Family & More Family

This is me with my twin niece and nephew. Aren't they sweet? Kaylee had come home from preschool with a good behavior reward sticker on her hand. When his mama asked Johnathan where his was, he said he didn't know.

"Did you stand on your desk today?" she asked. (I'm sure there's back story here, but we didn't ask.)

"No." His tone here was deeply offended. Listen to the word as a low, husky voice coming out of a three-year old's body; draw out the syllable.

"Did you yell?"

"No." Exact same inflection.

The conversation went on this way for quite few questions and his response never changed. I believe, even when he's grown, I will be able to hear him denying the false accusations!





This is the twins' dad, my brother, Mark. He and Joshua always have a good time since that day in the field when they bonded over cow poop.












Kevin with one of his older brothers, Scott. This might be the first picture I've ever taken of just the two of them.











And this is me with my sister-in-laws, Jill and Jennifer. I know this is the first time we've taken a picture of the three of us together.

Lumber Jill

During the storm I last blogged about, we had several trees go down all over the property. (We live on 15.5 acres.) Yesterday, Kevin and Dad took the chain saw to the fallen fir and medrona and cut them down to a manageable size. Today...we played in the forest. For hours, we rolled them down the steep slopes, gathered the logs into piles, and loaded them into the back of the pickup. A great invention, that 4-wheel drive! But what you load...you must unload. ;-)

It was hard, physical labor, but I found joy in my ability to lift a heavy piece. Last year, I was still recovering from a sudden, unexplained paralysis and I could not have done the work I did today. And to be in a quiet forest, working beside my husband, smelling freshly cut wood, tromping in ferns...I think my section of heaven will have such things.

This Little Light of Mine

As we drove home from Taekwon-do yesterday night, the wind really picked up. Branches were blowing across the road. Occasionally, they blew right onto the roof of the van. At one point, a creek was flowing over the road. Passing a car who must have gone through too fast and flooded its engine, we put on our flashers and drove through the flood slowly. (Yes, we stopped to make sure the man was okay.) Our trashcan, and our neighbors', had blown over. Leaving the containers on their sides, we tried to wedge the lids down to keep the trash from flying all over the place. Obviously, the power was out in the whole neighborhood.

We let the kitty in and checked on the dogs. The wind had blown the kennel door open--which happened later in the night, too--so Kevin roped it closed. The camper shell, which was above the narrow part of the dog run, had blown down, but neither of the dogs was hurt.

Boy, weren't we glad we had a generator! No, not really, as we'd never tried it out and it didn't have any oil in it. We adjusted our plans. Kevin built a fire in the fireplace. We roasted hotdogs for dinner, complimented by a delicious can of cold pork and beans. Since we were out of large marshmallows, we roasted the teeny, tiny kind. Yummy! And you can have lots!

Then we read our Bible story and a chapter of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, prayed, and bedded the kids down on the two couches in our room.

How nice to have the night off of all my regular duties, like laundry or dishes, or showers, etc... Until Kevin mentions that I can still write the 450 words I have left for my quota because of the laptop. Argh! So I wrote, by candlelight in bed, my family sleeping all around me, and it was wonderful...

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

Here we are at a lot not even five minutes from our house picking out a beautiful noble fir for just $25. We could have gotten a better deal, but the $10 spot was closed.

Yes, we're very lucky...as I just talked to Aunt Judy in WY and a noble fir of the same height was running $95!






The finished product: you can't see all the lights very well in the picture, but we subscribe to the theory that lights strand should go up the center of the tree to illuminate the trunk also. There are many more presents under the tree now, also, which is what always happens if you warn the kids a slim Christmas is coming their way.


Actually, that's a great idea! If you're running low on gift ideas or money, just warn the children and the gifts seem to multiply on their own.

Excuses, Excuses

I haven't blogged for almost a week! Not that there are too many people reading this who might even notice, but for posterity's sake, for when my great-grandchildren find an old electronic file to read on whatever device they'll be using then, I want to have shown consistency.

But all I've got is excuses...I could go on and on about how cram-packed my week has been; how we're going up for promotion at Taekwon-do again and how stressed that's been making me; how we house-hunted for my grandparents; how I volunteered in the classroom all day and had to write extra words the day before to afford the time; how we're running out of food and laundry soap and I desperately need to get to the store; how we had not one, but two, play dates today; and even how I missed calling one of my best friends on her birthday for the first time since high school. (Hi, Brooke!)

Have you been busy? Leave one of your excuses as a comment and show me up. Tell me what a wimp I really am!

Never Grow Up

(We will now listen in at the Berry family dinner table.)

Joshua, 5 years old: I never want to grow up.

Andrea, 7: Then you'd better find Peter Pan and go with him to Neverland.

Mom: How long would you go to Neverland for?

Joshua: 100 years!

Mom: If you stayed that long, when you came back, I'd be dead.

Joshua: Okay, I won't go. I want to stay and see you die.

Mom, trying to keep a straight face: Oh, that's sweet. Thank you.