bluebirds of happiness & crock pot recipe

Posted on January 3, 2015 by Shanda

It is a cold, dark, and peaceful Saturday. My husband is away, at a wrestling tournament with our teenage boys. Dear daughter Grace is out shopping and lunching with a much loved friend.

I am home with David, Caleb, Seth, and Sarah. David is in Ethan’s room, reading. Caleb is downstairs playing, Seth and Sarah are napping. Small Sarah Joy has been ill since the 31st. With lots of tender loving care, her fever is finally gone and the bright redness of her cheeks has faded away. She’s still rather grumpy, but is getting her appetite back.

David has a slice of apple under a mound of salt in the kitchen. He says he is making an apple mummy and asked me to please not touch it. Soon I will do a blog post all about his Christmas Vacation Science Experiments.

There is a crock pot with chicken dinner slowly cooking on the counter. As I type, I am listening to the noises of the dishwasher and the washing machine. How thankful I am for my “maids”, doing the hard work for me. I mopped the floor earlier, and Grace vacuumed before she left.

Do you still have your Christmas tree up? We do, and it looks so pretty today. The house lights are off and the teeny white bulbs of the tree are glowing, and golden tinsel garland is glittery.

My legs are under a soft, warm blanket and the dog is at the other end of the couch, settling down for a nap.

My sister gave me a new bird feeder, which I hung on a post just outside the door, on the porch. I am facing the door from where I sit, and I can see chickadees taking turns flying in for a sunflower seed, and racing away with it to eat in the tree in the garden. The only motion I see are the birds outside the window, there is no wind today.

We have seven chickens and are collecting one single egg a day. Now that Christmas is over, I am determined to do what I can to nurture the hens, hoping that will a little extra care and attention we may get two eggs per day. Three would be nice. Four would be joyous.

It was on my way to the coop yesterday that gave me the topic for this blog entry.

I had bought a container of dehydrated mealworms to give to the hens for a treat. The hens adore mealworms. Yesterday, I walked to the coop, with only the thought of how happy they would be to have some delicious mealworms scattered into the grass to peck. Two cats caught up with me to join the fun.

If you have the eyes to see, and the necessary curiosity, you will soon come to realize that no two days are alike outside in God’s beautiful world. And I’m not just talking about the weather. There is endless delight in nature and almost always *something* exciting enough to journal, or blog about.

Yes, today is a cloudy day, but yesterday was sunshine. There was not a hint of warmth to the sun, but the birds still seemed to enjoy it because they were everywhere. I saw a bright red cardinal and several blue jays, along with the common chickadees.

But the tiny unexpected *something* which thrilled my heart, made me stop midway to the coop, prompted me to put the mealworm container down in the grass and turn back to the house to get my camera, were the bluebirds.

The only time I notice them on our property is this time of year, and their visits take me by surprise.

I counted at least six this time, sitting up in tree branches, in the sunshine.

Bluebirds possess *a stunning shade of* blue feathers, all along their backs. The breast is white over a burnt orange color. They kept their suspicious faces toward me, which meant that regardless of my prayers, I didn’t get to gaze upon their blue plumage as much as I would have liked……

And, as soon as they sensed that I was a bit too close for comfort, they would silently and gently fly to yet another tree…..

The blue in the sky matched their feathers.

Again I got too close, and away they flew.

I said goodbye to the bluebirds and sat at the edge of the pond. It was frozen over and admirably smooth. It wasn’t strong enough for me to stand on, but little Samantha-cat slipped and skated her way across the ice.

I scooted a small stone out to her and she batted it all over, slipping now and then.

I had a vision of a beautifully illustrated children’s book about blue birds and an ice-skating kitty cat. But this blog post will have to suffice……(maybe)…..

Creamy Mushroom Chicken

6 boneless chicken-breast halves
12 oz jar mushroom gravy
1 cup milk
8 oz package cream cheese, cubed
4.5 oz can chopped green chilies
1 pkg. dry Italian salad dressing

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
2. Cover, cook on low 6 hours.
3. Serve over broccoli, mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7

let January open with joy

Quote

Posted on January 2, 2015 by Shanda

“Since, O sweet Lord Jesus,
Thou art the present portion of Thy people,
favor us this year with such a sense of Thy preciousness,
that from its first to its last day
we may be glad and rejoice in Thee.
Let January open with joy in the Lord,
and December close with gladness in Jesus.”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

grace and books

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Shanda

A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart. ~Author Unknown

*****

She is in 10th grade and cheerfully talks about leaving right after High School.

