Victoria's Boutique

Victoria set up a little shop right next to the kitchen table to sell all her lovely rubberband bracelets that she has been making for all her friends.  She even had a section of the table set aside for demonstration so even you could learn to do them.  She was selling them for $4.  A little steep for her brothers.  I think they bargained with her enough that Jared did buy one for $1.  She didn't have much traffic that day, she is hoping to actually find the rubberbands here in town....we have yet to find them. I love that she will just "play" out loud.  I love that she shares that with ME, her Mom. The other kids kept questioning why she had set up shop right in our own kitchen....I think they have forgotton how to be a child with no limitations to the imagination.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Daphne painted this back in 2002 in our little co-op.  I think this was Kelly's idea and it brought tears to my eyes when I pulled it out.  I can remember Kylee and Daphne sitting at the table the longest painting. That feels so long ago. Christmas does that.  It makes you think about where you've been and where you're going. When I think back to this past year and question how we even survived I just know that there is only one reason.

God sent his only son, a baby. A tiny squishy, baby to save all of us.  And all we have to do is believe in him.  That's it.  Why it took me so many, many years to really believe that I have no idea.  Sure, I believed it but now I really, really, believe it. In fact, I know it.  Because it is only through our faith in Jesus Christ did we make it this past year. It is only through God's plan did our family even make it up here.  How my sister came out of the wordwork to drive all our worldly posessions 800+ miles in a diesel truck at no cost to us.  That was the work of our Heavenly Father! All those years, God was molding us for the plan he has for us right now.  It is evident through our new church, our new friends, our new homeschool co-op, our renewed relationships with eachother in our little family.  I can look back now and see how it has all come together.  Long ago, I think when Kaleb was just a little thing, I prayed for God to use me in ways that he wanted, and when the time came for that to happen, I also prayed that he would put it in my heart to totally trust him and what he had planned for our family.  Many of you know how much of a control freak I am. So I knew that it was going to take A LOT for me to be totally obedient to what God wanted and not necessarily what I wanted.  We are there.  Like, really there! Our family is in IT.  And it keeps happening over and over and over again.  Every day I feel like God is revealing that plan and I have found....no God has sent new friends...who share that with me. I have found renewed strength in my faith.  It is totally awesome! Beyond words. And to think that it all started with a little baby. 

A baby born a king.  

Aren't I cute?

Long ago.....before DOGS.....our dogs...this is where the cat slept.

I really don't think Henry knows that, so he doesn't

know how special that spot has always been for every cat that I have ever known. 

Otherwise, he would look more like he got away with something. 

Henry is just as spunky and active as he was as a puppy almost 6 years ago. 

A neighbor has a border terrier that looks just like Henry.

She was saying that they were thinking that with time their dog would settle down a little. 

HA!

Good luck with THAT!



I Spy Nature

I have always been fascinated by all the wonders in Nature.  On hikes or time spent at the park, the kids have always picked up and brought home little finds. It wasn't until this past summer that I actually made a spot on a little table in the corner of the dining room area for them to set them down and keep in one place. With our first summer here, and experiencing all kinds of new things out there, it was time to clear my counter and have a place to display where we can come back again and again to look at and inspect. So here is our collection that went into a temporary box for Christmas.

This has to be our coolest find.  We were at the park after co-op one day and one of the girls brings over this wasp nest the size of a volleyball.  She had no idea what it was and I was so excited because I couldn't believe it was intact.  It was funny because one of the boys said that he had seen it lying on the ground the week before but didn't think anything of it as they were playing "capture the flag".  It just amazes me that such a small insect can create something like this.  It barely weighs anything.

In September we discovered that the little garter snake that lives in our backyard shed his skin.  The skin was just lying in the grass next to the sliding door.  Really cool but really creepy.  To think that .....1. it is bigger! and 2. it did this right in our backyard next to the door! I don't really know if this is exciting or not.  I know they are harmless but it is still very creepy! You can even see where it's eyes were!  Uuugggh!

Kaleb came walking in one day with this dragon fly. In the upper corner is a wasp.  There is an abundance of wasp in this area.  We were constantly knocking down their nests.

I think Kaleb picked up this little piece of decaying wood when we were camping that has been bored by a beetle.  That has always amazed me what is left behind when the beetle dies or moves on.

Victoria and I covered Easter eggs with tissue paper,so no those aren't real. But the nest is.  It had been abandoned in the walnut tree next to where we gardened.  It was hanging out of the tree this past Fall.  It was amazing to observe the insects and birds while we were gardening this past summer.  The fluff in the upper right hand corner is as soft as silk and came out of a puff ball kind of seed pod that Daphne found on a hike.  She stuffed the fluff in her pocket.  We threw some up in the air and it tossed and twirled in the breeze. I can see how easily it would be to spread.  All part of God's design.

Kaleb found this grasshopper leg.  Have you ever really looked at one with a magnifying glass.  They really are pretty neat. Victoria had picked up the pinecone when it was still green and closed.  About two weeks later she noticed that it was starting to open.  So we got a chance to watch it continue to open. 

Kirk found this praying mantis case right next to a wasp nest.  I wonder what the planning was on that one.   I did make him reassure me that it was empty before he brought it into the house.  Another one of those really wierd things that is all part of God's design.  The brambles right next to it are awesome ammunition.  We found these on a hike and discovered how well they stick to clothing.  Of course Kirk and I can't quite win at wars anymore with the kids.  They are too quick and clever. Victoria was running along and had collected about ten of them on her shoelace.  She looked like she had a huge pom pom on her shoes like what we would do with our skates in the 70's.

