::Reality::

{Anya having her little Christmas cry in 2004}

Well, it happened. My annual 3 days before Christmas cry. It's where my plans to keep it simple collide with the reality of having a large and extended family.
There. Done. Let's move on.
I hope that you are all having a joyous and productive day, with or without tears :)
Blessings, Tami

::Christmas Corners::

{Advent candles before dawn}

{Our tree}

A look at a few of the Christmas corners in our home.
I love bringing nature inside during the holidays. We collected these greens and berries from around our neighborhood. This is something we do every year.
I wrapped most all of our gifts with craft paper and printed off some lovely free labels from the wonderful artists on the web.
Our stockings are handmade using old felted sweaters. They are made in a patchwork design. I then embroidered each child's inital on the front. They are sturdy, and rustic, and mama-made with lots of love.
I was looking over our home and I realized that we keep our decorations very simple. Our home is small and becomes quickly overwhelmed when all the surfaces are overtaken with stuff. Simple seems just perfect for us though.
I am off to finish the gift baking with my kiddos.

{Our stockings}

 Sorry for the terrible pictures it is really hard to get good photos when it is so gray outside :)

Have a blessed day, Tami

::Follow the Sun::

 Here in the Pacific NW the sun is a rare sight during the very dim and gray winter months. When the sun comes out it changes my whole day. I snapped a few photos the other day, it was just so wonderful.

Today, the gray and the rain resume. You'd think after my whole life here that I would be used to it. I *am* thankful for the marked change in seasons in these parts. It makes me appreciate the sunshine so much more. I say that now, but come February ask me again. (It rains nearly every day in February).
A little snow would be nice to get everybody in the Christmas spirit. Not likely, but it would be such a delight!

notice the dust.......you can actually see it when it's sunny!

 A few years ago, we had a 2 feet of snow during December. I loved it so much. I didn't drive anywhere for 2 weeks, we walked to get our groceries, the kids played all day long on their sleds, and we stayed dry and warm in our cozy old cottage. I would love that again some time.


I know my chickers love the sun!

I am off now to enjoy having my family home for the next 2 weeks! That's what gets me in the Christmas spirit!
Have a blessed Monday! Tami

::Some thoughts::

     I think so much about how I would like to spend the precious amount of time I have after the days tasks are completed.
     I know that I love to write. Blogging and journaling satisfy me in that.
     I would also like to be a person that teaches. I don't want to be a teacher, as in college degree, but a person that folks can come to if they want to learn something. Does this make sense?
Mostly, I would like to help people learn skills, homemaking arts, etc. I can see teaching knitting, sewing, bread making, soapmaking, or canning. Knowledge I believe is useful, knowledge that is being lost because it is not being handed down through the generations anymore.
     I love to make things. Having a creative outlet is very important for me. Being able to create everyday is vital for me. I don't generally sell the items I make though. Mostly, I love to make things that bless my family and gifts for loved ones. I do sell a few things through Etsy, and I find that fun.
     I actually sounds like I have a pretty good idea of what I want.
Now I will just pray for direction. And that's a good place to start.
Have a blessed day, Tami

::Christmas::



Our traditional on the floor photo 2011

Here's a little peek at the Christmas goings on at our house.
Our Christmas Photo.
There's a funny story behind taking the kids photo on the floor every year.
When Rafe and Anya were tiny babies, a month old to be precise, I could not for the life of me figure out how to get a Christmas picture done, let alone get out of the house :)
The babies were too little to crawl away, Kane was 7 and would stay where I put him, so I only had to contend with a very wiggly 2 year old Gage.
We managed to get a decent photo that year and I was so thankful.




2004

 The only year we didn't get a floor photo was when the babies had just turned one. I had to strap them in their highchairs in front of the Christmas tree to keep them in the photo!

This is one of our loveliest Christmas traditions.

Have a blessed Christmas! Tami

::Ready::

I am ready to start writing again.

     The last 2 years have seen a great deal of change for me. With my children in public school full-time, I am at home alone during the day  (I am forgetting to mention, of course, 3 loyal dogs that follow my every move ).

     I am still struggling to find my way, without my children here during the day I have had to adjust my idea of what I AM during the hours that they are away. My days were filled with their "joyful noise", now it is quiet. I *am* slowly learning to enjoy the quiet.

     My family's presence gives me wholeness in the truest sense. I was created to be a mother. What is my purpose apart from that? I would like to know. First and foremost I am a wife and mother. Beyond the most important part of my life, my family and my home, I would like to do something that brings me joy.

Maybe writing will help me find my way.

You'll hear from me again soon.

Have a blessed weekend, Tami

A Very Merry Christmas!

I thought it was very much time to pop in and wish you all the Merriest of Christmases. Things are buzzing along this 2 days before Christmas. We are busy baking, crafting, and tidying in preparation for the big day. We have had the most delightful season filled with Advent celebrations at church every Wednesday night, sharing a soup and bread meal in sweet fellowship. We've celebrated with neighbors and extended family, and now we are looking forward to our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day festivities.

I am unusually prepared this year, only having a few details to take care of. I have enjoyed this so much, it gives me so much more time for reflection on the reason for our celebrating. Simple pleasures and meaningful traditions are savored so much more without all the chasing around. There is a quiet calm that it befitting as we await the celebration of a joyous birth. A calm expectancy instead of a flurry of chaos. I like it this way.
I pray that you all have the most wonderful holiday. I will try and pop back in more often. I have so many wonderful photos to share of our summer trip to Hawaii. It was so wonderful.
In God's Love,
Tami