She wants to be in the military or go to Colorado for college.

Inside, my heart aches but I believe in letting the children go their own way, giving them freedom to make life plans.

In the meantime, my heart cherishes every moment with her.

On Saturday night, just the two of us went to Barnes and Noble to sit and read, sip chai tea, and journal.

After wandering the bookshelves, I joined her at a little round table to look through the stack of books I picked out.

1) By the Book was interesting because in each chapter, a different literary person is asked several questions about books– their favorite book, what they are currently reading, what book they couldn’t finish, and so on. I wrote down a few books that looked interesting. 2) I find the story of Chris McCandless fascinating, so I thought I would browse his sister’s new book, The Wild Truth, which gave her own perspective of the tragic events. All in all, I wasn’t interested in reading it in depth because it was more about her own life, rather than her brother’s. 3) Delicious Probiotic Drinks was great, and a book I will purchase through amazon. 4) A Room of One’s Own will be a book I borrow from the library. 5) Portraits and Profiles was a photography book with essays, well written and interesting.

“Whenever I read a passage that moves me, I transcribe it in my diary, hoping my fingers might learn what excellence feels like.” David Sedaris, in By the Book.

“I like nonfiction books about people with wretched lives.” David Sedaris

“…she is joyously healthy and undoubtedly eats an apple a day….” Cecil Beaton, in Portraits and Profiles, writing of Katherine Hepburn

Eventually, we left our little table and went over to the children’s section to sit on the floor. We sat for quite a while, enjoying each other’s company and the wonderful new books we discovered. Grace especially enjoyed Nuts to You, and kept reading me parts from it while laughing. The Dark, by Lemony Snicket, was adorable. The Squirrel’s Birthday and other Parties by Toon Tellegen, was a darling new discovery for me, a book that was written over 25 years ago by a Dutch father who told the stories to his daughter as she was growing up. He eventually wrote them all down and it has become a beloved book comparable to Winnie the Pooh. Wainscott Weasel was about a weasel in love with a fish. Can you even imagine? Mean Margaret contains a story with animals that talk, and a terrible toddler from a family with nine children. It made me chuckle. Mister Max was written by a favorite author of mine, Cynthia Voigt. Roland Smith is a favorite author of Jacob, Ethan, and Grace. He has written a couple of series of books that they liked very much. It is sad that the boys have grown up in the midst of the series and have lost interest in how things are going for the characters in the books. Mutation and Alcatraz are two latest books in those series. Grace and I had a discussion about how “you are never too old to read a children’s book.” And I thought of C.S. Lewis, who explained it so much better:

“Critics who treat ‘adult’ as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.” CS Lewis

One of the wonderful blessings of having children of all ages is that you are compelled to keep reading books for all ages.

After filling up our minds with books, we meandered over to Moes and filled up our tummies with nachos.

Talking all the way, my Gracie-girl and me.

christmas

Posted on December 26, 2014 by Shanda

Heart. Soul. Mind.

For the busy mama, these important parts of our selves can be run down and dried up over the Happy Holiday season. This is how it has been for me the last few weeks or more. I’m so caught up in the doing, doing, doing, that within me is withered and waiting.

Oh how I yearn and crave a deeper life. Jesus is in my heart and my soul is beautiful because of His saving grace, I know this. I have everything working for me in my innermost being…everything but some free space to breathe.

Even attending church leaves me hungry for “more” because I have children doing strange things next to me every time. I can’t settle down and soak it in like I want to. I’m thankful for a Father God who understands the Mothers He made.

I was reading Les Mis last night. I’m on page 615. And I thought to myself….what a life…..in the time I DO have to breathe, to refresh, what do I do? I read a book. Dusty, musty, silence and stillness. Reading is the place to relax, to gather up the blanket, feel the purring cat at my feet, shut the door in order to silence “Top Gear” from the other room, and read until my eyes are tired.

But reading isn’t CREATING. Reading is taking in and admiring someone else’s creation.

