Owen enjoying some time with his Great Grammy!

Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving! We had a great trip over to the West side that included lots of family, food, and relaxing. Jude came down with some kind of bug while there and we came home to a leak going from under the kitchen sink through our downstairs ceiling, but we won’t let that dampen the start of the Christmas season! I do feel a bit distracted cleaning up, caring for the boys, and finding time to read and think and be with Andrew, so the blog will have fewer posts as a result. When I do have more time I’ll post a gift idea that can change lives & an idea for holiday decorating on a budget!

Jude & his cousin Alana playing with some peppermint
scented sparkly green and red play dough made by my Mum!

Lots of painting by Jude on his new art easel-
and recycling it into some lovely gift wrap for Christmas!

Turning our living room into some cozy little play houses…

A 3 year old getting over his fear of owls…

Hours of playing with cars…

…and two brothers having the best of times!

What we have not been up to:

*Sleeping- not that we don’t try, it’s just that convincing a
7 month old to go back to sleep at night is easier said than done!

*Keeping up on housework- lately I’ve been thinking how fast the time goes with kiddos and have had a fun week putting off housework to just be with and play with the boys more than I usually do.

*Did I mention sleeping? I seem to forget things easily these days…

What have you been up to?

Raggedy Anne & Andy dolls, made by my Great Grandma Bomen,
played with in my childhood days.

Old kids books- I really love the wording and diverse
language you don’t often find in more recent books.

Aprons~ the floral one made by my Grammy,
(Mum’s side of the family), the red polka dot one found in a
little shop in Seattle, worn by me when I remember to tie one on!

Cookbooks dating back to 1901 (!) and 1939 and falling apart from use. These were my Grandma’s (Dad’s side) and have some hand written recipes, magazine clippings, and notes in them that make me feel like I’m getting a glimpse into her kitchen. I also just received a hand mixer that was my Great Great Grandma Windsor’s on my Mum’s side that has a red handle and a prized position in my kitchen! I like to think that between the recipes, aprons, and such I’ll be able to bring a little of the past wisdom and love into my world now.

In a time where fast food and instant gratification are the norm sometimes you just gotta tie an apron on, cook a meal that takes at least an hour, and linger over it with loved ones a little longer than normal! Cheers!

Hard to believe that 3 years ago Jude came into this world. We suspected from early on that he would be a smart little fellow with a strong will and we were right. At age 3 he can identify many letters, spell his name and write the first 2 letters, identify numbers 1-10, and has an incredible vocabulary and memory. He loves cars, trains, art, and stories. He loves to be on the go and explore new surroundings, especially outdoors. His is a total joy- strong will and all! We love you more than we could ever express Judo and we think you are so much fun!!!

Supposedly some snow is on our way tomorrow!
We’ll be ready in our cozy hats!:)

The picture above is the dressed up version of what is becoming a staple meal in our house- home cooked black beans and organic basmati rice (fairly traded, purchased in bulk from Costco). Sometimes we just have bowls of the rice and beans with a little soy sauce or salsa and sour cream. It doesn’t cost much, the rice and beans together form complete proteins in our body, and it reminds us that simple food is the norm for so many people in the world- while we in developed nations feast on more yummy and divers foods in the course of a day than many do in the course of a life time. In many places in South America and the Congo, for example, a typical meal would be a small bowl of rice and beans. As a family, you could commit to eating this meal once a week or month, and deciding as a family where to give the small amount saved to someone in poverty. Or you could donate time as a family in a soup kitchen, or learn together about the many other ways to help those in poverty. A good place to start is thankfulness, and taking a step back once in a while from the excess, to clear our heads of clutter and look outward.

Want to know if you are rich? Click HERE.

Need inspiration for a more outward focused life?
Read ‘The Hole in Our Gospel’ with me.

Want to actively help a child that lives in poverty?
World Vision is one place to look.

Our desire is to live simply so we can give generously!

“Preach the Gospel always. Use words if necessary.”
- St. Francis of Assisi