Days before Christmas

 

How does one get so busy with the activities that lead up till Christmas?  We started with the Annual Ferndale Tractor Parade on Sunday  in which the girls and their father were very busy decorating the tractor and manure spreader all day Saturday and Sunday.  Georgie participated by sitting in the cab as much as possible.  They decorated both to resemble the train in the Polar Express movie.    That night it poured and poured down rain throughout the entire parade, but just like the mailman, the parade didn't stop rain or shine!  It was amazing to see how many people turned out for the parade - even through the rain.  The tractors were absolutely amazing and so beautifully decorated with lights and decorations.

Our new cat Charlie has been enjoying the Christmas tree and ornaments.  Every morning we come downstairs to find an assortment of ornaments lying around the tree that he has picked off.  Even though he's only 10 weeks old, - he's figured out how to climb the tree too.  This might be a good thing if we had a sturdy "real" tree, but ours is only a fake one this year.  We just didn't get around to getting out to chop down the real one at the tree farm.  Time got the best of us this  year.  I do so miss the smell of a "real" tree.

The girls and I spent a rainy afternoon stringing cranberry and popcorn strands for our trees in the front yard so that we could feed the birds that visit our empty, barren yard this season.  It was fun watching them work the popcorn onto the strands - Lindsay soon went to straight cranberries because they were so much easier to string.  They liked knowing that they were going to feed the precious little birds that come to visit us each day.

We began a new tradition this year.  We hosted a "Cookie Exchange" at our house for our church family.  Everyone joined in the fun and we had so many cookies to distribute - we even had to bring some to church the next morning.  What a blessing it was to us - we've missed sharing hospitality with other families, as Christ would have us do. 

 I Peter 4:8 -10

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.    Use hospitality one to another without grudging.    As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

The girls occupied Pastor's time by taking pictures of him and showing him Charlie the cat.  They were so sweet as they were buzzing around him like busy bumblebee's.

Christmas was spent over at my father's house.  It's a good thing that they only live five minutes from the house into town now.  It's wonderful not having to travel far to spend time with family and the girls absolutely adore their grandparents.  Even as I speak while typing this, they are over spending the night with them.  It was a busy two days with lots of activity and overload of hugging and lovin' on little ones.  Georgie "vroom, vroomed and beep beeped" his newest John Deere tractors around the living room while the little girls played with their newest baby dolls.  So sweet to watch them even include little Georgie, although, I'm thinking that the General Manager was grinning and bearing watching his son play with dolls!

My stepmom's daughters and families came over for Christmas morning brunch.  Their were so many yummy casseroles, cinnamon rolls, baked pears and fresh fruit that no one went home hungry.  It was a joy watching the other grandkids open their presents from Grandma and Grandpa and their Aunts and Uncles.  While all the papers were flying I sat back and observed how amazing it was to watch my stepmom feed her mom, who isn't capable of always feeding herself.  Her sister and her talked of how they had to change Eunices' clothes because the nurses in the home didn't bother to put on something nice for the day.  I wondered what my children would dress me in someday, and would they be that concerned about how my hair looked and whether I would have worn it that way or not.    God designed it to be like this - family taking care of family - even when we are too old to do for ourselves anymore.

I pray that your days up to Christmas were a blessing and that Christmas was extra special for each and everyone of you.  Thank you for your kind words.  I truly appreciate the beautiful comments left by all.  May God richly bless your families during the coming year.

Blessings,

Michelle

And two become one

Every morning he beats me out of bed, headed for the shower, so that he can get off to work on time.  Every morning I marvel at how blessed and wonderful this man is to me - for 16 years now we've been married and really, when I look back it does not seem that long, but when I look at the age of my children, I realize it's true.

We've traveled an adventurous journey thus far and God has been our guide.  He knew exactly the man that I needed and he placed him in my path - perhaps not the best way that two could meet, but none-the-less God used a dimly lit, quite noisy bar to bring two souls together, joined with an understanding that the commitment we made sixteen years ago still stands today and forevermore.

Thank you sweetheart for the best years of my life, for my precious peas, for guiding and leading our family and for loving me through good and bad.  May God bless us with many more years together.  I love you.. . . . . . . .