I do love to blog and blogging is creating. Journalling is creating– but I don’t do as much of that. Sewing, baking (but I do too much of that), drawing, what else? (thinking out loud here) Photography…. yes…… I want to do these and more.

Now that Christmas is over I feel myself resolving to do more artistic work, by the grace of God, in order to bring down some water for my thirsty heart, soul, and mind.

cookie-art (tired of it)

Don’t laugh. (I’m talking to myself, because I’m laughing)…..because part of me feels silly as I express this need. Will I make the most of the opportunities that come my way? Or will I read a few more pages of my latest book, too tired to do much else?

A little less sleep, a little less slumber, a little less reading, and little more soul FUN~(I did calligraphy on some of my Christmas cards…which was wonderfully satisfying!)

Creating with the children. They know how to be artistic and inspiring without second guessing. I admire that. Perhaps I should draw on the walls like they do?

Christmas was nice. Certainly it is more work than magic for the parents, but it is a rewarding work. All the shopping, lists, and making sure everything gets done by December 24 can be rather tiresome. (At least there is a deadline.) I love the photo of the stockings; starting with Rich’s, then the children from oldest to youngest, with mine at the end. The tree lights reflecting in the stove look like there is a fire is going. A sweet friend who owns a greenhouse gave us the gorgeous poinsettias, which I keep faithfully watering. Seth made the red handprint green construction paper wreath and the paper chain.

Rich got up out of bed on Christmas morning at 5:30, I asked him why, “I have to go do your stocking.” I gave him enough time and then got up to find that the three littlest ones were also awake. Grace soon followed and tucked herself into her favorite corner of the couch. We sat and waited, the kids tested their limits in exploring the gifts as Rich and I drank coffee with our feet up on the coffee table. Jacob and Ethan woke up next. Our David is the late sleeper and Rich made his yearly torturous joke about how because it’s Christmas we weren’t going to wake him up, “let the poor boy sleep in.” He has been known to sleep all the way until lunchtime so it was a relief when Seth went down to wake him up at 6:30.

We began with the stockings. Rich thought it would be funny to put a pack of rawhide bones in my stocking. At least Parker the dog ended up with something special and it was good to laugh.

Sarah is behind the box. Happiness is being small enough to get lost behind your gifts.

We had the gifts all opened by 7:30 am, but it was done with minimum stress because we tried to do things orderly as possible. David passed out the gifts and we watched the person open it before going on to the next one.

Rich and I went shopping together to get my gifts and I love the two pairs of Swarovski crystal earrings he gave me; one pair also came with a darling ear cuff. I received two books.

Here I am reading the books; one is about playful photography, the other is a photo book of French cats, both books are so so inspiring, which is contributing to my determination to ENJOY life by not only doing my duties, but having creative fun, too. I want to be wild and free at times….I miss that part of my personality….(tips?ideas?anyone feeling the same?)

David loved his soda maker, set of Calvin and Hobbes books, legos, books, and Nerf gun.

Seth’s lego set was somewhat challenging so I was called upon to help him. He was SO SO CUTE.

Frankly, I was surprised by our Caleb, who put “Star Wars lego set” on his list three times (so he got three small sets). What surprised me was that he did not rest until he had put them all together.

Ethan put his box of GAP clothes on right away, with his cross necklace and cologne. Only then did he break open his lego set of the Eiffel tower. I texted brother Dave a picture of it when it was done and he texted back; “I was at the top of it!” Jacob’s set was of the United Nations building. Anyway, the older boys didn’t even ask for legos for the first time in approximately 10 years so I bought them each one set because I was sooooooo sad.

Christmas cat #1, can I just say I am in love with cats again? So many things need to be put on hold when you having the darling BABIES……baby season is over for me so I can think about my kitty cats again. This is Snickers, our oldest, he is probably about 4 years old.

Parker the Dog was exhausted by the time everyone opened their gifts, with so much fuss first thing in the morning. He was glad to have the couch to himself.

I asked Caleb for a picture. (By the way, when the boys do lego sets they keep all the bags organized using my fiesta bowls.)

