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