A Weary World Rejoices

Advent couldn't be more welcome! The Weary World Rejoices! Come O Come Emmanuel. In a world of confusion and darkness, we seek the Light of Christ!  Winter seems to be arriving and we begin to hibernate.  Tea, beeswax candles, elderberry simmering, twinkle lights, and warm books by the fire seem to symbolize the last few weeks.  Phoebe girl turned 16 months and is delighting us with an exploding vocabulary.  She loves to tell us about her baby doll: "Baby crying, baby needs a diaper or I'm a good girl".  She's trying ever so hard to keep up with her big sisters. Lena at 6.5 is growing into quite the cook and is my kitchen helper more often than not.  If I cannot find her, she's usually under the piano with a book.  Emmie is always reading or playing cello and it's a joy to hear music in our home. The last few months (perhaps year) have not been easy.  But what a blessing it has been to navigate hard times together, talking, praying and learning and seeking the face of God. We are deep into Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, preparing a medieval feast for Christmastide and reading The Lord of the Rings together. In the meantime, our house is a construction zone as Adam builds us a real library!! I am thankful for the gift of these little women and for the joy we have learning and living together (with our Papa too!!). 

 

The Quest of November

Most of these pictures seem blurry and that seems somehow fitting with the way November has been- a somewhat frantic attempt to see and capture joy in the midst of upside down days. For surely part of the joy is simply the finding of beauty in the mundane. We've spent many an hour outside, traipsing through the reservoir, crunching leaves, playing with chickens, drinking in sunlight in a few summer-like days, playing prairie girl, dressing up baby sister, stroking the kitty, learning new hymns together and finding a new and gentle rhythm to our days. Some highlights include french flashcards labeling most of our house, memorizing Shakespeare by marching around to the rhythm of the text, hearing cello in the background, listening to Lena read, and watching Phoebe dance. Usually November is my least favorite month of the year.  But somehow, this year, I see the beauty. 

 

And Then You Were Eight!

And then you were eight! Our dear girl had another birthday and this year marks so many marvelous discoveries and awakenings, it's hard to choose which ones are the highlights.  This year you started the cello and have fallen in love with music.  You play the piano and cello every day and love to listen to the radio to guess which composer is playing!  You are a voracious reader. You read 65 books in September! I am utterly delighted to share my love of reading with you and in honor of this, your Papa built a library in our home and for the first time in our 12 years together, our books are organized! You are so excited and have been reading everything, even the dictionary!  You've also fallen in love with cooking. You love making bread and you are good at it.  Laura Ingalls Wilder is inspiring you and you want to make everything as she did.  You love wildlife and learning the names of perennials and herbs. You are trying to sort out things in the world which are new and shocking, like war and sorrow.  You lost a few of your beloved chickens and have learned that it is ok to mourn.  You are beautiful and tender, but you love getting dirty.  You spend hours in your mud kitchen crafting feasts for fairies and imaginative villages.  You dance when you walk and love ballet almost as much as you love reading.  It's a delight to learn with you and to share new chapters of life with you.  Happy Birthday darling girl. We love you so and pray that God will bless and keep you all your days. 

 

Chasing the Light

 As Autumn creeps in and the days grow cooler and darker, we chase the light.  We hike on trails and blow seed pods, we throw pumpkins as if they are balls, we chase chickens around the yard and marvel at the dancing yellow leaves.  Life is miraculous when seen through the eyes of a One Year Old! The shades of red on apples just washed and ready for cooking catch our eyes.  The velvety sweetness of pears ready to become a tart and the sweet smile of this 14 month old, (now 15 month old) capture the magic.  Soon our first little lady will turn eight and we feel as if we've blinked.  The days simmer, so slow and so fast, all at once.  We bring out the beeswax candles, make more elderberry and play Christmas music.  We chase the light.