Christmas cat #2. Sarah, which was a shock to me, hated her feather boa that I gave her. I thought my girly-girl would adore feathers and silver sparkle– but no. She won’t let it touch her. However, Billy Cat loves it. We found him curled up sleeping on it, with a few wet feathers torn off. Evidently he “killed” it before he fell asleep on it.

Rich bought me the softest feeling sweater of my life. This is the only gift which was a surprise. My little Seth received a light saber (another item which we have gifted for years and years to all of our sons). I love this “baby” boy (five years old) and still make him take a nap with me whenever possible. He even has a term of endearment for me. In loving moments he calls me “moo-moo”.

A sight to stop me in my tracks. Caleb snacked on all his stocking candy during his lego-building-time. (pictured next to Grace’s little stack of gifts.) Grace has already completely read the Patricia MacLachlan book, White Fur Flying, which she said was really deep for a little kid’s book. Patricia MacLachlan wrote the beloved Sarah, Plain and Tall and I’ve been buying her books for Grace since she could read. Again, with her at 15 years old, I still couldn’t quite stop buying yet another this year (like the boys and their lego sets).

Happy Dave, busy working on a Transformer.

For my artist son, the dot to dot book was a big hit, along with new Sharpies. The dot to dot is of portraits, with about 1000 dots per picture. He practically needed a magnifying glass to complete them. He loved it.

Ethan was thrilled by his PS3, our family’s very first gaming system. It only came with one controller which was hard for him. He wanted so much for Jacob to be able to play with him. He even went online to see if Target was open on Christmas day so he could go buy one. (it wasn’t, thankfully)

It took Caleb for.ev.er. to figure out his transformer, again; I was impressed by his endurance and the robot finally turned into a hippo.

Christmas cat #3; Snickers again, sleeping under the piano bench. I love how cats can sleep anywhere.

David loves his soda machine. It is perfect present for a young scientist/inventor.

You twist the bottle three times to carbonate the wate, until it makes a funny sound (each time).

Then you add the soda syrup.

Let us talk about the weather in these parts. There was no snow on Christmas Day but……we saw rare sunshine and it was mild enough outside to be welcoming. We all went out for some fresh air.

S U N S H I N E ! ! ! ! ! !

Grace went right into the woods. She’s here someplace, you can’t see her, but she was there, walking quickly like she had a place to go and things to see.

The sparkling ribbon of stream……

Then, I went to say hello to my hens.

They gave their acknowledgments in return, the best they could.

iridescent feathers!

selfie with a (distressed) hen. They tolerate hellos but draw the line at hugs.

Then, Jacob’s Emily came for a quick visit. She came bearing gifts and sparkling good spirit. What a joy she is to us all.

She gave Parker a frosted candy-cane shaped dog treat. She spoils him. Consequently he doesn’t leave her side. (see?) She and Jacob exchanged gifts. Jacob laughed to see the candle because she was with him when he saw it at the store and admired it (it has a wick that sizzles as it burns). She had gone back to buy it for him. She also gave him a handsome black shirt. He gave her a locket.

There were two gifts labeled “To: Jacob and Emily”. The most darling thing was that they opened them at the same time together. Jacob’s hands unwrapped one end, while Emily’s hands opened the other end, perfectly fair like it was the natural thing to do. Their togetherness is so sweet.

Rich gave them books and I gave them matching shirts and socks.

The socks and shirts were from American Eagle men’s department. The socks were men’s *one size fits all* but Jacob could barely get his on and Emily’s were too big and the heels to the socks were about five inches up the backs of her legs. It was quite funny.

Well, I had to get the Christmas Ham into the oven and while I did so, people started falling asleep.

Christmas cat #4; Sherlock the orange cat slept by Rich’s legs.

I did the ham in an oven bag with sweet liquid poured over (ginger ale, maple syrup, honey, etc) pineapple and cherries pinned on with toothpicks.

Well. Over the last week I tried making candied clementines. The recipe said to boil the fruit every day for six days in a sugar syrup (20 minutes each time) and also let sit at room temp. You see the results. Not like the picture in the cookbook. MUCH uglier, like huge orange raisins. They taste okay but only in very small bites. I put them into a container and popped them in the fridge to use for scones, or muffins. It was a fun experiment and I may try again to see if I can do better.

Emily went to her Dad’s house for the rest of the day and at 4 we ate our Christmas feast; ham, homemade rolls, buttered corn, cottage cheese, and scalloped potatoes.

