Gingerbread Christmas Tree

More Christmas Pictures

Emily eating cake at the very pink, Madonna Inn

My mom also has a "near" Christmas birthday, so we took her out to Madonna Inn where they serve mile high cakes in a restaurant that is decadently decorated.

Amy received a new doll, lots of doll accessories and a matching coat. Sean and Evan and I had fun making pretend fruits, veggies, cookies and candy out of sculpy clay for her and her dolls.

Emily enjoying her new ball, jewelry, and doll bed.

Christmas Pictures

Sean actually had to work Christmas day so we celebrated on the 24th. Here's the family with matching hats knitted by Sean's sister Molly.

Emily Cleaning

Emily is at the age where she loves to "pretend" all things. She is loving her new cleaning supplies, her cooking and tea set and her baby accessories. She still thinks her new baby high chair is for her though!

Evan's Birthday

Evan has a birthday very close to Christmas so we always celebrate it with family when they are here for the holidays. He's turning 1o this year, so hard to believe! I can't find the picture of him with his new Lego set, but he had a great time shooting his BB gun. And if you've never tried the game Blokus, it's tons of fun!

My Christmas Gift to You

I'm so thankful for you, my family and friends (some new and some old). This past year has been a difficult one for me, but softened through the friendships I've made and kept up with through blogging. If you happen to read this blog, (and I know you!) but have not commented or told me you read it, drop me a comment below and I'll add your name too!

Sean- Thank you for being my best friend, and my hearts desire. God has blessed me immeasurably by giving me you for a husband. I love you!!! And thanks for starting this blog for me and guest blogging during the times I get busy. You're the greatest!

Mom- Thank you for raising me in a Christian home where you and dad taught me to love Jesus. Thanks for all the late night talks and good advice. You have been one of my closest friends since high school, and I want you to know that I appreciate all you have done for me. You are a terrific mom!

Jessica- Thanks for introducing me to the world of blogging, Sovereign Grace, John Piper, and the perfect apple pie recipe. I miss you!!! Thanks for hanging in with me through many a hard time and not always giving me the answer I wanted to hear, but needed to hear. I love keeping up on your sweet family.

Jenn- You were my first blogging friend. When I met you I was skeptical of this whole blogging thing. I wasn't sure I'd like it or have time for it, let alone meet new friends. What a surprise for me when you commented back! Even though we've never met, I love hearing what God is doing in your life and seeing all the cute pictures of your kids! I hope I can get to meet you in person some day. Look me up if you ever come to California!

Leslie- You are such an inspiration to me! Thank you for your thoughtful words about Classical Homeschooling, good books, kids with heath problems, and most importantly keeping our eyes fixed on the cross and the good news of Jesus Christ. One particular post I'll probably remember the rest of my life. We're on verse 17 of the first chapter of Colossians. Much slower than I had hoped, but we're still plugging away at it and really enjoying memorizing a big passage of scripture.

Bethany- I have enjoyed reading about your family, your faith, and your favorite things! I was so blessed by your offer to help me out when I come down to L. A. I'm not sure I can even express through a blog how thankful I was (and am) for your offer of hospitality. It came unexpected at a time I was feeling particularly low and was a reminder to me of God's care and goodness. I can't wait to meet you and your boys!

To all the ladies at Chesapeake Community Church- The witness of your love for the Lord, and for each other, has reached out over thousands of miles! Thank you for your testimonies of what God is teaching you about loving your husbands, teaching your kids, making your house a home, enjoying what God has given you, and remaining faithful through trial and loss. When I read your blogs, I am encouraged by your grace filled examples.

Cara and Cat- You are both like family to me. Thank you for your friendship for all these years! Camping again next summer?! I'd love to revive that tradition again.


Thank you all for the blessing of your friendship! Merry Christmas!

Christmas Newsletter

We thought you might like to see excerpts from our annual Christmas Newsletter. We had just come back from a snow trip to Sequoia National Park which provided a nice winter theme for the photos.




