“I love snow.  I love winter.  It’s such a nice, quiet time.  There isn’t the urgency of spring, summer, or fall to get the garden weeded or carrots put in the cellar.  It’s such a peaceful time.  No wonder animals hibernate, because I think I slightly hibernate in winter.  I get up much later in the winter than I do the rest of the year.”  ~ (the ever-quotable) Tasha Tudor

As I type, my children are galloping through the house with a Veggietales Christmas cd playing loudly….it’s far from peaceful here at this moment, but that’s life for me right now.  Despite the chaos, I’m trying to slow my thoughts, slow myself down and really get into a introspective way of thinking these days.  I want to appreciate the little things during the holiday season, savor (with all my senses) each moment the best I can.  Collect them in my heart, and record them here.

So, with that in mind, I thought I would take the time the time this afternoon to share some photos of what I’ve been seeing and experiencing these days…….

The yearly gingerbread house construction took place on Tuesday.  The older and more numerous the children, the harder it gets.  There is not enough candy, so we get all possessive over it, there are too many hands and the house is so small, everyone wants to do something until all of a sudden (in the twinkling of an eye) we have a “mess”….oh my, but I reminded myself afterward, as I looked at our sagging creation, that I would rather have this one, than the neat and tidy one that I would have if my life was empty of children………

Grace is nine years old now.  I was reading my blog from two years ago and started to cry a little, thinking of how much she has grown in that time.  This morning I handed her a freshly dried and folded red dress to put on, brushed her hair, and helped her find some pretty earrings.  I plan on doing her nails soon, too.  Red toes seem festive, don’t they?  Anyway, I took this quick photo of her this morning.  My Christmas girl.

Every day the topic of snow comes up.  The frost is so pretty, but we want snow!  (please?)

I started making Christmas cookies yesterday.  These are Chocolate Crinkles, and the rest of the batch was popped into the freezer to await Christmas Eve.

Did anyone else watch Rudolph?  It was on from 8-9pm last night.  As soon as we realized it was coming on, Rich went downtown to get party food for the kids:  chocolate covered donuts and hot chocolate.  The kids camped out in the livingroom.  I remember how excited I felt, as a child, when the Christmas specials came on TV.

As some of you requested, here is a photo of me in my “Mrs. Claus” pajamas ~ I stayed in them until 9 this morning, it was so relaxing puttering around in my slippers, getting the children’s breakfast, cleaning up, drinking hot coffee and looking at Tasha Tudor’s Christmas book……a slow morning is a must now and then.

I went for a walk with Jacob and Caleb this morning, too.  While we were out, we picked a bouquet of evergreens and red berries, for my kitchen windowsill.  They look so pretty in a medium sized tin can (with the label removed, of course!)

I brought in, from the porch, these things from nature to decorate the house with.  How I love seeing these little bits of gatherings from all of our walks this summer and
fall.

Homemade Christmas ornaments are the best.  Thank you for these, dear one.

I’m finally drinking loose tea, so satisfying!  My friend Christie sent a “happy third trimester” gift of some tea, this darling cup, and a strainer.  What a precious gift, not only to enjoy the tea, but to enjoy just a few more moments in my day, of putting my feet up and relaxing.

 steaming tea time

The house is quiet now, as I’ve gotten up numerous times throughout this blogging, to take care of children and send them off to bed one by one.  It’s time for some rest before we get busy again (Art class, and a meeting with Davy-do’s teacher).  Thank you for your kindness here, for loving my family and encouraging me in my daily life as wife and mama.  I hope that each of you has had a wonderful week and that the weekend to come is a time of blessings and fun with your loved ones.

~Shanda~

(the cloudy sky, reflected off the pond)

Yesterday, after we somehow survived a morning of home-school, and David got home from Kindergarten, the weather was so nice that we all went outside.  We went for a short walk together, for the first time in quite a while.  It’s been too cold for me to want to be outside, and it is also hunting season….our property borders state forest but we do have a section of our own land that is wooded so we headed there.

The boys brought along the dog.  David had his coat on wrong-side out….

When I think about it now, I laugh, but at the time I was sort of frazzled.  Really, it was a walk that I wanted to enjoy in a thoughtful way, I planned to notice little things, the partially hidden pieces of nature that you have to really look for in order to see and enjoy.  Instead, I spent most of my time feeling like I was in the middle of a whirlwind.  There was never a dull moment with the children and the dog……the mud, the burping.

Yes, burping.