Rich had objected earlier to me doing so much work on Christmas day for our meal but I noticed he asked for “more ham” quite a few times, until as a joke Jacob used the meat fork to put the entire ham on his plate.

“What the Room Looked like Before Throwing Away the Wrapping Paper”

David’s new shirt; “designed to fly”.

(One time he “flew” off the porch with an umbrella!)

Ethan’s new clothes.

He is sixteen and one of the best boys in the world.

Christmas cat picture #5; a nap companion

Thus ends another photo-blog of Christmastime. What a blessing this year has been and how thankful we are for family and friends.

*****

I was able to write this downtown at the coffeeshop with Rich this afternoon. Truth be told, I was irritated by him being gone all morning for wrestling practice and then planning on taking the teens to the movies. The movie was sold out so they had to go to a later showing, which meant I got some HUSBAND TIME! He read his book while I typed, with no distractions, with coffee and chocolate. God knows what we need and will provide, Amen! Thus, my thirsty soul was refreshed and I realized it is MUCH easier to write when I’m not tempted to throw the next load in the washing machine or empty the dishwasher or vacuum or ………….

2 Corinthians 4:16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self his being renewed day by day.

Proverbs 31:30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Psalms 34:5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

………….

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

snow (it’s the little things)

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Shanda

With an old scarf around my head keeping the hair off my face, and a wooden spoon in my hand, I opened the door to let out a cat. Sarah and I were in the kitchen making Christmas cookies.

I had determined to have a quieter day. We had a pleasant snow fall in the night but not enough to keep the children home from school. Ethan had a dentist appointment at 8:50 so Sarah and I left to pick him up…..while the snow continued to gently fall.

The many tracks in the driveway, made by the family I love, made me smile. So much activity belonging to the special boys and girls in my life. My husband’s truck tracks meant that he was already at work, making an early start so that he could get back to coach wrestling later at the High School.

At the end of our road, I stopped to take a picture of the farmer’s cows in the snowy field.

In town, Sarah and I both admired the ivy growing up brick buildings. She asked me if we could grow them on our house.

Ethan didn’t have a coat on and shivered as we made our way to the car. “Why on earth didn’t you wear a coat?” I asked. “Because! I don’t have any classes outside, Mom!” (obviously!)

Ethan is the one child that I nag the most about brushing his teeth. It’s become sort of a family joke although Ethan himself may not think it is funny anymore.

He had zero cavities!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He is in wrestling now at school and had to get his official weight taken today. I couldn’t even tempt him to a small hot chocolate after his cleaning. I took him back to school.

By that time it was only 9:30 so Sarah and I went to the Thrift shop and spent two dollars on some rubber stamps for the children to play with, a few books, & an ornament.

We walked hand in hand to the car, over the railroad tracks. When we got there, I noticed that the snowflakes were falling from the sky as pretty as a picture on top of Sarah’s pigtailed head.

In the parking lot by the town offices I stood with my camera, taking careful close ups of Sarah’s head and my own arm! I had to laugh when I realized what I was doing in public…..but the magic of it all…..

God is so good to me! I didn’t want to leave my cozy house this morning and when I remembered Ethan’s appointment I had groaned. But, in the midst of running these common errands of motherhood I was given yet another opportunity to see the simple beauty of a day I would have missed if I stayed inside.

It is the life of the crystal,
the architect of the flake,
the fire of the frost,
the soul of the sunbeam.
This crisp winter air is full of it.
~John Burroughs

How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose,

if there were no winter in our year! ~Thomas Wentworth Higginson

*****

We drove home and my mind was on the snowflakes and William Bentley.

If you’ve never taken a picture of an individual snowflake I encourage you to try it!

I meandered around the yard and our cat Sherlock tried following me across the ice on the pond and fell right in the water. It was rather shocking for us both. He swam back out quickly, which was a good thing because I was on the other side of the pond.

This is Billy-Cat.

Two fresh eggs were waiting for me in the chicken coop.

Sherlock was very busy on the porch, trying to clean the water off his fur.

Sarah was already inside and we fried up the eggs and shared them for a snack.

And then we read the books we had found at the Thrift store.

