Yesterday was a day for both.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
The View From Here
One of the things I've been working on lately has been living in the moment. Sometimes I live in the moment with my camera to capture the moment so that I can live that moment again later. But mostly, I just sit and take things in.
Yesterday was a day for both.
Yesterday was a day for both.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Fat Dog in a Little Sweat-er
Channel your inner Chris Farley when you hum that little ditty won't you?
Last year's pictures are kept safe and sound on the computer that isn't charged. So I can't show you what Yoshi wan K'Noshi used to look like in his clothing last year, but it appears that he has robbed Benjamin of any growth spurts...because they don't fit anymore!
Last year's coat isn't a great success this year.
He's like the Incredible Hulk. Only not green. And a dog. And less angry. Ok, so maybe not a good comparable.
The sweater wasn't much better.
He was a terrific sport to let me squeeze him into clothes that obviously would never fit. But I wanted to see just how much they wouldn't fit!
Ok, Mama...that's enough please. Can I wear something that fits now please?
I aim to please Yosh! The jacket we bought this fall is actually too big, so I'll need to make a few accomodations to it...but for now, he loves it!
Who knew Yosh would love to be read to? We sure didn't!
It took awhile for him to see his gift sitting quietly under the tree.
But boy oh boy, when he did find it, there was no turning back! Daddy, please can I have it? Please? I'll even lay down w/o being asked.
Not that? How about sit?
No? Lay down then?
No? Just grab it?
Ok, sit right?
Oh, thank you Daddy!! Yum-my!
Now, I sleep.
Last year's pictures are kept safe and sound on the computer that isn't charged. So I can't show you what Yoshi wan K'Noshi used to look like in his clothing last year, but it appears that he has robbed Benjamin of any growth spurts...because they don't fit anymore!
Last year's coat isn't a great success this year.
He's like the Incredible Hulk. Only not green. And a dog. And less angry. Ok, so maybe not a good comparable.
The sweater wasn't much better.
He was a terrific sport to let me squeeze him into clothes that obviously would never fit. But I wanted to see just how much they wouldn't fit!
Ok, Mama...that's enough please. Can I wear something that fits now please?
I aim to please Yosh! The jacket we bought this fall is actually too big, so I'll need to make a few accomodations to it...but for now, he loves it!
Who knew Yosh would love to be read to? We sure didn't!
It took awhile for him to see his gift sitting quietly under the tree.
But boy oh boy, when he did find it, there was no turning back! Daddy, please can I have it? Please? I'll even lay down w/o being asked.
Not that? How about sit?
No? Lay down then?
No? Just grab it?
Ok, sit right?
Oh, thank you Daddy!! Yum-my!
Now, I sleep.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
The View From Here
It's been a wonderful, snowy, cozy day. Our frozen tundra has been experiencing a wonderful winter storm since last night. And now...this is the view we have from our front door.
I got the priviledge of watching Brian and the neighbors plow each others driveway, 6 men plowing and shoveling their way through this glorious snow -- together!
It was awesome to watch from my cozy kitchen! These 5 men (+ one more) are champions for doing everyone's driveways! What a wonderful community we are blessed to be a part of!
A lazy morning, a hot cup of coffee, a stop at Trader Joes (yes, we have one now!!!!) and a day of cooking have been the perfect snow day activities for me! Now, while the gingerbread dough cools in the fridge before rolling, we are going to wrap some gifts! I love this time of year!!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Good Ole Johnny
Sleigh Bells ring, are you listening?
I am sitting in a quiet (for now) house listening to the classic Johnny Mathis asking me if I'm listening to sleigh bells! Umm, no I'm not. But suddenly I wish I were!
I'm sitting next to my crackling fireplace, smelling the bread baking in the bread maker whilst venison (say what?!) cooks in the slow cooker. I'll fill you in on the venison another time-- like after we've eaten it!
Back to Johnny....
One of the things my mom did during the holidays when I was young was play her Johnny Mathis CD over, and over and over (and over and over and over) again. My sisters and I hated it at the time. It really got old. I mean really, how much can a girl listen to Johnny?
I continued that tradition for a few years. Just in the last few years I've started branching out to other Christmas CDs, and I'm so glad I did. I can't imagine the holidays now w/o some of the new, fresh sounds of Christmas echoing through our home! However, it never fails that Johnny can instantly bring me back to my youth. Drinking hot chocolate, building snowmen and snowforts with my sisters, watching the snow fall out our windows, sitting in front of the wood fireplace, building puzzles and snuggling in for the winter. Even the dreaded chores of carrying in wood and shoveling the driveway are looked upon with fondness because when I think of all the good things, the bad things are far outweighed.
I didn't know at the time, that what my mom was doing- whether intentionally or unintentionally, was shaping how I would look at the holidays. For many of us, December is about waiting for Jesus's birth. Just like Mary and Joseph did. Waiting. To spend that time thinking about what would be under the tree, and counting the days until the gifts are opened would be missing the purpose of the season.
