As you can see, Titus was thoroughly celebrated and spoiled for his second birthday. It is such a delight to see how all of the children adore and spoil him. They are captivated with him just as his parents are. He was given some bubbles (one of his favorite things), a dump attachment to his Fagus truck, his own tool box, a new whale for the bath, a new board book on Psalm 139, and of course, his hand knitted birthday sweater. He was also given a metal bucket and some beach digging tools for his “big gift,” which was a sandbox Brandon built for him. He has been delighted with it, as were all the kids. It’s really fun to give one of them a present that all of them can enjoy.
Just in time for spring’s arrival, something to keep him busy outside! Since his favorite animal to sleep with is his lion, I decorated his cake simply with a lion toy. Last year it was a whale. He loved it!
It’s so very bittersweet to celebrate these milestones with my baby. Oh, how I’d love to keep him a baby forever, he is such a delight. But babies don’t keep and he is growing faster than the rest, it seems. I treasure each day with this silly, giggly, fierce, rambunctious boy.
After two winters with no snow, it was such a delight for us all to have a proper snow day and a winter that actually felt wintry. Flurries always garner a good bit of excitement around here but what a joy to have actual accumulation and to be able to sled on the road. The snow stayed packed on the road until well into the next day before plows cleared it and the sun melted it, so we had a lot of time to sled. Few things are better after getting thoroughly spent and wet in the snow than coming in to a warm fire and hot chocolate!
This year we didn’t travel to a far-off tree farm to cut our own tree. We all missed the tradition greatly, but with the effects of the Hurricane on the region, it made sense to stay closer to home. We love to have our tree up before the beginning of Advent as it is much-anticipated to do our daily Advent reading and coloring of ornaments for the Jesse tree within the glow of all the Christmas decorations. Every year the decorating of the tree is a little different as the children grow. This year it was a particular delight to have Titus join us and seem to understand and get caught up in the wonder and joy of decorating.
The kids begged to decorate Christmas cookies this year, and I’m grateful we were able to squeeze it in and make it happen.
Favorite things from Christmas morning: the way Noah grabs Titus’ stocking with his own and brings it to Titus, the way he’s always seeing and taking care of his little brother. Titus being so excited about his own candy in his stocking, bringing everything to everyone and holding his treasures up to our faces. The way the kids all gave each other gifts, and their complete excitement to see others open the gifts they gave. How they’re catching the spirit of Christmas and finding it true that it is better to give than to receive. There truly is nothing better than being with children on Christmas. Also, it was a delight to make candied lemon and rosemary for an orange glazed gluten free vegan lemon bundt cake to take to Christmas dinner with family. All the gathering, feasting, sharing of love, celebrating and rejoicing. Sometimes it is exhausting but what better way to end the year!
A few days after Noah’s birthday and just before Christmas, we celebrate our Phoebe girl. What a year she has had! I won’t go into details, but she received a difficult and rare medical diagnosis early in the year, underwent a slew of tests, and started medications. While we mourned, adjusted, and learned, Phoebe carried on with courage and a quiet confidence. This girl is so easy to celebrate. She is joyful and delightful despite the many challenges she faces. She asked for blueberry muffins for breakfast, and she still enjoyed hunting around for her hidden birthday presents. She received a new bible, which she had requested, some new chapter books, an embroidery kit, journal, a special dress from Little Cottonwood, earrings, some new horseback riding pants, and a pair of hand knit socks. Regrettably, her birthday sweater wasn’t quite done in time for her big day but I finished it up a few weeks later. She loves reading and crafting of all sorts so she was thrilled. Her birthday was a frigid day so we decided to stay home and be cozy and her best friend came over to hang out for most of the day which was a treat for Phoebe.
She asked for banana pudding for her birthday dessert, a favorite of hers and Brandon’s.