Under a soft, warm, electric blanket, we learned that “Q is for quiet times”……

And were inspired to be as kind as the shoemaker and his wife.

Best of all, we decided to make Christmas cookies, after a cozy nap.

While the oven was still hot, I mixed up a banana bread. I read on allrecipes.com that if you wrap up your *hot from the oven* quick bread in foil, it will steam itself cool and become nice and moist.

This entire morning *after the children left for school* has been a “no TV” day and the quietness of the house has been wonderful.

There is something about snow falling down outside to make a day seem so peaceful.

a tree for Christmas

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Shanda

First, pour yourself a smooth, sweet cup of cocoa.

And gather up your favorite cat…….while I share with you, dear friend, some of our weekend happenings, namely; decking the halls with boughs of holly, and decorating the “O Christmas Tree”.

This morning, I awoke to the sound of my two youngest children arguing loudly over a cat. I was heavy with sleep as reached for the clock to look at the time. It was 6:47am. Caleb would need to leave for school in half an hour. I rolled slowly out of bed, and thankfully found the boys already dressed for the day. I served them peanut butter toast, passed out lunch money, made a cup of coffee, and after the busses came and left, I sat and looked at all the pictures we took this weekend………..

These are busy days for all of us. Some of us Moms are working on less than ideal energy. What a blessing it is to be tired yet still determined to love and nurture our families.

On Saturday, between a wrestling practice and a Christmas Ball, Rich and I had a small window of time to get our Christmas tree. We were determined to cut it down ourselves this year so we bundled up in our coats and asked the children who wanted to go with us? Out of seven children, we had two who were excited about going with us to get the tree; Seth (5) and Sarah (4). So off we went.

It was raining.

The tree farm was busy despite the rain. There were a line of cars with people tying up their trees. We couldn’t help getting excited about finding just the right tree.

It is simply amazing that we’ve been in love over the last 20 Christmases…..

We walked briskly along the rows of trees and it didn’t take long to chose one.

Just right.

“Not only green when summer’s here,
But also when ’tis cold and drear.”

While Daddy cut down the tree, Seth and Sarah ran around laughing and having a wonderful time as only 4 and 5 year olds can do.

Happily wet and muddy, our dear darling Seth. A cute note about the matching mittens; I dug through the mitten box and found two that didn’t match, yet more importantly were for the left and right hands. When we got to the truck and buckled up, Seth leaned forward with the matching black mitten (which he had discovered in the truck) and said, “Mom, you’re blind. The matching mitten is right here.”

Seth, ready to be a help, climbed up on the truck to pull the tree up with his Dad.

Then, even though I was right there ready, he insisted on jumping back down all by himself, thanks anyway Mom!

Christmas mud.

They wanted to get out while Rich returned the saw, but did you see that mud? We made them get back in.

We left the tree farm with candy canes. A few miles down the road Sarah spit hers out in my empty coffee cup, spitting and clearing her throat so much I became amused. Apparently she doesn’t like candy canes. (She doesn’t like toothpaste, either).

Points if you can name the title of my current read!

We returned home. Rich and Ethan set up our beautiful (but very wet) tree, and then Rich and I had to quickly get ready for our date. Grace left with a friend to go to school for the Madrigal Feaste, Jacob babysat the children for us, and we left the house for the evening.

And it came to pass that we decorated the tree 24 hours later, (last night).

Jacob turned on some Holiday tunes, while Emily made a Santa craft with Sarah and Seth. The children are to glue a cotton ball on his beard each day until Christmas, when his beard will by then be fluffy and white with cotton…….they loved it (thank you, Em!)

It was a flurry of chaotic activity to get the tree decorated and ~~all too soon~~ not soon enough, it was completed.

We followed the excitement up with early bedtime for the younger children and crashing in front of the Andy Griffith show for the rest of us. I went to bed at 9 and was asleep very shortly afterwards, thankful for another day.

******

keep calm and jingle on

xoxo

{this moment}

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Shanda

{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

tasting goodness

Posted on November 29, 2014 by Shanda

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” Psalm 34:8

Enough snow fell on the day before Thanksgiving that the children have been able to go outside and play with their snow boards and sleds. The sunshine was so bright yesterday that it hurt my eyes.