Instead, we made the best of the snow days. We didn't have cable growing up, so we never sat glued to the TV, we were busy little bees-- while we waited for the birth.
While we waited, we sang along with Johnny.
Thank you Johnny for being a part of my youth, for helping me to reflect back on the holidays as a child.
I can only pray that the traditions that the boys, Brian and I have maintained through the years will hold a warm fuzziness for the boys when they're older. I pray that they'll look back on the holidays have the same fondness that I had when I was young. Maybe it won't be Johnny who will bring them back, maybe it will be a smell, or a color, or maybe a Christmas ornament...whatever it is, I hope that it will bring them the same love and happy heart that I have right now.
I can't say it enough, I ADORE this time of year!
Peace Love Joy. While we wait.....
I am sitting in a quiet (for now) house listening to the classic Johnny Mathis asking me if I'm listening to sleigh bells! Umm, no I'm not. But suddenly I wish I were!
I'm sitting next to my crackling fireplace, smelling the bread baking in the bread maker whilst venison (say what?!) cooks in the slow cooker. I'll fill you in on the venison another time-- like after we've eaten it!
Back to Johnny....
One of the things my mom did during the holidays when I was young was play her Johnny Mathis CD over, and over and over (and over and over and over) again. My sisters and I hated it at the time. It really got old. I mean really, how much can a girl listen to Johnny?
I continued that tradition for a few years. Just in the last few years I've started branching out to other Christmas CDs, and I'm so glad I did. I can't imagine the holidays now w/o some of the new, fresh sounds of Christmas echoing through our home! However, it never fails that Johnny can instantly bring me back to my youth. Drinking hot chocolate, building snowmen and snowforts with my sisters, watching the snow fall out our windows, sitting in front of the wood fireplace, building puzzles and snuggling in for the winter. Even the dreaded chores of carrying in wood and shoveling the driveway are looked upon with fondness because when I think of all the good things, the bad things are far outweighed.
I didn't know at the time, that what my mom was doing- whether intentionally or unintentionally, was shaping how I would look at the holidays. For many of us, December is about waiting for Jesus's birth. Just like Mary and Joseph did. Waiting. To spend that time thinking about what would be under the tree, and counting the days until the gifts are opened would be missing the purpose of the season.
Instead, we made the best of the snow days. We didn't have cable growing up, so we never sat glued to the TV, we were busy little bees-- while we waited for the birth.
While we waited, we sang along with Johnny.
Thank you Johnny for being a part of my youth, for helping me to reflect back on the holidays as a child.
I can only pray that the traditions that the boys, Brian and I have maintained through the years will hold a warm fuzziness for the boys when they're older. I pray that they'll look back on the holidays have the same fondness that I had when I was young. Maybe it won't be Johnny who will bring them back, maybe it will be a smell, or a color, or maybe a Christmas ornament...whatever it is, I hope that it will bring them the same love and happy heart that I have right now.
I can't say it enough, I ADORE this time of year!
Peace Love Joy. While we wait.....
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Wonders
I wonder when the day came that the boys no longer hung on my every word, and asked me things like "How does Buzz Light Year fly?" You know...things I can answer. Instead they ask things like "When I get my own car, can I paint flames on the side of it?"
I wonder when the day came that the toy box became obsolete. We still have one, but it holds toys for the neighbor's kids and our friend's little ones to play with. When did the day come that the boys no longer had toys for the toybox?
I wonder when the day came that my 12 year old developed an opinion about everything, and takes it as a personal offense if we don't do something his way.
I wonder when the day came that when I open a bag of mini marshmallows for hot chocolate that no sooner than 6 hours later, said bag would be empty.
I wonder when the day came that the boys would no longer need me to bundle them up to go outside, so that when I look out the window, I would see them doing front flips into the mountains of snow at the end of the driveway-- sans gloves, hats, boots, snowpants, and scarves.
I wonder when the day will come that these things will stop nearly bringing me to tears. They're growing up so fast....too fast.
I wonder when the day came that the toy box became obsolete. We still have one, but it holds toys for the neighbor's kids and our friend's little ones to play with. When did the day come that the boys no longer had toys for the toybox?
I wonder when the day came that my 12 year old developed an opinion about everything, and takes it as a personal offense if we don't do something his way.
I wonder when the day came that when I open a bag of mini marshmallows for hot chocolate that no sooner than 6 hours later, said bag would be empty.
I wonder when the day came that the boys would no longer need me to bundle them up to go outside, so that when I look out the window, I would see them doing front flips into the mountains of snow at the end of the driveway-- sans gloves, hats, boots, snowpants, and scarves.
I wonder when the day will come that these things will stop nearly bringing me to tears. They're growing up so fast....too fast.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
