BOOKS I FINISHED - DECEMBER 2012

The Necklace: Thirteen Women and the Experiment That Transformed Their Lives, written by Cheryl Jarvis
Random pick off the library shelf. It's the true story of thirteen women who joined together to buy and share a diamond necklace that was worth $37,000. I love the novelty of the idea, the variety of reasons the women joined the group, how their project brought them closer and how they worked through the conflicts it created, and the ways they've used the necklace to bless other people in a variety of ways.

p. 122, Generosity isn't just about giving money; it's giving of yourself, your time, your words.

p. 163, In the past, Priscilla had always thought that the smarter and more successful you were, the more you didn't need other people, the more you could do it all yourself. Priscilla had never asked anyone for anything. Now she was starting to think differently. Maybe the smarter you were, the sooner you recognized you were in trouble and asked for help.

In the Dark Streets Shineth: A 1941 Christmas Eve Story, written by David McCullough
A short book about Prime Minister Winston Churchill's visit with President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the midst of WWII and story behind two popular Christmas carols.

A Marriage Carol, written by Chris Fabry and Gary Chapman
I found this on the library site while I was searching for Christmas movies. Fiction, quick read, happy ending, some good things to be reminded of. 

p. 52, "The choices you make lead your heart toward your husband or away; they are never inconsequential."

"Can't you just run parallel?"

"Have your ever tried to draw a straight line on your own? There's always a little bend there because none of us is perfect. So it may appear that you're moving parallel to each other when in fact you're moving apart or together."

Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic, written by John De Graaf, David Wann, Thomas H. Naylor and illustrated by David Horsey
This book was referenced in The Necklace, so I checked it out. It's long and I skimmed much of it, but the premise of the book is an important one. Our culture is obsessed with having bigger, more, better, newer, etc. and it's a problem. I realize that's old news, but it's always a bit shocking to read actual statistics. 

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TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON

There are a few things I've always said about schooling choices.

* I'm thankful we live in a time and place with so many options for how and where people can educate their kids.

* To say that any particular method of schooling is the best and right choice is naive at best and arrogant at worst.

* Our approach to homeschooling is one kid and one year at a time.

Despite the variety of choices available and due to the things we've factored into our decisions each year, we have always and only homeschooled.  It's a choice I'm thankful we have and one that has been good for our family for several years. 

However, for a variety of reasons, we've decided to change things up next year.  I've been mulling on the possibility of a change for quite a while, talked with Tim about it last night, and threw the idea and the reasons behind it out to a few close friends who I trust to give me reality checks, ask good questions, and call me on it if I'm being ridiculous.  The result is that, barring some unexpected turn of events or flashing neon sign in the heavens saying to leave things as they are, I will not be in charge of educating two little Ws next year. 

Of course, there's a part of me that feels a little sappy about our season of homeschooling everyone coming to an end, but there's a much bigger part that immediately felt a huge sense of peace about it. This decision has been a long time coming and I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. 

None of the choices we make in life are perfect, so there will obviously be pros and cons about the upcoming changes, but there are pros and cons about the current situation, too.  The problem with how things are now is that the cons have started to outweigh the pros for our family at this particular point in time.

As always, we will re-evaluate our schooling choices one kid and one year at a time, so there's always the possibility we'll have everyone home again at some point, but the current plan is to finish out this year and then move on to a new season of schooling.

I'm not quite ready to share the details of who won't be homeschooled or what they'll be doing instead, primarily because we're still weighing a couple options for one kid.  Once we have a firm plan in place, though, I'll let you know.

Meanwhile, I feel peace, hope, and confidence moving forward in a new direction.

LOVE SHOWN THROUGH A LETTER

I have been the recipient of a whole lot of W love lately!!  Want to see the newest additions to the W collection?

Sachi saw this blanket and thought of me because the chevron pattern is like a long string of Ws.  I love it!  I think it's been used every day since she gave it to me nearly two weeks ago.

As if the W/chevron pattern wasn't enough coolness for one girl to handle, which it is, the blanket happens to be made from my two favorite colors.  Not only is it my two favorite colors, but it's shades of blue and green that go perfectly with my crazy cobalt and lime walls.  Check this out! 