Still, it is a pleasure to feel the cold on my face, and to breath in the fresh air.

I cautioned the children way too many times to steer AWAY from the trees and pond and road.

David lined his boots with garbage bags.

Our house sits on a hill, a hill steep enough for the children to go down……such a joy for them.

Seth threw a snow ball at his Mama.

He had gloves on that were way to big. In this family, they just grab anything and hope for the best.

Hats, mittens, and gloves stress me out.

We went for a walk around and said hello to the hens.

The children slid down the rock like it was a slide and then I think the chicken tried it, too.

David chased Billy up a tree. Billy went carefully and silently around and around to find the best way to get back down.

He is a smart cat.

Thanksgiving 2014

I planned, I shopped, I fussed, I baked, I did a hundred little things, and then…….it was over.

I am a little tired and blue today, so I decided to blog about our wonderful day, to cheer myself up.

The Lord is good.

My sister said that her heart was warmed, as David gently stirred the pot with her and talked about things.

Later, Jason told me he thought David was so smart and had an engineering type of mind.

My niece Abigail peeled potatoes with Grace. 10 pounds of potatoes.

With a cup of cheer in my hand and my handsome husband. I am so thankful for Rich. Today he caught me before I fell on the ice outside…it took me a few steps to gather my balance and he made me laugh by staying strong and saying dryly, “You okay? This is just like walking with a newborn calf that can’t get his legs under himself!”

On Thanksgiving Day, Abbie turned fourteen.

Grace and Naomi played with their Bitty Babies. Sarah’s room is still a total disaster from all the playing (searching for the doll stuff). Aren’t they adorable? I love everything about this picture.

Handsome brother Isaac, and son Jacob.

Michael came over, too, and there was a game of Monopoly that lasted for hours.

Abbie and Cassandra

My beautiful daughter Grace.

Grace practiced her french braiding skills on Aunt Cassandra.

Rich fell asleep after dinner and clean up. Jason fell asleep in the recliner, too. It’s the smart thing to do on Thanksgiving day.

The children colored with the smelly markers.

Then, it was time for birthday cake. I’m so thankful that we were able to spend the day with Abbie. She’s a beautiful young lady and we are proud of her. It was a blessing to end Thanksgiving day with birthday cake.

also remembering….

early morning phone call from brother Dave
weston got wet in the pond
we took family portraits for christmas cards
sarah wore a red ribbon
i burnt the rolls
but the pies were to die for
we lost sarah outside; it turned out she was with her brother E
aunt amanda made ethan proud of his muscles
laughing over the Andy Griffeth show
we cheered up aunt cassandra because she was sad and missing her family
rich was quiet all day until 9pm. then he went for a run and then wanted to take me out shopping. (no)
jacob dressed up in a tie
food was wonderfully good, so was the drink
seth was especially energetic and was the child most likely to get reprimanded
ending the day with a nice phone conversation with mom and dad

*****

Thanks for stopping by the blog today, friends!
You are loved.

“The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation.” Psalm 18:46

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1

“All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness….” Psalm 25:10

attitude of gratitude

Posted on November 26, 2014 by Shanda

If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. And when that person has ugly thoughts every day, every week, every year, the face gets uglier and uglier until it gets so ugly you can hardly bear to look at it. A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely. ~Roald Dahl

Oh Roald Dahl, you are such an interesting person. I love how you take truth and get it down our throats with a spoonful of good humor.

Here are a few little happenings that I am thankful for:

1. A morning of sunshine

Got no checkbooks, got no banks,
Still I’d like to express my thanks –
I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night.
~Irving Berlin

2. We went to the day spa, Sarah and I.

She was so fascinated by the yellow goo being squirted in my hair that I had to get out the phone and take a picture. She loves watching me get my hair done.

Rich told me to relax at the spa and I said, “Yes, but, how can I relax if I have Sarah with me?” “Oh Shan, she’s adorable! You let her get her nails done. See if they can get her in.”

I did ask, but the ladies were all booked up so I asked Amy (my hairdresser) to take Sarah in the other room to pick out some nail polish. While my hair processed I myself gave Sarah her manicure, including base coat and top coat.

3. Seth had a program at school so I buttoned him up in a handsome dress shirt (over a t-shirt). I fussed quite a bit with the hair, too. (you can sort of tell by the picture that he was ready to be let go again, right?)

