52:52 Twinkling Lights

Typically over here the tree is dropping needles so bad  it gets carried out the day after Christmas. But we got our tree up so late that we are not to that point, yet. We just might have to enjoy these twinkling lights for a few more days.

I can not believe this is our last week of the year. Good bye 2013, it's been a busy one.

Wishing you all a Happy & Blessed New Year!!

Head over Anita's way to see more twinkling lights.

51:52 Cold

Our world is covered with a blanket of white.

The weather has warmed up a wee bit. 

We are currently out of the negatives, 

but still hanging out in the single digests.

Cold.

I'm missing hearing the chatter of the birds.

The kids are now officially on Winter Break. 

We are starting to make a list of stuff to do.

Sledding, snowshoeing, spending some time at the cabin, sleeping in, 

making snowmen, baking....

Head Anita's way next.

Have a Merry Merry Christmas.

50:52 Tradition

Week 50 already?  Where did this year go?

Christmas is just around the corner. This week's challenge got me thinking about what kind of traditions we have in our house.

2010 was Nolan's first year to help go find and cut down our tree. 

He has helped every year since then. 

We received this felt Advent calendar as a gift. 

Fun to watch the picture get more detailed every day.

Jack the Elf has returned again making this his 3rd year with us. 

Christmas Eve is spent with Ryan's family. Every year there is a pinata to break open.

And of course Santa always pays a visit too. 

On Christmas day we have started reading the story of Christmas from the bible. 

What Christmas time traditions do you have?

Head over Anita's way to see more traditions. 

49:52 Intangible

When I think of intangible my first thought is Heaven, then God.

The sunrise over the mountains earlier this week was breath taking.  

God's beauty is all around us. 

Each day I think I am lucky enough to visually see it.

We are switching up the hop again this month. Head over Anita's way next.

Have a safe weekend!

48:52 Satifaction

Yesterday I had the satisfaction of spending the day with family and loved ones.

There is so much to be thankful for! 

I'm satisfied with what Nolan was thankful for.  

Okay, maybe not sold on Santa, 

but think he's thankful for some pretty important ones.

Go see what Keilah has for you next

Have a wonderful and safe weekend!!

47:52 Nature

Let me take you on a little nature walk around my house.

Winter is here and we have couple inches of snow on the ground. 

It is pretty crunchy from the rain and wind that came after it.

Yesterday the wind started blowing

 and our cover of  white is now back to brown.

I'm hoping it blows that warmer weather back.

The kids are excited about all the sledding opportunities this winter has to hold. 

If you ask me, a sandy beach sounds much more appealing then, 

the temperatures we saw this last week. 

Honesty I could care less for the temps in single digests 

and even the ones that dip into the negatives.

Head on over to Keilah's blog where the temperatures are sure to be a little warmer.

46:52 Be still

Each evening the kids are tucked into their beds with prayers and goodnight kisses. 

The lullaby's are softly playing as their breathing begins to deepen and they nod off to sleep.   I enjoy these moments of stillness.

Some nights I sip on a cup of coffee. The stillness gives me a chance to stop and think about our day. Review. Reflect. Recharge.

I enjoy these moments of stillness.

Head over Leann's  way next.

44:52 Hands/ Feet

*I have to admit this photo is a older one.

Just seeing this picture brings me right back to that day. This guy was so excited to meet his new little brother. He looked over his hands and counted his fingers. He then pulled off his sock to do the same to his feet. Children do bring such joy to ones life!

And you can't forget this little one. She wont' keep socks on her feet but shoes. She loves shoes! She even has been known to sleep with dress-up shoes on her feet. 

We switched up the circle again for the new month.

Head on over to Keilah's blog next.

Have a great weekend!

43:52 Looking Down

Most days when I look down, it is at this child of mine.

She is always close. Sometimes too close.

This strong willed, stubborn child, I hate to admit, might just be like her mother.

I think this is where I should be calling my own mother to apologize for all that I might have caused as a child.

We are so much alike. Or, should I say, I see a lot of who I was as a kid.

I hope that I can see past these similarities in our personalities and give her what she needs from me. 

Oh sweet Evelynn how I love looking down into those big blue eyes of yours! 

Head over Anita's way next.

42:52 Story Board

(I think these picture tell this story pretty well. I'll share more about this little one next week.)

Head over to Anita's blog  next.

Have a great weekend!!

41:52 Wrinkles

I can't say that I have the honor of the wrinkles that come with age, maturity or wisdom yet.

Right now my wrinkles come in the form of clean laundry piled in a basket from the day before.

Sometime my wrinkles are flu bugs, boogers and sickness.

Let's not forget the wrinkles that go with meal time.

Some wrinkles are sweet and pleasant.

And some wrinkles create satifaction.

When my current wrinkles are behind me and my children are grown and gone, I image my face will reflect these busy years. 

Head on over Anita's way to see the wrinkles she has captrued.

Have a wrinkle-free weekend!

40:52 Movement

The movement of time seems to be racing on by.

Often times I hear that the stage of life I'm in right now is the happiest of times.

If this is true, how do I slow the movement of time? 

How can I cherish the every day busyness?  

I always do cherish the moments that are spend as a family unit. Weather it is dinner or a family outing. This time together often leaves me feeling refreshed, happy and complete. 

Since the movement of time is inevitable, I will try slow my own pace down. To enjoy these busy moments in life. So when I do look back, I am reminded at how happy they were.

Head over to Anita's blog next.

Have a great weekend!

39:52 Sweet

It's fall and nothing is sweeter than a fresh apple.

I bopped over to my sister in law's house yesterday. She loves to garden, and the hard work shows.  They had two 5-gallon buckets full of zucchini along with, two 5-gallon buckets full of apples from their apple tree. 

Since our visit was drop in style, I offered to help cut up apples for apple juice and apple sauce. We visited while we chopped apples and drank coffee.

This guy was so excited to help. He willingly kept filling the counters of apples and shooing the other little helpers out of the kitchen.

I wish I could have bottled the smell of the apples cooking on the stove. The breeze was light and gently, pushing the sweet aroma through the house.

The kids also got to go let the chickens out and collect their eggs.

Their excitement almost makes me want some chickens.

They were so excited about the eggs they wanted eggs for lunch. Never mind that they all had eggs for breakfast.

I guess there was one who wasn't too sure of the chickens.

Head over to Keilah's blog next.

Have a great weekend!

38:52 Outside the lines

Do you travel outside the lines or your comfort zones?

Are you a risk taker?

Or do that in which you are comfortable and secure?

Head over to Keilah's blog next.

37:52 Emotion

Emotion; any feeling; such as joy, love or fear.

Such as anticipation. 

Trust.

Or excitement.

It is rewarding to watch the different emotions of my children. Watching how each one deals with the situations, or what type of emotion it causes.  Each one of my children are alike but yet so different. 

I know I am a lucky mom that gets to watch her kids grow. Sure at times I don't always feel so lucky, like when the cup of milk hits the floor an hour after scrubbing them. Or when you finally sit down to feed the baby, then the one on the toilet needs to be wiped and the other one is digging and dumping the pantry. Lucky, is the last emotion I'm thinking.  But these moments pass all too quickly. There are many mixed emotions as my kids get older and their independence grows. How quickly that time goes!

Head over to Keilah's  blog  to see what kind of emotion she has for you.