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After a long drive (during which asa perfected his knitting), we made it. And we are so glad--there is nothing like the mountains to lift our heads!!! We've got a couple of sickies, but there's no better time to rest than when you're on vacation...right?
Can you spy matt and asa and The crested butte?
We're leaving soon for Colorado and a little freezing skiing!
Yay!
And we'll throw in a little birthday celebration for the sweetest little two-year-old I've ever seen.
Yay!
We can't wait to slide all the way down Mt .Crested Butte, in one way or another!
I'll be back to this space in a week or so...until then, stay warm...
Samara was sick last week, and it turned out to be so nice to have her at home with me. She spent some time (in between sleeping and watching Curious George) making a painting for her new lamp from Aunt Carrie. She loved this process, and promptly wanted to make another lamp.
Just like her mama.
I got to finish up a shirt I'd cut out ages ago--fabric was her choice, and I actually love it, too. So snuggly.
I added extra-long sleeves to it (since we both like that feature) and spare buttons to dress it up a bit. I'm loving this 90-minute shirt!
We finally got a little of the white stuff! A very little. Like it was gone by naptime...
We took advantage of it right away, just in case that might happen.
It might look like this child wants to come in the door, but he was actually refusing...
...as was this one, who really wanted me to come back out for more snowballs.
See?! Good thing that door was closed.
P.S. Samara's wearing a new hat of mine--although I made her one, too. And Renne, too. Who knew I would love the matchy-matchy thing so much? Who knew I would have such cute girls to match with?!
The five-minute-hat---two pieces of fleece, a serged hem, and embroidered butterflies cut out of a large piece of fabric, soaked with a little dilute fabric stiffener and dried.
...and our church has a team in South Africa, and so we're praying for them! Both groups of folks are reaching out to the poorest of the poor, offering the love and hope of Jesus. We're so proud of them.
I put blank cards in each day (mostly so I wouldn't forget a day, and it's all ready to go) and the kids take turns praying for Grandpa and our SA team--I write down their prayers and put them on the ring. I figured we'll send them along when we're finished. I used art from our "re-use" pile and made this in minutes.
It really helps me to have a plan (or an "advent calendar"!) for things like this--without it, I honestly wouldn't be too consistent, but with it, we've prayed every day at breakfast. A plan....that's the hard part, eh? Like I wish I had a plan for how to procure a house-elf to fold my laundry, while I go to bed...
We got an old giant notepad and easel-thing from Poppy Steve the other day (Thanks, Poppy!) and it's sparked quite a few rounds of informal Pictionary.
What do you think this is?
(Asa says, "Come on, Mom! Fancy dresses!")
It took me a while...
I could have spent all day taking pictures of this marmalade. Seriously. It is beautiful.
I only had about 2 minutes, though, so this is what I got...
I had to make more marmalade since I've already run out and it's only January, and blood oranges were on sale. I actually don't think it tastes quite as good as my first batch, but the sheer dramatic color makes up for it. Perfect for January! I think I'll do this every year.
It's so pretty in the window over the kitchen sink!
Paying sword fighting. ya!
I know we all like goldfish.
making blood orange marmalade.
like the color
grandma posey made a game were you try to step on the dots you get a piece of sequine fabric and hold it in the sunlight.
(called tinkerbell)
.moms allways holding renne.
Samara hates to wear shoes and socks and sweaters and all the things I find so comforting in the winter time. This means that when she touches me, I practically screech, her hands are so cold! I decided to try to make something to keep her hands warm--or really, her arms. She didn't want much on her hands/fingers...
I used leftover scraps of Twinkle, and seed-stitched two tubes, with two thumb holes...
...so she could pick red or pink.
She loves them (and slept with them last night...)! Yay!
It's a long weekend here, in a couple of ways. I am so glad to have my biggest little ones at home--I love it. I've been sad, though, because I pulled a muscle in my neck a couple of days ago and haven't been able to function very well (don't worry--God is at work healing it up!) and so I haven't been able to do all the fun things I was hoping to do with all the kids home. I was sitting on the couch yesterday, watching them play, realizing that--since "...all things work together for good..." (Romans 8:28), I might as well figure out what's been good.
There's so much, of course.
It's been so sweet to see that my need for help and rest has allowed my sweet children the opportunity to serve me, and they've risen to the challenge in such an awesome way. Here are some highlights:
Ilo is the one who needs a playmate (or watchguard--anyone been around a two-year-old lately?!). I called my mom the other day for some encouragement, and of course she came through with a list of fun things to do with ilo (...which she got from a list of my grandmother's! Brilliant!). One of the things was to play "tinkerbell" with a mirror and sunshine...I had to feed renne, so I just grabbed an old piece of sequined fabric (anyone remember my senior year Cinderella Ball dress?!) and gave it to ilo sunshine. He found the sun, and played and played with it as it threw light all over the room. Phewsh.
Samara is ilo's best playmate--here she's letting him take care of her, "the baby".
I hardly ever get to use the baby gear for the actual baby, but that's ok, right?
But it's Asa who has been my go-to guy these past few days. He has been so willing to do whatever I ask (ok, with a little bartering for X-box time). He's put ilo down for bed, and has kept Renne laughing while I put ilo down for nap, and has helped with dishes and laundry and clean up and has been fun to be with all the while.
It's so important for me to remember these good, easy days on the days when he seems unwilling to help or cooperate.
I'm feeling so very, very grateful for all my sweet little ones!