Later, when Sarah and I arrived to school for the assembly, in walked Seth with the dress shirt OFF and looking all ordinary.

4. Breakfast at the diner.

5. My two oldest boys; Jacob (in back) and Ethan.

6. Michael and Seth (Sunday)

7. Reading books to silly Sarah.

8. The ice melted on Monday. I sent Seth out on the porch to feel the air, “There IS no air!” was his observation. It was a windless, warmish day. When they came home from school we went outside. Before I could stop them, Dave and Seth had their shoes and socks off in the stream. It really wasn’t warm enough for it, and their little feet turned pink.

9. Dave caught a crayfish which was a joy because every other sign of life in the waters was missing (frogs, turtles, fish).

How many of my friends are in the kitchen this week in preparations for Thanksgiving Day? I’m in the kitchen as I type. My body is sitting on the couch in the living room, but my mind is over there in the kitchen thinking about what I need to do next!

10. Yesterday I made my roll dough using my Grandma’s recipe. After the first rise, I formed the rolls.

I placed them in their pans, wrapped them up, and put them in the freezer. Tomorrow I will take them out, let them rise the second time, and bake them.

11. Yesterday we also did our big grocery trip for everything we needed on this list:

I would rather stay in the kitchen cooking all day than go to the store! So I was very happy to get it done.

12. We had a mini-thanksgivng feast yesterday. Jacob and Ethan had to miss their football thanksgiving dinner because their game was moved up a day. They were disappointed about it so I decided to surprise them. When they got home from school at 2:30 everything was ready. I roasted a butterball turkey breast, made (frozen) mashed potatoes, homemade gravy, corn, and cranberry sauce. I saved out some of my roll dough in order to make a couple little loaves of bread, too.

Not only did my children come home (Dave, Jacob, Grace, and Ethan) but also two extras. I loved watching them fill up their plates and go sit down in the dining room together.

13. Last night was Senior night at the football game. It was cold, but we had a lot of fun watching Jacob play his last game.

This is one of those pictures that I look at and see him as my own little baby, behind those eyes and that face, he’s still there.

14. sisters

I hope you have a lovely day today!

There is snow falling outside and it will be a cozy day to make pies.

hands

Posted on November 18, 2014 by Shanda

I snapped these frosty photos the other day. Down at the edge of the pond the grass and leaves had beautiful long lashes of frost.

Guess what our little artist, Sarah, has been doing these days?

The first time she tried tracing her own hand I told her it looked like the hand of a monster. I did most of the tracing but eventually I became reluctant about stopping my own projects to trace *yet another hand* for her, so she decided it was more time-efficient to do it herself.

‘Mom! I did it! And it doesn’t look like a Monster-hand!”

(it doesn’t?)

I taught her how to draw pretty jewelry, and fingernails, too.

This one doesn’t have fingernails. But it does have a ring on each finger.

All that is required is paper and colored pens/crayons. It kept Sarah busy for a long time and it gave her lots of practice with tracing, drawing, and designing.

lady-bugs

I traced two sets of hands on some of the pages, trying to save time and paper.

As you may have noticed, Billy-Cat came over to see what I was photographing.

He communicated to me that it was a much nicer idea to photograph a handsome cat.

*lick-lick making myself ready for my portrait*

*wait, let me pose first*

*this is my best pose*

*how’d it turn out?*

I have happy cats because Sarah and I went to the grocery store to buy them food. They ran out yesterday and had to gag down dog food. All four of them have full tummies and are in various places in the house, sleeping it off.

This is what our mantel looks like right now. Jacob did the painting. I love how the red in it matches the mushrooms. Grace and Dave went for a walk and brought me the piece of wood (to the left of the painting, it’s the same color as the rocks so hard to see), they called it an octopus and plan painting it purple (I admit it would be easier to see). My felt mushrooms are from the Masonville General Store in NY. I pulled up some greenery from the woods and added artificial flowers along the mantel, too. The “give thanks” banner is from Pottery Barn (last year). I love how if you take the “e” off the end of “give” and then next four letters from “thanks”, it spells my son Ethan’s name. Sometimes I move those letters to the middle just for fun.