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Raclette Night

Dec 30th, 2010 by

My friend, Tara, brought her raclette maker over for dinner.  This is a holiday tradition that her side of the family has enjoyed over the years.

Raclette is a dish from Switzerland. Raclette cheese is heated by a raclette maker, then scraped (the term raclette derives from the French word racler, meaning “to scrape”), onto plates over food of choice.  Traditionally, it is accompanied by small potatoes, cornichons, pickled onions, and a dried meat.  We had our raclette with potatoes, chicken sausage, bacon, zucchini, summer squash, and tomatoes.

After dinner, we had a game of ‘Apples to Apples’.  A fun night, with terrific food and company.


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My Boys New Toys

Dec 30th, 2010 by

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Decluttering my Heart

Dec 28th, 2010 by

The week between Christmas and New Year is an excellent time for reflection, assessment, and planning.  As I go from room to room in my house, I look with fresh eyes to see what needs cleaning, cleansing, and decluttering.  A notebook fills with short term projects and long term goals.

I look to my heart with this same set of eyes.  What parts need cleaning, cleansing, and decluttering?  My prayers ask God to bring up the areas that need work.

What am I placing in my heart that is taking priority over my relationship with God?  What consumes my thoughts and desires, if not Him?

What does my heart look like to the Holy Spirit?  Is my heart a palatial mansion, where He  reigns supreme?

Or, is He stuffed in the back of a closet, full of physical, emotional, and spiritual clutter?  and what is this clutter?

This is what I am praying and meditating on this week…

Consume me from the inside out, Lord…

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth.  The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” John 14:15-17

“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God,  for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14-15

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Golf Course Walk

Dec 27th, 2010 by

I never cease to marvel at the variety of trees in our area.  It is such a joy to watch the wildlife interact throughout the trees on our golf course.  Here are some photos I took while on a recent walk on the course…











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Christmas 2010

Dec 27th, 2010 by

Our first Christmas in our new home!

Leaving cookies for Santa…

‘A’s letter…
Dear Santa, thanks for the gifts.  How are you and deer? Love, ‘A’

‘R’s letter…
Dear Santa, how are you?  We have cookies for you!  I would like an RC Lego Racer.

Opening the stocking and gift from Santa.  ‘A’ was excited and said, “Mom, now I know that Santa is real!  Look, his handwriting is different from yours and Dads!

New jammies from Ama…

Our gift to them…electric guitars!  We had them go up to the homeschool room to get them…

‘A’ made this sweet thank you picture.  Please note: I am the token tambourine girl 🙂


First lesson…

Here is a picture of the boys jamming and reading/singing with the book, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas…’

The boys seriously scored on Target and Toys R Us gift cards.  They can’t wait to go and spend them, but I want a little time to make sure the holiday crowd has subsided.

Our Christmas breakfast included Williams Sonoma Peppermint Hot Chocolate and Marshmallows.  BLISS!

…and Christmas bread!  This is something my mother in law makes every year.  Mine did not turn out near as well, but a valiant effort was made…

The rest of the day was spent playing music, building Legos, and watching movies…

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Christmas Eve Dinner

Dec 27th, 2010 by

Eric and Crystal hosted an incredible Christmas Eve prime rib dinner.  Everything was delicious and it was a joy to spend time with our special NorCal friends!

Santa Andy

Crystal, making this amazing side dish of broiled pear, goat cheese, and fig spread…

Crystal’s sister, Brandy, brought the boys an ornament making kit…

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!

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Christmas Eve Country Style

Dec 27th, 2010 by

Such a beautiful day to enjoy with friends in a beautiful setting!  My friend, Bev, and her family, opened up their property for an old-fashioned celebration.  They have an old stone barn that overlooks pastures, with mountains in the distance.  This property can be rented out for weddings, and other gatherings.  It’s a special place.

We started out by playing horseshoes.  I had to keep reminding the boys to stay out of the aim of each others fire!





Stringing (and eating) popcorn…





Friends Bev and Marci…

A country hayride while singing carols.  As we rode down the long country road, families came out to see what was going on.  We had a basket of candy canes that we handed out to the kids.  It was really sweet.




We had dinner plans and had to leave early, and were unable to participate in the square dancing, and listening to a ukelele group play.  It was an ideal Christmas Eve afternoon.

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Caroling Angels

Dec 27th, 2010 by

The boys and I were sitting in the living room, reading, and we hear lovely singing at our front door.  My friend, Christie, and her two adorable girls, stopped by for a visit and to sing carols 🙂  SO SWEET!

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You See Wads of Paper…

Dec 27th, 2010 by

…we see a snowball fight, California -style!!

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Paying Attention

Dec 27th, 2010 by

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” John 4:10

This is what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well…

If you knew…

If you knew…

How often do we fail to recognize Jesus?  How little attention do we pay to Him as we go through our day!  We may know that Jesus is all around and shows himself through conversations, open doors, challenges, and problems, yet how often do we miss His gentle promptings, His soft callings, even His tugs to the ear?  We get ourselves all wrapped up in the mundane trappings of the world and tune out His presence. 

If we just focus on Jesus, and Jesus alone, paying attention to His will for us, our lives will RADICALLY change.  How we relate to our spouse, our children, our finances, our homes, our homeschool, our EVERYTHING!  The things of the world, once thought of as all important to attain and maintain, fall away as nothing…

Jesus, may every moment of every day be consecrated to you and you alone.  Please bring to my attention the times when I go astray in thought and deed, and guide me back to you.  Help me to hear you above all else.  Please take this attention-deficit mind (squirrel!), and shape it to be aware of, and open to, the sacred interactions meant for the two of us.  Amen.

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