Balm

Even as chronic illness lessens in ferocity, the remaining daily impact is wearing.

What balm there is in little things, like sunshine on skin, reading outdoors in January, quietly talking with the Father on a slow walk...

...and an evening of creating greeting cards out of scraps.

All is Well

All is well in the world of a cat when the sun shines, the temperatures are above 0° F, and she can sit atop one of her people.

A Family Tradition

My family is not the avid game playing type, though one or two would be if they had willing opponents. Yet every Christmas season we pull out our set of double fifteen dominos for comfortable round upon round of "dominos train." (Does it have another name? After so many years of calling it this, the original and true name may have been lost.)

We have spread the game out well this year. Tonight should show who the winner will be. Mom and I are vying for that spot at present, but you never know what could happen in a game that requires little strategy and rests mostly upon the draw.

Hoods

A hood for Evangeline...

...and another for when she grows.

From the Archives

Come along for an early-October adventure!

We set out on our bikes from home...

...and peddled over two miles of gravel roads to Direwood.

Mom drove the van out and helped us pick gallons of wild rose hips.

They were gorgeously vibrant with a pleasantly sweet fragrance.

We saw corn being harvested...

...and made our way back home.

Hand Made Gifts

Baby gift for Issac

Booties for many babies to come

Christmas sweater for Issac

(knit by me, gifted by Mom and Dad)

Christmas sweater for Joseph

(same gifting arrangement as Issac's; Hannah knit Evangeline's sweet grey and coral sweater)

Watercolor for Jeannie, our generous neighbor-friend

Reading in Afternoon Light

The Zoo

Celebrating Lives

- October -

Mom's birthday 

- November -

Joseph's birthday

- December -

Isaac's birth

My birthday (Not a single picture captured by me!)

Evangeline's birthday

Jesus' birthday

The Beauty of Aging Orchids