a joyful Christmas season to you all!

Reading that wonderful story the night of Christmas Eve. Our Christmas Eve ended up being filled with story reading with friends out, and at bedtime. Perfect! I would like this as a tradition! Lee and I didn't grow up in Christmas celebrating families. In fact we were taught as children that it was a worldly event. And, now in our personal walks as Christians we try to look at everything through the lense of our Master's heart for our activities. So we celebrate much "lighter" than many of our friends as we wait on God's perfect leading in our family's personal activities and as we have done so,we find very meaningful parts of the season for ourselves.
I love how it's a time of year when it's ok to drop in on folks and take them treats,invite one's neighbors in,spend lots of time fellowshipping with friends. It's an open door for us as Christian's to minister to needs,talk about the reason for the birth of Christ, spend lots of time reading the story to our children. We can remember our Master's words on not just sharing with our friends who can return favors but doing good to our enemies and His teachings on doing unto others as we would be done to. If we keep our Savior's words in our hearts on the fleeting nature of the goods of this world we can love on each other with gifts in a way that isn't materialistic. And,so, I wish you all a most joyful and blessed Christmas season and may the Christ child's message live on in your heart!

A joyful Christmas season from our house to yours! (This is us Christmas Eve!)

Love,
Pilgrimama

and we celebrate one last birthday

the birthday boy...

got this ...

and this...

and this...

AND THIS!!!!!

We didn't see much of him at all on his birthday-there was a ginormous snowstorm,for this far South anyway! But we made up for it the next day! Oh,we did celebrate this daddy dude of ours!

Off to pack and clean!

Pilgrimama

a new Sunday morning tradition??

This is last Sunday's breakfast. Or at least some of it. If I get up early enough to treat my darlings to a yummy and entertaining breakfast,it could be a fondly remembered tradition. As in"Mama was so loving she diligently arose before the sun so we could have pancakes for breakfast!" I'd like them to remember me that way. Diligent.

I tried out this "cow shape maker" I found while thrifting. Yummy whipped cream (or death cream as Lee called aeresol whipped cream) and homemade blueberry jam topped this cow.

This cow turned out mostly the right shade. That black one you see in the top picture? Black Angus breed. Lee says Black Angus meat is good for you. So there.

Now, on to the backed up laundry piles. I was sick yesterday. Quite sick.

But today? Smelly laundry piles begone. Speaking of laundry and smells,I got myself a new toy for the laundry room. Lavendar scented dryer sheets. This helps to entice me into that intense place known as the laundry corner in the cold basement. Adieu!

In His Care,

Pilgrimama

"a person to be loved"

a shot of a new wall hanging I put up recently..

see what it says?

Love,

Pilgrimama

the supersquirrel (girl)

flying(kind of)

cape flows behind!

We like flying squirrels in this house!

That is a marbled silk scarf by the way. It ties very nicely onto little girls' jumper straps. I'm sure all kinds of scarves would work.

lOVE,

Pilgrimama

remembering Thanksgiving this year..

ok,ok, so it's close to Christmas. But I really want to remember this year's Thanksgiving.It was so sweet,tinged with the remembrance that family in the New Testament definition is so much more than just defined by blood. Sweet people that I love so deeply becoming our family,inviting our family in to eat,pray,play and enjoy one another. One of my closest friends and her extended family asked us to join them this year in the big family home for Thanksgiving dinner. Most of the pictures are very personal to put up and still respect all our privacy but here are a few perfect for blog posting!

homemade cranberry sauce..

A collection of Thanksgiving themed books. Perfect!

We brought this cherry pie and also a lime meringue.

oops! 2 shots of cherry pie.You know you want some. Go make one quick!

The dessert board...

Lee's arm serving food. I love you sweetie.

Plate of food. The end!

Love.

Pilgrimama

then she was two

I am feeling fulfilled.With the help of God and Lee,I have brought my brood all up past infancy.They walk,run and eat on their own.(Mostly.) I am 27. Thus,I present my life's work,or at least some of the best of it. Praise God! This is good!

