Christmas Baking

I love baking. I love the smell that fills my home when fresh cookies are in the oven. I love the smiles that light up little faces as they enjoy their sweet treats. And yes, I love it when my treats disappear at parties. (I know, I have pride issues I need to overcome!)

This year my friend and I continued our Christmas baking tradition. We both came with two cookie recipes and baked all morning long. Our kids played quietly downstairs, (Yes, quietly! We kept looking at each other wondering if everything was okay.) and we baked and talked through the morning. We made Molasses Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, Toffee Bars, and Peppermint Fudge! The winner in my family-Peppermint Fudge! Christmas baking is fun to do!

The Excitement is Rising

"How many more days till Christmas?"

"Momma, how many more days till Christmas?"

"Is it tomorrow?"

"When is Christmas?"

Every day, for the last two weeks, Kylia has been asking these questions. Yesterday, the questions were asked a number of times. Her response after being told, "10 more days!" three times was, "But it was already ten days." Wouldn't it be fun, if every once in a while, we could speed up time just by asking "How many more days?" more than once in a twenty-four hour period?

All I can say is, the excitement is rising in the Himes' household!

Enjoying the Season

This morning was spent with my family. The girls in jammies, we sat down with cocoa in hand to begin our Christmas puzzle. The music played softly in the background. The fire warming our toes. The Christmas lights on the tree. The frost blanketing the world outside. Oh, what a beautiful time of year!

Christmas Shopping

Monday was our day to shop. After dropping the girls off, (yes! it was just the two of us!!) Seth and I headed to the mall for a day of fun! (Did I mention we had the entire day?) We began with a little window shopping. Then quickly realized that we needed to gather our bearings. So, we sat down in the massage chairs in the middle of the mall and discussed. What were we really wanting? Who did we need to buy for? How much could we afford? What stores would have what was needed? With that decided, we pulled ourselves out of the super-comfy chairs and the shopping began. (Now this is where I have to be a little careful. I don't want to give anything away.) We went from one store to another, and I would like to say, we were quite successful! After two hours of shopping, we were ready for a break, and so we headed to the movies. Our movie of choice, Blind Side! (Sandra Bullock is one of my favorite actresses and she played this role wonderfully.) I can't remember the last time Seth and I went to the movies just the two of us. I think this may need to become a Christmas tradition! After the movie, which ended at 2:00, we were famished. A stop at Subway for a $5.00 footlong, and a yummy, white chocolate, macadamia nut cookie, and we were ready to continue. We left the mall and headed to Target. Shopping for another two hours, we decided to call it a day. On our way to get the girlies, Seth suggested we stop at Starbucks for two steamed milks. (That's right, we don't like coffee, but steamers are super tasty!) With our gingerbread steamers in hand we talked for a bit, and reveled in the beauty of the day. What a success! Shopping, just me and my man!

The Perfect Tree (Part 2)

So, here it is! The Perfect Tree! It came in at 9 feet tall! (Our ceilings are 9 feet, so yes, we needed to do a little snip snip.) With the Christmas music playing, the tree was adorned with all the love a 7, 5, and 3 year old can give. Isn't it a beauty?

The Perfect Tree

As we journeyed to the Christmas tree farm this year, the girls bundled with hats, scarves, mittens and boots, I realized how quickly my girls are growing up. Last year I found myself carrying Zoie much of the time, the girls stayed right by daddy or my side, and Seth and I chose the tree. This year they discovered, seemingly for the first time, the joy of picking the perfect tree.

All three girls went running in different directions through the tree farm. Then from my left I would hear, "I found the perfect tree!"

Behind another tree Adalie would come running and Zoie would peak her head out to see this perfect sight. All three would look it over, commenting on its beauty, and then continue on down the row. Again we would hear ring out, "I found the perfect tree!"

And this time Kylia and Zoie would come a-runnin'. It was so fun to see the glimmer of excitement on their faces as they ran from perfect tree to perfect tree.

Once found, with just a little help from mom and dad, all three girls loved it!

We got it tied to the roof of the car just as the sun was setting.

Daddy pulled a 'Dukes of Hazard' move, jumping in through the window, and we were off. (He intentionally roped the doors shut. Just in case you were wondering.) Pulling out of the tree farm Kylia said, "This was the best day ever!" And all three girls agreed!

The Perfect Song

Kylia sang a precious song tonight and it went something like this:

"All I want for Christmas is Jesus.

All I want for Christmas is Jesus.

All I want for Christmas is Jesus.

Jesus is all I want. Yeah!!"

It was perfect.

