Thursday, December 31, 2015

As 2015 Draws to a Close

My year couldn't possibly come to a satisfying conclusion without me doing a wrap-up post on the blog, could it?  :)  I, for one, don't want to break tradition, so here is my customary look back over the preceding 365 days.

Some months, I'm bursting with an idea that I want to use for my blog look; and other months, I lack inspiration and have to make myself come up with something.  Some months, I introduce the new look as soon as the month begins; and other months, days and more days go by before I get around to it.  But in any case, I am so happy that I still continue this practice of changing the header and background each month because, despite the time and work involved, it brings me so much joy to look back over an entire year of designs.  :)













Another habit I've developed is writing down each book that I read (not counting books I read aloud to the family) throughout the year, then sharing the list here.  Since this was a year in which I was pregnant (which resulted in plenty of times when I was too tired to get up and do anything productive but not too tired to read) :) and nursed a baby (which gave me extra time to read--except for when I was so tired that I fell asleep breastfeeding, which has happened quite a bit during the past three months!), my number of books that I read is higher than in some other years.

As I jotted down titles and authors, sometimes I wrote a note about the book, and sometimes I didn't.  With those that I didn't, I often thought I would come back later and write something about it; but obviously that didn't happen for all of them.  So be it.

January
1. The Wilder Life - Wendy McClure
2. I Need You Now, God, While the Grape Juice Is Running All over the Floor - Dotsey Welliver - This book was written a year before I was born, but the experiences of the author as a busy wife, mother, and lover of Jesus were easy for me to identify with.  Welliver tells many funny stories which made me laugh, but other parts of the book made me think, including this quote from it:  "Somewhere down through the noisy days and nights, I made a fantastic discovery.  You do not have to have a peaceful atmosphere.  All you need is the Prince of Peace.  If you are filled with His peace inside, you have an insurance policy against circumstances."  An insurance policy against circumstances?  That sounds like something I could really benefit from!  :)
3. The Altarpiece - Sarah Kennedy - I wanted to like this book, since the author is sort of a local, and the subject matter and setting looked interesting; but the vulgarity really turned me off.  Disappointing.  :(
4. The Geography of Memory - Jeanne Murray Walker - I read this book about Alzheimer's on my Kindle during my Canada trip (I think it was the first book I read on my Kindle?)
5. An Old-Fashioned Girl - Louisa May Alcott - An old favorite of mine, I read this on my Kindle while traveling home from Canada.

February
6. Shadow Spinner - Susan Fletcher - We checked this out of the library so Josiah could read it for school, but it looked so interesting to me that I read it before he could even get to it.  :)
7. Beloved Bondage - Elizabeth Yates - I pretty intensely dislike almost all of this book because the main female character seems like such a spoiled brat to me...and because of the namby-pamby view of God.  I remember reading this some years ago and having the same kind of reaction; but for whatever reason, I put the book back on my shelf.  This time, I'm letting it go.  (I will say, however, that in the end of the book, basically everything turns out OK; but that doesn't mean I have to keep the book.)  ;-)  (I will also say that other books by Elizabeth Yates are far superior, in my opinion--like Mountain Born, for example.)

March
8. Seven Daughters and Seven Sons - Barbara Cohen - This was another book for Josiah's schooling; but after I read it, I decided not to have him read it yet because there are one or two places that are, in my opinion, better suited for mature readers; the plot, however, was very interesting, and I enjoyed it.
9. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm: The Child - Eric Wiggin & Kate Douglas Wiggin - My parents gave me this trilogy for Christmas in 1991, and I suppose I must have read it back then, but I didn't remember anything about it.  When I spotted it recently on one of our bookshelves, I decided to pick it up for some light reading.  This book was a little too similar to Anne of Green Gables (but definitely not written as well as Anne!) to be completely enjoyable, but I didn't stop reading.  ;-)
10. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm: The Girl - Wiggin
12. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm: The Woman - Wiggin
13. Stories for a Man's Heart - compiled by Al & Alice Gray - I guess it's kind of funny that I read this; but I was considering putting it on the list of 13 books I want Josiah to read when he's 13, so I wanted to read it first  :)
14. I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith - I had heard a good recommendation about this book; but in my opinion, it was just so-so.