Emily continues to be a source of entertainment for the entire family! It’s been a joy to watch Evan and Amy play a part in her development. The older kids excitedly screamed “she’s walking!” when Emily took her first steps this year. These shouts were quickly followed by cries of “she’s walking!” as Christina and Sean raced to move everything fragile out of her reach!






Amy is participating in the Central Coast Children’s “Debut Choir.” She remains involved in AWANAS and continues to memorize Bible versus at a rate that makes her Dad dizzy! As always, we are thrilled when our kids learn to read. Amy is gobbling up reading time and enjoys the “American Girl” series of books.








This year Evan earned his yellow belt in Karate and advanced to the rank of Webelos in Cub Scouts. In his spare time he can be found hunting tin cans and plastic bottles in the back yard with his trusty BB gun. For ten weeks this summer Evan participated in a clinical study at UCLA for kids with Tourette’s Syndrome. The study has helped us all understand a little more about TS and let Evan know just
how normal he actually is!

Christmas Stockings

Continued guest blogging by Sean for Christina ........




You can imagine our surprise many years ago when Sean and I discovered we had grown up with similar Christmas stockings. My stocking was made by my Aunt Karen. Sean's was made by his Aunt Mary. Both had our names knitted in to them and both sport images of Saint Nicholas!














When our children were born, their Aunts weren't quite yet knitters (things have changed now and we've got the beanies to prove it). So back then we turned to my friend Jessica's Mom to craft the kids stockings. As you can see, we kept the "St. Nick" theme. While Sean's stocking is the smallest, he does his best to STRETCH it out each year to accomodate more booty!

Our Christmas Tree

After being tagged by my goood friend Jessica (in response to Laurie's Tour O' Trees), it was my husband who made sure to get our tree on the list (and type this blog!)

Each year we go as a family to find our Christmas tree. We used to find them at "cut your own" tree farms. The kids would pick the tallest tree and Sean would spend the next 20 minutes sawing away with the dullest of saws borrowed from the tree farm.

Unfortunately, our very dry California climate (sorry to my water-logged and snow-bound friends) makes for VERY dry trees. They never lasted long. Sean hesitated to turn on the lights, describing the dry shrub holding them as a "tinderbox."

The big box stores, however, sell trees grown in Oregon. These trees are dripping with moisture and fragrance. This year we selected a beautiful Noble Fir. The acquisition went amazingly fast. The only "hic-up" in the process was when the cashier told Sean what the total price was. But as Sean later explained, there was no turning back.....The tree had already become part of our family.

The Ornaments on Our Tree

Continued blogging by Christina's alter ego, Sean.....

As you can see, our Christmas tree is covered with ornaments. Most have special meaning to our family. Each year we buy the children an ornament and place it in their stockings. The ornaments often represent something that the children did during the year. Amy received a Ballerina ornament when she was in ballet and Evan received a little red wagon ornament the year we gave him the life-sized version.

Sean's two sisters also send ornaments every year. His sister, Molly, often sends several for the kids. And Sean's sister, Katie, has an amazing ability to find cute little appropriately-themed police ornaments. Needless to say, our tree has filled up.




This ornament was hand-crafted by my creative and extremely talented friend, Cara. It was from a time when we were a family of four. Cara made Evan in a soccer uniform and Amy as a ballerina. And of course, Sean was wearing what used to be his trademark "off duty" fanny pack. Too funny!






The year we did the candy cane ornaments the children handed them out as gifts to their aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Sean always feared the ornaments would be carried off by armies of aunts. But they remain today. And as Sean pointed out, "still tasty after all these years!"






Madeline joined our tree the year Amy was enjoying her Madeline doll house. The teacup ornament was a gift from Molly, knowing that I love collecting the bigger version.






And we gave Evan the Star Wars ornament simply because this was the year (and every year since) that he has been consumed by anything STAR WARS.

