a new work of utmost importance

There are many things to be said of this work... for me it was a great journey into uncharted waters. It was a lesson in taking things to more challenging levels and developing more of a symbolic relationship with my work.
What an honor it was to make a work to commemorate the season of life that brings forth new birth.
Hope you enjoy, dear Leah. I will miss seeing this work in my studio and thinking of you and the babies and the countless memories we share during late creative hours.

the weekender

I don’t know about you cats out there, but our weekends seem to be just flying away with all the Christmas hub bubb… don’t get me wrong, I love love love Christmas, but I do get a little frazzly about the sooo muchness of it all. There is just so much to do, see and participate in… I do love living in a place with so much to do, but I am finding that you gotsta be a little choosy if you don’t want to loose your head, ya know.

So, after an evening of Christmas parading downtown, I felt like I needed just a little get away. So yesterday I escaped with my sweet sis in law, Lindy to the Hunter Museum for their first free sunday of the month and to see all their beauuutiful Christmas trees.

The trees were really works of art themselves, but I found myself almost more enthralled by all the new architecture. I know it’s not really new, but it’s new to me. I still remember free days at the Hunter with only 4 other people roaming around and empty space everywhere. To say that it was well attended is quite the understatement… I had to park on 4th to even get a spot!!! what tha… anyway… yes, so much has changed, but I am in love with the newness… change is good and keeps your mind and ideas flowing…. thank goodness.

Oh yeah… we also finally got a Christmas tree and I got the house all gussied up for Christmas… makes being home all the lovelier! Hope your weekend was inspirational, kids!

The Big Tree lighting

So our good friends Shaun, Erin and little Matthew headed out to a little Christmas tree lighting with us last night.
We took a little walk to the grand event that left us all quite a bit chilled... at least those of us who weren't holding hands!

Anyways, it was fun... the kids loved it... especially the hot cocoa and christmas cookies that wrapped up the event. Here are some little snippets...

Hope you cats are enjoying the Christmas season... we sure are!

the glorious exhale

I'm not sure what kind of magic resides in a simple walk, but I can attest to it's power. Probably one of the greatest parts of our little family times are our mini hikes and walks. It doesn't seem to matter if we are exploring a wooded trail or taking in the expanse of fields, the effect is still the same: a giant glorious exhale. And the best part about it is that it is so very simple... you just put one foot in front of the other.

And you can't beat the things kids say when your out there...
In fact, this is what Lavender said she saw in the trees:
a duck
the mountain
a pond
Ghandi
and a sailboat

--- I don't know what trees she was looking at that hold such marvels, but I sure wish I could see the world like she does sometimes.

Chriffmas time

 

ok, i know, i know... lots and lots of pictures again! But hey, I guess there are just sometimes when you find your world colored by many picturesque moments and you just know that you'd be a fool not to shudder bug away at them... or you do what I often do and not pull the camera from the depths of a overly stuffed diaper bag and then berrade yourself later for not. Funny

Anyways... if you cats are local, I'm sure you have gathered what these pics are of... The Grand Illumination!! For you out o towners out there, this is a christmas event downtown where there is a lighted boat parade in the TN riva, much song and dance and eventually (brace yourself, kids) Santa parachutes down to Ross's Landing and then makes some sort of festive dramatic display that causes all the buildings downtown to light up and show off their holiday illuminosity... and yes, illuminosity is a word... ;)

Anyway, I know I sound way too sarcastic to have had much fun, but it all was actually really really fun... even for my sweet, crowd a phobic hubbie... but maybe it was our incredible company that made it so great... Milla and Lee.... we just love ya and the girls are stiiiillllll talking all about you. "Lee had a red hat, mom"   "Milla said she was getting me a shirt with red letters"    "What did Milla say she dream?"   "Does Milla have a pink house?"   "Lee and Milla live seconds and seconds and far away!!!"

Yes, yes... my dear friends have captured the hearts of my girls... but, of course!!

