November

I always struggle to give up the warmth of summer. I don't like being cold. My toes seem to stay perpetually frozen this time of year. But there is a magic in autumn. A slowing of time that invites you to tarry a little longer. I think I miss a lot of moments in summer. I am so busy that I rarely stop and smell the roses, as it were. 

But in autumn things change. I notice the cloud formations, the tang in the air, the smell of wood smoke drifting in my windows. I hear the geese as they fly overhead. All food tastes better in autumn. There is no better way to whet my appetite than to have a crisp breeze blow over my food. The clarity of the air seem to act as a foil to the flavors on my table in the same way that an artist needs dark colors to showcase the light. 

Autumn is the time for warm sweaters, good conversations and old friends. 

It is the time for me to stop, take a  moment to look around and savor my life. Just like the squirrel stores up food against the cold, autumn urges us to store up warm memories and moments to sustain us through the long, cold winter. 

35

He is 35. Officially half way to 40. 

His hair is turning grey at the temples. 

Laugh lines have started to appear at the corners of his eyes and around his mouth. 

His children know him to be gentle and kind, even when disciplining. 

I know him to be thoughtful, loving and patient.

He always provides for us and we never fear hunger or homelessness. 

He puts the Lord first in his life, setting a wonderful example of a servant's walk. 

He is willing to absolutely make a fool of himself if it makes his children laugh.

I do not deserve him and could not live without him. 

We love you.

The Corner of the Forest

It felt good to accomplish one of our family goals. David and I have often talked about how we are not one of those "going and doing" families. We are much more inclined, when faced with the actual reality of packing up and going camping or hiking or to the lake, to shrug our shoulder and say

           "Nah, it looks like rain." 

But this time we did it. Rain was in the forecast and the clouds were ominous but we hiked onward and upwards. 

It was completely worth it. The air was cool and fresh. The woods were dark and green. The soil was moist and fragrant. The skies cleared and the birds sang. Elsie stayed close to her daddy the whole hike. I don't know if the vast expanse of woods scared her or if she just instinctively knew that if danger struck, he was her best chance of survival, but she only let go of his hand for a minute or two at a time. 

We ran, climbed, observed, sang, snacked and pondered. And came face to face, time and time again, with the wonder and beauty of God's creation. We had fun spotting different rocks, moss, plants and bugs. Even Elsie joined in, chiming "Fungi! Fungi!" every time we spotted a new type of mushroom.

Everyone we met on the trail was courteous and friendly. We passed lots of dog walkers and even a couple of professional hikers with hiking poles. We also learned a new fact. We spotted several piles of stacked rocks and the hikers we met told us they are called cairns. They have lots of historical significance but now are done to either mark a spot on a trail or for decorative purposes. 

 The view along the way was breathtaking. We even spotted the church steeple behind our house.

 This photo of the oldest two is by far my favorite. I would have loved these woods as a child and it made me very happy to see them exploring with abandonment. You can't help but walk through this place and think of Christopher Robin and Pooh.

"You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes."         - A.A. Milne, Winne-the-Pooh

How time flies!

This past week was our annual pilgrimage to Texas. We attend David's family reunion and then stay the next week with his parents before attending a church meeting. The church meeting revolves through 3 different churches, each church taking a year. This year, it was at a church near Cuero, Texas. I have been waiting for this particular trip because I wanted to recreate a photo a dear friend of ours took of Lillie when she was a toddler. She was wearing a stars and stripe dress and sitting on top of one of those droopy Texas trees, I believe they are Live Oaks.

I was so excited Saturday. I dressed Elsie in the same dress and we headed out to church. Only to have her get car sick and throw up right before we arrived.

Drat and frustration.

We swung by Walmart and grabbed a new dress. After morning services and lunch, I had my sister-in-law take the photo with her phone. Wouldn't you know I forgot my good camera? We plopped her down on the same limb, with the same benches in the background. I found myself wondering where the time goes and wishing I could grab hold and make it stay fast.

I look at Lillie in the photo and I look at her now. It makes me realize that before I blink, Elsie will be a grown up little lady and my days of having a tiny person around will be over. How bitter sweet that thought is! But I wouldn't want my kids to never grow up, to never have adventures and learn life lessons. A mother's heart wants to protect her babies always but that is not truly protecting. The best way I can help my children is to give them room to grow, lots of good love and sunshine, and wholesome food, both physical and spiritual. And then give them as many kisses and hugs as I can in the meantime. Which, if you will excuse me, I am off to do right now.

Master Of A Thousand Faces

I have been trying to vary the style and type of photos I place on my blog. And a fellow blogger I follow, The Rosy Life, often posts about photography and more specifically, photographing children; those little whirling dervishes that can't sit still.  Her recent post about her young daughter was spot on. 

"By putting the power of play and fun in her own hands I was able to click away."

- Sara

I decided to mimic her photo shoot since after all, imitation is the highest form of flattery. I sat the kids down against our bedroom door for a neutral backdrop, kept the lights off and let the natural light from the windows flow. I had to prompt them at first. 

"Make a silly face."

"What would a scared face look like?"

"Can you do an angry face?"

What resulted was a perfect capture of each child's facial expressions and personality. I will definitely be framing these collages and treasuring them for years to come. 

And then of course, I had to pester Uncle David and Aunt Katie, who were visiting, to join in the fun. It is wonderful to have company, but even better to have company who are good sports. 

Summer, here we come!

Today was the last day of school!!!!

Wahoo!!!

            In truth, we finished our CC work several weeks ago but had a few weeks of math and spelling to finish. We (a.k.a. Lillie) worked hard and doubled up on a few lessons and finished today. 

She only missed one question on her final comprehensive math exam so I am extremely proud of her progress this year. When we started in August, math lessons produced copious amounts of tears and anguish of soul. Now, she flies through it with the confidence and ease of a season veteran. 

When I look back at our first year of home school, I am glad we made the choice to change. It was wonderful to all of us here at home during the day. We had flexibility to go and come as we needed to for our schedule. We had sun days instead of snow days off and met up other home school families for park play dates. It was a blessing sorely needed for our family. 

And now, so flashback photos for your viewing pleasure.