Amazing Horse Quilt

Jubi's response to Grandma Elaine's quilt was, "This is the best blanket ever!" Obviously it is gorgeous!

Thanks Antie Jackie

Antie Jackie sent interest-appropriate shirts for the girls - horses for the Jubi and fancy ballerina for Hosanna. Hosanna wore her shirt to bed!

Extra Help

Here are the young chefs, helping put Christmas Eve dinner together - we're trying to make meat loaf.

The kids are enjoying the pink hot chocolate that Aunt Dianne gave Hosanna - even Zachary is impressed with the color.

Foot Washing

Jubilee suggested that we all wash each other's feet on Christmas Eve - it was a precious time to share together!

Christmas Portrait

Hooray! Jeff fixed our camera just in time for Christmas! Here we are with our camera-timer family portrait. Thanks Uncle Peter and Aunt Wendy for the matching outfits!

Merry Christmas and happy 15 degree winter weather!
Before it got down to 15, Thanksgiving, actually, we played outside with the chickens.
Hosanna was having a blast running around with Jubilee & Zachary

Playing in the yard

Hosanna and Zachary (my new "twins") running up and down the hill.

Thanksgiving afternoon in the yard

Our new friends

These are our two foster boys. Zachary (3) and Jonathon (15 months). We are adjusting to life together well - learning how to work and play and learn together.

November Update

Our camera broke so I have not had any pics to share lately, but we have news. Let's see, two foster boys came to live with us last Friday (14th) they are ages 15 months and 3 years. We are adjusting well. Going from 2 to 4 is a leap (and more organization). So I have gone back to my faithful schedule regimen where the day is blocked off into half hour sections from 6:30 am to 8 pm. I know what everyone should be doing when...it is my job to implement the "should's" into "did's" :) - catch that? This way when I am doing the dishes the baby is not eating crayons and the three years olds (Hosanna and Zachary) are not hosting a rodeo in the living room. That was yesterday! Jubilee has conjunctivitis (pink eye) in both eyes, but we are treating that we chamomile tea (in the eye). It seems to be working. Hooray! Jubilee and Hosanna are slowly adjusting to two boys - and I am sure the boys are adjusting to the girls. Jubilee is glad for more members in her parade and Hosanna is undecided - she goes from crying to laughing all day long. I am super glad that today is warmer - the last two days had such freezing winds we couldn't go outside - so that didn't help! :)
We are getting more eggs now - yesterday we gathered FOUR - that's right! The chickens made an eighty cent contribution to our life - not to mention entertainment. It is a moment of sheer delight for everyone (esp. everyone but me) to find the eggs. Everyone wants to hold the egg - so we all take turns holding the egg, and then I intercept it before it drops. (Oh, the wailing that took place when one of the eggs dropped, Jubilee wins the award for most expressive.) I am loving knitting - yes, it bring delight to have a craft that can be accessed easily. God provides the manna and Jeff gathers it everyday. The Eliada home suddenly had a deficit in the number of children it was caring for so that income became unreliable -but God is still faithful. "Out of the blue" people has called him to have him help with their business overflows. A painter and a guy from our church with a heating business. So he has been installing heating ducts, painting, driving for the state, and is a huge relief in the evenings for me. He is my Renaissance man! Oh, and he is no longer scheduled to work Thanksgiving for Eliada! That is another blessing! God is wonderful!

Mama and Jesus

This week I stubbed my toe really bad - bad enough to cry. Jubilee responded, along with a cloth to help with the bleeding and prayer, by making a feel better project.

One of her pictures included a picture of me and Jesus. Jesus has the spiked hair and I have the flowing "blue do."

At the bottom of the page she labeled her work!

Princess Hosanna

This is our Hosanna as she truly is - in her princess attire. We went to a birthday party this week where the girls were asked to dress as a princess. The girls obviously got into it! What a cutie!

Autumn at the Park

Jeff worked his 12 hour, Saturday shift at Eliada. The girls and I broke the day up by going to the park. IT was the first cold day of fall, so we wore layers to try to acclimate.

Jubilee took this of me and the autumn beauty behind me.

We spent the majority of our time making "cakes" in the sand box.

Salad Makers

Hosanna and I are cutting grapes in half to put in our salad. She likes using our circular grater (which you can see on the right corner of the picture), with which we shred carrots, broccoli, cabbage, apples, and pretty much anything!

Grammie Susan

Lots of bedtime stories

Making Chop-Sui

Making an apple pie together.

Chug-Chug To Boston

Grammie Susan was here to visit for about 2 weeks. She is famous for her Chug-Chug to Boston Song!

Jumping on the trampoline too!

First eggs

Jubilee is proudly holding our first egg "crop." We are not quite sure who is laying, but we are glad for our mystery blessing!

Homeschool for the week

Hosanna is helping Daddy make cookie bars.

Jubilee is now good at flipping pancakes!

Jubilee set up a snack store. The orange papers are the price tags with choices of peanuts, graham crackers, raisins, water bottles and popcorn. Hosanna is graciously paying the high snack shack prices - a bottle water was $8.00!! :)