A Thankful Heart

For small group last night we were in charge of dessert. After dinner Adalie asked if she could have her dessert early. I told her that if she ate it now she wouldn't be able to eat it later with the rest of the children. We agreed, she took her small cookie and she was off to play. After our meeting, the kids converged on the kitchen and the dessert was dispersed. All 13 children were gobbling their yummies, and Adalie was standing by my side, a bit sad, but not asking for anything. For some reason, I really wanted to bless her, and so I gave her a bitty scoop of icecream and another bitty cookie. She took them into the other room and began to eat. As I walking through the room, checking on the kids, I walked by Adalie. She stopped me and with such quiet sincerity stated, "Thank you soooooo much." That was it. Four little words. But to a mommy, those words meant the world. My desire was to bless her that evening, but her thankful heart truly blessed me.

Lights of the Season

Oh, how I love Christmas lights! The sparkle, the color, and the beauty of them make the Christmas season come to life. The very first Christmas was introduced with a magnificent star shimmering in the sky and the tradition of light still continues. This weekend we had the pleasure of enjoying Zoolights at the Portland Zoo. Color was everywhere, animals were on display (the baby elephant blowing water at its mama was Kylia and my favorite), and the night air was brisk. The perfect evening to ring in the Christmas holiday season.

As we rode the train I enjoyed listening to my girls as they discovered animals aglow. Zoie hopped from one lap to the next in hopes of getting the best view. Then racing my girls through the park in an attempt to keep warm kept the giggles flowing, the hugs a-comin', and the grumpies away. This night was filled with "Oooh's" and "Aaah's" as we admired the beauty and the brilliance that comes this time of year. Oh, how I love Christmas lights!

Sweet Song

As I was brushing my teeth this morning, Seth came up behind me, hugged me tight and then began to sing, "You are my best friend, my very best friend. I like to spend time with you, and make babies together." Then he wouldn't let go. He just held on. It was the sweetest thing ever! Seth Owen, you're my favorite!

My Man is Awesome!

This weekend was the Couple's Conference, and wow, was it amazing! I love being with my man! We had so much fun together and I felt as if my eyes were open, once again, to his awesomeness! I married a great man and I am so thankful for him!

We were asked to write love letters to each other, and while I was writing the tears were cascading down my cheeks as I realized how precious Seth is to me. We took communion together and his prayer was so tender. We rode silly bikes on the beach and laughed as we ran into each other and soaked our tooshies in the surf. When my emotions were high, he prayed for me. The way Seth loves is so evident in his life. He loves with his entire being, and I fell for him over and over again this weekend.

I love you Seth Owen, and I am so thankful that God has allowed me to walk this life with you. You are such a gift!

You make me Smile!

When homeschooling there are times when I don't feel quite adequate. Sometimes the school day feels like chaos. Other times it seems to be going well. On this particular day, I was looking around our schoolroom (which is also the playroom and guest room) and noticing the mess, seeing the things I still needed to finish, and basically feeling like things were a bit chaotic. Then Seth walked in and everything changed. "Wow! This is a perfect homeschool picture! Zoie's painting, you're reading to Kylia, and Adalie is doing her work at the table." He continued for a short period to praise my teaching. With those comments, Seth flipped my day from chaotic craziness to delight. He helped me to see things a bit differently. His praise turned my day around in an instant, and well, he made me smile.

What's Dog?

While riding in the car, out of the blue Kylia asked, "What's dog?" I was a little uncertain how to answer that question and I shared this with her. She responded with, "What do we eat that is dog?" We have told the girls that hamburgers are from cows, ham and sausage are from pigs, turkey is from turkey's and so on. This has never seemed to trouble the girls or disgust them in any way. They've always just shook their heads with understanding. So Kylia's question, "What's dog?" was presented with a truly curious heart.

The answer to your question, precious girl, we don't eat dog, but I sure do love your brain! Always thinking!

Totally Awesome!

My Zoie comes up with some of the funniest sayings! On our walk today she stepped over a rock and exclaimed, "I'm talented!" A few days ago she asked for a 'mountain curtain' for Christmas. (What is a mountain curtain? Maybe it is something that a toaster man puts up in his house :) While sharing a delightful meal at Costco with our friends, she ran the aisles yelling, "I'm totally awesome!!"

Zoie you're my joy! Totally Awesome? Most definitely!!

"Billy"

Kylia was retelling a short adventure she had the other day, and I couldn't help but laugh. It was too cute! She was speaking to Adalie, and it went something like this, "When I was at Mrs. Bailey's, I saw a worm. I jumped and screamed and ran into the house. That worm was my friend! I named him Billy." I so love listening to my children! Their words can brighten my day in an instant.