I was hearing these little short burping noises, almost like hiccups, coming from Jacob, Ethan, Grace, and David.  What in the world?   “We know how to burp now!”  We stayed up last night burping!”  “It’s fun!  Even Grace knows how to do it!”  “When we get home, we’re going to go downstairs and have a contest!”

I grew up with three brothers and I remember them doing the same type things, but MY BOYS?  Ha ha, the joke’s on me—- just because I  homeschool my kids doesn’t mean they won’t figure out how to do gross boy things.  My only question is, did they have to teach their sister?

I put an END to the burping during nature walks……it was making me sick to my stomach.

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What I see, besides children, when I look at this picture, is the wonderful dappled sunlight.  I notice the woods on the other side of the stream, and the pockets of black and brown, in the water.

I love this next picture because Jacob looks so happy…he and Ethan are such friends.  Ethan just got a “light saber” this weekend and they’ve been playing Star Wars….they have never seen the movie but have somehow learned enough about it to use their imagination.

I spent a lot of time encouraging Caleb along and caring and not caring about him getting his feet all wet and mud.  How is this possible?  Easy.  If Caleb accidently steps in mud=mama doesn’t care.  But, when Caleb deliberately, on purpose, runs back and forth through mud (which did happen)=mama cares Very Much.  He doesn’t have boots yet for winter.

Our tall, tall, pine trees offer a moment of peace.

This is a place that the kids play often.  They call it “Pride Rock” after Lion King.  I am almost positive Grace is thinking about Lion King as she stands up straight and tall like this.  I like this picture because all of the children are in it, and they are so very busy.  It’s a wonder no one fell….David especially was leaping from rock to rock with no fear.

Then I was hearing, “Mom, come this way!  You have to see this it’s one of our favorite spots where we pretend that we are going through the wardrobe door into Narnia mom are you coming?  This way!”

I dared to stop for two seconds to take these pictures:……… I just love the white bark…..

Going through the wardrobe door, of course, involved bending way over…”you children have no mercy”, as I put Ethan in charge of getting Caleb through, and inched and groaned my own way. 

It really was beautiful and I managed to quickly snap this picture of the entrance into Narnia:

It was a short walk, and when all is said and done, I honestly loved it, I love my life with excited crazy little children who still want to tell me things and want to share their world with me.  I love that David kept trying to take his shoes off, and wore his coat wrong side out, I love that Caleb enjoyed the mud and didn’t fuss because of it, I love the way Grace is sweet as sugar one moment and bossy the next, I love how Jacob is starting to get all independent and tries telling me what he’s going to do, like a test, I love how happy Ethan is, and hearing him laugh out loud, I love how baby Seth is in the way,
getting so big in my tummy that I have had to slow way down and be extra careful………..

We are a happy gang. 

Not much color here in New England any more, and these red berries were all I could find that were bright-looking:

David began lifting up big rocks, trying to find a worm….

He found one.  “I think it’s dead” he said. 

I sat down by the pond for a few minutes while David played behind me.  The water seemed so pretty to me.  The wind was making it ripple, and the trees reflected off it, so beautiful that it made me stare.  I always think of water-color paintings when I look at the pond like this.

Then, I made my way to the hammock to sit and swing (very relaxing).  Soon, Caleb appeared with a broken truck.

“Can you FIX THIS?”  he asked me.

“Um.  No.  But, I’m honored that you really think I could!”  LOL

Hours later, when the children were all in bed reading or napping, I had a chance to sit with some of my Christmas magazines.  Here are a few pictures that I liked:

And amazingly beautiful apple wreath.

I love garlands like this pine-cone one.  I also saw one made of acorns, and one made of dried apples.

Cookies.  I can’t wait to fill my thumbprint cookies with my own homemade jam that I made this summer.

A short-armed gingerbread cookie, with pretty paper wings, tied up with a bow of twine.  Love it.

Last year I glittered things.  This year I think I’ll hang pinecones on the tree without glitter.  I’m partial to the natural look.  I gravitated toward anything old-fashioned in my magazines yesterday, oranges stuck with cloves, brown baskets filled to the brim with nuts or pinecones, evergreens with a simple ribbon or bow, cinnamon sticks tied with raffia, bowls of fruit, candles everywhere………and the recipes, which mean good smells of cookies and gingerbread coming from the kitchen.

Jacob and I sang through “Who is He in Yonder Stall” yesterday.  He sang melody, and I sang alto.  How wonderful to have a child who can hold a part!

“Who is He in yonder stall at whose feel the shepherds fall?

Tis the Lord!  O wondrous story!  Tis the Lord!  the King of glory!

