

The other grand adventure I remember from my youth was The Lord of the Rings trilogy. This, along with a few other books, really ignited my love of all things medieval. There was a romance in the mythology and poetic style of Tolkien's works, and I enjoyed the entire series. Until the end, when I bawled my eyes out. But then I had the movies to look forward to, and elaborate, gorgeous costumes at which to gawk and recreate. :)

 A Thousand Splendid Suns was one of my most difficult reads, but a book I recommend to everyone. There is not much I can say regarding this book other than it is very, very good and well worth the effort.

 This one is a hard dose of reality when you're as stuck and stupid as I am. But I've gone back to this book several times to learn and re-learn how to be an adult with finances. In that way it has changed my life!

I read Half the Sky a couple years ago. I walked away wanting to read it all over again, but also never wanting to ever see it again. It made me want to DO something, help someone, and left me knowing that if people just understood who we are as children of God a lot of our problems in this world would disappear. And I also walked away understanding my own worth as a woman more: I have more power and influence in my sphere than I know.

This was a book that just sat on my shelf when I was a teenager. One day I needed something to read, my mom suggested Cold Sassy Tree. I pulled it off the shelf and was hooked. A small, southern town, suddenly rocked by a scandal! What's not to love? But I love this book, and have gone back and re-read this one so many times.

There are a lot of other books I could list here, but it is late and I need to be in bed. But I have a feeling that tonight's dreams are going to be good ones as I remember old friends from my books. So sweet dreams, friends!