Another Reader in the Family

Last week, Amy reached a milestone in her homeschool education. She finished her phonics book and is now reading chapter books independently. When Evan reached this goal we finished off his Hardy Boys collection that Uncle Aaron had started for him. Fortunately, CostCo had them at the time, cheap.

Amy especially enjoys the American Girl collection of stories. So she is now the proud owner of the Molly set. Again, CostCo has them right now complete with a mini doll! What a joy it is to watch her enjoying reading. And what a delight to see her able to read the Scriptures for herself.

In Memory of a Fallen Hero

This past week a beloved friend, of my dear friend Cara was killed in Iraq. She wrote a beautiful and moving tribute to him. Yesterday, I read Psalm 144 to my kids explaining that Troy prayed this Psalm before he flew. They had many questions. Amy was actually confused and thought that our friend's husband was the one who had died. I was glad to have the chance to clear that one up!

I wanted the kids to understand God's sovereignty in this situation, to grasp how good He is even in in the midst of war.

"Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for
battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my
shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. ...Deliver me and
rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right
hands are deceitful. " Psalm 144:1-2,11

Even though God did not choose to rescue Troy in the way we tend to think of, God rescued him from sin and from this world and brought Troy to Himself.

Reading Quiz

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Literate Good Citizen
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

I'd say that's true about me.

I was going to post about how Amy's reading is coming along. But this was quicker. We're getting our tree tomorrow and the living room had to get cleaned! There is only so much I can do in a day. Check back in a day or two for Amy's update and hopefully pictures of our Christmas tree.

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

This is what I am bringing to our family's Thanksgiving celebration. I won't be hosting this year. It comes from Sunset Magazine (November 1979/1996/1998). It's very easy and so good.

This year I found some gingersnap cookies made with canola oil and dehydrated cane juice for the crust. The brand is Mi-Del. The cookies were a hit. I had to go buy another bag for my recipe!

I'm going to make this today and freeze it then pull it out Thanksgiving morning. What are you making this year?

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

8 oz. gingersnap cookies
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons melted butter
2 8oz packages of cream cheese ( I use neufchatel)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 can pumpkin

1. Crush cookies to make 1 3/4 cups crumbs. In a 9-inch springform pan, mix cookie crumbs, sugar and butter. Press over bottom and about 1 inch up pan sides. (I always do the sides first, then press the bottom. That way you don't get a big lump in the crease.)

2. Bake crust at 325 F until slightly browner, about 15 min.

3. Meanwhile, in a mixer, blend cheese, brown sugar, and eggs until smooth. Spoon 1/2 cup of the cheese mix into a small bowl. Add five spice and pumpkin to remaining cheese mixture and mix well.

4. Pour pumpkin filling into hot or cool crust. Drop rounded Tablespoons of the reserved cheese mixture onto the pumpkin filling. With a knife tip, swirl to marble the white and orange.

5. Bake in 325 F oven until the center barely jiggles when cake is gently shaken, about 50 minutes. (At this point, I turn the oven off and open the door slightly to cool.) Cool on rack. Cover and chill until cold, at least 2 1/2 hours. Run a knife between cake and pan rim; remove rim. Serve with whipped cream flavored to taste with pumpkin pie spice or crystallized ginger.

Picking Apples

We made some yummy baked apples with these. We were fortunate to get the last U-pick day of the season.

Fall Pictures

As I was checking my memory card on my camera, I saw some pictures from this fall that I meant to post but never did. These are from our trip to the pumpkin farm.

Holiday Crafts Part 2

I've been trying to remember the other crafts we've done in years past. It's funny how my memory slips after just a few years. I didn't make any extra, so I don't have any pictures or examples to show you. But here are some other ideas that we've used. Many years Evan made one craft and Amy made another, that is why there are more than one per year.