 

 

The next form of W love was given to me anonymously.  My friend Ruby makes felt Christmas ornaments, including buttoned monograms.  I received a package from her a week ago with an ornament enclosed, along with a note saying it was from one of my Sonlight sisters.  It immediately went on our tree and will be moved to the W wall later today.

 

Ruby's shop, which is currently closed for Christmas, gave a significant part of their profits toward an adoption grant for Simon during December.  I love knowing that a W that I love will also help a family bring Simon home!

Then it was Christmas day.  I opened several Ws from Carol and one that was in a bag of gifts left anonymously at our front door the week before Christmas.  A magnetic notepad, a package of cards and envelopes, a wall hook, a box of scratch paper, an ornament, and two large Ws to hang on the wall.  I'll probably leave the white one as is because I don't have a plain white one, but I'm going to do something fun with the other one.  I don't know if I'll just paint it or venture out on the limb of crafty stuff.  I'll let you know once I figure it out.

 

 

Fun, fun, fun!!  I love how each of my Ws reminds me of a person, trip, or situation that makes me smile.  

12/27/12 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that Devon gets to spend the day on Mt. Hood, that Tim and Naomi will get to hang out with another father/daughter combo at the zoo this afternoon, and that I'll get to spend time with the endcaps, as Silas woke up too sick to hit the mountain and Tyler is too little to make a zoo trip worth skipping naps for. 

What are you thankful for?

A SON'S GIFT TO HIS DAD

September 22, 2012 - Silas posted the following on his blog.

WANTED:JOBS

So I haven't posted in a while and so I thought I'd post about this. Christmas is coming up so I want to get my dad a bike "don't tell him " for Christmas. I would like to play handy man to earn some money to buy the bike with.

When I say handy man, this is what I mean. I can do yard work (pulling weeds, picking food from trees & gardens, pruning, and raking). I can help with younger kids (changing diapers- except blow outs (: , making and giving bottles, and keeping babies and toddlers entertained). I can do kitchen work (help with cooking, wash dishes, serve meals, clear meals, sweep, and wash down tables). I can wash and fold laundry. I can clean bathrooms, clean rooms, vacuum, dust, and make beds. If there is something you think I can do that I forgot to mention, then comment on this post and tell me.

O.K., sorry kids, but I can't do your homework. That's your job.

If you are interested, then please contact me and we'll figure out the details.



November 18, 2012 - I posted the following on Facebook.

I want to share something that I can't blog about, so I'm doing it here with custom settings to hide it from those who need to remain clueless. :)

Silas wanted to get Tim a bike for Christmas. Our kids have a regular payday and giving is part of the mandatory budget, but he knew that wasn't going to be nearly enough money. Additionally, the kids' payday has been suspended indefinitely until Tim's employed again. That's fine and just part of life, but it meant a bike purchase would be even harder. So, he wrote a blog post looking for work.

Enter person #1. He worked for this person almost once a week in October. While the mandatory budget is tithe, save, give, and spend, I bent the rules for this particular project and the revised budget was tithe and bike. Toward the end of October this person was at the store with Silas and they saw a floor model bike marked down about 40%. The person bought it, is storing it at their house, and made up a ledger for Silas to keep track of how much more he owed on it, paying him his tithe and crediting the rest to his account. We're anti-debt, so Silas was concerned I'd be upset with this plan, but, given all the details, it's totally fine with me. He was ecstatic when he told me to check FB messages to see the picture the person had sent me of Silas with the bike.

Enter person #2. This person hired Silas for a project. Due to the fact that this is his first venture into the working world and a chance to prove himself to be a good worker, I did not let Silas charge a specific rate. Instead, he accepted whatever payment his employer found reasonable. Needless to say, he had no idea what to expect from person #2 and was practically giddy when it was enough to tithe, pay off the bike ... and have a few bucks to spare.

All three bigs are incredibly cheerful and thoughtful givers, but this was the first time one of them had to go above and beyond their regular routine to give what they really wanted to give. I am so proud of Silas for accomplishing his goal!!

