Deck The Halls

I love decorating for Christmas. My mom always made a complete transformation of our house growing up, removing practically all our "normal" decor and replacing it with Christmas fun. While I haven't built up quite the same arsenal of tinsel and fake snow, I still love getting to create a new environment for my kids for a month each year. What an opportunity we have to show our excitement in celebrating Christ's birth in the way we decorate our homes! I love this quote and try to keep it in mind as we deck our halls:

"How will our home look if our celebration is a picture of anticipation and waiting for God's plan to be completed, a picture of our joy in the salvation he has begun for us? What visible things will fill our house as we celebrate what God has done through Jesus?" Noel Piper, Treasuring God In Our Traditions
 

The kids were very "helpful" in decorating the tree. And of course, we had hot chocolate and peppernuts. Does your family do peppernuts? Just like flapjacks, peppernuts are a special food in our family. My cousin did a great post about them here. 

I think she did more peppernut eating than tree decorating. : )

A Weekend Of Thanks

"Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.”

~ Harry Ironside

 

Well, a little late -- but no less thankful! We had a big family dinner with Derek's side of the family then headed to the lakehouse in Shell Knob, MO with my parents for a long weekend. It was cozy and peaceful (well, as peaceful as it can be with 4 kids 5 and under) and lovely. And I was thankful.

Thankful for my little pilgrim and Indian.

Thankful for golf cart rides in the woods to explore and pretend.

 

Thankful for time at the water to throw rocks and share kisses.

Thankful for tickling/wrestling matches to help burn off 5 and 1 year old energy.

 



Thankful for glimpses at a future fierce sister friendship.

Thankful for all four kids in our bed in the mornings. And the way the 'big kids' love the 'little kids'.

Thankful for bedtime stories with the greatest man I know.

Thanksgiving may be one of my favorite holidays!

Keva Planks

On a recent trip to Exploration Place we got to play in the new KEVA exhibit. Keva planks are 4 1/2 inch long wooden blocks. That's it. So simple yet endless fun for kids. 

Busy bees.

We didn't make that one.

We did make that one.

Go check them out! You can even pick some up for Christmas presents. I love gifts that don't have batteries.  : )

How To Drink Milk {A Tutorial}

Step 1: Push a barstool across the room to the island.

Step 2: Pull out all mom's measuring spoons.

Step 3: Use your sippy cup and your determined face to shake small drops of milk into a spoon.

   Step 4: Look up and melt mom's heart with a smile.

 

Step 5: Enjoy! 

Random Is As Random Does

After school snuggles.

The cuteness may kill me.

Why do I feel like this is a glimpse of 16 short years from now?

Fish caught at Nana and Papa's pond.

She's such a goof in the evenings.

Our blessings. Be still my heart.

I just want to squeeze them all the time.

Brecken leaves surprises for me to find later when putting dishes away.

Who doesn't love Freddy's fries?

Thankful: for an openly Christian principal in a public school.

Look who is standing on her own!

Love him, Love her.

Soggy babies are the best.

More practicing.

Still her favorite activity.

Please tell her to stop growing.

The end.

Motherhood

 

"Don't be lured away from the plan of God to the ways of the world

where motherhood is belittled,

femininity is decried, and the divinely established

role of a wife and mother is mocked.

 

 

Let the world go its way.

 

 

You follow the plan of the Lord for the greatest measure of true,
eternal achievement and the fullness of happiness." Richard G. Scott