At His feet we humbly fall, Crown Him!  crown Him, Lord of all!”

In the busyness of the season, I pray that Jesus is never far from my mind.  He truly is the reason we celebrate, and worship in such a meaningful way, at Christmastime.  I’m so utterly thankful that I know Him, my precious Savior.  “And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at His birth.”  Luke 1:14

Well, Rich has gone off to work and I have about 15-20 minutes before I start seeing “the troops”.  How was everyone’s weekend?  I thought I would give a quick update on the things my family has been up to.

Thursday, of course, was spent preparing and eating our Thanksgiving meal.  At about 10, Rich took the older children for a run, probably to make himself feel better about eating so much later on in the day. 

 While he was gone, David and I had a good time putting together all the appetizers and making the punch, and Caleb sampled everything. 

Our food was delicious and even though at times I did get tired and cranky, I was blessed to have a lot of helpers in the kitchen…….and after all was said and done, I was very very thankful for my dishwasher, which had to run three times after we ate!

Caleb is becoming an Ipod boy at an early age, I have the story of Bambi on mine, and he loves to listen.  This picture was also taken on Thanksgiving day:

Friday.  Did anyone else go shopping?  I had no intentions of going but when I woke up that morning, at 7, I thought about what a special memory it would be if I got Grace up out of bed and left the house with her before anyone else was up.  So, that’s what we did.  I woke up Rich to ask him if he minded and he didn’t, so Grace and I quickly got dressed and away we went, to the mall.  The first thing we did was eat breakfast at Panera.  And then we shopped, and she got her hair trimmed. Grace talked the entire time we were gone.  “What a girl”.  We were home by 10:30 and I immediately washed and dried my new pj’s (I bought them when we were at the mall) and then wore them the rest of the day, totally enjoying an afternoon of comfortable laziness.  My new pj’s are red and Rich said I looked like Mrs. Claus.  Wonderful.

We did some organizing in the basement storage room, and I found our Christmas decorations for the tree and also a bag of maternity clothes, including my all-time favorite black maternity dress.  I thought I had given it away and was so thrilled to still have it, just in time to wear to church for the next two months, lol.

Saturday.  We took the kids to Crackerbarrel for breakfast, and then to Walmart.

Our project of the weekend?  We removed the wall-paper border in “the office” (used to be David and Caleb’s bedroom) and prepared the walls for paint.  So far, so good.  Here’s a picture of the busy workers:

I also spent some time wrapping gifts.

On Sunday, we went to church and then to Wendy’s for lunch, with my sister and her family….a lot of fun.  Rich went to night service later on with the three older kids while I stayed home with David and Caleb.  I tried teaching David to sing “Joy to the World”….he had a hard time getting those high notes and we quickly ended the singing lesson.  At this rate we will have the first stanza learned by Christmas day (I hope).  He requested pancakes for dinner so we made those together.  Caleb was being a pickle (very rare for him) and I finally stuck him in the bathtub for a soak just so he would stay in one spot!

Now that the long, lovely weekend is over I must somehow ease myself (and the children) into a regular routine again.  I hope all of you have a good day, can you believe it’s December 1st?

Here, before I go, are a couple pictures of Davy, in his new hat.  So funny.  We bought one for each of the boys, basically for my own amusement……..

Did any of you put your Christmas tree up? 

What will be your first Christmas-y activity this year? 

I think the children and I will put the gingerbread house together very soon, since I already have the kit upstairs (hidden).  Also, I collect Christmas magazines and I will get those out today and start looking through them for inspiration.  Of course we are also looking forward to cookie-baking (I’ve found a few new recipes to try) and garland making.  Any cool ideas would be appreciated! 

Love ~Shanda~

PS, While Rich was gone last night I made the new header for my site.  Do you like it? 

Word of the day?  Abundance

It’s all just too much.  And I don’t just mean the food.  My heart is overwhelmed with gratitude for everything.

I’m feeling quite full in every way.

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good:  for his mercy endureth forever.  Psalm 136:1

Praise ye the Lord:  for it is good to sing praises unto our God;
for it is pleasant, and praise is comely.  Psalm 147:1

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope that everyone who reads this is having a wonderful day.  You are loved.  ~Shanda~

Last night we went to church.  It was our annual Thanksgiving service during which people stand up and praise God publicly for their blessings.  It was a lovely evening.  Rich sat up in the first pew, ready to lead the hymn singing (he was filling in for our regular song-leader) so I was left half way back in a pew all cozied up with David and Grace on one side of me, and Jacob and Ethan on the other.  If Ethan had sat any closer he would have been on my lap.  Davy was busy on the other side of me for most of the service, drawing on the back of a piece of paper… angry pumpkins sword fighting.  Every once in a while he would take a break to fling his arm around me and play with the back of my hair.  (a delight which will never grow old).

