Taliesin West

We decided we should take advantage of Ev's time off this month. So we left the Christmas carnage where it lay, and packed up our things to drive up to Phoenix on the 26th. Ev's main goal for the trip was to do some mountain bike trails, so as a concession, I got to choose the first activity of the weekend. So we went to Taliesin West. It is a school of architecture established and designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1937.

Can you find the roadrunner in this picture?

This petroglyph stone was found on the property. Wright liked it and decided to use the second symbol from the left, in his design.

It's located in Scottsdale, up on a hill overlooking the city. Although, when Wright arrived, Phoenix was just a tiny dot on the map, and Taliesin didn't overlook anything but cactus. After having seen Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob in Pennsylvania, it was interesting to compare how his style changed to adapt to the desert landscape. As an added bonus for me, there was beautiful sculpture all over the property. Ev had to keep calling me to keep up with the tour group.

The Year of the Big Boy

Toy, that is. This was the year of the big boy toy. It's a whole new section of the toy department when you have all kids over 3 years. The really good part about that is that each child thinks he got double since he can play with all his new toys and his brother's. All the presents were open by 11am, so we had plenty of day left to enjoy them all. Trevor spent a couple of the afternoon hours putting together a LEGO trashtruck. A few helps from Mom, but mostly he followed the directions all by himself.
It was also the year of the outdoor toy, since we have limited indoor space. Living in AZ has it's perks. It was a little windy, but you just can't grumble at a sunny, 70 degree Christmas Day.

Seriously. Is this the coolest toy or what? A competitive racetrack. Sometimes they have to drag Mom & Dad away from it.

Trevor has declared that now he is ready to learn how to make some things for real. Sounds great to me! I could use a Sous Chef!

Busy, Busy, Busy

We've been managing to keep very busy this week. Ev has been off work all week, so he has been able to do all these fun Christmas activities with us for the first time. We took an idea from my friend, Kelli, and did some edible "gingerbread" houses. Ironically, by the time they were done making their houses, they were so full of candy eaten during the process, they were full. Go figure. We also had some structural support issues, so next time we'll need a good architect to consult.

I've been photographing everything in sight. Practice makes perfect. It also makes the whole process slower when you stop to photograph everything. Just ask my husband and kids.

The nice part is that we've had time to rush around and get all our work done. Now we can slow down and enjoy ourselves. It's so encouraging to watch the boys as they listen and learn about Christmas. We've been doing an avent calendar all month, as well as an advent storybook. Tonight we will attend our church's Christmas Eve service, and the boys will come in the service with us. I am enjoying passing on old traditions and starting new ones. We will miss being near all our family and friends this Christmas. We hope that you are all having a wonderful holiday! We pray that you will remember the reason that we celebrate this Christmas- the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

"While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:6-7

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Tragedy Averted

As I was gathering my recipes to make a list for the commissary run, I realized I had a serious problem. I could not find my recipe for Poteca. Poteca is a yeast roll that my mom has been making for Christmas morning for as long as I can remember. Strangely, I never liked it as a child, but I have grown to love it. Christmas breakfast would not feel complete without it. I made a panicked phone call to my mom, who is visiting my sister for Christmas, asking her where the Poteca recipe should be found. She assured me that it was in the Betty Crocker cookbook. Well, I searched all through my 1950 and 1973 copies and it was nowhere to be found. My sister's Betty Crocker didn't include it either. Fortunately, my other sister has a Betty Crocker cookbook identical to my mom's. She was kind enough to scan the recipe so that I can continue the Poteca tradition. I thought I would pass it along. It's not difficult, and the mellow flavor of the walnuts, combined with that slightly tangy lemon flavor is so perfect. The filling keeps the yeast dough so moist. Mmmmm! My mouth is watering already! So, here it is, compliments of my sister and Betty Crocker, circa 1963. Don't you just love those groovy line drawings??

Christmas Came Early

I just had to share a couple of the pics I snapped this morning with my brand new Nikon DSLR!! I'm so excited- let me just say I am loving it!! And I don't even know what I'm doing yet! It arrived late last night (the poor UPS guy was still out making deliveries at 8pm), and I dutifully tried to sit down and read my owner's manual. That was hard to do when all I really wanted was to play around with it. I can tell there is going to be a steep learning curve to get the very best out of it, but I also think it's going to be difficult to make it take a bad picture. So, here are the first images from my Nikon D90. I hemmed and hawed and finally decided on this lense. I'm sure I will need more in the very near future, but this one was recommended as a good starter. Merry Christmas to me!