Now pretend like you never read this, at least when talking to or near Tim. :)



December 24, 2012 - I wrote the following on Facebook.

#1 - SSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Top secret operation commencing shortly. Silas and I are heading out in a couple hours to pick up the bike he bought for Tim. So stinkin' proud of that kid!! Everyone has been told that I have an errand to run, that the garage will be off limits from this afternoon until some point tomorrow, and that I'll take Silas with me because I need a little help. The other kids will be napping, so Tim will have to stay home with them.

#2 - Putting it under the tree was obviously impossible, so he got a little gift card box and put a note in it saying Tim has to go to the garage for his gift. :)

#3 - I wrote that post in mid-November. Since then Silas worked a few more times for person #1, worked once for person #3, financed all of his own Christmas shopping for our family *and* had enough left over to get a gift for a good friend of his. Isn't that cool?!

#4 - Mission accomplished. The garage is now off limits to all other Ws.


December 26, 2012 - Silas wrote a blog post about giving Tim the bike, which includes pictures and a video.  Please go check it out and leave him a comment!!

CHRISTMAS 2012

What a great couple days we've had! 

We spent the morning of Christmas Eve at home, with all of us taking a quick trip outside to deliver soft ginger, sugar, and coconut cranberry cookies to our three closest neighbors. Tim and three of the kids went down for naps after lunch, while Silas and I ran a quick errand. 

The next thing on the agenda was our church's Christmas Eve service. This is our eighth Christmas there, but we'd never attended the Christmas Eve service because we were either having guests arrive at our house or were out of town. We snapped a couple quick pictures before heading out. One smiling, one silly. Par for the course.

After the service we headed to the home of a family from church. They and another family had extended an invitation a few days earlier for us to join them for Christmas Eve dinner. We took a plate of cookies, as we'd baked about a million, but otherwise they did all the cooking. Such a treat! Ham, beef, homemade pasta, asparagus, green beans, rolls, pineapple, blueberries, raspberries, ice cream, and cookies (theirs and ours). Delicious! The adults visited, the kids ran around like maniacs, some of the kids did a last minute repeat of part of the Christmas program and others showed off their singing skills. Fun evening!

It was already past bedtime when we left and we had stuff to do when we got home, so we decided to make a late night even later and spent some time driving through a couple neighborhoods to look at Christmas lights. Sometimes you just have to kick responsibility to the curb and score some "cool parents" points, which is exactly what we did.

We had an Advent stocking to take care of when we got home, then it was time for each of us to open one gift before going to bed. I received a gift from Naomi and I love her expression of happy satisfaction that I liked what she gave me.

Naomi opened a gift that was from Tim and I. Sorta. A few months ago I received a note from a friend I've known online for six years, but never met in person. She's an excellent seamstress and, knowing that Tim's unemployed, wanted to make Naomi a dress for Tim and I to give to her. Isn't that sweet? Well, she not only made a dress and bloomers, but also made a matching doll outfit. It was her first Cabbage Patch outfit, but you wouldn't know by looking at it. Naomi loooooooved it and asked if she could wear it to bed. As of now, she still has it on. We'll make her change when she wakes up, as 36 hours is more than enough time to wear a newly acquired outfit, but I have a sneaking suspicion it will be worn often. 

Tim and I watched White Christmas after the kids went to bed, then hit the sack ourselves. 

We woke up this morning to our first Christmas spent entirely with our immediate family. I love spending the day with a bigger group of people, but we also had a wonderful time without anyone else around. Thanks to the generosity of multiple people, both known and unknown, our unemployed Christmas resulted in the most gifts we've ever had under the tree. We are not a family who goes crazy at Christmas, even when we can, so I don't really care about the number of gifts from a quantity standpoint. This year, though, it was a tangible reminder of a gracious God and a life surrounded by amazingly thoughtful and generous people.  So special!

