Christmas tree earrings

Annabelle wanted to borrow my Christmas tree earrings.
Annabelle: I will need them by Christmas Eve... so I can open my presents.

These beautiful reindeer earrings were one of her gifts. She also loved the bead necklaces in bright colors!

Bugs and Brews!

My friend from Alaska sent a box of puppets which Annabelle and David loved! The  ladybug was Annabelle's favorite.

She also included a tea set. Annabelle thought the oriental teacups were too hot to handle. She preferred the fancy English teacups. She loves to pour herself a cup of tea from the gold teapot!

Charlie waiting for Thanksgiving turkey...

Daddy-daughter-dynamic-daredevil-duo!

After Thanksgiving dinner the quads came out.

Tweedledum and Tweedledee

Charlie's turkeys.. We had one for Thanksgiving. Dressed it was 40 lbs. Amanda bought a special big roaster pan, but the turkey still barely fit in the oven. Its feet touched the oven wall. The other turkey is still growing...

Annabelle Wisdom,

Saturday - watching Ninjago with Annabelle.
Me: Oh, I think the leviathan's tentacles are going to get burned by the flames coming from the rockets!
Annabelle: No, they won't.
Me: I don't think they can help getting burned: they are swishing right into the flames!
Annabelle: Aunt Jane... it's telebishon... they can make it be whatever they want... seriously.

My Gayle loves me...

Annabelle was thrilled with the clothes and shoes that her cousin, Gayle sent for her .  She said to me, My Gayle loves me very much!  I think so!

Trees by Joyce Kilmer

In autumn it is hard not to notice the trees. Right now, they are changing into glorious orange, yellow and red hues. This poem came to mind:

TREES
by: Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918)

THINK that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

 

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

 

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

 

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

 

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

 

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

Thunderstorm - How to Cope

Last evening, while Annabelle and David were here, we had a thunderstorm!  As the rumbling thunder got louder and lightning flashed and rain poured down, the children became visibly uneasy. Annabelle came and snuggled beside me in my chair and David asked if he could read the Bible? He ran to get the big Bible from my bedroom and hunted for the passage he wanted to read. As he read they both seemed to get calmer. After he read they decided to go through their ABC Bible memory program, taking turns reciting the verses and helping each other when one got "stuck." Annabelle had a little trouble getting the right chapter and verse numbers to go with the verses, but she knew the words to the verses very well. At one point in frustration, she declared that the Bible had way too many numbers!
It is a wonderful thing to see little children who know exactly what to do when they are afraid. Run to the Word of God and find comfort knowing that there is a GOD who is more powerful than any storm and is in control of it.
...a little child shall lead them. Isaiah 11:6b

Annabelle Solo

Had a very fun time with Annabelle, who came yesterday and stayed until a little after noon today.
It was especially fun to look at kitty pictures on FB. Annabelle said they were "hilarious!" and had
a great time guessing what the kitties were thinking or saying. This was Annabelle's first solo
overnight, but all went very well.
Asked what she would do if she had lots of money, Annabelle said that she would buy lots of Lego
sets and Lego people. She brought her baby doll and promptly put it to bed, wrapped in my froggy
blanket. Then she kept shushing me, because the baby was sleeping. We played with her RC car,
did Mahjong on the kindle as well as a matching game and she did Pet Society on my FB page.
For supper last night A had macaroni and cheese, then more mac and cheese for a snack. Today
 she had bacon for breakfast and more mac and cheese for a morning snack. For lunch, she could
have had pizza, but chose mac and cheese.

Charlie's birthday January 28

Charlie stopped by on Friday with some eggs. He recalled the year that Mum turned 60... He said that the first thing she said to him the morning of her birthday that year was, "Well, I made it!"
He said he only had one day to go and then he could say the same. It is a bit unnerving to me to think that my baby brother is 60 years old. I remember when he was born..Grandma Imm came to stay with us for the week - it seemed to take longer to have a baby in those days. She packed our lunches for school and had us cleaning our rooms and neatening everything in the house to get everything in order for the new baby. Those were exciting days! When Dad's car came up the drive we could hardly contain ourselves. We joked that Charlie looked like an Indian baby, because of his skin color... he was slightly jaundiced. Mum did not approve of our making fun of her beautiful baby. We each got to hold him sitting on the sofa and were in awe of how tiny and soft he was. I thought it was very special to have a baby brother. I still think it is a great blessing.