mmmmmmmmmmm.

caramel apple spice. peppermint hot chocolate with a shot of espresso. salted caramel hot chocolate. (although they do need to figure out how to make that last one without the salt sinking to the bottom, thus ruining the last sip.) thank you, Lord, that the evil temptation only rises to this level of difficulty at this time of year. but if i indulge, let it be with a good friend over sweet conversation! of course, last night my princess-girl and i enjoyed ours over a late-night Christmas shopping trip. now THAT'S the way to have "coffee."

happy autumn...

that might be just a bit too much glue!!





just in time for Christmas! that's how my timeline is working these days.

just now finding these photos, but they amaze me with the "sunshine" in their eyes... it reminds me again that i've vowed to play more this year... to be outside truly dancing with my Father with my children. we're going to do that tomorrow, as a matter of fact. it's time to run and laugh and read in the sun and be silly together. 'cause He made us to.

an afternoon with Sombrero.

Recently we spent an afternoon with some good friends at our favorite place for historical fun, Heritage Village. They brought the infamous Sombrero and we had some fun with him.

arrow-bearer.

movie night. prince caspian. need i say more? okay, i gotta.

i have chills again as i watch this film - beautifully portrayed. even disney couldn't remove the "deep magic" of lewis's masterful allegory of the Christian life. i am in awe as my late-blooming reader tells us in advance many of the plot twists; he remembers from reading the book! i am tender-hearted as each of the children fondly recognizes familiar characters even i have forgotten! and moment after unfolding moment, i am listening to my Papa calling through the lines of a man-made story...

one "nugget" from tonight: susan carries a bow and arrows. each of the sons and daughters of Adam has a posession useful in battle, gifted by Aslan. but susan's is a bow and arrow. how fitting for a woman to carry this "weapon;" as a mother i have once again forgotten that above any gift, my Papa has blessed me with five arrows. it is my high calling to sharpen them, to practice my aim so that it is tack-sharp, and to fire these arrows of God's truth and light and love into a world that so desperately needs it. i am not "in hiding" when i stay at home and focus my energies on my children; in fact, i am forsaking the highest battleground imaginable when i don't give them my fullest attention. oh my God, forgive me, and teach me to be faithful! and thank you for such a beautiful picture to call me back to creativity and attentiveness in my mothering!

(side note: peter carries a sword. he leaves and goes INTO the forefront for hand-to-hand combat with mortal enemies. the man uses the SWORD, when he is faithful, to "go into all the world..." hhmmm...)

Day 5 of our Jesse Tree journey. This is one of (I think, THE) neatest tradition(s) we've adopted into our family's legacy. Visit my friend here to see how we found it.

Today we placed a lamb on the tree to remind us of Abraham's journey up the mountainside with his precious Isaac. God asked him to take this gift of a son, and prepare to sacrifice him on that day - Oh, Father, how you call our hearts to give all to you. (Did you know a ram is a male lamb? Might seem silly, but when we went to hang the lamb ornament, there was some opposition, and we had to look it up; we'd always heard "ram," and it didn't sound right to us!)

God gives us a symbol of His precious son who would follow - THE LAMB who would forever remove our sin if we would but die to ourselves. As Abraham raised the knife (talk about a cliffhanger - today's movies got nothin'), he must have barely heard the bleating animal over the beating of his heart. Yet God was not late in His timing. He desired willingness, and He provided redemption.

ho, ho, HOstess with the mostest...

...EXCEPT DO I HAVE TO SHARE?? i hearby promise never to fill one of these glasses, to sip sparingly, and to wear my adorable apron and think of you whenever i do so, dear friend~ thank you! we wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas...

look what came today!

happy, happy. i can ALMOST forgive the UPS man for ringing the doorbell and waking baby. almost. good thing friday nights are movie/taco night! we have a date with our old friends from Narnia. aslan is calling, in more ways than one.