embracing winter

I have found that January is the time of year when I, living in a colder climate, need to be intentional about fighting off cabin fever and the winter blues.  This year has been SO much easier because (a) the kids are getting a little older (b) our house has more space and (c) winter didn't start in October.

The most obvious way to ward off those blues is to get out and enjoy those God-given elements of snow and ice.  We even adventured out to the frozen pond behind our house.

The boys were feeling a little more adventurous than the girls.

And what fun it is to enjoy a hot cup of "coffee" in our warm house.

Next, January is a great time to get to work on those goals for this year.  So far, I've successfully made from scratch: pizza crust, cheesy broccoli soup, and my first loaf of yeast bread not from a bread machine.

And, finally, another great way to keep those blues away is to have something to look forward to.  Bryan invited me to travel with him on a business trip to Dallas in April.  I'm very excited!  It will be my first time on a plane since I brought Reggie home, my first time to Dallas in eleven years (since I attended school there), and two nights away from the kids-two times longer than I've ever been away from the three little darlings.





pistachio dessert

My hands-down favorite wedding gift is a cookbook my mom purchased and passed around the families requesting that everyone include some of their favorite recipes.  Not only do I have some great recipes that have become standard fare in our home, but the recipes are written in our family members' own hand, and sometimes they included entertaining comments! 

Bryan's Grandma Lil passed away last week.  Her health had been failing her for a long while, and though she is missed, we are comforted in the assurance that she is no longer suffering.  I was fortunate to get to know her in her young and vibrant early 80's.  I enjoyed her punchy sense of humor - she was the one who would always say what everyone else was thinking at family gatherings.  She was also playfully competitive and golfing was her passion. 

When I learned of her death, I pulled out my recipe book and flipped through the pages to her pistachio dessert recipe.  She often brought it to family get-togethers, but, to be honest, I had never made it before.  When Bryan saw me making the dessert, he instantly recognized what I was up to and it brought back good memories.  It was all Lydia ate for supper.

Lil, we love and miss you, but we're a little disappointed you weren't able to pull a few strings for the Packer's on Sunday...

out of the mouths of babes

Overheard from the playroom:
"I need more coffee, 'cause I'm a mom."

lydia loves...

Lydia has a lot of baby dolls.  All of her baby dolls have been gifts from family and friends, except one. It's interesting to me that all - except one - of her baby dolls are Caucasian.  I think we humans just have a tendency to make things match, and I'm guessing if our friends and family were buying baby dolls for Brett or Reggie, they would be more proactive in giving African-American babies.  But in Lydia's world, mommas and babies don't necessarily "match".

Here's the funny part about it - Lydia loves to play "babies"...with her puppies!   She names them and rocks them and strolls with them and feeds them and tucks them in and sings to them.

And the baby dolls?  Oh, the boys play with those.

Lydia also loves to twirl in her tutu...

She loves to be messy!

And she loves all things numbers and letters.  See how she picked out the "B" and "L" and "R"?  I think she loves her brothers, too!

just a-swingin'

What's wrong with this picture? Oh yeah, it's January in Minnesota!

(Look at all my babies on big-kid swings...)

do not go with me, mom

I was a little bit apprehensive about the first day back to school after a two week break.  Brett, as a general rule, is not a fan of change in the routine.
But, ready for school, Brett watched out the front door for the bus to arrive.  I was cleaning up breakfast when he made the declaration:

"Do not go with me, Mom, do not go with me!"

I was taken aback!  This is the child who, for the first 6 weeks of school, I had to physically place on the bus due to his resistance.  This is the child who, just 2 weeks ago, wanted me to walk with him all the way to the end of the driveway and hold his hand as he stepped on the bus.

"...Well, okay, I'll just see you off...", I stumbled as I grabbed my coat.  And then, "Well, I'll just walk you to the end of the sidewalk" (Brett was already several feet ahead of me by now.)  "...I'll just walk to the lamppost with you..." Halfway down the driveway, he wasn't even in earshot by then.  I finally stopped and watched him so independently get on the bus.

Proud, and a bit lost, I waved and headed back into the house.  When did my little boy get so big?  And who, really, has the harder time letting go?