Christmas Cookies Galore

The boys and I finally got to make our first batch of Christmas cookies this year. We baked them yesterday, and did the fun work of decorating this morning. I say we, but all I did was spread the frosting. The boys did all the rest. They did such a good job! This sugar cookie recipe is from my Grandma "D." How special to make my Grandma's recipe in the mixing bowls that used to be hers. I love nesting mixing bowls- they're so, so domestic. These bowls, in particular are extra special to me, and I always use them for extra special baking. I don't suppose anyone else has "special occasion mixing bowls."

The boys had so much fun getting messy with the colored sugar. You should have seen them covered in flour from the baking part, but those pics didn't turn out. Anyways, they both took their job of making pretty cookies very seriously, and did a really super job!

Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String

For the past week or so, I've been sequestered in my house. Not by weather or quarantine. I've been working on those super top-secret Christmas presents. I guess I can remove them from my crafting queue, now, because they are all finished and on their way. I really enjoyed hand-crafting some of the Christmas presents this year. I haven't given homemade presents in several years. The first year Ev and I were married I made almost all the presents because that was all we could afford. I remember feeling slightly self-conscious about it at the time, because it was out of necessity. This time, though, it was by choice. And I hope that the recipients will enjoy each gift as much as I enjoyed making them. The boys and I made two separate trips to the post office. I could not possibly have carried everything in one trip. (The photo is from just trip #2) As it was, the boys each carried a package, and we relied on friendly passers-by to help us with the door. Recession? What recession? I expect the United State Postal Service will be making a generous profit this year. Maybe next year we'll send gift cards.

Christmas Books

Hello, my name is Meghan, and I am a book-aholic. I love books. I can't get enough of them. I love the way they look, the way they smell, and the way I feel when I am reading them. One of my favorite things about Christmas has always been the chance to get the Christmas story books down out of storage. There is something extra exciting about a story that you only read in December. Recently, I was at the book store and they had a large display of "holiday" books in the children's section. I spent a long time looking through them, and of all the books that looked good from the outside, only one turned out to be worth buying. My criteria for buying a book is very simple: Will we want to read this book over and over? If not, we can just as well get it from the library. Granted, we owned several of the books in the display. But they were such a minority, I wondered if people knew which books were really worth reading. So I thought I would save everyone some time this Christmas. When you head to the book store (or the library) to get a Christmas book for a child, be sure to look for these!

The Advent Storybook: 24 Stories to Share Before Christmas by Antonie Schneider

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

Santa Mouse by Michael Brown

The Sweet Smell of Christmas: With 6 Scratch and Sniff Scents Inside by Patricia Scarry

Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry

Bear Stays Up For Christmas by Karma Wilson

What Star is This? by Joseph Slate

.

Cranberry Christmas by Wende Devlin

Do you have some favorites? We'd love to hear about them!

Memories

The boys and I decorated our Christmas tree last night. You'll notice that the tree is still angel-less. We went ahead with the tree-trimming, but we are saving the angel for Daddy when he comes back from his trip. There was Christmas music playing in the background as they scrambled to pick out the ornaments they wanted to hang first. As I hung some of my childhood ornaments, I thought of my Grandma who used to buy ornaments for each grandchild at Christmastime. (This is a tradition that I asked my mom to continue with my children) Usually the ornaments were identical or very similar, so our family's Christmas tree would have many sets of four ornaments. It's so fun, now, to hang each one and think about all those years of decorating our tree as a family. Somehow, my homemade ornaments always seemed to end up at the back of the tree...you ornament movers know who you are! But that's what memories are made of. I hope that we are making special memories that my children will cherish when they are grown.

Trevor's Angels

I remember very specifically the year that my mom got involved in the Angel Tree ministry of Prison Fellowship. It was in the early years of the Angel Tree project, and she was the coordinator for her women's bible study. Back in those days, we hand delivered the presents to each family. What a powerful experience for a child to be able to see the people who are reached through this ministry of love. We decided that this year, Trevor was definitely old enough to take an active role in this ministry to help children less fortunate. It has been difficult for him to gain perspective when he is so blessed by presents in past Christmases. Trevor chose the angels from the tree, as I read to him whether it was a boy or a girl and the age and what the child had requested. He finally decided on 6 and 8 year old boys. He was very excited when I told him we would go to the toy store to choose toys for the two other little boys. We walked through the store, and his eyes got big as he saw so many things that "the other little boys would like to have." I don't think he even once asked for aything for himself; he was on a mission. He put the presents into the gift bags all by himself, and filled the tops with festive tissue paper. Today, we will deliver the presents to our church. I hope that as we reinforce this with other ministries and service opportunities throughout the year, we will begin to foster in our children a heart that seeks to serve God by serving others.

