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!