My Front Door.

"There is just one way to bring up a child in the way he should go, and that is to travel that way yourself." ~Abraham Lincoln

Oh how true this simple quote is. What did you hope would come of your children as you raised them? Did you want them happy? Joyful? Intelligent? Did they need love? Family values? Work ethic? Did they need a family?

Well, I hope that if the 'way I travel myself' is the way my children are brought up echoes this one fact: We are here to love each other. I cannot think of a better way to express how deeply I feel about this issue. As the holiday season is in full swing - I am filled with bittersweet happiness. There will be no family coming into town to stay. No joyous laughter among our roots, connecting with each other. No deep conversations, or blissful silence over a game of chess. At least, none of this with 'extended family'

We ABSOLUTELY will be having joyous laughter and connection. Despite being a small family, you bet your bottom we will make our holidays a big celebration!! There will be deep conversation (have you met my children? Inquisitive much?) and there will be blissful silence - although that will probably come after bedtime when we nearly fall over dead from the fun!

But even still, something is missing. So, without consulting with my husband or children first - I am going to go out on a bow and hope it holds strong:

Come. Visit. Be Welcomed. Be Family. 

This Christmas we will celebrate TEN YEARS together, Damon and I. A decade? Really? Indeed. Christmas of 2000 began our lives together... what a beautiful memory. 

When we left Seattle, we did not leave on great terms. We weren't very close with my mother in law Leslie. My father in law and his wife hated me, and my brother in law barely tolerated me... So when we got the chance to move, we did. Although our path is very different than we imagined it - it has been so much FUN!!! 

But as I reflect on this piece of perfection I have in my life - my family - I recognize I have family that I do not, have not, or not yet, welcomed. For many reasons my heart carried scars, wounds, echoes of hurt. Be gone with it. I'm ready to redefine life as I know it - I will have an extended family, come hell or high water. 

Why? What changed? 

Thats a great question... How do you explain the woes of the world to a 4 year old? Recently my very best friend had both her mother and father come visit her. As she is about to welcome her 3rd child into their family, what a beautiful thing it was to watch such family support... except it came with such sorrow stirred in my soul. My daughter wanted to know why josh had a grandpa and they did not. How do you explain that people don't always want to connect? That we are protecting them? That we want only happiness and family-centered life choices. I'll tell ya, it aint easy! 

Daunika, for now, is content with Grandma and Grandma Leslie's love from afar.... but I don't believe it's enough. Not for a second.I'm proud to say my children love family pictures, family structure, and any time either of their grandmas send them a piece of mail, its the talk of the house for WEEKS. Something so simple like a phone call often, a card thats perfectly silly and simple, something that reminds them they are a part of something bigger than themselves... Beautiful. BUT - Ask yourself: Are you doing everything you can to connect and love your family? 

I wasn't. But I'm working on that... I've recently reconnected with my own biologically linked family and am enjoying feeling pieces fill with happiness to know that I can love people where they are at. 

So here it goes: My blog is titled my front door because it is the first thing you'll see when you are welcomed. 

This is an open invitation... 

Come. Visit. Be Welcomed. Be Family. 

If I want my children to see family-centered life - I must first start with me. I will heal the hurt that echoes from the hatred of the beginning of my marriage from outsiders, and I'll open up again to try. If this life is going to change, I'll take the first step. 

Its the holiday season, there is plenty of room, and no one is choosing to visit... But I'll make it clear: You ARE invited. 

Leaves Leaves LEAVES!!!

Did you know? Its FALL! 

We spent this morning/early afternoon cleaning up our beautiful back yard. All three kids spent it outside with us and it was a blast! No raking would be complete without kids jumping in piles of leaves!! 

Of course... My poor son was buried in leaves by his sisters! 

And what would this great day be without Moose eating some leaves!! 

Have a beautiful week!!!!!!! 

Sleep

We do sleeping really well in this house...... This is coming from me because NO ONE in our home was awake before 1030 am this morning! That is mostly unheard of, but its still a fact!

We do sleeping so well, we have pictures of sleeping over the weekend!

This is Daunika, asleep while everyone else is awake.. almost bed time though.

 I got the treat of the week when Declan fell asleep on me and snuggled for almost 2 hours too!!

 And Daddy and Aurora took a later (6pm!) nap Saturday night. Oh so precious

Maybe its the cooler weather that beacons lots of snuggles :)

Sahaim, Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos Celebrations!

Blessed Sahaim Everyone!! 

I love 'Halloween' for so many reasons. I've always celebrated Sahaim, as I do with most celtic/pagan holidays. They are tied to our Earth and I have a deep respect for mother nature. This year we did so many festitivites. I'll explain them one by one with pictures!

First was our homeschool co-op Halloween Party! The kids absolutely love being part of a homeschool co-operative. It's critically important to me as well. We are not alone as homeschoolers. In fact, theres a massive community of us in Idaho!!

This is dressing up at co-op

My daughters went as gypsies. Mostly it was an excuse to wear pretty flow-y dresses that are my skirts and once a year make up. They were STOKED!!

And Moose.. well, he went as himself this year :)

Looks complicated to tie, but it worked out perfectly!

This is the "nursery" age... Aurora enters the preschool class in December.

And heres Daunikas "Starters" class... which is kindergarten/1st graders

The kids had a great time seeing their friends all dressed up!

Friday night we went to an LDS trunk-or-treat with our best friends. The kids and I had a BLAST! Heres me and the girls with our Gypsy Make up!! Oh so fun :)

Moose and me outside at the trunk-or-treat

Moose was so happy... man, Damon and I make some seriously perfect children!!!!!!!

And all of us together (my darling husband was working, but did join us Sunday for T&T'ing)

Saturday we celebrated Sahaim and Dia de Los Muertos. We talked about loved ones past, the cycle of life, and harvest ending. Sahaim is the celebration of the end of harvest, the beginning of the 'darker half' of the year. Everything has a cycle in life, we honor that in this home.

Sunday, we did a good, old fashion, Trick or Treating!!

Our girls at a neighbors.... they gots LOTS of loot!

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!!

Spaghetti...

Moose is growing up so fast. Oh how quickly it's seeming to go. The first year of life is all about learning, exploring, textures, tastes, smells, feelings. I've got nutrition taken care of.... so food at this age is about the experience! And oh what an experience he is having.... Here's his exploration of Spaghetti.

What a great experience. He tried all sorts of ways to get these slimy noodles in his mouth. It was so fun to watch!!

And of course, MESSY! But then again, my son is an expert SPLASHER in the sink!

Life is Good

Craftiness with Scriptures

If life is too short for my girls not to spend their lives in formal dresses, then life is too short for me not to have some pretty scriptures!

This is what I started with.... cheapie copy of scriptures and three beautiful papers, a paper flower and hot glue gun

Glued the papers and flower to make this lovely cover...

My end result!!! I love it!! 

"For the Spirit is the same, yesterday, today and forever"

Four is fun....

Most days my girls spend their entire day in full length formal dresses. Thick cotton tights and some utility boots in perfect pink... Oh oh oh. This is life with little girls. I usually don't care what they wear, if its in their closet, its free game right? 

Well fun!! This is what Daunika chose. Yes, I took her out of the house like that. In fact, our great friends found us out and about with Daunika dressed like this at the library. We ran errands, hung out at the library, did all sorts of things that day. Many people smiled at her and it was great. 

She's missing her neon green Keen shoes... 

THAT is what a happy four year old looks like!!!!!!!