a holiday surprise

I love the holiday season. 
you never know what might show up on your doorstep.

just the other day I received
the best early Christmas present yet-

Whippets!

three boxes of heaven filled, chocolate covered clouds.

my sweet, sweet mamma, 
she know the way to my heart.

I am one happy gal.

nativity nights

The town nearest our farm does a living nativity each Christmas season. In your vehicle you wait in line for seemingly hours and then proceed thru a beautifully recreated Bethlehem. Complete with shepherds, tax collectors, angels, wise men and of course, the baby Jesus.

Donkeys, goats, chickens and camels roam around as the tale of the immaculate birth plays over your sound system. It's five minutes of pure bliss and I live for this event.

Not because of the program - it's great, but more because of the memories it holds.

Our very first time to go, we brought Aussie- a two week old tiny, beautiful babe, who slept snuggled up in my arms never even bothering to open an eye and peek at her surroundings. The following year she was a toddling 12 months old and Zain was just taking shape in my tummy. I held her in my lap as we pointed out the sights. 

And so it progressed. Each year babes growing up. A new little one in my arms, two on my lap pointing and giggling, another in my belly, a third new babe in our arms, three happily excited between us, and one more bud, cozily growing inside me.

All holding such sweet memories- it's become a milestone, a place to remember. Stand out moments of my walk thru motherhood. Sharing in this each year with them as we're all growing up and changing. 

This year was one I hope to always remember.

Kaleb brought blanket and pillows and built the kids a snuggly nest of softness and warmth in the back of the car. They wildly giggled and played, chatted and sang until finally- our turn arrived. I quickly pulled Eleanor into my arms, for while she likes to think she's a big kid, on this night I needed her, snug in my lap to share in her delight.

She was everything I hoped she would be- she pointed and oohhed and aahhed. She gasped at everything she saw, so much so that I wondered if she would keep breathing. Gasp, Gasp, point, Gasp, Gasp, point- her own little happy pattern. Kaleb and I laughed and smooched, carried away with her fervor. Just as we were beginning to exit, she leaned out the window for one final wave and a good-bye shout to the baby Jesus. She then broke out in her special tune. . .

"Lory, Lory, Alleloolie, Yesus, Yesus, ooh are ood."

perfect.

The best cold remedy around

This has been one heck of a week, as I settled in with a killer head cold, that simply refused to leave me be. It basically confined me to my bed with an unrelenting throbbing head and an aching back. 

Not only is it wholly miserable to be ailing, but I also feel like I miss out on so much, which then makes me feel worse. From our daily christmas activities all the way to dishes. Seriously, this is when you know it's bad, when by the end of it- I am craving to just be well and myself enough to do dishes!

Regardless, Kaleb was a dream and his parents were in town, so that took a lot of the pressure off. I watched scads of bad tv, and in general laid about moaning and whining. 

In the midst of all my self wallowing, I fondly remembered the  heat wave shots that Kaleb and I would pick up every morning while at the beach- a bounty of goodness for our colds. A mixture of lemon, cayenne, garlic, and ginger- they were intense- but got the job done.

Thankfully, after far to many google searches only popping up cocktail recipes, I found something pretty close! It was a post from clarosouthwick.com, I tweaked a few things depending on what lay in my cabinet- but in all truth, this stuff is a God-send. Drinkable, yet stout. With this crazy amount of garlic you will be safe from vampires and unwanted smooches for as long as you shall live. It burns all the way down, but in the best way possible, and it opens up your nose and chest like you could not imagine.

So here it is. Just know that your going to read this and think to yourself "no way- I am not drinking that!" and hey, I hear you, but just trust me, will you- it will have you up and about and on your merry way in no time!

Here's what you need:

In a sauce pan- add

1 cup water

1 lemon juiced

ginger- one good knob sliced and diced

garlic- 2-3 cloves or 1 1/2 tsp chopped

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cinnamon stick

a good dollop of local honey

a slashing of whiskey or bourbon

bring it to a boil and simmer for five to ten minutes, strain and enjoy. Small sips is key, preferably followed by a good thunderous whoop and a holler- it just it makes it more entertaining. 

Drink and be well!

you + me

In the last two months time, Kaleb and I have found ourselves, ever so slowly, drifting in slightly different directions. Him immersed on the farm- there is enough work here to easily keep a man busy every minute of every day for the rest of his life. It's not only the work load though, the unfinished projects or the land running wild before us, it's so much more than that. What he does here at the house with me and the kids is important. So time must be given.

With Kaleb's time being taken up more and more with farm chores I gradually began taking on more and more roles with the house, the kids, the daily tasks. Finding myself capable and strong, I continued on, eventually coming to a point where Kaleb had all but been excluded. It wasn't just the laundry, the cleaning, discipline and chores, but it became story time, crafts, special events, and even their little moments.

This continued on- him on the farm, me in the house. . . both of us locked in a holding pattern we didn't want or need. Neither intending for it to happen, just busy- life get's that way if you're not careful. From the very beginning of our relationship, all we wanted was to be together. It's the reason he left his job and we moved to this farm. We wanted to do life together. Raise these wilds together. Plan together, dream together- be together.

Somehow, life got in our heads, and we lost that focus, forgot for the briefest of times what we love and who we are. We forgot to see how blessed we are to be able to do this, to live this kind of life where our wilds can roam free, where we have an opportunity to spend our days as a family, a life that we can live and build together.

Thankfully, after God gave us a nice smack upside the head, we were able to see what had been happening, look at it from each others eyes and see what we had been missing. For, you see- I always want to walk the same path as Kaleb. We were meant for this kind of life.

Since then, we've found ourselves again. Both making efforts to combine our activities and tasks. To show the other just how much they are needed and valued. These pictures were taken yesterday- the sun had come out and was warming us thru and thru. With winter fast approaching we needed more firewood- so together the six of us headed out to chop and to work. We took breaks to throw rocks in the pond, and build fishing poles out of sticks and grass. We laughed and Kaleb and I held hands and took time to smooch and grope, to be silly and love- and it feels so good!

So, why am I sharing, possibly over-sharing? It's important for me to have this as a reminder. To remember, and learn from and maybe just maybe there's something here for everyone. To take time for our loved ones and friends and to place effort into those relationships, and to be vocal and free with your love. For I believe in love, what is life without it.