Talking To Grandma

"Ha-da, ha-da", he says while walking around.
Imitating both a hello and the fact that Momma never sits still while on the phone.

The best building blocks we've found

There's nothing to match the excitement and energy that accompanies a new supply of toilet paper arriving at our house.

You see, it's soft, light weight and stackable, making it the ideal building block. No matter how high you stack it, no one gets a bruised head when the tower comes tumbling down.

Just don't knock it over too soon, you might get a lecture from your big sis. It has to be taller first!

How do you keep your children entertained on cold winter days?

He Cooks Too!

There's A New Member On Our Dish Crew

What I see when I look down these days

Adorable view, isn't it?

Look Who's Walking!

It may have taken him awhile, but at sixteen and a half months he figured it out, and now he's off to the races. Go Levi!

A Small Snapshot Of Our Christmas

First Christmas to be big enough to get in on the decorating action = delight!

Mom finally learning that she can just leave it the way the children decorate it = growth (or acceptance that it will all be rearranged tomorrow anyway so I may as well just leave it).
Little boy playing with new tractor Christmas morning = perfection
Want to know what elicited such an expression of delight?
Candy?
Toys?
Jewelry?

Did you guess it yet?


Cleaning Supplies!

Yes, I got each of my children their own squirt bottle and cloths for their stockings and the past few days have seen them cleaning for hours. I don't think the lower three feet of my walls, windows and cabinets have ever been so clean.
"What could this be?"
"Hmm..."
"Help me out here, sis, it might be scary"
"Oh, it's a car, awesome!"
"Now we will all sit on the couch and wonder why Heidi looks like a horse."
I had great fun making a few new items for the dress-up box this year and the girls agreed that shared presents are sometimes the best.
We also had quite a bit of acting going on around here this year.
We continued our tradition (started last year) of a daily advent for the month of December and this year our readings took us though the lineage of Christ. Starting with Him as a part of the triune God and continuing with Adam and Eve, key people such as Abraham, Isaac, Rahab, Ruth, and David, and on to Joseph and Mary.
Heidi also played the part of a shepherd in our church's Christmas program and in the few practices seemed to memorize every line. (I'm glad it was almost entirely scripture).
Between these two things, she had a pretty good grasp of the how it came about that Christ came to earth, took on flesh and dwelt among us.
How thrilling to see both my girls rejoicing that our Savior loved us and came to die in our place.
How exciting to see them realize that the true joy in Christmas comes through knowing that we can have eternal life through Him who rose from the dead!
Thank you Lord for the gift of a Babe. The gift of Yourself!

My Dashing Young Man

We made a Daddy trap...

Now he CAN'T get out of bed!

His first real word was "cat"

We're discovering that Levi is an animal guy. He loves the chickens, the cat and he share a mutual adoration (this one is named Suckers, loves to ride on the stroller with him and has lasted three months, a record around here) and he's fascinated by the calves.
His favorite being this poor fellow who got his leg broken in the process of coming into the world. I think it's that he doesn't run when Levi comes near. Heidi calls him Gianni (said Johnny). The others are Tyrell, Zachary, River and Treehouse, and the big boys are Robinhood and Little John. I think the only thing more fun than naming things is allowing my children to do it for me.
I'm hoping this means lots of willing help with the farm chores in the future!

Beach Day... In October?

We found this delightful little sandbar while out walking the other day, the girls were quickly enamored and hopeful for a day of swimming there.
I wasn't too confident that would be happening in Canada in October, but God provided a wonderful bit of Indian summer and we're working on enjoying it to the fullest.
I do believe it was warmer yesterday than it has been all summer in some of the years I've lived here. Warm, and windy.
Perfect weather for wading, digging and discovering treasures.

Levi was thrilled with the outing as well. Just don't tell him he's wearing a pink hat. It was the only one I could find on the way out the door and when I tried to remove it for pictures to save him future embarrassment, he cried.
Thank you, Lord, for a beautiful day!

Glorious October Walk