(I thought I would showcase some of David’s artwork in this blog.  Don’t you just love the artistic abilities of 6 year olds?)

  (the angry, sword-fighting pumpkins)

Truly, it was such a blessing to sit in the middle of my church family with my children and listen to everyone’s testimonies of another year of growth in love to Christ.  I often had tears in my eyes.

The biggest praise-news for me was my friend Kathy…who found out yesterday that she is expecting her 4th girl!  She has one boy in the midst of girls, and I have one girl in the midst of boys.  We had such a laugh about it together when she called to tell me the news.  So, I get to buy some baby girl pink after all.  It will be so fun to watch my baby Seth, and Kathy’s new daughter, grow up together, just like we have watched David and Emily and the rest of our children grow……. 

In less than six months another boy and another girl will be added to this group, and I’m so thrilled!  Once again I will chat with my friend and we will each have a baby in our lap.

On the way home from church Rich and I stopped at the grocery store with the kids.  It was 8:30 (with a half hour drive ahead of us) and there was a definite party atmosphere because we were all wide awake and out together past our bedtimes.  Every late night party needs junk food so we got snapple, cheesesticks, and donuts for the kids.  Rich and I shared a bag of chips and passed a half gallon of apple juice back and forth (I was SO thirsty!).

Caleb was half asleep by the time we got home, covered in donut crumbs and gripping his snapple juice bottle with both hands (which had been refilled with my apple juice).

Everyone went to bed easy as pie.

Speaking of pie.  Rich and I are almost done with our Thanksgiving shopping and preparations.  We are both looking forward to tomorrow (and so are the big boys, they can’t wait for the FEAST).  Here is our menu:

Turkey, roasted in an oven bag
even though Alton Brown says stuffing is EVIL, we will have stuffing – so there Alton Brown!
homemade mashed potatoes and gravy
corn casserole, using Rich’s Grandma’s recipe
whipped butternut squash
dinner rolls with butter
orange tapioca salad (better known as “orange stuff”)
cranberry sauce, from the can (one jelly, one whole-berry)
a small (just for me?) casserole of mashed sweet potato w/marshmallows baked on top (Aunt Carol’s recipe)
seafood salad (my Grandma’s recipe)
I’m just now realizing we have no green veggie but who cares?  If Rich insists (which I’m sure he won’t) we can always heat up and serve some buttered peas.

Appetizers:  cheese and crackers, chips, blue-crab dip (from Costco), olives, pickles

Dessert:  pumpkin pie!

And of course our “can’t have a gathering without it” famous holiday punch made with Hawiian punch, gingerale, o.j. and rainbow sherbet. (courtesy of my Grandma, again)

(Don’t you just love food memories???)

We will have football on, I don’t watch it but I’ve lived my whole life with the sound of the games in the background during Thanksgiving so it does add a certain necessary element to the day….but most of all we will count our blessings and thank God for another wonderful year!

  (the amazing double headed turkey!!)

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It’s 1:30 now and I hopped back online to record a few funny things the kids said while we were out today.

Jacob, matter of factly, during our meal at McDonalds, while chewing his food, “I love everyone now that I am finally eating FOOD.”

Grace, with authority, about rabbits.  “Yes.  The male does stay with the female while they raise their young.  But, when they are grown, he goes off and finds a new wife.”

David, to Jacob in the backseat of the van, “Do you know how I’m going to get my bunny to heaven?  When I die, YOU can attach the cage to a part of my body, and then up, up, up, up, up, the bunny will be SO happy to see his GOLDEN HOME.”

Grace wanted me to show you all that her addiction to canned corn has some benefits….some of those empty cans have been put to good use today.  She and Ethan made homemade stilts and have been clomping around all over the place.  They couldn’t find a hammer and a nail so they used a meat mallet and a nut pick to poke the holes in the tin for the yarn.

If her feet look big to you, it’s because she’s wearing four pairs of socks.

The house is still and quiet, and as I sit at the computer I can see the most lovely sunrise occurring, in all it’s streaks of pinkness (in a light purple sky)….Seth is moving around inside me, he must be getting bigger because I can feel him bumping into my ribs, his movements are more like shifts now, rather than kicks….the children are all starting to stir, I hear the bathroom doors open and close now and then.  The door to my room is open so I can see and hear the fireplace in the livingroom.  I do so love the way a quiet morning begins, gently and peacefully, with my heart thankful that the Lord protected us all through the night.

