Thanksgiving

Over the river and through many miles of wood, we drove yesterday through the dark, the mist and the rain, to arrive at Buela's house in time for the piles of hors d'œuvre and naps. 

There was much laughing, sleeping, knitting, video games and all around being a family while we waited for the bird to cook.  There was loads of pies, turkey, stuffing, cranberry relish, green bean casserole, and bread.  Everyone rolled away from the table to settle into couches and chairs covered in down blankets  next to a glowing wood stove.  Napping is a community activity in my family.

 

It is such a breath of fresh air to be around people who think like us, laugh at the same stupid things, who view life in much the same way.  To be able to share who you really are, without fear of what they are going to think.  I think it's a bit of what Heaven will be like.  Oh, how I long for that!

And this little boy tasted ice cream for the first time.  My did he enjoy that!  The pumpkin pie was a hit as well.

The boys are enjoying their time petting the kittens, playing in some of the first snow, going on a Winter

 Wonder Walk.

 

Now there are more naps, eating of leftovers and knitting.  It's a good week!

 

Thank Yous

Hummmm, I know when I took this photo this morning, I had a post brewing in my head, but somewhere in the changing diapers, rotating laundry, making lunch, referreeing brothers, and listening to my husband's description of the next two sementary classes he is going to take, whatever had started to peculate got dumped down the drain.


Aren't these cards lovely?  My sister, the amazing graphic designer that she is, created them for us.  I really do enjoy it.  They are such simple cards, perfect for just about anything.  Oh! I remember what I was going to tell you all!

Ok, so I was writing thank you notes this morning and I got to thinking, "I wonder how many people actually hand write, address, and stamp thank you notes anymore." 

Don't get me wrong people, I love email.  One of the best things ever invented.  But there is something about seeing someone's handwriting.  And getting something other than junk mail or bills in your mailbox.  Something quaint, and old fashioned, and personal.  

And...well, I think that's it.  It wasn't too exciting, now was it.  Oh my.  Maybe tomorrow I will have more of a brain. 

Cinnamon Rolls, Acomplishments, and the Ever Present Laundry

Is anyone else blown away by the fact that it is Thanksgiving week already?  When did that happen?  This week is full of preparations.  We are going to my parents' for the last half of the week.  And you all know that preparations for a trip include laundry.  Massive amounts of laundry.  On the plus side, it really is easier to pack as your are folding. 

Accomplishments.  We are going in reverse order of the title.  Such bad writing.  But see, I was trying to hook you.  I knew you wouldn't read if the first word in the title was laundry, because who wants to read about laundry?  And while we are on the topic of bad writing, I seem to manage, although I really do proof read everything, to release multiple spelling, typo, and grammatical errors into the internet world everyday.  For that I am truly sorry.  I have a problem.  I think I remember somewhere confessing that this is my first draft of ideas.  Sorry folks.  I will work on that. 

Now, where was I?  Oh yes, accomplishments.  I have completed all the Christmas presents I needed to make!  I really thought I would be working on them frantically on our trip down, making for a cranky mommy, and two cranky boys.  But they are done!  Wrapped!  In the laundry basket ready to distribute!  Hurray!

And now to the reason you are all reading.  The Cinnamon Rolls.  I was inspired by a friend to make Cinnamon rolls.  I wanted to leave them overnight and bake them in the morning so they would be all warm, gooey and wonderful before church.  I found this recipe and boy, they were good!  Nuts would have been a good addition to the filling.  Next time.

Oh, and don't be fooled, this recipe makes 15 easy!  Next time I make them, I will put half in the freezer, because we (read I) don't need a 9x13 pan of cinnamon rolls hanging around the house.  This would be a great overnight company recipe.

Alright, now back to the laundry.

Uncollection

• Today I am knitting, trying my hand at cinnamon rolls, and thoroughly enjoying having nothing else going on.
  

• Noah is working on our Christmas card as we speak, errr, as I write
  

• I was able to sleep until 11 this morning, thanks to my dear sweet husband!  Elliot is up to his old tricks again.  Last night Noah got up with him, and let me sleep.  I am starting to feel more like myself!  What would I do without this man?

The Arbor

At O dark 30, Noah and Dave Douglas pulled out of camp, headed down I 75 to spend the day at Spring Arbor University.  They will be talking with students today about giving a summer to work at Barakel. This is how I ended up spending the summer of 2001 counseling here. 

SAU was a significant place for Noah and I.  It's where we meet, and dated.  It's where we formed many of our ideas about life, God, and Community.  It's where we learned all about Art, English, Biology, and History.  It's where our education in education began, where we were taught Truths about God from dear people like Ron Kopiko, Dr. Daigle Williamson, and Professor Bippes.

 

So many wonderful hours were spent in the Dinning Commons, the lounges, the classrooms and labs.  Conversations after midnight with dear friends, that although separated by miles and years, still hold such important places in our hearts.  These were the people God used at that time in life to teach us and grow us to be more like Him.

The education we received was fantastic and set a foundation for all that we continue to learn.  I am so very thankful we had the opportunity to spend four amazing years at the Arbor.  What a place! 

 

Elliot the Maniac

I am really not sure what I am going to do with Elliot.

Forrest didn't move independently until he was 14 months old and didn't walk until 17 months.  Elliot at 6 months was army crawling and at 12 is cruising, well on his way to walking.  Sunday we found him on this shelf in the playroom.  Yesterday, he was IN the fireplace, playing with the gas log!  Talk about a way to freak a mother right out!  He was so very close to the pilot light!  Oh, I don't even want to think about what would have happened had he started to play with the fun blue light. 

And it wasn't like the fireplace was easy to get into.  It had a screen in front of it.  Now there is a baby gate and the screen.  Yikes.

I think he is going to be the one to drag Forrest along to try all manner of craziness.  Excuse me, I need to go pull tin foil out of his mouth!

Cheap Prints?

It is that time of year, time to figure out the madness that will be our Christmas card.  In case you haven't been the recipient in the past, I have dug into the archives and found some of our previous ones.

This was the first year we were married.  Nothing too extreme, just, ummm, different than what normal people send to everyone they know at Christmas.

The second year, we hid behind house plants with our dog.  I can't find that photo for the life of me, which is making me sick, because now I am wondering what other photos I have managed to loose in their digital form.

This one is from the year we went to Costa Rica.  Yep, that would be us, with our dog, inside a dog cage, pretending we are on a shark tour.  Ummm humm.  I thought this was a great idea, until I starting addressing cards to our pastoral staff.  Oh well.  What can I say?

The next year, we were tumbling through space.  Again, I can't find it.  What other precious memories have I lost in digital form?  How the horror of it all!

This one was from our first Christmas here at Barakel.  Forrest looks a little perplexed, doesn't he?

And this was last year's.  Elliot was about 2 weeks old.  We were glad there was a dusting of snow on the ground.

You also have to understand that we don't write normal Christmas greetings on any of these either.  There is always something just a little off about them. Like when we hid in our house plants, there was mention of us being surrounded by the enemy and our ferocious dog beast Duncan had been wounded.  There was mention of help needing to be sent.  Or last years.  Something about our new pet elk named Bucky.

So, we have been racking our brains for this year, and I think we have hit on something.  It's going to be...you didn't think I was really going to tell you, did you?  You will just have to wait.  It's not even Thanksgiving yet.

But I do have a question for you all.  Anyone know of any photo print deals?  I'm talking like 6 cents or less.  Because we send one to just about everyone we have ever met.  I think last year we printed 450.  So yeah, let me know if you have any leads.