We had a very leisurely day - Tim reading The Legend of the Three Trees, which he does each Christmas and Easter, opening a few gifts, doing a box from our nativity set, taking a water and bathroom break, opening a few more gifts, doing another nativity box, getting cider started in the crockpot, and so on, breaking for other exciting things like changing diapers and rotating laundry. We are a "one person opens at a time" kind of family, so opening presents is never chaotic, but today was so mellow. Loved it! 

Our kids have always been amazing gift givers, thoughtful in the things they choose and always excited to hand their gifts to the recipient. This year was no exception. Like anyone else, they love getting gifts and were thrilled with every single thing they opened. I heard "no way!", "oh my word", "yes", and "awesome" quite a bit today, along with lots of eyes popping out of heads and jaws hitting the floor. The flip side of their love of receiving is they they never ask if they can open a gift next, but are always chomping at the bit to be the next to give a gift to someone else. I'm so thankful for their generous hearts in giving and I love watching their enthusiastic gratitude in receiving. It's a perfect balance.

As for food, I had absolutely no desire to spend the day in the kitchen, so lunch and dinner consisted of a smorgasbord of snacks. Our not-so-gourmet menu consisted of salami, cheddar, jack, two kinds of Wheat Thins, two kinds of Triscuits, three kinds of Kettle chips, grapes, fresh pineapple, mandarins, Chex mix (given to us by a friend), cheese puffs and pretzels (given to us by a neighbor), tamari almonds, pistachios, and the cookies we didn't give to our neighbors. It was perfect!! The kids loved eating snacky stuff I don't usually buy and I loved not having to plan, prep, cook, or clean up a huge dinner.

 
Teebs took a nap, two of the kids and I drove down the road for a quick cookie delivery to another family, then we spent part of the afternoon opening the rest of our gifts. Our living room looked like a tornado had blown through by the time we were done, but everyone was pretty happy. And silly.

Did you notice that in both smiling pictures, Christmas Eve and Christmas, Tyler is looking at the camera, but he's looking at the rest of us in both silly pictures. He's probably wondering what's wrong with his crazy family!

Our older nappers didn't nap and they were up crazy late last night, so everything slowed down in the evening. The boys learned how to play Stratego, I put away some gifts, Naomi watched White Christmas, Silas worked on making survival bracelets with some cord he received as a gift, Tim and Tyler konked out for a bit, and I played Cash Cab with Devon for the first time.

The house is still a mess and I'm totally exhausted, but it was a wonderful day! 

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TYLER'S BIRTHDAY, PART TWO - 2012

We skipped some of our birthday traditions for Tyler because he's still too little to care, but it was still a fun day.

The morning started with him opening gifts from our family.  He was totally uninterested and just wanted to snuggle with Tim, which may have had something to do with the fact he was up til almost midnight the night before because he, again, wanted to snuggle with Tim.  The boy worships his daddy!  Eventually, though, he figured out there were fun things in the packages placed in front of him.  He stayed pretty somber, but he started digging in bags to find treasures. 

 

We also took the annual birthday outfit picture.  He's clapping, so he must approve of that tradition.

 

 

We also had a little birthday party to celebrate his first year.  We had thirteen guests, all in their 50s, 60s, and 70's - my pseudo-inlaws, who are grandparents to our kids, a friend I've known for almost 30 years, and a bunch of the church grandparents.  So awesome!  I love the older people in our lives and it was neat to have many of them here for the party.

 

He caught on to the gift thing by the time the party rolled around, though we didn't really get any good pictures.  He was hilarious, though!  Laughing, gasping, and smiling at all the right times and cracking us all up.  Here's the best shot we have of him opening gifts.  That's a laughing scrunch face, not a crying one.

 



 

Next up was cake.  Here's the before shot.

And here's the after shot.

 

He only wanted the cake if I'd feed it to him, then totally fell apart before finishing his piece.  A late night, a busy morning, and the fact that it was just about nap time all hit him at once.  Plus he had parents who photographed the meltdown instead of comforting him.  Poor guy.  He got a nap, though, then happily went to a concert that afternoon and out to dinner that evening.  What a trooper!

 

 

12/20/12 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for kids who are quiet when they wake up before Tim and I do. 