She is lovely and dear beyond words. What a piercingly beautiful thing it is to watch her grow up into this incredible, bright, compassionate, creative, diligent young woman. She and I also got to have a special one-on-one overnight getaway in January after the busy rush of the holidays was over. We binge-watched our current favorite show, Heartland, and had lots of cozy crafting time and cups of tea. Oh how I miss my little tiny Phoebe girl, but it is true, the teenage years and the enjoyment of friendship and discussions together is a wonderful thing to grow into. I treasure this girl with all my heart, admiring her courage, faith, and strength. God has mighty good things in store for her!
Late December came, the week of Christmas, and with it Noah’s twelfth birthday. He requested chocolate chip waffles for breakfast, and as always the day began with hunting for hidden gifts and opening them. He received a hand knit hoodie as well as a beanie, which I had meant to knit for him a couple of years ago. It fits a bit wonky, I think the issues is in the type of wool (it’s not very stretchy), but I do love the pattern and will maybe reknit it in a different yarn. He also received a wood burning kit, some books, and a RC car. Noah always requests to go for a hike on his birthday, and we just so happened to have beautiful weather that day. We hiked in a nearby wilderness area with lots of waterfalls, and it was a long hike but so worthwhile!
We sure do love our Noah man. He loves to tinker, to take things apart and figure out how they work. He loves to make noise and has endless energy. He loves to read, especially comics because he loves to laugh and is always finding the humor in life. He is the kindest big brother to little Titus and I love watching their relationship grow. His tender heart and peaceful, sensitive spirit can often be taken for granted or overlooked, but I treasure it. He is a gift and a joy!
As November neared to a close, our sweet Philippa turned 10 years old. This was a much anticipated birthday as she had told me weeks in advance that turning 10 was very special and that this birthday needed to be extra special. Of course, she’s absolutely right! She requested doughnuts for breakfast, chicken soup and rolls for dinner and a cake that was half vanilla, half chocolate with vanilla frosting. Titus was delighted with the balloons when he woke up. He was quite interested in the doughnuts on the table, but the sweetest part was that when it was time to begin he picked one and then placed it carefully on Philippa’s plate for her. For her gifts, she received a magic 8 ball which she desperately wanted, her hand knit sweater, a couple of skirts, a new set of Kingdom of Wrenly books, a stationary set, and a lego dragon set that she had asked for.
God graced her birthday with his own special gift, sending the first snow flurries of the winter! Being that snow wasn’t in the forecast, we were all especially delighted and ran outside to enjoy it while it lasted. It was such a beautiful day!
Appropriately, Philippa had asked for a “snowman” cake for this birthday. It was sort of a random request but she decorated it exactly as she wanted. It seemed fitting for this day which held the first snow flurries!
There’s something about the end of the day, the blowing out of the candles in the dark, the end of that year and the beginning of a new year of life. It is something sacred watching their faces aglow, lit up by all the candles marking each of those years, all a gift of grace. It’s always bittersweet for me. I treasure these fleeting days so much, and can feel time slipping through my fingers like sand.
To mark the very special occasion of turning 10, Philippa and I also had a night away together to my parents nearby airbnb where we had meals of her choosing, stayed up late watching movies, soaking in the hot tub, sharing a king-sized bed (she always wants to try sleeping in a very big bed) and doing some shopping in town together the next day. It was a delight and will be treasured in my heart forever, hopefully hers also.
She had also asked to have a small birthday party with friends. I don’t typically do a lot of parties, but this felt like the right time. Philippa so enjoyed her week of “chef’s camp” this past summer and really has an interest in cooking, so we decided to throw her a chef’s themed birthday party (on a different weekend). She and I created a menu together and basically recreated a mini “chef’s camp” experience for her friends. It was a bit crazy and chaotic all jammed together in the kitchen with 7 10-year-old girls but it was a blast! I think it was a hit.
In the end, she was quite spoiled with all the festivities and hopefully my sweet Philippa-girl had the best 10th birthday ever. I hope her little heart was full with all the love showered on her. It was truly unforgettable!