• Homemade lip gloss- I got a recipe off the internet
• Rootbeer that the kids help make and bottle at a microbrewery. (Sean's brother used to work at one. But the public can do this too.)
• Seed kits - We saved seeds from our garden, then bought little tins at Michaels to put them in. As a bonus, the kids made little labels to fit on the containers to tell what seeds were in each one.
• Birdhouses - This was last years project. Dad took over since I had a baby to nurse!
• Soap-on-a-Rope - I got the recipe off the internet. Basically, you shave Dove soap, add oatmeal and maybe something else, microwave and roll in a ball around rope tied in a knot. It was very fun for little ones.
• Fizzy bath salts - A recipe from Family Fun Magazine
• Candy Jars - From Martha Stewart Living Magazine
• Candy Frames - In the oven we melted round peppermint candies together forming a frame. We put the kids school pictures (wallet size) in the frames with red rick- rack glued as a hanger.

I'm not good at coming up with ideas on my own, but I'm really good at copying a good idea! Almost all these crafts you can find online. If you would like more information about any particular craft, I'll try and see if I can find my original recipe. I have a huge file drawer of all my magazine clippings!

Holiday Crafts

When Evan was 4 and Amy was 2 they started the tradition of making Christmas presents for their relatives. Until last year that has consisted of 5 grandparents, and 12 aunts and uncles. Now we have 2 cousins with 2 more on the way. What began as a way to minimize cost for so many relatives, has now become a fun tradition.

The first craft we made were beeswax candles. I bought sheets of beeswax and candle wick at a hobby shop. To make the candle, you place a piece of wick 1/2 inch longer than the sheet of wax, on the edge of the wax. Then roll tightly, rolling the wick into the middle. When you are done rolling gently smooth the seam into your candle. You can cut the wax to different sizes to make different heights for your candles. You can also cut it into a triangle and roll from the widest end to the tip for a spiral candle. We used a maroon colored wax and didn't cut it. We rolled from the long side to make a tall candle, then grouped two candles together and tied with a black ribbon.

My kids had a lot of fun making and giving these as gifts. I'll try and post some of our other ideas. Sometimes it's helpful and fun to have some crafts for the kids to do over Thanksgiving weekend. If you have ideas for gifts that kids can make I'd love to hear them.

The Jeans Dilemma

I thought this was sooo funny because I had almost the same conversation with my husband just last week! I came home with HIS jeans, which took 2 minutes to find, but none for me. But don't worry, I didn't throw my cell phone at the salesperson!

Homeschool Project

This week Emily had ( and still has) Roseola and is feeling miserable. So for school we are pinch hitting with activities that need less "Mom involvement". We're doing lots of flash cards, Quarter Mile Math, reading and handwriting. We also finished a project that we started this summer when we were studying California History. Here is our Mission San Francisco de Asis also known as Mission Dolores. Pictures were taken by our aspiring photographer, Evan.

Bran Muffins

Yesterday we made my grandmothers bran muffins with whole wheat flour (White Whole Wheat from King Arthur), and evaporated cane juice, instead of white flour and sugar. They turned out great. This recipe has been in our family forever and we all love it. My grandmother claims the dough keeps in the refrigerator for up to six weeks. But we've never had it last that long. It does make a big batch so you'll need a big bowl to mix it in. I think my Kitchen Aid is 5 quarts and it just barely holds it all.

Refrigerator Bran Muffins

2 cups boiling water
2 cups Bran Buds (made by All Bran now)
1 1/4 cups butter
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 quart buttermilk
5 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon salt
4 cups All Bran original

1. Stir the boiling water and Bran Buds together and set aside.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar, then add the eggs, one at a time.
3. Add the buttermilk and mix. Add the Bran Bud mixture and mix.
4. Add flour, soda and salt. Mix until combined.
5. Stir in All Bran
6. You can add raisins or nuts if you like.
7. Spoon into muffin cups or greased muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Just For Fun

The things in bold I have done. (Thanks to Leslie for this list.)