Happy Anniversary!

little boy and his tractor

In preparation for the Annual Ferndale Tractor Parade on Sunday, the General Manager dropped off a rather large tractor and manure spreader in front of our house, of course in our favorite colors of green and yellow - John Deere green.  You know, Georgie learned to say "John Deere" almost as quickly as "momma and daddy."  He spotted the tractor out the side window and came calling to momma, "John Deere, John Deere - outzide."  Daddy gave the okay that he could venture out and sit in the cab.

All smiles, from one side of his grin to the other, as he fiddled with every switch, button and lever.  Up onto the chair so that he could grab the steering wheel, down back onto the floor to touch some more amazing buttons.  He was so grateful, it didn't matter to him why the tractor was there, just that it was and it was available for him to play with.

It was truly a special moment for me watching him enjoy his time in the tractor.  What sweet, innocent joy he experienced and it was written all over his face.  Precious, precious moments, I hope I never forget.   The joy of watching my children enjoy life is so sweet and truly such a blessing.   Now I bet, he can't wait until his Dad comes home so that he can sit in it some more.

Weekends are for special moments with Grandparents

The girls and I took an afternoon outing to a location we adore; a special invite from Grandpa and Grandma.    The Ingomar Club, is a club that my father has belonged to ever since I was a young girl.  It always  entailed special fancy dinners and occasions with a reason to dress up in our very best.    We loved going there, especially when we were allowed to tour all the way up to the 4th story where the "widow's watch" is located.  The widow's watch is a tower at the very tip top where long ago the wives would wait,  and  longingly watch for their sailors to return home from sea - thus the name became the "widow's tower" when the husbands never returned.

A precious afternoon with Grandpa and Grandma and a treat to see Santa Claus and all the fixins' of a day just for the girls.  The tree was sparkling and twinkling all at the same time.  It was so beautfiul.  Grandma and I were amazed at how many glass balls filled the tree and how the tree took a back stage to all the glitter and beads.    In the back of my mind I chuckled at the thought of Georgie staring the tree down, memorized by all of the glass balls and the overwhelming temptation to touch each and every one of them.  

It all started with lunch; everything a child could dream of as a favorite meal item, chicken fingers, pigs in a blanket, mac n cheese, waffle fries and green bean casserole (maybe not this one!).  And momma indulged in every one of them!

Even before they got in line for the food, they saw this amazing man; the cat-in-the-hat balloon maker.   He was so good to the kids as they swarmed his stand, the line which never went down the entire time we were there.  We came home with a hummingbird, bumblebee, 2 poodles and a sword and belt for Georgie who stayed with the General Manager for the afternoon.

Dessert was the creme de la creme of sugar cookie decorating tables.  Even momma's decorating spread could not compare to all of the sprinkles, chips, frosting and sparkles that could be added to each and every cookie that was decorated at this table.  If you didn't like sugar cookies, then you could indulge in a combination of butterscotch and chocolate pudding swirl.  So yummy, my mouth is watering again at all of the sweet enticements there for our chosing.

 

No afternoon would be complete without a stop for a picture with Santa.  What a sweet moment and how precious they all are against that beautiful background setting.   I truly marvel at how much my children know - they know without a doubt that Santa does not provide the presents that sit under their tree.  They know that he doesn't come down a chimney to deliver their special gifts.  They know that the real reason for the season is Jesus.  He is our special Christmas gift and each and every story shines a light and a path that guides us to the ultimate gift that God gave us of His Son.

Each morning we awake and together during our devotion time before school, we open and uncover another precious story that leads us to the birth of Christ through our Jesse Tree Devotional; a very inspiring advent activity from a special blog that I read Ann  Voskamp's Holy Experience.

May your weekend be filled with the sparkle and twinkle of the joy of the season - Jesus our special gift from God.

Blessings,

Michelle

Learning to play boy

He's up as soon as the sun rises every morning with more energy than one could get from the largest Mango GoGo from Jamba Juice.  He doesn't run short of this energy either.  I'm learning to love rising early with him, but my eyelids and body are not always in agreement. Learning to play boy after six girls has been a journey.  We have a couple of friends who have nothing but boys and they warned me during my pregnancy that "boys were different!"  I didn't really believe them then, but now. . . .  

