t-giving

A few fun pictures from Thanksgiving.

My cousin Amber holding my niece Madeleine. Aren't they adorable!?

Grandpa with his great-granddaughters Lindley and Liana.

PIE!

Uncle Dave napping with Lucy.

Amber with Liana, Lauren with Lindley, Caleb and Rachel ... letting the food settle while we watch The Incredibles.

Aunt Joyce, Lauren, Lindley, Mom, Julie, Rachel, the top of Amy Beth's head, Aunt Jean, Amber, Rachel with Maddie ... playing games in the living room.

Lincoln.

Jon with Maddie, Amy, and my Dad, who think every picture should have someone picking their nose ....

Me and David. David left that afternoon to drive up to Washington with his friend Billy. He took a big load of his and Rachel's stuff, and was hoping to find an apartment and a job in the time he's up there. They move the week after Christmas.

Cousin Joy and Dad ...

I hope everyone had a fun and filling Thanksgiving!!

Thanksgiving

Welcome to my obligatory Thanksgiving post. How can one come to this time of year and not take a moment to stop and remember all the things for which they are thankful? Its un-American I say. But thanksgiving is also something I try to practice on a regular basis. I believe much of my day-to-day attitude and outlook on life is directly related to how thankful I am. It is when we cease to be thankful that we start to find everything wrong with life and become depressed and cynical. And, even more important than our attitudes about life are our attitudes about God. I possess nothing more important than my salvation, which only God can give. It is impossible in my humanness to be adequately grateful, but it doesn't mean I can't try. Above all, I am thankful for what Christ did for me on the cross. (I've listed a few Bible references at the bottom of this post that talk about thanksgiving for your reading pleasure. Please forgive my taking them out of context.)

Anyway, I thought I'd take a moment and share a few things I'm thankful for. My list will sound much like yours I imagine. When it comes down to it most of us realize what the truly important things are in life, and how important it is not to take them for granted.

I am thankful for ....

... my husband with the awesome beard, and how he walks the dog in the morning while he lets me sleep, and how he always leaves a cereal bowl out in the morning so its ready for my breakfast, and how he surprised me with a new Christmas CD because he's not afraid to enable my somewhat unhealthy obsession with Christmas music, and how he acts interested in my knitting when I show him what I'm making. For all the little ways he shows me he loves me, I am thankful.

... my awesome family, on both our sides. I feel incredibly blessed to be surrounded by healthy marriages, loud and crazy family members who can't let you complete a sentence, but only because they already know what you were going to say, who can follow 6 conversations going on at once, who are truly interested in how you're doing, who encourage without reservation, who can have a good cry and a better laugh together, all in an afternoon. Its an awesome family, and I can't wait for the the time we'll all have to spend together making more memories.

... my small group at church. We're still getting to know each other, but we're having a great time doing it. I have so much support from all the moms I know as I go through pregnancy myself, and I LOVE that.

... my job, and Caleb's. We're fortunate that in this time of economic downturn our jobs are fairly stable and we're able to continue making ends meet.

... our pregnancy. So exciting! And still really scary, but its a chance to trust God with the unknown.

... the Josh Groban Christmas album, eggnog, pumpkin pie, cold weather, corduroy, the color brown, and for that matter, red, the Sequoias and Death Valley, chocolate, yarn in so many fabulous fibers, weights and colors, the prospect of maternity leave, 24 and Lost returning to prime time, books, Target, my blue tooth headset, Arby's roast beef sandwiches with lots of Arby's sauce and curly fries, Christmas at Disneyland ... yes, there is much to be thankful for.

May your Thanksgiving be filled with thanksgiving, good food and good times with those you love. Remember, giving thanks for what we have reminds us to stop whining over what we don't.

------------

Psalm 42:4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

Psalm 69:30 I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 95:2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Psalm 147:7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.

I Cor. 10:16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?

2 Cor. 4:15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

2 Cor. 9:11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

what a weekend

Caleb left Friday afternoon for our church men's retreat, so I had Lucy and home to myself. I don't usually mind a day and a half to myself, in fact I often look forward to it. But this turned out to be a weird weekend, as anyone who lives in Southern California can attest to. I woke up Saturday morning to a beautiful sunny day, but by around noon, the light outside had turned a weird color of orange, and I couldn't figure out why it looked like dusk already. So I went outside to investigate, and found the sun obscured by smoke. I didn't realize that a fire had broken out close to home, so after going outside, I came inside to look for news. There was a fire in Brea, and in Yorba Linda. For the first time since I can remember, fires were actually breaking out close to home. They weren't so close I was in danger, but definitely close enough to get raining ash and remind me of those doomsday scenes in the Terminator movies.

I took this from our patio. This picture was taken about 1:00 in the afternoon. If you want to see another cool photo, my dad has one on his photo website (click on the California album, third picture).

So I closed all the windows in the house and turned on the air conditioning. It didn't totally block out the thick smoke smell, but it certainly helped.

On Saturday evening I went up to my parents house to finish preparing for my first ever knit sale! My mom and I had both created a bunch of children's hats and needed to finish up the last details and then tag and price them all. My dad helped me photograph everything I'd made, because whatever didn't sell I wanted to put up on my new shop on etsy (more details when I get that finished).

The photo shoot set up.

