Shilah Writes

   I've been thinking about kindness...  I never used to have as much trouble with it as I do now that I am older and "more mature".  Or maybe I was always unkind naturally and am finally noticing.   Someone recently mentioned the old saying about how we are like a cup filled with something and that when we are bumped what spills out?    Also, in trying to teach the children to be kind to each other... How do they learn kindness if their very own mommy has trouble with it?  I think to get to the bottom I have to realize that it is plain selfishness that makes me grouch at them when the kids ask another question.  It's selfishness when I have to be grouchy about helping someone do a five minute chore.  Interruptions are part of the big picture...  It's like the cup of water being bumped.  As my husband likes to say..."It's part of the story."    One goal for this new year... Practice kindness.  Devel...

Spreading a little cheer.... From Judy's house and front porch...  We had coffee over their last night and I wanted to share her beautiful arrangements... Merry Christmas!

  We had a fun filled evening last night with friends we seldom see these days.  Matt and Amy are here for Christmas and Hans and Jo are here as well.  Altogether we had 15 kids and ten adults.  Things are a little different than the days when we had only one child each.   Amy helped with all the food and put the finishing touches on the party by adding wonderful starbucks coffee beans and Lindtt dark chocolate mints.  I'll let Amy talk about the food...  We made a bunch of appetizer foods and I really am not a very good food artist.....           Okay, so now I get to talk!  (It's Amy)   Shilah put on the most amazing wonderful party for us!  Bruces are living in a really big house right now so she was able to really give a nice party without the feeling squished in a house like sardines.  She used white and green and brought in the green from outside.  The light was dim...

I love this color of green.  So fresh and clean.... and full of hope... Thoughts about Christmas and the season.  Last night I watched Sabina Wurbrant or is it Sabrina Wurbandt?  Sorry,  I forget the details of her real name.... What I remember is her testimony of her time in prison.  She talked of our words.  Are we blessing or cursing in adversity.  She kept repeating a verse.  "Let the redeemed of the Lord, SAY so"  She said we say so by how we bless or curse what the Lord has given us.   Such wisdom.  She said to study Psalm 107 as they were able to remember that Psalm in prison.  Her testimony gave hope to many.  Hope:  A reason to LIVE....  The gift of Jesus!    Live.  Hope.   Bless. 

This is what its all about lately.  Once it starts this year, it can't stop.  I guess it's making up for lost time last year.  Anyhow, the kids live out there.  School was cancelled yesterday so I even went out and went sledding for the first time in years.  It's gorgeous.  It's also a trial to the mail man.  It's hard to drive up to a mailbox and deliver the mail with out getting sucked into the ditch.  Yesterday the semi from Spokane was stuck in Naples till ten-thirty so Bruce didn't get his mail til much later than usual.  Needless to say the house has come to a screeching halt the last couple of weeks.  [That is the building of the house]...We have much to be thankful for... We're warm and we are family...

I thought I would show you the crafts I did.  I'm going to do more for Christmas presents... I warn you...  Anyhow, I didn't do as much as usual because of our crazy life with building and all that entails but I did make an effort.  SO what you see is felt purses,{my girls loved them} gift cookies made with oatmeal, craisins, walnuts, and white chocolate, Christmas wall hangings, and fridge magnets. Here is a better picture of the magnets.  I got my idea out of a book at the library but after the project was done I found them bigger and better in Sharon's store.  So much for originality... Hahha!  It's a half marble, craft paper, and good magnets.  I could only find those at Michael's .  I love heavy duty magnets.  Half the time the school projects the kids bring home float to the bottom of the fridge because they don't have decent magnets in this town.  I do love living in the sticks though. And of course, the usual baking day...

 ON Sat.  The children and I spent awhile outside raking pine needles and cleaning the yard.  It was interesting hearing their different perspectives on the operation.  They both had ideas why its good to rake the yard as well as good reasons why its good not to rake the yard.  The latter ideas being after they were tired of the while thing.   It made me think about life and families and our differences.... Here's some majorly different perspectives....  This was fun.... Look at all the originality popping out in each sibling.    Think about what each one is thinking.... Kari, I agree totally...smile And then its nice when everyone gets it right together....  Thanks for the poses all.  It's been good.