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside outside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (and survived the crush afterwards)
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk.
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe.
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raising children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

What have you done?

God's Will is Never Second Best

My husband did not get the promotion. For the umpteenth time he came in second. They may promote two people this year, but then again they may not. (And then he would have to go through the whole process again next fall.) We must wait… again. I think this is the hardest spot for me to be in. If he came in dead last, it would be obvious that God did not want him in a supervisory position. (I would think.) I really wanted him to come in first! But second is hard.

I think that I am more disappointed than my husband. He seems to be handling it well. I on the other hand spent yesterday on and off in tears. My husband had the day off since it was Halloween. I just now realized as I write this that God was so good to me to allow us to find out the night before Sean was to be home! Sean was very encouraging. And he’s the one who didn’t get promoted! I was just so worn out physically and emotionally from having full time responsibility of the kids and house while he was away studying. I also had my eyes on what I wanted.

This morning I was reading from Love That Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace . They were talking about conversation, spending time in the Word, and other things about marriage. I was reminded that while I did hope that Sean would get promoted, I specifically prayed that God would bring about what would draw us closer to Him. Whatever it took to make us long for God and put him first in our lives, give us that. Yesterday I actually forgot that I had prayed for that. I also forgot that God’s answer to my prayer could be something other than first or last. I most importantly forgot that what I really long for is not for Sean to be promoted, but to love Christ and enjoy Him above all. If getting promoted is a hindrance to that then I don’t want it.

Yesterday I talked to myself and told myself that God is sovereign; this must be His will. I knew it in my head, but it seemed to stay there. I listened to music that praised God for who he was: almighty, awesome creator, healer of our brokenness. I knew it was good for my soul, even if it didn’t lift me out of my “funk”. But I think that even though I had a day of despondency, feeling like a failure in all areas of my life, God used the music and what I had been reading in months past about his sovereignty and goodness to keep me from falling further into despair. I am so thankful that God is pulling me toward Himself and not letting me sink in my own emotions. After a good night sleep, and a few weird dreams, exercise while reading a good book, and lots of hugs from my husband, I realized that I “felt” normal. Joyful and not depressed. I have never had such a quick turn around in emotions before. I count it as a gift from God!

I also read two other blogs today, Laurie’s and Leslies’s, that spoke about families who are remembering loved ones who died. Boy did that cap off the day and put things into persective. My husband didn’t even loose his job! It feels silly to be depressed about not getting promoted, even if it means more money and respect you think you “deserve”, when others are mourning the loss of a child.

Harvest Festival Heroes

Our children will be attending the Harvest Festival as Mr. Ninja and his sidekick, Princess Leia. Suffice to say, the throwing stars and atomic blaster gun will not be attending the event!

Introducing A Joyful Army of Six

My good friend Cara (who we visited in Oregon) just started a blog! She has written a great post about what God is teaching her through her homebuilding project. I was so encouraged! She also posted a poem that echos my thoughts as a mother of small children. You can view her blog at A Joyful Army of Six.

Introducing Skyler

After 65 hours 50 minutes of loving labor, Skyler was born! His parents had hoped to have him born at home, but after 40 hours of labor at home, pitocin drip at the hospital, and 4 hours of pushing he got stuck. He ended up being delivered C- section. They are just happy that he is here safely. It was a long weekend!

Happenings At Our House

This past month has been very busy for us and yet I've been in a writing slump. Sorry! I actually wrote a post about Evan's Cub Scout camp with pictures and everything, but when I hit publish, it got deleted and was lost in blogland forever. Oh well. Just to give you a taste of what's been going on, here's the latest.

Sean is testing for a promotion this month. (This has definitely been the biggest reason why I have not had time to blog lately.) He did very well on the written test, and has an interview with 3 higher ups from out of the area on Wednesday morning. We should know then if he got the promotion. In the mean time, it has been and intense month of studying, politicking, and praying.