Jesus says in Matthew 18:5 “Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me."

Christmastime is Here, Happiness and Cheer

"I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. Christmas is coming, but I'm not happy. I don't feel the way I'm supposed to feel."

"Charlie Brown, you're the only person I know who could take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem."
from Charlie Brown's Christmas


Charlie Brown's Christmas has always been one of my favorite Christmas movies. I can't say that I have ever before identified with Charlie Brown. But that opening scene of the movie was like it was taken straight from my thoughts this year. Ev told me the other day that if I wasn't happy right now, I'd never be happy. He meant it sort of tongue-in-cheek, but as usual, those comments always have some truth to them. We have a beautiful home to live in, balmy weather, our family is together for Christmas this year, which is a blessing we haven't always had in years past. So why do I feel like such a scrooge?

As it turns out, it's not the chilly weather, or the smell of freshly cut Christmas trees that creates a cheerful Christmas atmosphere. It's not having beautiful decorations or twinkle lights. Maybe you know this already, but bear with me, I'm still learning. I thought I could go through the motions, and that I could absorb holiday cheer from the outside, in. But it's just the opposite, isn't it? Real joy comes from within. And not just from someplace deep inside of us, but from God, who places it there. I believe that God gives the gift of joy freely, when we ask and are obedient to his will and commands. God will give us joy when we serve him, and when we worship him with our praise. Nehemiah 8:10 says, Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."


Luke 2:8-14
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multidude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!"

Selah

Spontaneity Part 2

I know you've all been on the edge of your seats wondering where the boys and I spent the night. No, it was not the Hotel del Coronado. Maybe someday, though. I'll give you a hint: We entered under cover of darkness, and Trevor and Braden practiced being as quiet as two little mice. They thought it was great fun camping out on the floor in their sleeping bags! It was too bad we couldn't stay longer, our 5th floor room had a great view of the San Diego Bay bridge. I didn't mind leaving early in the morning, though. I had been dreaming of having another latte at the cafe. As it turns out, their scones are also really yummy. I took my latte "to go" and we headed down to the beach.

I hadn't realized how much I missed the ocean. But, as they say, once you get sand in your shoes, it's there to stay.

Trevor ran all over the beach- he wanted to build sandcastles with his hand, chase waves, look at seagulls. Maybe for him, too, it was like coming home to something familiar.

Braden had a slightly different reaction. You can check out the video to hear first hand what he thought of the beach. He much preferred the nature center, which is where we spent the rest of our day. If you ever need something for children to do in San Diego, be sure to add the Chula Vista Nature Center to your list. They had a such a great time looking at all the fish, touching sting rays, and learning about birds. The greatest part about it was the fact that it was so geared for children. They had lots of hands-on opportunities for learning, like a shell table where they could handle all different shells, they did crayon rubbings of nature scenes, listened to different raptor calls and so much more. This view of the sea star was one of my personal favorites!

We left the nature center, tired anc happy. We got to do a lot of fun things, but we still have many more things on our list for next time. We crossed into Arizona with the sun setting at our back, like a scene from a movie. A short movie, maybe, but a good one anyways.

Spontaneity

At the last minute, the boys and I decided to tag along on a trip to Coronado, CA yesterday. I threw some things in an overnight bag and we headed off. We dropped Ev off at his seminar and set out to paint the town. I had a few things in mind for the week- the seminar goes until thursday- but I figured we'd take it easy the first day. So the boys and I did a little walking around the Coronado Naval Amphibious Base. I thought I had been there before, but it was all unfamiliar territory. We inhaled the sweet, moist, salty air. We oohed and aaahed at the Navy base housing right on the bay. Oh, if only we could be so lucky! Then we drove out into the city of Coronado. We found a great little cafe on Orange Ave where we had lunch before walking around peeking in fun little shops. I managed to resist lots of yummy things at the chocolaterie, and sadly passed by a stall of beautiful fresh flowers. If we lived there, I would not be able to pass by without buying a few stems! But by far the best find on Orange Ave was the visitor's center. A wonderfully kind woman working the information booth shared so many fantastic ideas for things around San Diego that she thought the boys would enjoy. So we left there, and went straight to the Coronado Ferry landing.

From there, we caught a passenger ferry for an hour long trip over to downtown San Diego and back. Our ferry also made a stop at the NAS North Island dock, so we passed right next to two aircraft carriers: the USS Nimitz and the USS Ronald Reagan.

Trevor and Braden talked on and on about their toy aircraft carrier at home and the CVN numbers (his is number 88, and he thinks that it ought to have a REAL number instead). We were very glad we had worn our jackets! The morning fog never fully lifted yesterday, so the breeze and damp air quickly turned chilly as the sun began to set.

