When Rich and I got out of bed this morning at 7, four of our children were already outside playing in our NEW FALLEN SNOW, which arrived overnight as a surprise.  There was enough of it this time to make snowballs, and to shovel, and sled-ride.  The kids were absolutely thrilled and I laughed as I watched them through the window.

Rich and I made breakfast for them as they played.  We made scrambled eggs, bacon, bagels, and homemade hot chocolate (because we had run out of mix)……after they ate Rich took them to church and I stayed home to rest.  I’m awfully tired today, which is to be expected I suppose.  I haven’t been sleeping well….I’m getting quite uncomfortable with this big belly. 

After they left, I did take a small walk around our property, though, enjoying the coolness on my cheeks, and the smell of fresh snow.

Our house:

The cat tails are usually dark brown and firm….now they are loosening up and look so interesting with their new shaggy coats and white caps of snow.  I’ve gotten out my nature journal again, and will attempt to draw this picture in it this evening, with the date and a caption.

This is my absolute favorite picture.  I love everything about it this scene…the calmness of the stream, the dark woods on the edges and the lighter brighter woods in the forward distance.  If only you could have stood there with me, hearing the sounds of the water and feeling the cold air.

Back inside, I went up to the freshly painted (as of yesterday) office and sat down to wrap some Christmas gifts.  With Josh Groban singing Christmas carols, a yummy evergreen scented candle, and lovely falling snow…..the mood was just right for carefully wrapping gifts.  I opened the window for some fresh air.

(I’ve mentioned the air one to many times…..I’m at that stage of pregnancy in which I am usually too hot, and find so much relief in opening a window or door to stick my face out for some deep inhales and exhales, I actually did that during breakfast this morning, much to my family’s amusement).

Back home from church~

After a quick lunch the children went right back out for more snow-play.

James 1:17

When you look at your life,

the greatest happinesses are family happinesses. 

~J. Brothers

My sister Amanda came over today with her three children and we made Christmas cookies together.  I know I’ve said this before, but with all the rest of my family living in NY, I am continually thankful that Amanda and her family live here in CT and we can see each other whenever we want to.  Just like Rich is the perfect husband for me, Amanda is the perfect sister for me….for example, one of the things I love about the two of us is that she is extroverted and I am introverted.  She gets me going and moving and having adventures when I would most likely be home in my own little world. 

Today was spent at home, yes, but it was her idea to get together to make cookies (and lunch, and snacks, and taking care of eight children, *including a 3 year old, 2 year old, and baby*) and it was quite something.  I think we were both exhausted when she left after four hours in the kitchen….but how fun it was and how wonderful it will be to look at these pictures a year from now and sigh over how much the children have grown! 

Okay, I admit it, Jacob does seem to be growing…….it’s just awful seeing him the same height as his Aunt, even if she is petite!

And my handsome Ethan Gregory, if you think of it, say a little prayer for him.  He’s feeling a bit under the weather today, and will be sooooo disappointed if he can’t perform his guitar pieces in his recital tomorrow.

I love my sweet E.

Naomi is such a joy…she’s two and my little friend already.  She was so happy to come to Aunt Shanda’s and did NOT want to go home.  Part of me does want to keep her.

And here is little Weston.  Some of you may remember praying for him last January, when he was born a month early and had to spend time in the NICU.  He’s a fine and dandy healthy little man now, and all too happy to eat any cookie that might come his way.  He looks just like his Daddy, Jason.

I love this next picture, because of lil’ Naomi…looking up with that bright little girl face.

Ethan and I were mixing up the dough for Russian teacakes and Amanda took the picture.  I have my elbow resting on the Crisco container and was leaning on my hand as we watched the dough go around, in case you’re wondering what’s up with the pose.

Grace helped form the Russian teacakes into balls.

And I love this next one, because of lil’ Weston crawling around under the table, never far from his Mama.

The kids all got to roll out sugar cookie dough and cut out the proper Christmassy shapes.

Here are Grace and Abbie, who are like two peas in a pod.  I thought I would take lots more pictures of the two of them together, but they were so busy playing that we rarely saw them.  Their favorite thing to do today?  Eat ice off the pond and jump on the trampoline!  And no, they did not call each other to coordinate their outfits, it just happened that way…..

Just some of our finished cookies:

My Russian Teacakes

And Amanda’s awesome Pea
nut Butter cookies, with mini Hershey Kisses on top.  They taste good warm from the oven, and at room temperature….I know, because I just ate *another* one.

Cookie(s), anyone?  With tea?  Or coffee?

“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.