Tis the Season

It has been a busy six weeks! Time has seemed to fly and stand still all at the same time. Just yesterday I realized that since Sophie's birthday in early Nov, I haven't taken a single photo of my kiddos (excluding phone pictures) which is saying a lot. I feel a little sad about that since Henry has changed quite a bit in the last few weeks. He seems to have lost his baby look and is full speed ahead as a toddler.

Last weekend was FULL. Four parties in three days. Patrick's firm holiday dinner on Friday night (which wasn't nearly as awkward as I was expecting it to be!), a birthday party for a neighbor then a cocktail supper with a dear group of friends Saturday night, and the Downing House Christmas open house Sunday night. I also got to spend some great time with two friends (Ginger and Byranie) who were visiting from out of state this weekend. The couple of hours alone with each of them was such a treat and a wonderful break from the constantness of motherhood. I'm wishing I had more pictures but just managed to get a few on Sunday night at the Downing House...








The next few weeks slow way down for us. We'll take a few weeks off from school and just prepare for Christmas. Then, the weekend after we'll drive down to New Mexico to spend some time with my side of the family. I haven't seen my brother Matt and his sweet wife and kiddos in over 3 years. The longest stretch of time for sure. Looking forward to meeting my niece Maisie and for them to meet Henry. Also, let's not forget the massive amounts of green chile we'll consume.

I must now muster up the energy to stand in line at the post office for stamps.

Merry Christmas!

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

We've been listening to Fernando Ortega's Christmas Songs pretty much all day every day for several weeks. He has some beautiful renditions of classic Christmas hymns as well as several songs of his own. My favorite this year...

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel's strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Such a beautiful reminder of our sweet Saviour's birth and the JOY, PEACE, REST and HOPE that comes from knowing Him.

http://www.fernandoortega.com

Quotes of the day

Thomas running around in his undies...

Me: "Thomas go put your pants on so we can go to Great Harvest."

Thomas: (very convincingly) "Mom, did you know some kids don't wear pants when they go to Great Harvest?"

Me: "No, no I did not know that."


Sophie holding her bucket of Halloween candy...

"Mom, if you just give us the whole bucket then we'll get totally sick of it and won't ask for anymore for like, ten years."

As I'm writing this, Thomas runs in with his pants on, but missing his shirt. Arrgggg. Sometimes getting out the door is ridiculous.

Cannon Beach, OR

We returned a few weeks ago from our first vacation ever as a family. Not just the little drive up to the mountains on the weekend sort of vacation, but a REAL vacation. Like fly somewhere vacation. I will go ahead and skip the part about flying with a 14 month old who is often mistaken for a screeching baby pterodactyl and instead move directly to our blissful week at the beach.

Words cannot describe, nor pictures do any justice to, the beauty of Cannon Beach. The first two times we walked down to the ocean I literally cried. And I am not a crier. It was truly breathtaking. I think Sophie was particularly overwhelmed with the magnitude and different feel of the landscape because she did her "snugly thing" about 100 times over the course of the week. The kids had a ball and Patrick and I totally enjoyed watching them play and explore all day. Surprisingly, Sophie liked playing in the little cottage where we stayed almost as much as on the beach. She is such a nester girl! One of Thomas' favorite things was kite flying and digging pits in the sand. Henry's favorite thing was eating the sand! The weather was apparently wonderful for Oregon. It rained and was chilly at times everyday but I think we had more sunshine that one week than they usually do in a month. We were happy about that for sure!

We went hiking two of the days. One day in Ecola State Park just north of CB and another day we drove across the Columbia River into Washington to hike to the Lewis and Clark center at Cape Disappointment. So cool. We ate our weight in seafood, had bonfires on the beach and on our last day hit low tide just in time around Haystack Rock to see hundreds of starfish, sea anemones, mussels, crabs and every kind of sea bird imaginable.

My mom and Aunt happened to be visiting some friends in Olympia, WA and were able to come down the coast and join us for 3 nights. It was fun having them with us and a treat for Patrick and I to have the ability to go out by ourselves occasionally. One of my favorite things was going on an early morning run together along the water and finding a crab that Patrick bravely picked up and carried home for breakfast. I am still in awe really of how well everyone did for the week away from home. We all slept soundly, stayed healthy, relaxed, and had so much fun together. So grateful for the time together and for God's protection.

It was a fantastic first family vacation.
All future ones will have A LOT to live up to...




The sand was super soft







The cottage surrounded with blackberry bushes



Hangin with George

Loved this oar handrail

I want this



Kite flying



Funny Thomas taking a rest in the background

Cove beach on our hike


Crazy big mossy trees





Indian Beach in Ecola State Park



Tide pool with LuLu

Love the reflection in his glasses



Haystack Rock





















Sticky anemones








Psalm 33:5-9
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
he puts the deep into storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the people of the world revere him.
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.

Pecos Cabin

We spent Labor Day weekend at my brother's family cabin in the pecos mountains just north of Santa Fe. Had a GREAT time minus Hank screaming for 90% of the 6 hour drive down. Our last trip was when Mr. T was a baby, so this time marked his first real cabin experience as a boy -- and he loved every minute of it. Especially the freedom to get a root beer or other sugary beverage whenever he pleased. All bets are off when it comes to healthy habits down there. Dirt, rain, mud, rivers, fish, wood, fire, smoke, melted marshmallows and no baths made the kids very very happy. I tried not to look at their little fingernails too much.

We had some great food, fellowship, games and good laughs. Almost everyone napped in the afternoons and I got to read for a whopping HOUR (without getting up!) while listening to the sweet sound of the river. This made me very very happy. It was nice to have down time without feeling like I was procrastinating something at home. I really wish I could learn the fine art of just "being", even when we aren't some place far away. Top on our list is a cabin of our own someday closer to home. However, it will be very difficult to top the charm of the Pecos. My sister-in-law Juliette's grandparents built it in the fifties starting with the riverrock fireplace. Most everything in it is just as it was back then. Metal dishes, burnt orange linolium, retro cowboy curtains and all. The coolest part though has to be the walls and ceiling in the kitchen (and now bathroom) that guests have been signing forever. A thousand or more names, quotes, and dates to mark the coming and going of its lucky friends. Sophie did not take the task lightly and signed her own name amongst some hearts enough times to count for all of us. It was fun to mark the kiddos current heights on the door jam and to see the dozens of marks for my nephews who will soon be taller than me! I still remember Nathanael's first trip to the cabin as a baby 13 years ago. Those boys are a riot and never cease to amaze me. I love thinking of Hank's first trip to the cabin, and what he will be like 13 years from now...

His favorite ride

A few tantalizing flies

This was probably his tenth or so

Charlotte, Lucas, T, Sophie, & Sammy

Auntie JJ brought along her nail polish of course!

My mama having a great time playing spoons

Beautiful Juliette


A very tired boy - FINALLY!

Nathanael playing Apples to Apples.

Want S'more..

Happily eating the leftover scone dough

The best place to wake up in the morning

Me and my friends back in 1996.
Totally high school.

Sophie prefers to "draw" her name

A shower could be useful

Most photogenic family EVER.

The Bryant ladies

LuLu and Aunt Linda


Cousins