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!:)

Thanksgiving!
Our thankful tree tradition is officially being kicked off this year- if you come to my house from now until Thanksgiving you can write what you are thankful for on a paper leaf and hang it from our branches, to be read on Thanksgiving day.

National Adoption Month!
To find out more visit the Child Welfare Information site. Or visit World Orphans, or No Hands But Ours, or the many other online resources for finding out more about the millions of children in need of a forever home here in America and across the globe.

“How wonderful it would be if we could help our children and grandchildren to learn thanksgiving at an early age. Thanksgiving opens the doors. It changes a child’s personality. A child is resentful, negative—or thankful. Thankful children want to give, they radiate happiness, they draw people.” - Sir John Templeton