Tuesday's Surprise

Jeff had the idea to surprise the kids on Tuesday morning when they woke up. Clay and Em groggily walked out to the dining room in their pj's and squealed when they saw Mickey Mouse pancakes. That in itself is a big treat. Then we asked, "If there was one place you would love to go today, where would it be?" Clayton thought a second and replied, "Disney." We answered, "Let's do it!" The kids went nuts...screaming, jumping, bouncing off the couch, etc. We gathered our things and headed off to the wintery wonderland.

We rode on a kiddie roller coaster and Emma wanted to be like Daddy and put her hands up. Here we are going click, click, click, click up the track.

Nothing quite like getting dizzy on the teacup ride. Clay is making the thing go fast and furious and Em's face looks like I felt... stop the madness! :) She actually loved going around fast too. I guess I was the only one trying to make it go the opposite way to slow us down.

All the characters were decked out for Christmas. Jeff joked that with Goofy standing in for my husband, this could be our family Christmas picture this year.
The castle glowed at night...so pretty. ..

...magical, wonderful, enchanting.

Happy Thanksgiving!

(artwork by Clayton)

O God, when I have food, help me to remember the hungry;

When I have work, help me to remember the jobless;

When I have a home, help me to remember those who have no home at all;

When I am without pain, help me to remember those who suffer,

And by remembering, help me to destroy my complacency,

Bestir my compassion, and be concerned enough to help

By word and deed, those who cry out for

what we take for granted.

-Samuel F. Pugh

Dress-up Day

The kids went on a hike to "base camp" yesterday afternoon. They each had a pair of boots, a hat, and a backpack.
The conversation went something like this:

"Emma, we need to head to base camp. Get your stuff."

"But Clay, I'm scared of bears."

"Don't worry Emma, I'll protect you."

And off they went, backpacks, sleeping bag, pillows, and all...driving in their (chair) truck to base camp.

(And as for me? I had fun taking pictures and then editing them on a new site found by Christine, called "Picnik." Check it out to have some free fun with your pictures too!)

Seasonal Favorite

Jeff was at the grocery store the other night. Whenever he goes to the store, he comes home with "extras" that weren't on the list, if you know what I mean. But I love it! This time, he came back with Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream. Clayton and I have declared it to be our new favorite.

It reminds me of my Grandma Marge and the pumpkin ice cream pie she makes for Thanksgiving. Mmmmmmm. This stuff is "limited edition" so get yours fast!

Onward to...

India! Jeff will be finished with his studies in December, and as we prayed and talked about our future, India seemed to be the thing that kept coming up. My sister, Amanda went to India to work at a boys orphanage nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas last January-May. Whenever she'd send us emails with stories, my eyes welled up with tears. I thought of how much we have that we take for granted, and how she's giving her life to these little boys who have nothing, but in some ways they have everything! They have very little in the way of material goods, but Amanda has told us how thankful and joyful they are. Amanda said, "This is not a sacrifice for me. I want to be here. There's no place else I'd rather be." She's inspired us...to go. We decided this was a great time to dive in as a family and serve these boys. We have no house to sell, no job, no ties. Amanda is going to be there with us, so we'll get to serve alongside her.

So these little ones will be our new family in January. We are so excited. I believe that this time will not be wasted, but that God has so much He wants to accomplish in our lives and through us as we love on those boys. Our kids talk about the children at the orphanage, and Emma says, "We're going to be their mommies and daddies." I have to correct her and say, "You're going to be the SISTER." :)

I'm excited about the simplicity of life there. I'll have 3 different sari outfits, and that's it. No scurry to keep up with the latest fashions and trends. I wonder what this is going to do for our family for the rest of our lives. We'll be forever marked by India.

"Calcuttas are everywhere if only we have eyes to see. Find your Calcutta."

-Mother Theresa

The Last

We're moving in a less than a month and so I find myself often thinking or saying, "This is the last time we'll do..." Today it was for Huntington Gardens. We have loved this place in Pasadena! This afternoon, we spent lots of time letting the kids run and play in the leaves under a huge tree.

I thought this rose was especially stunning. It's scalloped edges almost looked as if they were cut with scissors. God is so creative!

Cukoo for Clay

This fall Clayton has been able to take a class called "Cukoo for Clay" at the Armory Center for the Arts. It's been such a blessing, because with their tuition reduction program, we only paid $16 for the 10 week class. (The original cost is $160!) He has enjoyed learning the process of working with clay...molding and shaping it, painting the glaze, and firing it in the kiln. Another fun thing is that it's only about 4 blocks from our apartment, so Clay and I have our little walking date every Thursday. I love to see him growing up and becoming more independent.

That 'n That

picture by shelahphotography.com

Emma has been asking about Jesus a lot lately. This morning she asked where he was. Jeff said, "He's right here with us." "Not on the couch!" was her reply.

She says often that she loves Jesus and she wants to do "that and that" with him. "That and that" refers to her bedtime routine with Daddy--butterfly kisses, eskimo kisses, smooch, and a hug. I love it that she thinks of Jesus with the same kind of tenderness she finds in her earthly daddy.

May the love of our Heavenly Father wrap you up in His big, wonderful arms today, and may you sense His presence and His "that 'n that" for you!

Grace

This past weekend we went to some special places that Grandma remembered from when she lived here in California as a young girl. One of these was the gravesite of her parents. As we paused to remember Albert and Ruby, Jeff prayed and remarked about how if they had never been born, none of us would be here either.

Though Grandma had a rough home life, I am continually amazed at her example of grace and love, patience, and forgiveness. By God's grace, she has not become an angry, bitter woman. I am so thankful for the grace of God in Grandma's life, and in ours... that we can live differently and that the chain has been broken.

Trick or Treat

We had such a fun night of trick-or-treating on El Molino street in Pasadena. Here are Mr. Dinosaur and the flaminco dancer from Spain. My sister, Amanda got this dress for Emma and it has become her favorite...the one she wears to the grocery store, and any other outing. It has become so normal to us that we don't even notice that it's a little strange anymore!

We took the kids trick-or-treating at the Father of the Bride house again this year. I just love that place!
Really cheesy smiles...it was the end of the night and Momma still hadn't gotten a good picture of the two of them. This one will have to do... We spiked Clay's hair into a mohawk as part of his costume.

A funny story from the night--We've been talking a lot with Emma about what is appropriate to say to people and what is not. She's gotten into the habit of asking people if they have a baby in their tummy, and most of the time they do not. (This becomes a VERY awkward time for me...) So tonight, we gave her the pep talk and said to not ask anyone that question.

Fast forward about 20 minutes. We got candy from a man who was pretty heavy. As we said our thank yous and goodbyes and began to walk down the sidewalk, he started to close his door, and Emma yelled out proudly, "Momma, I did SO good, I didn't even ask if he had a baby in his tummy!" I was mortified... I think he heard it. Oh boy. What a little firecracker we have.