This morning I thought I would just sit and look at some random photos from our weekend.  We had such a nice one, full of family time, eating, shopping, church-family time, fun and games……..

I think my favorite memory is from Saturday morning, when David came into the kitchen, with still-sleepy eyes, “Do I go to school on this day?” he asked…..”Nope!” I said, tapping him on the nose, “Today is SATURDAY!!!!!”

“Then we can make pancakes!” he replied, and how could I refuse?  I offered to turn on cartoons but he insisted on helping.  What a dear boy.  I usually run around setting the table and warming the syrup as the pancakes fry…..and thankfully David was keeping an eye on things.  He waiting patiently for his pancake, and hoping to help me flip them over.  He even has an apron on.  One of David’s quirks is that he does NOT like syrup on his pancakes, “JUST BUTTER”.

Here is my family, all sitting around the breakfast table.  The paper taped to the china cabinet is our homeschooling cursive writing chart.  Behind the door is a bathroom, and behind the shutter-type doors is my washer and dryer.

Rich and I thought Caleb was cute when we noticed him putting his dishes in the sink after breakfast.  And, he didn’t throw them in this time!

We decided to go to the mall later on that morning.  After everyone was dressed, I took a picture of my husband and his boys (Grace wasn’t in the mood to get her picture taken).

And Jacob took these next ones:

At the mall, we ate lunch at an awesome restaurant for the very first time, Bertucci’s, *I LOVED IT*, we all did.  It’s an Italian place.  The waiter gave the kids the typical crayons and menu to color, and also a ball of bread dough.  The kids got to form it into whatever shape they wanted and then they baked it for them.  David was so surprised, “I made bread?” The food was excellent, especially the bread basket….the rolls were warm from the oven, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, served with a plate of olive oil and spices.  Rich and I shared a cup of soup and a small pizza (with fresh mozzarella, and veggies, and goat cheese on it).  The children each picked their own meals and everyone ate everything all up.  It cost Rich and I an extra 25 dollars to bring our youngsters along on our “date” but it was totally worth it.  The meal was a lot of fun and the kids kept saying things to make us laugh.  For instance, Ethan (after the meal was all done and he was stuffed) said, “Wow.  When I came in here my pants just barely fit me…and now they DON’T.” 

Back at home, Rich and I had a lot of fun with a new game.  Maybe you need an idea for a gift to give for Christmas…..I can recommend this, it’s called “Bananagrams”.  Our three older kids can play, too.

On Sunday, we went to church and then to Costco to get our Thanksgiving turkey.  Guess what?  While we were at Costco, we bought gas for the van at only $1.79 a gallon!  It was almost unbelievable!

All the sitting at church really did a number on my lower back and hips so needless to say, I spent almost the entire evening on the couch, trying to rest up and get comfortable again.  Rich was in charge and when it was time for bedtime snacks, I took these next couple of pictures.  When Rich needs to talk to all the kids at once, he makes them all sit up straight and fold their hands.  Jacob and Caleb each had their lego creations in front of them.

Then, when the bedtime snacks were all planned, he got them all standing and lined up in an orderly fashion.  I laugh when I look at this picture.  Jacob, Ethan, and Grace have had a few years of experie
nce and are standing like little soldiers, while David is flapping his arms and little Caleb was just about to twirl out of line……(back to his legos)…..

But he quickly got placed back at attention……

They all marched to the kitchen, where the boys all had cereal.

But Grace had her favorite snack, *which she eats almost every day*, an entire can of corn.

At least she’s getting lots of fiber!  What a girl.

And that was our weekend in a nutshell.  I went right to bed last night at 7:30 and watched a little bit of “Sense and Sensibility” before turning out the light at 8:30.  (Rich stayed up watching football in the livingroom).   I’m up this morning feeling nice and rested and ready to face the week.  Thanksgiving is Thursday, Rich and I will be home making our meal together.  We are looking forward to a cozy day of spending time together eating and watching football.

While I was writing all this, Jacob, Ethan, and Grace all got into their snowsuits and are outside skating around the edge of the ponds (not the middle!!!).  It’s been so cold that the ponds are both frozen over like sheets of glass.

And, Davy-do made his own egg breakfast.  He wanted to surprise me. 

I suppose it’s time for me to get David ready for the bus.  I hope you all have a wonderful day. 

Love, Shanda

Laundry can wait sometimes……..

Have a happy weekend everyone!