April
15. Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant? - Roz Chast - I saw this recommended on another blog, and immediately put it on reserve at my library.  The day I picked it up, I started reading it after I got the kids in bed, then didn't stop reading it until I had finished the book.
16. Still Alice - Lisa Genova - I heard about the movie before I heard about the book, but I read the book first.  Since the main character is a woman with Alzheimer's, it's no surprise it sucked me in.  I read it in three days (and would have read it in one, if I could have!); and every time I pulled myself away from it, I found myself so emotionally involved in it that I had to consciously remind myself that I was Davene and not the woman in the book!  ;-)
17. Left Neglected - Lisa Genova - Another fascinating book by Genova.
18. A Being So Gentle: The Frontier Love Story of Rachel and Andrew Jackson - Patricia Brady

May
19. Free to Learn - Peter Gray - I could write a whole post about this.  Very thought-provoking and encouraging for me at this stage in our homeschool journey!
20. The Westing Game - Ellen Raskin
21. When the Belly Button Pops, the Baby's Done - Lorilee Craker
22. A Long Way from Chicago - Richard Peck
23. Laura Ingalls Wilder Country - William Anderson

June
24. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up - Marie Kondo
25. Safely Home - Randy Alcorn
26. A Year Down Yonder - Richard Peck
27. The Trial - Jen Bryant - A freebie from the gleanings at the end of the used curriculum sale at our homeschool convention, this was unexpectedly good.  The idea of a historical novel being written entirely in poetry didn't attract me at first, but in this case, it works splendidly.
28. Mother - Kathleen Norris - Very sweet book.
29. A Perfect Day - Richard Paul Evans

July
30. When You Rise Up: A Covenantal Approach to Homeschooling - R.C. Sproul Jr.
31. A City of Bells - Elizabeth Goudge - copyright 1936 - I saw this mentioned on someone's blog and checked it out of the library, based on that.  One thing that particularly stood out to me in this book was a quote from Pericles: "For the whole earth is the sepulcher of famous men; and their story is not graven only on stone over their native earth, but lives on far away, without visible symbol, woven into the stuff of other men's lives."
32. The Beacon at Alexandria - Gillian Bradshaw - Another freebie from the used curriculum sale.  I definitely have mixed feelings about this book.  I was completely impressed by the rich historical detail included all throughout this book (for example, rather than simply writing that the main character was eating dinner, the author very specifically mentions what she was eating, which was obviously food that is very different from what's normal today); but the questionable morality and, for lack of a better word, coarseness made me decide to let this book go, rather than leaving it around for my children to eventually read.

August
33. The Flame Trees of Thika - Elspeth Huxley
34. Blood Brothers - Elias Chacour
35. This Is the Life - Helen Chappell White
36. Mrs. Miniver - Jan Struther - I really liked this one.
37. The Spirit of Pregnancy - Bonni Goldberg - Pregnancy is such a special time in a woman's life, and I enjoy reading other women's experiences with it; but some of the perspectives in this book were quite different from my own, which is not necessarily a bad thing.  I did have to laugh when I read these words in a piece of writing by Louise Erdrich, "...our bodies are rounded vases of skin and bones and blood that seem impossibly engineered for birth.  I look down onto my smooth, huge lap, feel my baby twist, and I can't figure out how I'll ever stretch wide enough.  I fear I've made a ship inside a bottle.  I'll have to break."
38. Christmas Roses and Other Stories - Anne Douglas Sedgwick - I did not care for this very much.