What's something that you're thankful for?

MENU - SECOND HALF OF DECEMBER 2012

We tried one new recipe that was worth keeping on the last menu.

* slow cooker Asian short ribs - Easy, yummy, great leftovers

We're staying home for Christmas this year and I have no desire to spend the day in the kitchen.  So the plan is to sit down as a family tomorrow and come up with a breakfast we love and a list of easy foods to graze on throughout the day, then shop accordingly.

BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts x3
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings x10
* baked oatmeal (prep previous night)
* oatmeal pancakes (using leftover oatmeal from other days)
* wheat germ whole wheat buttermilk pancakes

DINNERS
* leftovers x3
* tacos x2
* Dad's treat
* Christmas (undecided at this point)
* cheesy green beans/rice
* new recipe/garlic green beans/rice
* rice, kale, & eggs
* quinoa patties/roasted cauliflower
* Cajun sausage & beans (crockpot) 
* chili dog casserole/carrot and celery sticks
* burgers/potato wedges
* broccoli tomato salad/beans (crockpot, from the freezer)/toasted English muffins
* grilled salmon/winter fruit salad with lemon poppyseed dressing/rice

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* produce
* big soft ginger cookies

TIM + BETHANY - KIDS = A FUN MORNING

Our friend Kelli recently asked if she could come hang out with the little Ws so that Tim and I could have some time alone.  Is that sweet or what?  She came over after breakfast this morning and we took off.  We had no plan in place, so we ran a couple errands, then sat in a parking lot trying to figure out how to kill some more time. 

The weather was cruddy, so hiking or doing anything else outdoors was out.  We didn't want to spend a bunch of money.   We have a gift card for a place we could have gone, but we really want to save it for a family outing.  So, Tim fired up the engine and took off down the road.  Where did he go?  Aurora.  Why?  Because I've said a few times over the years that I'd love to spend a day looking in all the antique shops there. 

We didn't have all day, but we did have the morning, so we went to one small store and three big ones.  Oh my!!!  I love, love, love browsing antique stores!  Pretty glassware and dishes don't excite me at all, but there are always so many other interesting things.  It's like a history lesson and it's so fun!  I always find a few things to covet and tons of things I think are cool, but wouldn't actually want to own.  I'm also finding that the older I get, the more things I recognize from my own childhood.  Seeing things you grew up using being sold in an antique store is a bit of a reality check, but it's still fun.

We stopped at Hwy 99E. Antique Mall, Main Street Merchantile, Aurora Mills, and South End Antique Mall before it was time to head home.  Some day I'm going to go back and look in all the rest of the stores, but that may need to wait until the summer. It was pretty chilly walking around today!

Here's a picture of Tim and I in Aurora Mills, followed by a blurry (because I want to post it now, rather than wait for natural light tomorrow) picture of two-inch piece of aluminum that Tim splurged on.  True love.

I'm thankful for Kelli's thoughtfulness in offering to watch the little Ws and her grace under fire when the morning didn't go quite as planned.  And, no, I'm not blogging about those details.  We'll just leave it at "Kelli's awesome, even when it's hard to be awesome". 

I'm thankful for Tim's thoughtfulness in picking something to do that he remembered me mentioning in the past and commemorating the occasion with a souvenir W. 

Such a fun morning!

2012 - CHRISTMAS PROGRAM

Three of our kids were in our church's Christmas program a couple Sundays ago.  They had five weeks of Sunday rehearsals and a few extras thrown in toward the end, practiced constantly at home, and did their very best during the performance.  I was sooooo proud of them!!

Here are a few pictures of them onstage.

I know I already linked this on Facebook, but the church recorded the performance and I wanted to link it here for my non-Facebooking friends. 

Naomi's group starts at 10:38. She's in the center of the middle row.  You'll recognize her as the one pulling her hair out of her face 5.7 million times and falling off her step once when she loses her balance while fixing her hair. (Note to self: Don't let Naomi have her hair down when she's going to be rocking out onstage.) It's hard to understand her group on the video, but at least you can see her.

