Our House in the Middle of Our Street

Crescent Beach Pier I had plenty of reading time this month, making up for November, and I finished 6 books and started 2 more on the 30th & 31st. Another year full of books! I averaged a book a week, which is pretty good. I wish I could read like crazy Modern Mrs. Darcy and hit a couple hundred, but 50+ still feels really good, and that's just reading for me, not including the novels I read to the kids for homeschool, picture books from the library, etc. What was your favorite book of 2014? * Small Victories by Anne Lamott / / This is Anne's newest book and you can bet your sweet face that I had that on order from the library the minute I found out about it. This book is a lot about cancer and death, and "it just is this side" than her others, but is still quirky and wonderful Anne. It's a book more similar to Help, Thanks, Wow, and Stitches, even the sizing of the book, and lucky for us it's a little bit thicker, too. A+, Anne. If you're new

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. ~ Isiaiah 9:2 

He pretty much lives under that tree during the Christmas season. 

My kids were grumpy, it was pouring rain and we had to go to Walmart this morning (see also: Dante's Inferno and rings of hell). I forced them to play together for an hour, forced myself to read library books to and then tickle them for an hour, and told them after that they could watch a Christmas movie. Walmart is done, the skies have started inching toward sunshine (it's a sloooow inching), and we're all in better moods. Thank goodness. 

Some days, you just want some comfort food. Good ole' Nebraska traditions come in many forms, one of which is chili & cinnamon buns. For those of you shirking up your noses with disgust, you don't actually dip the buns into the chili. You just eat them, side by side and enjoy the savory with the tooth-achingly sweet. Just try it. Everyone I've made to try it has always given in. It's a thing .

What a true " Charlie Brown" Christmas tree looks like. Sparse, piddly, and a bit awkward, I sort of like it. The bottom is full of our handmade Christmas fabric bags that I had for sale earlier this month. There is nothing perfect about this picture, tree, or season, other than it's ours to share. 

Back roads in the beautiful PNW. I made him pull over and stop because even though there were low-hanging clouds, there was good visibility for the mountains'. I can't ever take a picture I'm happy with regarding this area of the world. They just never do it justice. 

This sweet Shepard girl shared her and her family's beloved goats, donkey, and old ponies with my Blaine church family-- Northwood Alliance- -during their Living Nativity event on Friday evening.  

My little cook in his kitchen. This boy has been creating a restaurant (including tables, chairs, meals, menus, and pay area) in our bonus room the last few days and I'd say one word that describes this type of play for him is "flow". He can play there for literal hours. 

Sometimes all I need to be happy is a beautiful To-Do List (Katie Daisy, obvs), a stack of books I find inspirational, and a blank notebook. 

Quick turnaround time-- but a visit to see my grandma, which was a blessing. 

Another shot of a beautiful and vibrant mural on a Nebraska City historical building. 

Nebrasaka City is cleaning house and updating the sides of historic old buildings with colorful and nostalgic vintage ads. I totally support this!

Small town, Big Victorian house Christmas scene: mom's house, Nebraska City, NE

Puppet shows are regular events around here. 

Just need the right size of dowels, and to attach a few poms, and the Christmas gifts are truly done for this year! 

This is one of the most beautiful Christmas picture books I've had the pleasure to read to my kids. I'd never read it before last night, but the message is still sticking with me a day later. I am coming to deeply love Patricia Polacco as a storyteller, illustrator, and family-lore recorder. 

Found this gem on our new ipad mini. This makes me laugh every time I see it!

Here's my girl doing her ballet thing, smiling the entire time. If it involves skipping, dancing, singing, or music in any form, she's there with a smile on, and moving her body. Such a joy to watch these two grow into themselves one little season at at a time. 

A little Christmas gift in progress here. I'm thoroughly enjoying crafting with felt this year, and I think I've found a good scene for each of my remaining receivers. 

Laundry, cleaning, and podcast day today. I can get through hours of chores with a good story, a science/political interview, or travel tips. Really, I listen to a variety of podcasts , and am always adding more. This might seem boring to some, but one day a week, a clean and orderly house and enriching my mind is a simple bliss. 

The beautiful BC mountain sunrise I'm always chasing, and inevitably, always failing at capturing. This is the view from my front porch upper deck. 

I had another, better photo I was planning to use, but seeing these two near the tree, involved in their own work of untangling, hanging, and beautifying the tree in ways only children can do, I snapped a few 'okay' photos before the moment was over. Not the best photo, but representative, if even a little, of our cozy warm home, filled with love and comfort with one another; beautiful Christmas music in the background.