September
39. A Love Like No Other - edited by Pamela Kruger and Jill Smolowe - I first read these stories about adoption in May of 2008 when our third son was just four months old and I was feeling a strong nudge to adopt.  Five months later, we unexpectedly got pregnant again, and since then, adoption has never come to the forefront of my mind so strongly (that's not to say I've never thought about it, but it hasn't seemed to be the path for our family, although I still strongly support it in other situations).  Regardless, it was interesting and eye-opening to read this book again.
40. The Search for Delicious - Natalie Babbitt - Josiah sat down and read this one afternoon, then encouraged me to read it, too.  I enjoy the companionship of us both having read the same book.  :)
41. Lincoln's Battle with God - Stephen Mansfield - I learned so much about Lincoln's spiritual journey from reading this; it opened my eyes to many things I had not previously considered.
42. Before Your Baby Comes - William & Patricia Coleman - This was given to me by my parents on November 7, 2001, just a few weeks after we found out we were expecting our firstborn.  :)  It was fun to reread this and then let it go to help someone else as they adjust to new motherhood.
43. The Measure of a Heart - Janette Oke - This was the first book I read after the birth of Benjamin; in fact, I packed it in my hospital bag to have some light reading during my time there, and then finished it the day after we brought Benjamin home
44. The Story of Beautiful Girl - Rachel Simon - I had seen this recommended by someone online and then gotten it from our library, but I waited until after Benjamin was born to read it because I was pretty sure it would absorb me and I wouldn't want to stop reading!  Sure enough, that's what happened.
45. Seventeen-Ounce Miracle - Rachael Lofgren - I borrowed this from my neighbors and was amazed while reading about a teeny-tiny girl who survived her very premature birth.

October
46. In My Father's House - Bodie Thoene - I have been a big fan of Thoene books in the past, but this series took a little longer to draw me in.  There were so many "main" characters that I had a harder time following it, and it felt a little disjointed.  But that's not to say that it was awful - it wasn't!
47. America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money - Steve & Annette Economides
48. A Thousand Shall Fall - Bodie Thoene

November
49. Say to This Mountain - Bodie Thoene
50. O for a Thousand Nights to Sleep - Lorilee Craker - I first read this in January 2008, when Tobin was a newborn!  It was enjoyable to read it again, three babies later.  :)
51. Vera's Journey - Judy Yoder - This was one of the most impacting books I read this year.  I could write a whole post about this and hope to do so someday.

December
52. Elephants and Quaker Guns - Jane Chapman Whitt
53. Your Prayers Are Always Answered - Alexander Lake
54. Steve Jobs: Insanely Great - Jessie Hartland
55. The Plain Choice - Sherry Gore - Jeff gave this to me for Christmas, and I really enjoyed reading it.

Out of these 55 books, I believe I only have 20 here on our shelves, with the rest either coming from the library or being given away after I read them.  It's not much, but every little bit helps when it comes to downsizing and living simply.  :)

Sometimes in years past, I have made a list of my favorite blog posts from each month; but this year, when I tried to do so, I became overwhelmed because I had too many favorites. :)  So I'm going to skip that this year.  I did notice that I didn't write as many blog posts in 2015 as I did in preceding years; and in fact, each year the number dwindles a little more.  If the current trend continues, in 15 or 20 years, I won't be blogging at all!  ;-)

2015 has been a wonderful year; and of course the birth of Benjamin dominates this year in my memory.  2016 isn't likely to have such a huge event in it; but I'm hopeful that it will give many moments of joy and sweetness, learning and growing, kindness and deep love.  Welcome, 2016!!  :)

A Day Like No Other {Christmas 2015}

I remember what it felt like to be a kid on Christmas.

I remember the anticipation that built up and built up and built up until I felt like I might burst...the excitement of getting presents for others and wrapping them and imagining the reactions the recipients would have as they opened them...the wondering about what was in the gifts with my name on them...the fun of going to sleep with a Christmas candle in the window of my bedroom...the love of all things Christmas-related: the music, the decorations, the food...the feeling that this--oh, THIS!--was the pinnacle of the year!

