Simple Christmas

This year I'm really excited for our little Christmas.  We are keeping it small and simple, much like the life we are living here in our country abode.  

Our move into a smaller home has really forced us to evaluate our possessions and consumer mentality.  In our old ginormous 2,800 sqft house we didn't really pay as much attention to what we brought in, there was always somewhere we could stick it.  When you have 1600 sqft to divide between a family of 6 nearly seven people intentionality is crucial.

So we opted to not put up our huge tree, partly because we didn't want to try and fit it in and partly because having a tree and toddler has never meshed well in our home.  Instead we bought a Norfolk pine house plant and tiny string of led lights.  It may be Charlie Brownish but we love it.  The kids had just as much fun decorating this one as they have in years past.  In fact it went better just because it was small, there was no waiting, and given its size the task held their interest with minimal squabbling over where to put great grandma Betty's beads and ornaments.  I'm also not sick from all the usual dust that accompanies Christmas decorations!

The kids begged to buy each other gifts this year.  After much discussion Phil and I decided that they needed to experience the joy of buying and giving.  However, we didn't want dollar store quality items invading our home if they all bought for everyone.  We opted to have them draw a name and select one quality gift.  Each sibling thus far has kept it a secret of who they drew.  Phil has taken each child out for some special one on one time and hasn't had to offer much assistance on the selection.  I'm choosing to be surprised at what each is giving, but it warms my heart to know they are putting great thought into the sibling name they drew.

I'll have to write later about what I made for the kids as sometimes Abi likes to pop on here and read my posts.  I can tell you this--it's something that I've wanted for them for years, and it spans all their ages, stimulates the imagination and can be played with as a group or singularly.

My hope is that however you and yours are celebrating Christmas that it is filled with as much joy and excited anticipation as our season is this year.

Merry Christmas friends!

Light night 2014

December 11 is a special day for Phil and I.  It commemorates our first date together.  As poor college kids we didn't have the funds to go out.  So dinner was served through our meal plan at the cafeteria.  Then since Phil hadn't planned anything other than hanging out watching tv, I made him drive me around to look at Christmas lights.  We've gone every year since then, braving sleep deprivation as brand new parents one year and a blizzard on another.

This year Phil surprised me with flowers.  He had the boys go down to the basement to help him With something.  A few minutes later he called us gals down.  When we got to the bottom each gent was holding a different colored carnation.  With earnest eyes Wesley looked at us and asked if we would go and look at the Christmas lights with them.  It was the most endearing thing ever.  The girls were oohing and ahhing over their flowers the boys were cheering that we said yes, and Phil came and kissed me.  It was one of those moments that you wished could have been captured on camera.

Thirteen years of dating such a wonderful man with hopefully many more to come!

Egg hunt

Today was an 'I feel great day'. The baby shifted which left moving easier for me sans round ligament pain.  I managed a walk that only left me slightly breathless instead of recouperating in the recliner.  Once we finished school I kicked us all out of the house.  Fifty degrees on a December day?  Crazy awesome!  Wanting to take advantage of the weather I decided to traipse through the forest.  My reason was threefold.  First, I wanted to move rather than sit after our school session.  Second, I wanted to see if I could find the bodies of our two missing chickens from the day that our dog's name was changed from Emmy to chicken killer.  Thankfully I didn't find any (was afraid I'd missed them and the chance to at least process them for the freezer), so I'm still guessing as to what happened.  Third, I was hoping to find some eggs.  Our latest birds were youngest case scenario six months old and still not laying.  This has been baffling me as our first hatchlings  started laying at four months and the second set at five months.  So to have birds that were at least six months old if not older and not producing was troublesome to me.  My efforts paid off as I found a well protected nest deep in the forest!  All counted there were fourteen eggs, and all of them passed the freshness test.

Now the mystery remains of how many of them are from the gals that were already laying and how many are from the 'newbies'.

Living room

I love having a formal living room.  Comfy seating surrounded by books and music. This room is quite possibly my favorite.  It is relaxing and peaceful.  If I'm not cooking, this space is where you will most likely find me.  Since it is where we all enjoy being, it happens to be the one that we invest the most time in keeping clean.  Which works out well for me if anyone happens to drop by unexpected. Of course being in the country that hasn't happened, but feel free to change that situation for me!

Meet the room that brings calm to my life in the midst of raising four children:

My seven dollar junk jaunt find.  It rocks, swivels, and reclines.  I sit here in the early mornings watching the sun come up snuggled under that quilt that my grandma made me. And if the littles haven't detected my presence I might even get to read a bit from the Word of God.  In the evenings if I'm lucky I can turn it to the window behind it and watch the sunset.

The eight foot tall bookcase we made together this fall.  Amazingly enough this isn't all the books we own, and that's after giving half of our collection to the library prior to the move.  This is the couch that we read on together under some of the favorite pictures that we've taken through the years.

This is the observation spot.  The large window looks out over our front porch.  From here we can watch the chickens antics, the combine roam the fields, and storms as they blow through.

This is probably the kids' favorite part of the room.  A mirror to dance to, and a table that caters to their imaginative play.

It might be a small room but it packs in a big punch to our daily lives!

Beautiful things

Today as I sit here listening to gungor's song beautiful things I remember back to three years ago when our precious babes Zara and Caeles slipped from my body into Jesus' arms.  Time really does help heal the heart.  There is still a void where they imprinted on my soul.  I don't expect that to ever go away.  Yesterday I held back tears as I thought of them singing praises to our God.  Today I smile as I think about them never experiencing anything but heaven.

God has given me another reason to smile today that I am finally getting around to sharing in cyberspace.  Carrying life is always exciting, but my heart leaps for joy within me this week as this new babe shifts and moves, reassuring me that all is well and that s/he is still here.

I have grieved plenty in the last week, and found it difficult to trust, but today is a day of rejoicing.  Humbled that God would find us worthy to bring another child into our family.  Happy to feel life leap within me once more.  Grateful that My plans are not His.  Wonderment over what this babe will bring to the world.

May your day be filled with as many beautiful things today as my heart is.

tie breaker baby coming sometime around 3/12/15!