I am thoroughly convinced that God hardwired boys and girls differently even before the Fall.  He does and loves things so differently than all of the girls ever did.  For instance, he loves everything to do with trucks, tractors and cars.  The girls can be playing Barbies in the back room and with the thousand pieces lying all over the floor, he heads straight over to pick up the Barbie car.   

His favorite book is All Kinds of Trucks and we have to read it daily, several times a day.   When we go for a drive to Fernbridge Tractor where the General Manager works, the first words out of his mouth are "Daddy and John Deere."  He came wired with the sound that cars make already in his brain, which tickles my heart when I hear him "Vroom, Vroom" all over the floor with his cars.

Playing cars and trucks are a little more challenging; because they don't come with all of the accessories and outfits like Barbies and baby dolls.  Barbies lend themselves to replicate our own lives - so often I hear the girls playing with the dolls and they are retelling our life story through the Barbie.  I've listened to countless stories of Barbies getting married, the numerous times they've been pregnant, but more importantly I hear the Godly character traits we are teaching them be taught likewise to their dolls.  

What I've realized is that  trucks, tractors and cars take more imagination to make amazing adventures with.   It is going to require me to remember what it's like to have a child like imagination.   When I was growing up, my sister and I had hot wheels.  We would take our cars out to the back alleyway and we could spend hours creating roads, swamps, bridges and tunnels in which to drive our cars.  This type of imagination gets rusty if one doesn't use it frequently.  I'll need to brush off the cobwebs for my son's sake.  

Blocks are another favorite and during the cold days of winter, George has been known to dump out the basket of blocks over and over and over again.  All of which annoys Abby who is trying to build castles with as many blocks as possible.  We try our best to shield him away from the castle until the very last moment when we unleash his "knocking down ability" or the "block monster" as we call him when he's destroying the castles.  After that, it's back to the drawing board for a new castle design.

Learning to play boy is quite the journey and one I am ever so grateful the Lord allowed me to experience.  After six girls I was convinced that the closest I would get to a boy was a grandson.  That just lets me know that I should never underestimate the Lord's will.  He's the author of our family's story and I am so willing to experience all that He has written down for our life.  My handsome "little man" has forever stolen my heart and I chose to enjoy learning "boy" for many years to come.

Who is the author of your pages?

The moments of our lives are like the blank pages of a book, and every person that we spend time with writes on the pages of our life/book. . . . Michael Pearl

My family is the world to me, I choose to let them be the authors of my pages while here on earth.  Spending time with them is the most glorious part of my day.  The many rainy days we've had lately have allowed us to stay inside while being able to work on the numerous handmade Christmas projects.  I will have pictures to post after Christmas so that curious eyes have to wait to unwrap the gifts. 

I'm so blessed to have my family.  I love to watch them play, see their smiles, to hear them take care of one another, to quietly share special moments together snug in their rooms.  They don't think that I am listening, but I am and I find such peace during those moments.

Our Thanksgiving was spent so sweetly.  The General Manager cooked while I spent most of the day absorbed in my many sewing and knitting projects.  My Dad and stepmom came over for dinner around six and we had a beautiful BBQ'd turkey, yummy cornbread and sausage stuffing, sweet potatoes, squash, cranberry relish and of course pie for desert;  Barb had prepared a latticed blueberry and cranberry delight.



Nothing could have been sweeter than seeing George climb up on Grandpa's lap watching them read books.  George loves any kind of books with trucks, cars or tractors.



We even managed to get Grandpa to take our yearly family photo for the Christmas cards.  I guess one out of six children not looking is pretty good odds for the number of takes we had to have done.

Our house is an ever changing project; I suppose that's the way an almost 100 year old home has to be.  For the last year that we've been here we've been slowly working on different projects to make our HOUSE a "HOME" for our family.  This is the latest project I tackled.  Changing our pantry door from "this" to . . . .


this. . .  now it will be much easier to know what is behind the door.  It is a stick on label from a company called uppercase living.



Here are several other projects we've completed this year. . . .
(we always seem to have that "sold out" sign up as many of our neighbors have informed us)

May your weekend be blessed.  Thank you for all of the lovely comments.