Celebrating two and Squirrelgirl at a fave place of our brood's. The place Lee and I call the "dirty Chinese buffet " and we understand each other without more explanation than that.We all like Chinese food and so put up with even an extra dirty restaurant......!

I come for things like won-ton soup. Squirrelgirl prefers the aquairium of live fish.

Opening gifts-pajamas!

Next up-pictures of Thanksgiving! I know-late. Life is very full and busy and we are moving across town by the end of the year as well. You know 'cause we really like to move twice a year and all.(not)

Love,

Pilgrimama

like the yarn

Life has it's painful things mixed in with moments of overwhelming thankfulness making something multihued,like this yarn I discovered at the farmer's market. Beautiful all added up.

Today amidst life and plenty of challenges, I am just deeply grateful for friends and spiritual family better than I have ever known.

Undeserving comes to mind as I hear words of affection and friendship that can only be gifts from a bountiful Father. One who gives above measure spiritually and fills up my love bank.

God is good!

In Him,

Pilgrimama

pieces of a morning

granola..

coffee...

a muffin and fruit..

this sits next to our little fishtank-i think it looks happy!

In Him,

Pilgrimama

by the way,she's five!

I can so remember myself at five,with my secret dreamworlds,my opinions,and the loss of innocence in the breaking up of a family and my home as I knew it.I think I even still loved a teddy bear. I survived seperation from my mother who was dearest to my heart,scary nights in a lonely,upstairs bedroom as I hid under my blankets from peeking vampires,moves,long days of work,stacks of books,(shoot ! even what basically amounted to an arranged marriage!),and look at what my Father had in mind as the threads of my life were woven!This soul is very dear to my heart and Lord willing we'll fight them vampires together! (Actually, maybe she sleeps in my bed so much already that she has no fear of vampires...?)

entertainment for her tea party...

how can she be so calm?

There she blows!!

T'was a lovely tea. Aunt S made the long trek and friends of Chelsea's,little and big, made shorter treks to our door,some in quite the regalia. Handmade gifts abounded and it all came together for a special night!

In Him,

Pilgrimama

a list

stacking: books and papers

practicing: guitar

building:paper cup houses

watching : my new maid mix bread dough!

A good day to you and yours!

In His Love,

Pilgrimama

just thinking...

about how one of the best moves I've made recently is to listen to my husband's advice on the after dinner dishes.
It used to make me cross to find those dishes waiting for me after a long evening of bathing, reading etc. etc to a crowd of little people. I couldn't relax and enjoy the evening with them because of all the housework I tried to get done also.
Lee often was exhausted after a days work and wanted to do a few relaxing things at the end of the day,which left him unenthusiastic also.
Now, we clean up and soak the dishes.
Granted,I do have to get up and moving in the morning but it is so worth it.Now we can enjoy each other in that precious evening time. It really works for this household!
In His Love!
Pilgrimama

a literature stack

It's been a busy, busy time. A high needs guest for a full week, one baptism and one visit to the church of friends yesterday, and Jess starting guitar lessons today.
But.... I've discovered the magazine section of our library. The library and I have a love-hate relationship. It has to do with fines, and toddlers that get into book baskets etc. that they have no buisness being in, and on and on. But,here's part of my library stack.
And this just makes more trouble for me too. Now I want to make peg dolls....
And,for those of you with fall birthdays and the whole party favor thing staring you in the face,here's a helpful,helpful link!http://belladia.typepad.com/crafty_crow/page/4/
In Him!
Pilgrimama

projects!

Making art..

This book is good for a project a day type thing for almost five year olds. Probably five year olds too. We're almost there!

What to do with an almost two year old that is busy,busy,busy? This worked for me today.

Happy Saturday!

In His Love,

Pilgrimama

beauty out and about....

We went hiking last weekend. Even though the leaves were past their prime, there was still so much beauty to be found. Up and down.

Shadows..

Up high..

Find the deer.

Far off..

Up again..

Out there....

My Father made all of this.

May God bless,

Pilgrimama