Sweet Words

While Seth was putting Adalie to bed the other night his heart was touched by her sweet words. As he was praying with her he asked the Lord to help him be the best daddy he could be. After his prayer Adalie responded so sweetly, "Daddy, I don't think you could have done any better than you did today." What perfect words for a daddy to hear.

A New Song

My Kylia was on a date with her daddy yesterday when a new song started to form within in her. On their way home, the time came for it to be sung. She sang it over and over with daddy in the car, he recorded it on his phone, and then they shared it with me. It goes something like this.

"Little chicken climbed a tree, then he fell.

Then he climbed again, then he fell.

Then he climbed again, then he fell.

Then he flapped his wings and then he flew.

Then he jumped, and then he spun, and then he danced!!!"

Seth was so excited! The first time Kylia sang her song, it built until the chicken danced. There were octave changes, and everything! It was beautiful!

Candy Options

Yesterday was our church Pumpkin Patch Bash. The girls received a half a bag of candy a piece. On the way home from the Bash listening to their conversation was very fun. With candy on their mind, Adalie commented, "We have so much candy, we should put it in a big bag and walk around our neighborhood and pass it out." Kylia's response, "Or we could put it in a big bowl and set it outside for people to take." "Or we could plant it and watch it grow!" declared Zoie.

Two thinking of a way to give it away, and one thinking of a way to make more! I am finding that back seat conversation is truly my favorite. :)

Have Fun!

In his prayer time, my husband felt like the Lord was asking him to spend time in the Word every morning and to pray for direction (get a word) for himself and our family each day. He has been doing this on a consistent basis and it has been awesome to watch the hand of God moving in our family. As the spiritual head in our family he has encouraged me to do the same thing. So yesterday I was sitting on the couch, spending some time with the Lord, when Adalie came down. We read our Bibles together and then I told her that we should both get a word for the day. Her word was, "Have fun." After our devotion time was over, I told her that it was time to start school. She looked at me with confusion in her eyes and declared, "But mom, the word God gave me was, 'Have Fun!'

Oh, the preciousness of little children. It was awesome how God used Adalie's word as a tool for teaching. Right then and there we had an opportunity to talk to her about our attitudes and how we can choose to have fun in all we do, even in school. By the end of the day, she agreed that we Had Fun!!

What Did You Eat?

My Zoie woke up this morning acting as if she had eaten an entire chocolate cake in the night. As we were all cuddling on the bed, excited to have daddy home, she was jumping and falling, laughing and giggling, and making the most interesting facial expressions. At one point she jumped up and exclaimed for all to hear, "I have to go pee pee!" She then jumped off the bed and ran to the bathroom. Which she returned from quite rapidly, not having gone potty, jumped back on the bed, and with her arms raised in victory, as if she had just won a race, declared, "Let's Eat!"

p.s. The effects of the "chocolate cake" did wear off by late morning, but it was sure fun to watch while it lasted. :)

Soccer Joy

Yesterday was the last day of soccer. What a fun season it was! We had an awesome coach that loved the kids, and the Lord. The girls had a blast! And Seth and I fell more in love with our babes as we watched them overcome frustrations, get back up when they were knocked down, and smile all the while they were out on the field. Coach Pete gave everyone a certificate at the end of the game and wrote comments that I believe sum up the way the girls played in a wonderful way!

"Adalie plays soccer like a tiger--just when the other team thinks they're safe, she pounces. She's definitely not afraid to attack the ball." Boy, did she ever! Adalie scored three goals during this season and always gave it 100%. She made her daddy proud and we were all screaming from the sidelines to cheer on our girl. She did great!

"Kylia has one of the best attitudes of any kid I've ever coached. She hustles and makes the game more fun for everyone." Kylia's attitude was so sweet. She would be skipping down the field, smile radiant on her face, so thrilled to be alive. Every once in a while she would stop and strike a pose, or wave a happy wave.

Who knew soccer could be so fun?

God Answers Prayers!!

The rain was pouring down as we were loading the car for the girl's soccer game.

The girls were bundled, the umbrellas packed, and grandma and grandpa were prepared. We were mentally gearing up for a wet, cold game. During the drive to the field Seth began a prayer that turned into a chant. It went something like this,

"Dear Lord,

Stop the rain,

For the game,

In Jesus name, Amen."

The girls and I repeated each line after daddy all the way to the field. Can you guess what happened? Not only did God stop the rain, He also brought out the sunshine!

After the game ended, the rain slowly began again. Then it hit me! God had answered our prayers! And He had answered them mightily! We were dry and we were happy!