And so, because I remember those emotions so vividly, even though I did get up to shush David and Tobin about 5:50 a.m. on Christmas morning when their exuberance got a little too noisy, I delight in seeing the intense joy of my children as Christmas Day approaches and dawns.  It is a wonderful time.

As usual, I took an abundance of pictures; but I've managed to narrow it down to a few.  Well...cough, cough...maybe more than a few.  ;-)  But you only get one chance to celebrate the Christmas of 2015, right?  I'll try to keep my comments about the pictures to a minimum, but you know how that goes.  ;-)

Happy, eager children...
Jeff read the Christmas story to us...
This was the funniest gift.  Weeks ago, before we had even really gotten started with our Christmas shopping, we were grocery shopping when Tobin suddenly said, "Look, that would be a great gift for Josiah!"
It was a package of toothpicks.
You see, Josiah loves toothpicks; and many times after dinner, he'll ask, "Mom, can I have a toothpick?"  Well, goodness, of course he can have a toothpick!  "You don't have to ask," I'll remind him, and we'll laugh.  And now, thanks to Tobin, Josiah has plenty of toothpicks--his very own toothpicks.  He was thrilled.  ;-)
This was David's gift to Moriah; and since it was so big, it had gotten a lot of attention in the days before Christmas.  Moriah was a little hesitant to open it--and not just this gift, but other ones--but once the boys got a corner started for her, she was ready to dive in and tear it open herself.




A shopping cart!
Moriah loved it and promptly put it to good use.  :)





The next pictures are the only ones taken of me on Christmas.  When I was handed this package to open, Josiah grabbed the camera and started snapping, without me asking him to.  At the end of the day when I realized there were no other pictures of me, I was even more grateful that he had done this.  A young man after my own heart.  :)
Jeff delighted me by giving me...
...a gift that will benefit him, too.
A new electric blanket!  :)  It's been warm enough that we haven't suffered too badly so far this winter; but surely the weather will turn cold soon, and we'll be SO grateful for a heated blanket.  It is one of the indulgences in life that I appreciate immensely.  :)
Josiah gave Moriah two flashlights...
...and when she opened them, she said, "I don't need two!"  Then she came over and gave one of them to Jeff.  :)


Tobin gave Shav a pocketknife--a delight for a young boy's heart!  :)

We gave Josiah my favorite kind of journal, a Q & A a Day journal.
Tobin showed Grandpa the Star Wars book we gave him on Christmas Eve--a book that he can read by himself.

A Ninjago LEGO flying ninja for Tobin...


...and some kind of Star Wars mask for Shav from David, but don't ask me the name of it because I can't remember!  ;-)

A knife for Josiah...
...and a flying LEGO ninja for Shav.  I LOVE his face in this picture and the next.  :)


A flying LEGO ninja for David, too.  He and Tobin and Shav each got a different ninja.
This was a big gift for Josiah.  He had only asked for two things for Christmas--contacts and a laptop--and as it turned out, contacts didn't work because it was too hard for him to get them in his eyes (I think he'll be ready to try again in a year or so).  Jeff decided that rather than getting him a regular laptop, it would be better to get him a tablet with a detachable keyboard, so that's what he did.  Josiah has used it a lot since Christmas, and I'm guessing he'll get many more hours of enjoyment from it.  :)


Josiah gave David a dartboard with darts, except rather than being traditional darts with sharp points, they are magnetic.  :)

We gave Tobin and Shav each a LEGO base to make their creations easier to put together.  :)
We gave David a skateboard, something he had been wanting for quite a long time.




