Our resident redtail

The cracks -

- sometimes things slip through them...like our annual Christmas tree outing. Completely forgot to post this in our Christmas updates. Same place. Same time. Same experience. It was lovely.

Another one up

We have two on wheels now. The balance bikes really worked in getting them straight to a big bike without training wheels. Only down side is they are used to braking by dragging their feet.

Joseph inherited this bike from Olivia when she got a new bike for Christmas. She had received it hand-me-down from August. He was so excited. It went something like this first time he proudly shared the news with a neighbor - "I just got a big girl bike! Uh, I got a big gir...I, I, I... got my sister's bike...big bike...I got a BIG BIKE!!!"

By the way, Margaret was never really in any serious danger...just heading toward the sidewalk.

The Christmas Montage

Too tired and sick to add much commentary. These are just snippets from our days of Christmas - that involved a lot of neighbors and a lot of skype.Maybe a new tradition - Christmas Eve zoo trip (that's Lilly, not one of ours)
They speak a thousand words...I'll give you 10...no 8, two each person...
So much for matchy matchy. They don't even match themselves, much less each other. Maybe one day.
Not evening matching socks...don't even mention our sock drawer.
Christmas homemades - salsa for neighbors
table runner for mom
They LOVE getting the boxes from the East...who cares about the North Pole






Calling it an evening...
Based on all these pictures you would think our Christmas was all about presents. It wasn't. We had some really special times with neighbors. A handful from the church came over Christmas eve and we worshipped Christmas day at one of the other Harbor sites. I can't quite figure out how to slow Christmas down. Probably because our Fall always tends to be pretty full, so it starts early. I'll take any suggestions if you have them.

The Art Show

We've been cooping (that's co-oping, cooping) our homeschool experience with another family of dear friend. You might say they are the right brain and we are the left brain of the set up we have going on. It works so well! Their boys come here for math and science with Mike on Wednesdays. That's right, Mike! You can find me around the corner at Grant's with a cup of coffee looking for my sanity. On Thursdays our kids go to their house for art. We decided to put a little art show together to give the kids an opportunity to learn a little bit about hosting and see how they can serve others and bring joy to others in the things they create. The Osgoods hosted and we invited a good number of friends and neighbors. So, Meet The Artists...The pre-show re-cap. Kevin quizzed on their art - what techniques they used, what artist they studied, why they named it what they did...


We framed a few pieces and hung them in the windows.
Chaz giving a tour


Her true love...this is probably where she would have rather been all evening.
The arteests.

How she sleeps

One in each paw. And if one is missing she knows it. I slept with a Snoopy.

While we were waiting for Christmas,

we got a visitor! Yay for medical conferences and boy friends to bring folks across the country. Not to say she does not love us enough to come without multi-tasking, right? But we take whatever we get with thanksgiving!
Can I get a normal smile? Anyone?

Their harvest

I think this year we'll a bit to the garden (also known as the small strip of really bad dirt between two slabs of concrete in the back yard in which we have planted tons of things but only these two pumpkins were pleased enough to grow).