Thanksgiving!

Cousins

Thanksgiving at Vic's was good. Delicious food, time together and A LOT of cousin fun!

Isabel is a talented girl!

These two. 

I have never thought they looked alike, but here they do a bit.

They are kind and fun!

Emily! Love this girls' strength, competitive nature and kindness.

Relaxing... 

I am grateful for

1) FAMILY

2) Merit's attitude

3) Willem's willingness to learn

4) Hazel's heart and sweet spirit

5) Oren's personality and the way he keeps me humble as a mom

6) My husband

7) Hope in Jesus

8) Being able to fill up my gas tank. I grew up watching many not be able to do this and when I was in college I certainly couldn't do this. Five dollars here, five dollars there. I can pull up to the pump and fill my car and that is a luxury.

9) FRIENDS

10) This Thanksgiving weekend and also Thanksgivings in the past...

 Pictures from previous Thanksgivings:

Isaiah 40:31 - Happy Chickens

I have some pretty happy chickens. They really like it here.

This verse has been so important this week. HOPE. It is a necessary thing.

Autumn Love

 Willem and a fire, with his dog - great moments

We are outside as much as possible on these pretty fall days.

Farm fresh. One of my favorite things in the day is collecting fresh eggs.

A Tuesday Evening Check in...

These chickens are therapy.  Photography and chicken farming are good for my soul. My sis Natasha needs your prayers. There are uncertainties and just big "life stuff" standing in the way of light hearted days. God is so much bigger than so much of this worry and uncertainty.

Prayerful friends are such a sweet blessing.

The Veteran's Day Assembly today at Longview was amazing! And Willem was selected to read a poem he wrote. Shannon took Oren. I was so glad! The assembly was a little longer than I anticipated and being able to give my full attention felt really good. Vance and I sat together and enjoyed it.

Merit is heading to Frontier for an Activity night he earned through collecting for jog a thon, a fundraiser for his school. I love having a 7th grader.

When your Christmas card photo shoot doesn't go exactly as planned...

Oren is so hot and cold. He is moody. He is opinionated. He is compassionate. He is darling. 

He is giving me gray hairs people. 

If he doesn't want to pose for a picture, he won't.

Sometimes a photo shoot doesn't go as planned. 

Sometimes LIFE doesn't go as planned. 

I feel like I learned 10 things today. It's amazing that I am 40 and I am still learning so much. Each day, each week, each month.

These kids are incredible. Mostly I mean that in a good way. Merit, Willem and Hazel were so patient today. Two year olds are unpredictable.

Sometimes beautiful memories are made in the simplest things and sometimes I can plan a whole carefully orchestrated day and it can unwind nothing like I planned.

People I know and love are hurting and every single day I get the opportunity to pray.

If I let my kids teach me things, they will. Every day.

Merit was supposed to get a tooth extracted tomorrow (a baby tooth that needs to come out ). It came out tonight after he worked and worked on it! He pointed out he saved me about 50 bucks. 

When I go for bike rides with Willem, he is honest and raw and speaks of everything that makes him happy and all that frustrates him. Sometimes there are tears. Sometimes they are mine and sometimes they are his.

Hazel has been trying to teach me The Itsy Bitsy Spider in Spanish and I can't begin to sing it as beautifully as she does. But yesterday, she sang it to a little Mexican girl at Moses Lake's new Marshalls and I thought I might cry.

 Fast forward 10 years. I think I have a 7th grade cross country star in Oren. Look at that form!!

And when the going got tough, this girl busted out in dance moves.

Begging, pleading, "Oren, do you want to be on our Christmas picture??" 

There is very little reasoning with a two year old. 

My kids love each other more than I could every imagine. 

I have this too with my brothers and sisters and it is one of the most amazing gifts. 

Pray for our Veterans. Past and Present.

Pray for JOY because it can be found.

And if life gives you lemons... well, you know what to do.

Conference week, a drive down Lost Lane, life with a two year old

Vance, Spike and Willem put A LOT of work into our new hen house! Spike taught Willem how to run his drill. Willem helped with some pretty cool details. Vance worked on the coop all day last Saturday and well, I have some happy chickens!

This week has been very busy. School projects, half days for the kids... I taught a  rubber stamping class at Longview through Reflections. That was fun. Then the following day a photography class. Engaged kids and awesome help made this a success. This was our parent/teacher conference week. I think I met with 7 teachers total. Merit, Willem and Hazel are doing well. Merit has a lot of work as a 7th grader. His grades are good but I know they could be better. And I will help him work even harder. Conferences were good. I am thankful for their teachers!

 Yesterday Oren had a fit that lasted quite a while. Whew. He did not want to be buckled in the car -all the while he was screaming "NO THANK YOU!!" But at least he was polite about it. :-) Then he started watching Curious George and held his puppy... all was well.
I took a drive past the Christmas tree farm not far from our home...

This Christmas tree farm is on Lost Lane

I was able to dream a bit of going there to get our tree...