The boys come on at 25:29 and are there until 31:30, second row from the top and just right of center. They come back again at 35:42 with Silas in the front on the right and Devon in the center of the back. Silas is a soloist on that last section.

A friend snapped a couple pictures of us after the performance, so I'll wrap this post up with those shots. 

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

I took several pictures of the Christmas sights in our home a couple weeks ago, then never got around to posting them.  Better late than never, right?  The tree now has more gifts under it and the wall has more cards, but here's a little glimpse of the Christmas season in our home.

The Advent stockings a friend made for us, which are strung across our mantle.  I stole someone else's list of Advent verses from a random blog last year and wrote them all on little strips of paper.  Each day one little W gets to eat the candy in that day's stocking and read the verse(s) on their piece of paper.

The big bell that I like to see more than hear, so it hangs from a piece of furniture instead of a door.

 

The bin of Christmas books, both ours and a rotating collection from the library.

 

The interactive nativity set that we use each year. 

 

 

An old, carved candle from Granny.  The carved part goes all the way around and stays intact, but the center can be lit.  I've never lit it, though, and am thinking about doing so this year.

 

The wall of this year's cards and newsletters.

 

 

The basket of Santa hats.  We don't do Santa, but we do like to wear festive hats from time to time.

 

A wooden nativity figurine on the mantle.

 

 

The stack of Christmas puzzles.  A steal at Dollar Tree several years ago, they get put together multiple times each year.

 

The snowmen collection.  Not to be confused with the Sneaky Snowman, who must have been in some other part of the house when this picture was taken, these snowmen are just for looking at.

 

Just a pretty decoration from Granny.

 

The tree.  A free tree cut from the property of a family from church, then decorated with years and years of memories. 

 

12/14/12 FORMING FAMILIES - ONLINE AUCTION (FUNDRAISER)

Ryan and Robin are a couple from our church who are adopting from the Congo.  Wednesday night they kicked off an online auction to help offset the cost of the adoption and I want to send you guys in that direction.  Some of the things they're offering are services or lessons that will only work for people in the Portland/Vancouver area and many others are items that can be shipped to other locations.

Here's a sampling of what they are auctioning - carseat, haircuts (Battle Ground, Vancouver, & Portland - though they all have the same photo), hair clips, yoga (Vancouver), Dutch Bros. gift cards, photography sessions, private equestrian lesson (Wilsonville), guitar lessons, house decor, photography and paintings, dance classes (Vancouver), jewelry, baby items, restaurant gift cards, stroller, custom hats and children's clothing, handmade cutting board, and more.

This is a great opportunity to get some Christmas shopping done, purchase some things you need for your family, or just to indulge yourself with whatever that strikes your fancy and help bring a child home to their family.

Are you ready to go check out the auction now?  The bidding stops at 8:00pm (PST) on Sunday (12/16), so don't procrastinate!!!  Click here to go straight to the album with photos of each item.  You can bid by simply leaving a comment on the item you want with the dollar amount you'll pay. 

Happy shopping!!  Happy forming of families!!

12/13/12 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that Dad and Ashley are visiting this weekend.

What's one thing that you're thankful for?

CHRISTMAS NEWSLETTER - 2012 EDITION

Life is a super busy and we're being super frugal.  Those two things have nothing to do with each other, but the combination of them means we're not doing paper copies of this year's newsletter.  So here's your electronic copy .... hot off the press.  Sorta.

You'll also find the little Ws' annual pictures, taken the months of their birthdays, and our current family picture after the newsletter.  That's the best part, as our kids are stinkin' cute!

2012 - A WEATHERSBY YEAR IN REVIEW

Agriculture - We enjoyed the thornless blackberries, ever-bearing raspberries, and strawberries that came with our home.  We also picked blueberries at someone's house and apples from a park, and gathered nuts from the neighborhood.

Basketball - Tim chose to take last season off, but worked summer tournaments and recently started his tenth season of officiating high school basketball.  He was also able to attend a Blazer game.

Coast - Bethany was invited to spend a weekend in Lincoln City with a small group of ladies and enjoyed the time to rest, laugh, shop, and walk on the beach.