Our first venture out into the mountains after the hurricane was a visit to Grandfather Mountain. We were aching to get up into the high country and go for a hike, but so little was open or accessible because of the storm damage and road closures. One of the only sections of the parkway that was open was up near Grandfather Mountain. The drive there was sobering as we were able to see the extent of the hurricane damage as well as hurricane debris all along the roads. The entire two hour drive revealed damage everywhere we looked. It was truly overwhelming to fathom how long it will take to clean everything up. As we got higher into the mountains, we realized Grandfather Mountain would be enshrouded in clouds for the day. Although we had been eager to show the kids the incredible views, it was still worthwhile to go. We hiked around, had a yummy picnic, and visited the animal enclosures. The kids were able to see elk, bear, otter, eagles, and a cougar. I thought I had taken pictures of this but I must not have. We were also able to get quite close to many wild deer roaming around the mountain during the day was we hiked and explored. While visiting the nature discovery center was also neat and a good spot to warm up, the kids all wanted to return back to the mile-high swinging bridge again at the end of our day. It was a really beautiful and refreshing day in the mountains, and we’ll simply have to go back when the weather is clear and the views are open.
As usual, we spent a lot of time in water play of some sort over the summer. The kids all got into filling a tuperware in the backyard with water and pelting each other with reusable water balloons. Phoebe and Philippa enjoyed another week of drama camp this summer. Phoebe got the lead role in her play as Rapunzel, Philippa was the Big Bad Wolf, and they both did such a great job. Phoebe had to memorize 30 lines in a few days, which she did beautifully, as well as sing a solo. She never ceases to amaze me with her enthusiasm and courage! Philippa also did a week of chef’s camp, which was a highlight of the summer for her, but I don’t have any photos of that to share. I took some spinning classes at a local fiber guild and thoroughly enjoyed that little endeavor! I finished my first fully handspun yarn on the drop spindle and knitted a cowl with it. It is one of my favorite projects ever, there truly is something exceptional in knowing you spun the yarn yourself and then getting to knit with it and wear it. Surely a thrill only fiber enthusiasts would understand. :). Brandon took Noah on his first backpacking trip, a father-son trip with a handful of other dads and their sons. They travelled a section of the Appalachian Trail and had a blast. It was an aggressive amount of mileage for Noah for a weekend (20+ miles in one weekend) in rainy conditions, but he thoroughly enjoyed it and it was a highlight for him over the summer. Noah is a strong hiker and not easily worn out, nor did he complain about the grueling nature of backpacking in the rain.
August brought the beginning of another school year and those sweet “first day” photos.
It has felt like our busiest school year yet. My brain is literally spinning most days trying to keep up with the demands of the schedule we try to keep.
Then came Hurricane Helene at the end of September. These photos I took that Friday morning, September 27th, as the wild winds knocked out our power. I took a few photos and tried to distract the kids with candles and painting, before we really knew what we were dealing with and the extent of the damage.
All of these photos were from our yard or neighborhood as we walked and drove around. As we began to take in the damages around us, the severity of our circumstances began to sink in. The next days and weeks quickly became about survival of ourselves, our neighbors and friends, as many of us struggled with food/water/gas supplies, power and water outages. Looking back, I wish I had had the wherewithal to take more photos and record more of what was happening, but we were completely inundated and focused on locating supplies and caring for those around us. It was a trying, stressful, and traumatic time, but we also saw people taking such good care of one another, and it was beautiful to see. Our plans for fall camping and many other things that we usually enjoy in the most beautiful time of year here in Western North Carolina were interrupted, but we are grateful to have sustained such minimal damage and can hardly complain.
Again, I will be back soon sharing a bit more about the last few months of 2024. I hope you’re enjoying these brief little summaries of our year!
Well, hello there. Strange to see summer green and barefoot babies in the deep of winter, I would guess. I hope you don’t mind as I catch up on memories and moments from our year. Our garden began this year as it does most years, beautiful and lush before slowly succumbing to weeds and preoccupation. The best of intentions always give way to the busyness and heat.