While Sean was studying for the written test, the kids and I had a great trip visiting my parents. One of the advantages of homeschooling for us has been the flexibility of travel. We just packed up a basket of books and had school at Grandma and Papa's house. My dad even volunteered to watch the kids so my mom and I could go shopping for some new clothes for me. He totally surprised me with a gift certificate to Macy's. What a blessing!

Then the next weekend, Evan had Cub Scout camp. The whole family went and had a great time boating, shooting, crafting, and eating. There are a great bunch of boys and dads in his den.
Emily took her first steps this week! She won't walk to me, but toddles on command to Evan and Amy. It really is hard sometimes to get school done, when they stop to clap every time she does something new!

Tomorrow I'm hoping to post the name and gender of our newest cousin. Sean's brother Pat and his wife Tammi were at the hospital last we heard. The kids are soooo excited about their second baby cousin!

Amy's Fall Flower Arrangement

While shopping at Michael's the other day, Amy decided to spend her own money to buy some Fall silk flowers. Here is the arrangement that she did (with just a little help from mom).
It reminded me of the story "The Gardener" by Sarah Stewart. After finishing her special garden she writes to her mother and grandmother to say, "I've tried to remember everything you ever taught me about beauty." I hope Amy will have fond memories of the time we've spent creating beautiful things together.

My Little Helper In the Kitchen

I've Moved!

I am now blogging on Wordpress. You can go to my new site here!

Changing Things Around

Lavender in our garden in full bloom.

When I changed the name and played around with changing the look of the blog I accidentally changed the posts too. I just realized that everything that I've written has been smooshed together with no paragraph breaks! Sorry! I know that can be tiresome to read. I'll try to get that fixed soon.

I'm actually in the process of switching this blog over to Wordpress. You can see the start of it here. Until I figure it all out, including how to transfer everything over, I'll keep blogging at this site. I'll let you know when the new site is up and running.

Farmers Market Dinners

Right now our Farmers Market is full of wonderful produce. Something I love to do with the kids is have a "Farmers Market Dinner". This is especially great with preschoolers who are just learning about what they do and don't like, and who like to "help" as much as possible. Why not get them helping with dinner and loving vegetables! Because there are no recipes to follow and most vegetables cook quickly this is an easy dinner, plus the kids get excited about "their vegetable" and are more prone to try others. My kids have brought home broccoli flowers, brussel sprouts, beets, as well as the usual carrots (to be eaten with the greens attached!), corn and peas.


We all go to the market and I let the kids taste whatever is being offered. They get to pick out one vegetable each. I pick out one I like and we get one dad likes too. Then we pick up a chicken on the way home, or grill fish or hamburger patties (something easy and simple). The kids help shuck the corn. Someone always picks corn. They can help snap the ends off green beans and wash the different vegetables. Then we either steam or boil what needs to be cooked. The rest gets set on the table after washing. When they are this fresh a little salt and an herb or two (think basil sniped or torn by a 3 year old over sliced tomato) is all that is needed for really delicious food. I've had company over who swore they didn't like a certain vegetable actually enjoy it when it was freshly picked that morning!


Of course, berries with ice cream for dessert makes everyone happy and is a great way to end a Farmers Market Dinner.

Yellowstone

Emily and Amy in the swing at our cabin.


For the last leg of our trip we went to Yellowstone. It was so great to go off season and avoid all the crowds. There are definite perks to homeschooling! We got to see Old Faithful twice, a herd of bison and elk, and just about every license plate in the United States. It was a great vacation. Even though it was a busy one, it was different enough from our usual routine to feel restful in a way. We're now back full swing into school, work, lessons and such.

These pictures were all taken by Evan.

A Few More Pictures

Evan and Amy enjoying the views.

Old Faithful!

This mud pot really stinks!



Evan, ever the photographer.
Emily and Eva in the swimming pool. Eva is the daughter of my good friend Cara. For some reason I couldn't get this picture up on that post, but it's just too cute to pass up!