Christmas Recap

Anticipation.

Christmas baking (which in our house means a couple of last-minute things made on Christmas Eve (Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread and Super Spicy Ginger Cookies).

Relaxing because all of the gift wrapping was finished days before.

A very peaceful and contemplative Christmas Eve service at our church.

Christmas morning crepes and sausages and lots of coffee and exchanging gifts with our best friends (LEGOs! A new doll! And for me... a starter kit to begin beekeeping at last; something I've wanted to do for years and years and years).

Christmas evening spent with the Farmboy's family.

New Year's Eve spent with my family (So. Many. Cousins.)

We are blessed in many more ways than we deserve. With friendships and family relationships and a church congregation to which we truly belong, heart and soul. With a home that brings peace and comfort in the darkest of hours. With so much that I could never express, including YOU.

Thank you for coming back time and again, even when my blogging consistency is extremely lacking. I appreciate you more than you know.

The main reason I was so much more relaxed this Christmas? Instead of sourcing and buying gifts for the multitude of family members that we exchange gifts with each year, I gave "homemade" gifts to all (tee hee)...

Kids Were Here

The Rest of September

In an effort to catch up on this blog, I'm going to inundate you with photos and not much text. I hear from you often, that you like peeking into my life, and I don't mind sharing at all. But my life has become so full of good things, that my blog has taken a back burner, and at least for now, the words are going to have to be minimal. At least until I have room in my brain once again, for composing and writing. I want to maintain this ongoing photo journal for myself, so bear with me, please.

Here you'll see the slow change of weather, evidence of humor, live music, group relationships, and the simple pleasures that I try to make note of regularly. Because when I do, sometimes with mental snapshots, and sometimes with real snapshots, it helps me to slow down and savor. Otherwise the whirlwind would sweep me away.

First Day of School 2016

As far as first days of school go, it was rather un-traditional. Classes on campus wouldn't start for another week, so we would normally stay in our pajamas and dive into our home curriculum. But, still waiting on some of our textbooks and with some technical issues that made the school-provided laptops un-usable, we mostly ran errands (which included a stop at the school for technical help).

So at least they're fully dressed and look super official in this photo.

Would you believe that they are entering Third and Fifth grades this year? I can't.

Kids Were Here