I celebrated a big birthday this summer, my 40th, with family at our favorite restaurant and my parents spoiled me with diamond earrings! Brandon and I took the kids to our favorite lake nearby for a long weekend getaway to celebrate, which was the only gift I asked for. We rented the sweetest cutest A-frame cottage and enjoyed every minute of being together there.
It was truly the best birthday. Everyone enjoyed being away together at the lake and had endless fun swimming, kayaking, and fishing. As if that wasn’t spoiling enough, Brandon surprised me with a spinning wheel! Truly a dream. It was one of those times when your heart aches a bit with the purity and beauty of it all and you never want it to end, a little foretaste of glory.
I’ll share a bit more from our summer in my next post!
Our school days finally gave way to river days enjoying the sun, quiet, and leisurely exploration. Although I’ve kept the garden a bit smaller and simpler this year, it has still kept us (me) busy with weeding and maintenance, bringing delight with every bit of fruit from that labor. Phoebe has planted wildflowers and zinnias in her garden box. We’ve welcomed the days of hammock snuggles and reading, being outdoors before the heat and humidity wipe us out and chase us back in. I’ve tried to be more intentional this summer about having one child assigned per night to help me cook, more of a discipline for myself and a treat for them. Philippa participated in “chef’s camp” a couple of weeks ago, and the kids all have VBS and drama camp coming up soon. It has been a year since we began our kitchen remodel, and it is nearly done, although it has led into doing shiplap down the hallway and redoing our kitchen fireplace area. So the project lingers on, as they usually do, squeezed in between all the regular activities and interruptions of life. Maybe I’ll get around to sharing a post about the kitchen project eventually.
I took “end of year” school pictures of the kids.
It was a good year, but didn’t feel like our best. Does one always feel this way when wrapping up a homeschool year, a bit drained and overwhelmed with all that seemed to slip through the cracks? Phoebe was more independent this year, doing curriculum mainly chosen by our classical homeschool co-op. She excelled but I missed connecting with her. My hands felt very full beginning kindergarten with Wren and juggling a nursing napping baby in the midst of it all, while still being quite sleep-deprived. Wren enjoyed doing writing lessons and math, but found reading to be difficult although she progressed so well during the year. It always feels like a small miracle and glorious mercy to launch another child into reading. Philippa worked well through third grade without any major hiccups. She’s a diligent student and really took off with reading chapter books this year. Titus learned how to walk and is beginning to say little words here and there, and we celebrate every little bit of it. Phoebe received a very difficult medical diagnosis at the end of January/early February that wiped us all out emotionally for some time as we reeled and adjusted, spending a lot of time in doctor’s offices doing tests. She has begun some medications, and we have had a lot of learning and processing to do. Some days it all still feels very painful, overwhelming, and sad. She, however, has risen to the challenge with faith and joy, true to her character. Noah wrapped up fifth grade, officially closing the chapter on the “elementary” years and beginning “middle school” this autumn, which feels like another big shift. I’ve tried to give myself a good measure of grace in light of all of this as I look back over the school year. There were other changes and challenges I won’t mention here. It was actually quite a hard year to strive for consistency and excellence. Some days it really felt like just keeping our heads above water and I finished the year feeling very spent. Some years are like that, though. Still a sweet year of learning and growing together, while walking through a lot of ups and downs. I’m endlessly grateful for this amazing work of home education, though it truly stretches me beyond capacity and certainly causes me to be dependent on the Lord in ways I never could have imagined. It is so fruitful and sweet, even in the hard “off” years.
Since wrapping up our school year, I have begun a major project of reorganizing and cleaning up the school room. It hasn’t been done for quite a few years now, and our kitchen remodel threw everything into a greater level of disarray than usual. Every day I’m taking as much time as I can to sort, minimize, and begin planning for next year. I often underestimate how long this takes and also how awesome it feels to declutter and bring order back to the chaos. It is breathing new life into our school space.
everything He gives 