Devon - He is almost always the first to help when there's a need and frequently does so without being asked, remembers all sorts of trivia and other information, loves climbing, and enjoys the thrill of hiding, whether household items, little gifts, or himself.

Education - Tim is not teaching this year and has returned to school as a part-time student with the goal of getting his administrator's license.  Silas, Devon, and Naomi are all being homeschooled.

Festivals - We had fun at Wooden Shoe Farm's Tulip and Pumpkin Fests, the Hubbard Hop, and our church's Harvest Festival.

Grade School - Silas and Devon have done all sorts of fun things with their class at church - forts & floats, water wars, movie nights, summer camp, and more. 

Healthy - Bethany used My Fitness Pal to figure out some ways to take better care of herself and dropped the rest of her baby weight in the process.  Tim used Take Shape For Life to help him lose about twenty-five pounds that he'd been carrying for eight years and then decided to become one of the program's health coaches.  Now they're both going to work on exercising more regularly.

Injuries - We had our regular share of scrapes and shiners, but this year's top medical drama was when Devon's teeth went through his lip and required stitches.  

Jesus - He loves us and we love him.  We're thankful for a Savior, a church that's committed to teaching the entire Bible, and the privilege of living in a country where everyone is granted the freedom to believe and worship as they wish.

Kids - We still have a desire to foster or adopt, but are waiting for the timing to be right.

Lessons - Silas, Devon, and Naomi took three sessions of swimming lessons.  The boys can now be found swimming all over the pool  and Naomi swims well enough that she no longer needs a life jacket or someone holding her.

Music - We went to several outdoor concerts at the library, a Kutless concert, a Tim Hawkins performance, and will be ending the year listening to several artists at the A Christmas Together concert. We had loaned our piano out for a couple years while we lived in an apartment and got it back this year.  The kids enjoy playing it, whether teaching themselves from a book or just plunking keys.

Naomi - She learned to read, tie her shoes, and ride a bike, loves anything pink, randomly tells us she loves us, and collects pigs.

Ownership - We've been in our home for a little over a year now and we love it.  We didn't mind renting, but it's been nice to paint walls and tear out bushes when we feel like it. 

Painting - Tim and Bethany painted one of the bathrooms in a neutral color the previous owners of the home had left behind, then Bethany painted the living room cobalt blue and the kitchen area lime green.

Questions - We often go around the table during a meal and have each person ask a question of the rest of the family.  The only rule is that the questions can't have yes or no answers.  We also end each evening by asking everyone what the hardest and best parts of their day were.

Road Trip - Devon headed south for a weekend and spent a couple nights with Papa and Nana.

Silas - He hit double digits this year, can be counted on to do things completely and correctly, has become addicted to mystery and adventure books, and dreams of living off the land in the wilderness someday.

Tyler - He smiled, laughed, rolled, sat, crawled, climbed, took a step or two, and will take off walking any minute now.  He's a happy kid who loves everyone, but his world revolves around Tim.

Ugly - We have blue counter tops in the kitchen, which came with the house.  That 80's country blue.  And lime green walls, which we chose.  Bright and cheery walls.  Someday the counter tops will be replaced, but meanwhile it's not a very attractive combination.  Just keep your eyes on the cheery walls and you'll be fine.

Visitors - From dinner guests to marshmallow gun wars, from birthday parties to weekend company, we had a lot of people come through our home.  Our most frequent visitors were the Moffits, Bethany's sister and her family, and the person who traveled the greatest distance was Sonja, who came from Arkansas.

Working - Silas entered the world of paid employment and did various jobs for a handful of people.

X = hugs - Naomi is super affectionate and frequently gives us spontaneous hugs.

Yanking - Several salmon pulled on Tim's fishing line this year, which means our freezer is full of fish.

Zinc - "Zinc on the pink" is our mantra when our diaper-wearing kids have a rash.  We've had to bust out the zinc a few times since Tyler was born and discovered that carrying the container around is one of his favorite things to do.

Merry Christmas!!!

The 6 Ws