One last thing... Lavender is already in love with Christmas, which is apparently called "Crifffmas" --- who knew?? funny girl

Thanks

so I had possibly the most lovely Thanksgiving to date... this has always been by far, my favorite holiday. No exceptionally overcommercialized confusion about why we do what we do... just thanks... for everything we have and are. There are too many things to say about the thankfulness that fills my heart for this blessed life I get to live. And even better to have one day in particular to savor and celebrate it.

Our thanksgiving was filled with so many lovely little things that all equal the greatness of our life...
a beautiful table full of glorious food, so lovingly created
a glorious post bread breaking walk through the brightly colored woods
the sounds of little feet running behind and in front of us
almost being outnumbered by little ones
warm chai after a long, chilly walk
and most of all... family

I love you dear ones... can't imagine my world without you
Thanks for all you are and do. 

Autumn and her big birthday!

So we had a little birthday party for my little tiny one year old girl! can you believe it... one whoppin year old!
geez, it really does happen as fast as they say. Ya know how everyone always says "they grow up sooo fast.... bladdie bladdie blah." Well, all those people are right. It does indeed happen so very fast! And the silly thing is this: It is not like we don't know this is coming... we know, and it STILL surprises the heck out of us... sheesh!

In all of it, I still feel as though Autumn is my little baby. I still feel like I had her just a tiny bit ago. I still feel like she should be in the tiniest baby diapers and be playing only with the "safe toys"... all these things I know, even if I don't want to all the time.

There is something especially about Autumn that makes me want her to stay so small.... perhaps it is because she is simply my youngest girl or maybe it is because there is a good chance that she is my last baby. I don't know what it all is and feel like I shouldn't dwell on these clingings, but I know I would be fooling myself if I didn't just say these things out loud.


But ya know... despite all my attachments to her firsts, I still find myself so happy to see her grow... to watch her learn new signs, new ways to communicate and move her little body.
I am ever joyful to see her big beautiful smile, to see her get so excited about something that she just has to bob up and down to get it all out!
I am priviledged to be such a big part of the growings of this little person.


This weekend we celebrated... celebrated the debut of this little beauty one year ago, and the tremendous blessing she is!

God is good!

The Non Yellow, Non Brick Road

so it's me and my girls... and one very leafy back yard. Words may never be able to express just how much joy the leaves have brought to our little home. We press leaves, we talk about leaves, we jump in leaves, we make gorgeous leaf impressions with crayons and best of all, today we have raked a gorgeous green path meandering through the back yard. It is kinda like the yellow brick road... just green and made of grass, not bricks. This is what we do...

funny

so things have been really fun and really funny with these girls...

First off... Lavender now has a posse of stuffed animals... And here are their MOs:
There is a tiny white rabbit named Bunny Ka Cat, a black cat named Bear Tank, and another rabbit called Rabbity Decent and someone equally as strange that I can't remember. So weird, eh... funny too!

I simply cannot tell you how funny it is to hear this little girl asking her mom to find "Rabbity Decent"... eh eh

Second...
Little miss Autumn Marie said her first official, clearly pronounced word this weekend and you will not believe what it was....

It was NO!
loud and clear... NOOOOO!!!
Na na na Nooooooooo! NNOOOOO! No!

Hilarious... and a little tragic too... I don't even want to think about what this means.

And finally here is a little convo I had with Lavender this morning.

L: What is that blue and red thing?
Me: What blue and red thing?
L: The blue and red cone thingy that you don't have.... Daddy has...
ME: Where is it?
L: In the bathroom...Yep... Daddy cuts his hairs with it
Me: You mean the Clippers!!
L: Yeah...Daddy uses it to cut his hairs. Daddy doesn't have a beard.
Me: You're right about the clippers. Daddy trims his beard with them
L: Daddy doesn't have a beard
Me: I think he's growing one
L: No, he doesn't have one. See, he clippered his hairs with it this morning, see... so he doesn't have one... He doesn't, Mom... See?

oh