Kaleb collected this seed pod when it was completely green and closed with soft spikies on it.  I think this is the very item that started the need for a place to observe it drying and opening.  The case is configured in three sections.  That is mathmatical, I know.  The Fabonnicci numbers or something like that.  I found him many times inspecting its progress.

So that is our Nature Table, along with heart shaped rocks, bark, lichen, moss, cattails, horsetails grass, fall leaves, and a bunch of other little trinkets from nature. It has been a great way to slow down and look around our environment and just take it in.  There are so many things in nature that we either don't take the time to see or just don't see it.  It makes hiking even more adventerous as we find and observe new things and experiences.



Speed Blogging

Speed Blogging.

So what exactly is Speed Blogging?

I just made it up. 

It is for those times when life comes at you from all ends and you get behind.

And you update your blog with little short entries.

It would be wrong to just skip it....right?

And I can't think of anything else to call it. 

So there you go!

November zoomed by at the speed of light. I guess we wrapped up
 October with a blink of an eye since I just discovered
that this is pretty much the only picture 

we have of any of the kids dressed for Halloween.

And no, you don't need glasses. 

Yes,  actually posted a blurry photo. 

And yes, it really is blue. 

There was a cloud cover and the sky really did look bluish at dusk. 

It was actually kind of pretty.   

 I actually had to think long and hard to figure out what we really did in November. The calendar was filled making me realize that we were just living life.

  So here is November.........

 

Showing Grandpa Headley just how much shorter he is

or maybe it is how much taller his son and grandsons are....

 

Enjoying our first snow of the season....

actually I think this was the second snow...but who's counting...

 

Having a fun time with friends at Stokes Nature Center with Louise. 

They learned how to make their own map.

Hard to believe that two of these kiddos are actually older than Victoria. 

She is going to be a tall girl!

Crazy Hair day at our homeschool co-op named Cache Valley Star Academy.

Kirk painted a back drop for A Joyful Noise Children's Choir that Victoria is

singing a medley of Fiddler on the Roof. 

More pictures to come. 

Victoria was excited to be a Poppa, so she got to wear a beard

that was handknitted by our friend Heidi.

Writing letters to friends first thing in the morning.....I love that she is writing!

I think Samson is waiting for his breakfast.

Kirk painted a backdrop for Do Re Mi School of the Arts in Scottsdale AZ.

He mails it in an enormous tube.  Last summer I actually picked it up so he could use it again. 

So now Kirk has airbrushed in extreme temperatures.  He has weathered through high heat, high winds and now freezing cold.  I would have laughed if it started to snow. 

We thought it might but it came only close to happening. 

He was having trouble with the paint being too cold to blow through his brush.

The water in his wash bucket actually froze.

We celebrated an early Thanksgiving with family in Malad, ID. 

I love it out at Kathy's house. It is very peaceful. 

 It was fun to see Aunt Carol, Troy, Kathy, Rich and his friend Suzanne.

We ate and played games. And were plenty goofy at times.

It is hard not to with Rich around.

Rich is still the tallest.  I think Kathy was relieved that Victoria was still shorter than her.

But not for long.

Daphne and Rich got into a thumb war. 

We have some L-o-n-g fingers running through our family. 

We have so much to be thankful for. 

We have a wonderful family, great friends, fun things to do

AND we live in a beautiful place.

It is hard to believe that we have come full circle to living a whole year here.

We have all grown both spiritually and some physically...in height that is.

Pretty soon I am going to be looking UP to Kaleb. 

That will just be so wierd!

Happy Birthday Daphne!

Daphne is 20!

20!

When did that happen?

I think back to those younger years of her crawling around the house acting like a cat, or hiding in little spaces, or needing to draw as soon as her eyes opened in the morning like she had some important deadline to reach by 8 am.  She was only 5 at the time.

Now she is 20.

Now she is officially transitioning into adulthood.

The bus is her means for freedom.

The ladies in her sewing group at the church are he newest friends.  They love her.

She is finding her way in spite of challenges. 

For those who really know Daphne,

will understand the challenges that she faces every day.

Through thick and thin, we are there for eachother,

with enough room to spread wings and fly when ready.

Daphne isn't ready to fly yet, but that doesn't matter

when you're with the people who love you.

We're family.....

 



Happy Birthday Victoria!

Our little girl is 8!

She wanted a Woodland Fairy party. 

I did ask her if she had a sword tucked under her skirt somewhere. 

She replied....Mooooom! In a sing songy voice. 

She could barely sleep the night before. 
At eleven oclock last night I heard her calling for me. 

I can't sleep!

I'm hungry!

What time was I born?

How many hours until my party?

My stomach hurts!

I think I'm hungry!

 The Woodland Party was perfect for our little fairy.

Victoria can be quite the planner. She helped as much as she could to be ready for her guests. 

This was to be her first "Friend" party.

 We played old fashioned games like, knocking the cans off the bench with a beanbag and dropping clothespins into a glass jug.  They colored Fairy bookmarks that Daphne put together for them and painted fairy houses.  Along with some good girl time with giggles and silly faces too.

She kept running up to me saying

This is the BEST day EVER!

It is hard to believe that our baby is 8!

It feels like just a short time ago she was this little baby

who wanted to be in the middle of it all

and not miss a beat with the big kids. 

 Now she seems to be one of the big kids, in the middle of it all

and not missing a beat. 

Happy Birthday Victoria!