" My job is to allow their feet to walk the paths of wonder..."

"... to see that they form relations to various things, so that when that habit is formed, they will carry an appreciation for nature with them throughout their lives." * Quote from Pocketful of Pinecones by Karen Andreola.

Sitting in my mama's cozy cabin watching the babes sleep on a makeshift bed made from two couches pushed together, covered with many blankets and books and dolls and trucks. I feel so thankful as I look at them sleeping. Thankful to be spending so much time with my family, thankful to be in this warm room rocking away while the rain drizzles down outside. Thankful that the babes have been sleeping so well in all of these new places. Thankful for the new library of rich and enlightening books I got for Christmas...books are such treasures to me. They inspire and inform and encourage and entertain and uplift...oh do I love them. At the moment I am reading one called, "Pocketful of Pinecones" about studying nature with your children. It is written as a fictional story of a mother who is homeschooling her children in the 1930's using the principals of Charlotte Mason. So, the book is meant to be a practical picture of what Nature Study and Mason's other ideals look like in day to day life, but is also a sweet story about a family. So far, I'm loving it. It isn't a great work of literature or anything (I'm sorry if the author happens upon this someday), but it is giving me some great ideas to remember for our future studies.

I guess I'll close for now. The warm fire is making me in a rambling mood and I could just go on forever. I'll just say that we have had several wonderful Christmas celebrations and I have just loved spending time at the Hunt's,at Anna's, at Shanyn and Tim's, at my grandparents, at JM and Tara's, at Bub and Robins, and at my mamas. Such unique and special experiences at each home we get to spend time in!
Jen

Echo D, our baby bee....

is not much of a baby anymore! My cutest niece ever turned two yesterday and we got to be at her magical Alice in Wonderland tea party! It was so much fun and, of course, so creatively prepared by her mama. I love you Echo and am so happy to be your Auntie:)

He really, really loves them...

His daddy's old toy trucks that is:) Shari has a basket full of Joel's little metal trucks from when he was young and Sam is just in truck heaven.

He eats with them and sleeps with them and plays with them all day long. It is really just so adorable and so sweet to know that Joelie loved them just the same when he was Sam's age.

All for now, Jen

She really, really loves him...

Her cousin "baby Isaac" that is:)
Sammy loves him too and is introducing him to the wonderful world of trucks,but he just isn't quite as demostrative about his love. Oh Amelia, she is an affectionate one! We are having a great time here in Texas so far. I would like to see some sunshine, but the babes had a good ol' time splashing in big puddles today with their grandpa Jim so I guess I won't complain:) Hope you all are well and enjoying this holiday season wherever you are! Jen

Swirling colors...

As the snow is piled up outside, we chose to have a art filled morning inside! We were equipped with new paint from IKEA and an art cabinet that I finally pulled together last night in order to have supplies ready and waiting for use. Oh how this cabinet makes me excited for future homeschooling days:) I just love organized learning supplies! Anyway, they had a fabulous time swirling paint and telling each other, "Oh, good job." I overheard that they were painting planes, rainbows, rockets, and cats.


They were very messy afterwards and so I plopped them in a bubble bath and started folding some laundry (yes, we fly out tomorrow for Texas and yes I should be packing that laundry and yes I am procrastinating:). I went over to the tub to scrub them and Sam said, "Get out of the bafroom!" What?! Um, what?! I knew the day was coming when they would want to play without mama getting in the way, but up till now they ALWAYS wanted me near them. To the point where I would complain about it and say that they were not very independent and wondered aloud if they would cling to me forevermore. Why do we always want what we don't have? We do we always want the next stage to come and then so often wish we could go back? They have been playing so much on their own the past couple of weeks. With their cars and blocks and animals and such. Sigh. Sigh. Sigh. Growing up before our eyes.

All for now. The next post will probably be from Texas (where it better be getting warmer for my arrival:), Jen

Ready or not...

Winter is here. Winter is here and every year that we have lived in SLC, I get the same feeling. Dread. Dread of being indoors, of feeling cooped up with two energetic children who are happiest when outdoors. But, again, I have a choice to make. I can choose to worry and fret and dread and feel sad, OR I can appreciate the beauty and get creative about indoor activities and spend a little more time planning our days. I really do set the tone for our days, and the past week or so the tone has been pretty grumpy around here. Snow is sticking and we have been under the weather and, in the worst of times, there has been lots of whining, crying, growling, and picking on each other. But, there have been sweet times as well. I captured some of them and want to remember that there is always joy to be found, no matter the weather!

So, here are some of our best moments this past week:
Venturing out to a friend's house (though we pretty promptly turned around and came home when the whining/crying continued in their house:)

Made a big tent and played in and around it for a very long time.

Made gingerbread cookies--yum, yum:) We also made peppermint, red and green play-doh today!


Practiced skills like pouring their own milk:)

Read lots and lots of Christmas books and sang Christmas songs....precious times!


So, I know it isn't even officially winter yet, but it is for us and these are the memories and quality times I want to keep having together. I know there will be frustration and challenges and that I will be ready for sunshiney days for sure, but I don't want to miss out on the beauty. It's there to found every day, Jen

Sammy Settles in...

There has been lots of movie watching these past few days with everyone around here feeling yucky:( I walked in today to find that Sam had arranged this little set-up with the stools all by himself. He was a little close to the screen, but looked so comfy with his legs crossed and snacks and water set up, I just left him there!

Glimpses of our days...

Here are some video clips of the past month. November was really so mild and beautiful...ahhhh. I did leave in Sammy starting to melt down to confirm for you that it isn't all sunshine and granola over here all the time:) Anyway, enjoy!