This was a big gift for Shav...
...the game Ticket to Ride.  Ever since we had played it with friends, Shav had been wanting a set of our own; and now he has it.  And we have played it many times since Christmas Day--earlier this evening, for example, as we awaited the new year.  :)
I didn't plan for us to give Benjamin anything this year; but when Jeff was shopping one day, he found a nutcracker ornament, and we thought that would be a good gift for Benjamin's first Christmas.  :)

David had already gotten the shopping cart to give to Moriah...
 ...but when he was shopping with Jeff and saw a stuffed animal Peppa Pig...
 ...he knew that Moriah would be DELIGHTED with it, and so she was.  She's a huge Peppa Pig fan. :)

 Shav gave David...
 ...a blow pipe with darts...
 ...because we just don't have enough weapons around here.  ;-)
 By the way, when David opened a gift, he would then run to the giver and give them a big hug.  In all my pictures of those hugs, he is so blurry because of his quick speed, so I didn't include those pictures in this post, except for the hug he gave Shav.  But trust me: there were many hugs given that day.  :)


 We gave David a set of CDs--In Freedom's Cause--about William Wallace.  Because, of course, David's middle name is Wallace.  :)
 Some Star Wars pencils for Tobin...
 ...and throwing knives for David.
Somebody thought Grandpa's lap was a pretty relaxing place to be.  ;-)


No celebration for Moriah is complete without...
 ...a new doll.  :)


 Every so often, I would hear hoofbeats and look outside the window to see another horse and buggy run up the neighbor's lane on their way to Christmas service at their church.  Such a pretty sight.


 This was a really special gift for Moriah...
 ...her own personalized mug for hot chocolate.  :)

 Josiah gave Tobin an automatically retracting yo-yo.



 Moriah wanted some help to get this package started...David to the rescue!  :)

 Paint with water books for Moriah...
 And the last gift.
 Paintball guns for the boys.  Their faces don't reflect their true state of excitement.  ;-)
 Like last year, we were so happy to have Doris, a long-time friend of ours, here with us for Christmas dinner.
 Dad went in the mid-morning and got her and Mother from the nursing home and brought them to our home.

 We were so glad to have them both here.
 Jeff showed Josiah how to use his new tablet.


Moriah helped me by putting a festive napkin at each place...
 ...and Doris held Benjamin.
 And then, the feast...  :)
 ...and the post-feast relaxation.  :)
 Games are always a part of our Christmas celebration...
 ...and we were glad to have Todd, Julia, and their daughters Sarai and Abby with us.
 Kevin the Painter was here, too.


 When evening came, we snacked some more and continued to enjoy the laid-back atmosphere of fellowship.  The kids had fun playing a new game we gave them, Blink.  It's very simple and quick to play, but challenging--meaning, my kids beat me every time.  ;-)


 Benjamin didn't exactly suffer from lack of attention or arms to hold him.  ;-)
And so we spent our Christmas Day, eating, laughing, talking, relaxing, playing with new gifts, remembering THE gift.  The greatest gift of all.  A baby loved even more (is it possible?) than our dear little Benjamin.

Thank You, God, for the gift of Jesus.

Before I end this post about Christmas, I want to add two things in the interest of "keepin' it real."  First, although I truly enjoyed Christmas, I felt like my joy was filtered through a haze of fatigue.  With being up in the night with Benjamin, I have stayed continually tired--no surprise there--but sometimes I have felt foggy and a bit disconnected.  Because of that, perhaps I didn't feel the emotions as intensely as I have sometimes.  I'm expecting next year will be different without a baby to nurse in the night (and yes, I'm sure I'll miss those night cuddles).

Second, I LOVE to give gifts to my children; and I enjoy thinking about what they would especially like.  My process of getting Christmas gifts for them happens long before Christmas; in fact, all throughout the year, when I find things they would appreciate, I get them and tuck them away.  This year, I did a poor job of that; and with Benjamin's birth, I didn't put much effort into gift-getting until fairly close to Christmas.  It was a little of a scramble to get gifts for everyone (but I did get them wrapped well before Christmas Eve, so hooray for that!) ;-), and I hope to do better in this area next year.

With those things confessed, my heart is clear, my photos are shared, my words are captured, and I'm ready to wrap up Christmas so I can turn my attention to the next big thing.

A brand new year!!  :)