Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow...

Breaks from school are always welcome around these here parts.  Evangeline worked for probably 2 full hours on making Christmas cards for her classmates yesterday morning.  She's got a big heart, this girl.

 

We also headed out back with the old Rotary wreath for a Christmas card picture.  The first one is the one we used on the card and the following pictures are a few of the outtakes that I love. 

 

This was the back of our card.  

 

Another wonderful Thanksgiving went in the books.  We spent the day at Wayne's and the evening at Peggy's.  It snowed. 

 

I think it's nice that we have a day set aside to remind us to give thanks for the many many blessings we have in our lives.  I wish giving thanks was in the forefront of my mind on a daily basis.  It is so stinking easy to fall back into the "I want that" or "what I have isn't good enough" mode.  I could really make myself sick about my attitude if I stop and think about it too much.  Today I heard some sobering news that puts it all in perspective....  A young woman I know just found out that her 4 month old daughter has Leukemia.  My heart breaks for her.  I just read something that she had posted about their Thanksgiving spent in the children's hospital.  Her faith through all of this is astounding and inspiring.  I will be holding that little girl and their family in my prayers.  I will also be thanking God over and over for the health of my daughter, my family and myself.   

I wish to perpetually remain thankful for what I have.  I want to always remember that what I have is way more than enough, and far more than I deserve. 

A Mix of Seasons

We have been caught up in the daily rat race lately.  A little bite of everything, and not too much at all.  I can't even believe it's almost already Thanksgiving.  Where did the last month even go? 

 

It's looking like we may be getting an early start on the winter foretold by the lore of the Willy Worm and persimmon.  We got about 2 inches last week.  It was a shocker.  I have been in full on Christmas mode ever since.

 

It's a little tradition at South School for the kindergarteners to disguise a turkey as a family project.  Evangeline decided to make our turkey into a cupcake.  We used a combination of half shaving cream, half Elmer's glue to make the puffy frosting.  That stuff is amazing!  We are going to make some again just for fun.  I smile every time I walk past our gobbler in the hallway at school.  

 

There's been no stifling the excitement coming from the peanut gallery around here in regards to Christmas.  I used to have a pretty strict policy about waiting to put up the Christmas decorations until the day after Thanksgiving, but that's gone out the window in the past couple of years.  It already took all of my will to stand by that policy in years past.  I knew I was weak, but I guess all it took was a sweet little girl to persuade me to give in.  We started decking the halls after school Friday.  Hey, why not?!  

 

We got crafty again with a cool feed sack inspired bag we found at Clover Field Market.  I cut it in half and made two super cool Christmas pillows for the couch.  Evangeline took the stuffing job very seriously.  I'm so glad I have her.  What a little buddy.  

 

Here's one of our pillows....

 

and here's the other next to the sleeping elf.  How in the world is that comfortable?  

 

Evangeline has really enjoyed being a part of the Daisy Troop this year.  The girls have been delivering homemade bread to community workers this past week as a way to show their appreciation.  Today we delivered to a retired Pentagon employee and Veteran.  The Daisy Troop will be helping at the Marshall food pantry this coming Tuesday.  

Persimmons and Nostalgia

We had a birthday celebration for Dad and Uncle Kenny at the farm yesterday.  One of the highlights (besides snuggling Cale) was harvesting persimmons with Dad.  Oh my goodness, it was the most fun I think I'd had all week.  Raking through the leaves, shaking the tree and giggling with Evangeline as they fell: plop, plop, plop, all around us.  

I'm so glad the farm is back in our lives and I get to share experiences there with Evangeline.  Maybe someday she'll say, "I remember harvesting persimmons with my grandpa and mommy when I was a little girl. "  Then perhaps she'll say, "we always made the best persimmon pudding from my Great Grandma Esta's recipe."

A Spooktacular Halloween

It was seriously so warm last weekend.  Like 70 some degrees.  A stark contrast to the frost we had this morning.  We played outside trying to enjoy what's probably the last of our warm weather for a while.  Evangeline is all about being a little daredevil on her play equipment these days.  It makes me a nervous wreck.  

 

Here is a picture she did on her Magna Doodle last week.  It's a drawing of her big-headed Sally doll.  I know I'm bias being her mother and all, but I think she's pretty darn good.

Here's another one of her little drawings I loved.... 

and here's the one Kyle did...

 

We got super fancy with our pumpkins this year.  I usually always go with the classic Jack-O'Lantern face, but we broke out the stencils this time around.

 

The costume was made and Evangeline had a great time as Sally for the Halloween frolic on the court house lawn.  With the weather being unseasonable warm the kids didn't have to bundle up their costumes and they could actually be seen.  I even comfortably wore a short sleeved shirt at night!  It was crazy.  Evangeline did the annual walk around the gazebo with the other kids.  She even won 2nd place in a contest she didn't know she entered.

She was in character all night.  She didn't even crack a smile when she and the other costume contest winners had their picture taken for the paper.

 

There was someone there dressed as Jack the Pumpkin King and we got their pictures together.

 

Halloween night was freezing.   Evangeline was totally into the Trick-or-Treating this year.  She was so brave and determined.  She marched herself up to each door by herself and wasn't the least bit frightened by the costumes or scary houses.  Much different from last year.