What a little prayer, but God cared. He heard, He cared, and He answered! And if God hears the little ones, you know He must be listening to the big ones!! I left the field feeling the presence of the Lord so strongly around me.

He is always listening! Oh, thank you Jesus!

11 Years and No Regrets!

Eleven years ago, on October 10th, Seth and I became Mr. and Mrs. He proposed just three months prior and it was a whirlwind until the day we walked down the aisle. Our wedding was a blast. I still remember it with a smile on my face. And the "kiss" was unforgettable. We had practiced for those three months to get it just so, and then when the day came, I was uncertain whether or not we would follow through. But when our pastor said, "You may kiss the bride," Seth took me in his arms and dipped me low, kissing me all the way back up. Our photographer was able to get four pictures of that one kiss! It was pretty amazing.

So yesterday we remembered. We have eleven years (twelve-and-a-half if you count dating) of wonderful, crazy, sweet, precious, silly, and romantic memories. It was good to look back and see how blessed our life has been. I love being married! I love my husband! And I am excited for what the next eleven years will hold. (And then the eleven after that, and the eleven after that, and the eleven after that . . .)

Oh My Hair!!

Zoie, at the age of three, still rocks herself to sleep. She rocks in the middle of the night and she rocks early in the morning. Sometimes she rocks with a blanket over her head and at other times a stuffed animal. She loves to rock and it brings her comfort, but every morning the result is the same, a beautifully, wadded mass of tangled hair. There are mornings when this doesn't matter because we have the time to untangle the mess, but there are other mornings, when after struggling with it for 10 minutes I've had to leave her home with daddy because there is no more time to untangle.

I often wonder when, or if, this rocking will end. Will the rats be tamed? Will the sadness on this face ever turn to a smile as we brush through silky, smooth hair each morning? I guess this question is yet to be answered. So for today, we will head back to the bathroom, squirt the mass, brush, cry, and then brush some more. And when it's all said and done, we will have beautiful hair in bobbles, ponies, or braids, and a little girl with a smile on her face!

Yum, Yum, Yummy!!

Today the girls and I made something we have never made before. They were round little morsels of goodness, that for some reason always seemed a bit daunting to try. But today, the craving was there, the ingredients on hand, and a burst of courage to tackle a new recipe was within my grasp. So, I took the courage, with much help from my children, and together we made our first ever batch of doughnuts!! With three little helpers the flour was measured, the sugar stirred, and the rest of the ingredients added. Then we kneaded a bit, patted the dough, and cut out 12 doughnuts. Now came the daunting part, the oil! Without a deep fryer or electric skillet it was a challenge to know exactly when the oil reached 375 degrees. So we tested a bit, adjusted a bit, and with just a little dough wasted (or burnt to a crisp), we were ready to cook our doughnuts. Guess what? It worked! They cooked to a golden brown and were yum, yum, yummy! We all had one, (and a few holes), and with a desire for more, we knew that this recipe was a success!

Doing the Fair Differently

Going to the fair can be quite the adventure, and quite the expense. There's parking fees, and entrance fees, tickets for rides and food to be eaten, and so much stuff to buy. We did not have all the money it would take to go to the fair this year and so we had decided that we would not be going, but then we were given FREE TICKETS!! Now we had a choice to make. Do we go, with the chance of still spending a small fortune, OR, do we do things differently? We chose differently. So to start, we packed a sack lunch. ($30.00 saved!) Then we parked and took the shuttle. ($10.00 saved!!) Then of course we had the free tickets. ($29.00 saved!!!) We chose not to do any rides. ($100.00 saved, give or take.) And do you know what we realized? It is so much fun to watch jugglers and acrobatic dogs, draft horses and chickens, 3-D movies about brains and performers playing instruments made from garbage cans, to dream about jacuzzis and some day owning our own horse, and doing it all as a family. Plus, to top it all off, the girls didn't get over-stimulated by the rides (which means tired and fussy) and therefore enjoyed the eight hours we spent there. (Priceless!)

p.s. We did get one treat, an elephant ear, my favorite!!

When I Grow Up

Driving to soccer today Seth and I were listening to our girls talk. This is how their conversation went. (Prepare yourself, the following responses are not typical, and may be a bit silly.)

Adalie: I want to be an artist and a cooker when I grow up. (Daddy later corrected her and let her know that a cooker is called a chef.)

Kylia: I want to be a worker when I grow up. I want to build houses.

Zoie: I want to be a toaster man when I grow up!

Oh, what a joy it is to listen to your children dream about their lives. Keep dreaming girlies! What a joy you are.