"It's comin on Christmas, they're cutting down trees"

Sometimes I do "wish I had a river to skate away on".  Life can be hard, but also oh so good.  Usually I am anxious and put my tree up  and listen to Christmas music WAY too early and then get sick of it.  This year we have decided as a family that we will wait and enjoy each Holiday in it's own time.  A few days into November we took down Halloween and set up for Thanksgiving.  I was throwing a Norwex party, so I borrowed all my mom's Fall/Thanksgiving decorations, because we still have not yet been able to replenish our seasonal decorations.  (sigh) Oh well.  So my house looks beautiful and festive.  I am LOVING being above ground and enjoying looking through windows and opening them to let in the crisp air.  We do not have a fireplace, so we have been utilizing our Prime membership and putting a fireplace on the television, I love to hear the crackling, just the sound makes me warmer.  We've been drinking Hot Cocoa almost morning.

Dr. Barnes and I celebrated 12 years of marriage last night.  We went to dinner and shared a delicious steak dinner, with a delish cheesecake topped with strawberries for dessert.  We talked so long at dinner that we missed our movie time, so we called my MIL who was sitting for us and made sure it was ok to catch a later movie.  So we walked around and shopped.  It was a lot of fun, and we were out way too late.  My poor MIL, she is a Saint.

I woke up and studied my RS Lesson, and was reminded and maybe even chastened to make sure we are being mindful and living within our means.  I do work a few days a week and earn a little extra money, maybe that should be set aside for savings rather than new bedspreads for everyone.  Then a little overwhelmed at the thought of not being able to do what I love, because we need to be frugal.  Hmmm.

Full moons during the day

 enjoying some hot cocoa with a crackling "fire"

 No clothes allowed while on the potty.

 cutest scooter alive

 Captain underpants reading Captain Underpants

Cozy kitties are the best

Happy Sabbath.

-Keara

Ponderize Scripture: Joshua 1:5  "...As I was with Moses, so I will be with her: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

My favorite season

We just passed my favorite time of year, when the air is changing and the people are putting up fake spider webs and orange porch lights.  I love going for walks at dusk when you can see the lights of peoples homes shining onto the street.  It always gives me a feeling of love a coziness, thinking of going home to my family cozy sitting around the coffee table coloring Halloween pictures and watching spooky movies, like "HalloweenTown", or R.L. Stine's "Spooksville".  I love picking out costumes and planning great Halloween parties, which we did, have an extremely awesome Halloween party.

                                                                       Zombie Caleb

 Cousins sorting their trick-or-treat spoils

 Old movies inside where it was warm

Unfortunately I did not get a picture of the festivities going on outside.  It was a hit.

Look at these babies! Halloween 2012

 Calve the Reith...outside of the cloak. Doesn't my Dad make a cute cowboy?

Me and my really weird fox/bunny and George Strait without the hat...

Modern Day Pioneer

(This is me most afternoons)

Today was a rough day.  I cried when I realized I had left all or almost my Seasonal decorations.  I vaguely remember my thinking it would be better to leave and just buy new.  I was wrong.  I miss them.  I also don't think I saw our current circumstances coming, life throws curve balls.

My children were so cute, they came into my room at different times to console me, it was sweet and it did actually make me feel better that and writing it all down in my journal.

I am grateful for the Pioneers and their sacrifices and example.  I am grateful I have someone to look to for confidence and reassurance that I can make it through, and not just make it through but thrive. 

I am also very grateful for a husband who buys me KitKats when I am having a bad day.  :) 

(We spent the afternoon decorating and watching Nanny McPhee, and yes I am going to bed with my house like this)

 (My new pants that came in the mail)

(I love when my children get my phone)

                                                   

~Keara~

Favorite Time of Year

I am so excited for Christmas and Thanksgiving and Halloween, in that order.  This year I am going to miss snow and changing leaves, cold weather and snow, in that order.  This year I am looking forward to having Thanksgiving dinner outside at my parents house and lots and lots of family and yummy yummy food.  Colored lights on our Christmas tree, and REAL Christmas tree, Christmas tree shopping.

I have asked my children what they want for Christmas because I am determined to get all the Christmas shopping done before December this year, with our new baby girl coming I want to just simply enjoy her and my children and ALL Christmas has to offer this year.

I have been reading blogs and looking on Pinterest for different gift ideas and stocking stuffers.  Last year we decided that we would give the big gifts to our children and Santa would give just stockings...this year we have decided that is lame, and it made Christmas lame.  Santa is exciting ad magical and full of wonder and that is childhood.  We want Christmas and childhood to be awesome and full of wonder, it only lasts for so long and Santa will no longer be fun it will fizzle out, so I want to try as hard as I can to keep that alive in my children.

These are some things I am looking at for Christmas.  A great new game for the family.

These awesome things for sensory play.

Things for quiet activity for the older kiddos, paint by number.

These for Anna.

These for the boys.

This for Ellie.

I'm also dreaming up the BEST for my children this year, which I hope will turn into a Christmas Tradition for our family.  More details when I get more details...but here's a hint.  Oh, I can't wait.

I'm also having a custom built doll house on order for my girlies.  SO excited, this Christmas is going to be amazing!

Living Underground

It's pretty tough living in my parents basement, there isn't any natural light, tight quarters, no storage, most of our earthly belongings are still packed away in boxes and very little alone time.  BUT there are also so many things to be grateful for, no rent, being with family ALL the time, family dinners, getting to live in a beautiful home, and the list could go on.  As hard as it may be, I am counting my many blessings.  I have good days and I have bad days.

  On those bad days I try to imagine our future home, our dream home.  Our dream home has changed from being a 2-story mansion with plenty of land, a pool and a view, to a modest 3 bedroom fixer-upper with lots of natural light.  I do believe we will have our eventual DREAM HOME, but for now our dream is modest.

  Today I am focusing on my children having fun building blanket forts and eating nature valley bars, and the beautiful rain that is falling.  I'm focusing on my sweet husband who works hard to provide for our family, and to love me and us.  I am grateful for his sacrifices and devotion to our family.

  I'm focusing on my healthy baby growing inside of me, he sweet little kicks and movement that reassure me she is there.  I love having my baby's inside of me, safe.  It's like when I was a kid and we'd play camping and make a big huge blanket fort.  I'd put one of our lamps inside and turn all the other lights off and pretend that that was our fire and when we stayed near the light and inside the tent, we were completely safe.  We'd peak out and stick out our feet just to feel that thrill of danger, but we always returned to the light.

  That's about how I feel about the gospel and my testimony.  When I stay close to the gospel and follow the Lord's counsel I feel safe and know that I am known and taken care of.  I may get laxed and feel the thrill of watching TV at night before bed, instead of praying or writing in my journal, but I always go back to the light where I feel most safe and secure.

  I am grateful for the gospel and it's ability to strengthen me and make me equal to any task that is ahead of me.  Alan loves the story of Peter walking on the water and we use that analogy a lot in our home.  Peter only started to sink when he turned his focus from the Savior to the waves around him.  When we start to focus on those things we can't control or for me, things that I can't buy, we remind each other "stop looking at the waves".  Some days it's easier said than done, but it does keep our focus where it should be.

  Life really is good, and we really are extremely blessed, especially with parents who love us and are incredibly patient.

 Popcorn and a movie (Flubber, in honor of Robin Williams)

 Dreamin

 Sunday Baking