We were tired from our busy day, and decided to head back to base to check in to our room. Unfortunately for us, when we arrived at the check-in counter, I was informed that the Coronado BOQ does not accept guests under the age of 12. I was completely at a loss for what to do, since the North Island Navy Lodge was full, and we wanted to stay right on the island. We considered splurging a little to stay at the ritzy, historic Hotel del Coronado, but at $330 per night, it was a little too ritzy, even for a splurge. To be continued...

Grandparents are Special

We said good bye to Grandma & Grandpa this morning. We had a fun visit with them. Trevor and Braden had a great time playing games with Grandma and wrestling with Grandpa. Only Grandma will read 5 straight Dr. Seuss books! Now it's back to the daily grind. We'll miss you guys!

Gobble Gobble

Our library storytime on wednesday included a book about a small bear who went around the forest gathering items for his family's Thanksgiving dinner. When he met up with a turkey, they loaded him into a box, then into a wheel barrow to be wheeled away for the meal. Of course, as most stories do, this one had a twist. Instead of being cooked up for the dinner, he was invited to share dinner with the bear family. Trevor quickly spoke up to point out to the librarian that the turkey was supposed to be dinner, not a diner. Nevertheless, we invited this fun guy to be our family's guest at Thanksgiving dinner. The four of us, along with Grandma and Grandpa (and our friend the Turkey) had a wonderful day full of yummy food, fun games, leisurely walks and of course, naps. As each of us shared what we are thankful for, Trevor declared that he was thankful for everything! There's nothing like the sincere declaration of a 5 year old! We hope you have a wonderful weekend, as well. Happy Thanksgiving!

Freedom

When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep? ~George Canning

Liberty. Something that is so integral to our daily lives, and yet so commonly taken for granted. First and foremost, we owe our daily liberty to God, the Giver of all good gifts. But God chooses to use men and women to protect that gift. They are the service members of the United States military. This week as many of us move freely around our country, gathering in our homes with loved ones, let us not forget those who sacrifice to provide the freedom to do so. There are so many service members who are away from their loved ones this Thanksgiving Day. Take a few minutes to send them a small Thank You note from this website. Xerox is partnering with the Boys and Girls clubs and several other groups to provide this service to our troops. The cards have been designed by children from around the country. They have some wonderful text to choose from, or you may compose your own. Whichever you choose to do, it will take no more than a few minutes, but I promise that it will be sincerely appreciated. Brighten someone's day this week. Be thankful.

The Joyful Times

Sickness came into our home yesterday. Fortunately, it's stay was brief. Still, a day of crying, vomiting and semmingly endless laundry makes one thankful for better days. This thursday is Thanksgiving Day, but I decided that I needed more than one day to consider all the blessings God has given me. Today I am thankful for the joyful, carefree times. Is there anything more carefree than a couple of boys playing with the garden hose?

Notice something missing?

"Hmmmm....something feels not quite right. It's like there's something missing. I can't quite put my finger on it. Wait a minute, there is something missing. What happened to my mountains?" That's exactly what I thought when I went outside the other afternoon. While everyone else was having snow- my sister in MI had 5 inches, my parents had a dusting in VA and even my old neighborhood in NC had flurries- our skies were full of something a little different. Dust. So before I ran inside to shut all the windows, I snapped this picture. As the crow flies, those mountains are only a few miles away. So this dust was pretty thick. The bad news is that I didn't realize what had been happening, so by the time I got all the windows shut I already had a little layer of desert sand on everything in my house. Here's your investment tip for today- dump your whole portfolio into Endust stock. My usage alone is going to make it sky-rocket! Oh, just for reference, this is what my view is supposed to look like.

Une Nouvelle Epoque

As a point of explanation: I have no idea why I have decided to start this blog. For the past several years I have openly expressed my disdain for blogs in general, while secretly wondering how other young mommies seemed to have time to endlessly post online and still get their "real work" done. Yet, for some reason, I have recently felt myself drawn to the concept. Maybe it's our recent move- we've been plucked up from our familiar surroundings and landed in a place that it altogether foreign. I suppose it stems from a desire to quickly share small things that are of interest- I used to snatch up the telephone or mention a bit of news in passing while I waited in the Pre-School pick-up line. Now that's impossible, and a phone call every day is impractical. I think it's a desire to reach out and feel not so far away from so many people that we care about. As always, my motto for this blog is: Enlightening, Interesting, Uplifting or Amusing. Otherwise, it just doesn't belong. Now. . . about all that "real work". . . .