Sunday morning the ash was still really bad, but I took the dog for a walk anyway. I quickly realized I probably shouldn't be out in those conditions, but the dog needed the exercise! We didn't stay out for long. By 11:00 a.m. I was at the house for the boutique, setting up my hats. Its been a long 7 weeks, since I found out about the sale, madly knitting hats in every color combination I could think of. I'd never done anything like this before and I wasn't sure how it would go. I learned a lot, came up with several things I know I need for next time, and actually sold four hats! Go me. My mom sold one. Which is weird, 'cause I thought her stuff was so much cuter than mine. There's a few pictures here of two of the hats that sold. The rest, as I said, will be up on my etsy shop soon.




Caleb came home Sunday while I was at the boutique. It ended around 3:30 when I madly dashed home to be off to our next event, my brother's baptism. We grew up in a Friends church, which doesn't practice baptism regularly (long story), and so every now and then one of us comes to a point in our lives when it seems appropriate to follow through on this form of worship. This weekend it was David's turn. It was a neat thing to be a part of, and if you know my brother's story at all, its just another testament to the life changing power of the love of God.

David being baptized by Joey, his good friend and mentor.

10 weeks and counting

Many of you have been asking here and there about how I've been feeling (as far as my pregnancy goes). And I am grateful to be able to say I've been feeling pretty good. I get a little nauseous in the evenings, I'm ravenously hungry about every two hours, I'm a little emotionally unstable (my husband might call it more than a "little"), and I'm fairly tired a lot of the time. My lunch-time naps in my car have become quite necessary. My clothes still fit for the most part, though some are getting a little tight around the waist. I imagine it will be a few months still before I need maternity clothes (though I'm dreading that in-between "I'm too big for my regular clothes but too small for maternity clothes" stage). We're both anxious to get past the first trimester (around Thanksgiving), as then I think this will all feel a little bit more real. I have my frist ultrasound on December 3, which we're both looking forward to. Then we'll let the holidays take over, and come January we'll really start to plan. Its all very exciting, and all very scary. Its going to be an adventure, that's for sure. Some have asked if I want a boy or a girl, and I have to say I've reached a place where I'd be thrilled with either. I'll do my best to keep you updated! Thanks for asking everybody!

Fall is ....

... pumpkin loaf from Starbucks, corduroy jackets, wool socks, wind-blown hair, multi-colored leaves falling from the sky and laying haphazardly about, hot chocolate, curling up on the couch with my knitting or a good book, orange sweaters and brown pants, the scent of hot apple cider wafting through Mom and Dad's house, growing angrier and angrier while shopping (and parking) at the mall, family togetherness, pumpkins for sale everywhere, switching out my warm-weather clothes for sweaters and scarves and mittens, unpredictable temperatures (72 today, 94 on Friday!), Charlie Brown specials on TV, and that warm fuzzy feeling brought on by the nostalgia of holidays gone by. I LOVE this time of year.

How about you? What's your favorite part of Fall?

its here!

Today I was in Target at lunch, and I happened across an aisle full of Christmas stuff ... gold and silver and pinecone trees and bronze wreaths and silver reindeer and pillows that looked like ski sweaters. As I walked slowly and longingly down the aisle, fingering everything, picturing how it would look on my couch or my buffet or in my kitchen, I heard this little girl yell with all the enthusiasm I was feeling ... "Christmas!" I know exactly how she feels.

thank you!

It's impossible to sufficiently thank the millions of men and women, throughout history, who have fought and died for this country. But today is Veteran's Day, and if there is one day where we need to at least try, today should be it.

I would like to personally thank:

Grandpa Lindley. He was with the air force in World War II. He was a navigator on a bomber, and once was shot down over Yugoslavia.

Grandpa Hammer. He was in the navy and once his ship was sunk.

Cousin Jason. He was a tank commander in Iraq, and just returned last week from his second tour, just in time for the birth of his first child, a girl.

The sacrifice these men, and so many others, have given so willingly is humbling to me. I know my thanks is insufficient, but I give it with as much heart as I can.

rachel's shower

A few pictures from the baby shower on Saturday ....

No set of pictures from a family event is complete without at least one of Madeleine, my neice. Here she's being held by her Aunt Rachel (not to be confused with cousin Rachel, for whom the shower was thrown).

The place settings. Rachel's theme is black and yellow with lambs ... in case you couldn't tell by the picture.

The lunch table.

Rachel, the guest of honor, at lunch.

.... along with everyone else.

Aunt Brianna showing her neices Liana and Lindley how to use a phone (or something to that effect).

Rachel's sister Joy made these framed letters that spell out the baby's name, Sophie. So cute!



Rachel's family (from l to r: Molly, Darcy, Brianna, Rachel, Aunt Joyce, Joy, Lindley and Liana)

Rachel with the Hammer girls, who threw the shower. (from l to r: Rachel, Amy, Rachel, Mom, me, Julie and Madeleine.)

a new book

After deciding the last 40-60 pages of Three Cups of Tea weren't worth finishing (only because what had read quickly and interesting turns slow and boring at the end), I started a new book this week. And for the first time in my life I'm using the word "delightful" to describe John Steinbeck. Yes, John Steinbeck, author of "East of Eden," "Grapes of Wrath," and "Of Mice and Men." These stories I would call genius on many levels, captivating and moving, but they're not the kind of stories that inspire spontaneous smiles as the reader pours over the typewritten lines.



"Travels with Charley" is a totally different Steinbeck experience. I admit I'm only 20 or so pages into the book, but not a single paragraph has yet disappointed. The whole book revolves around a 3-month cross-country trip Mr. Steinbeck takes with his French poodle, Charley (who mostly understands only French). His goal is to reacquaint himself with America, its land and its people. And of course to just go, to explore and find adventure of the kind that can only be found on such a trip. He's writing in his later years, so his style is practiced, refined and clear, an easy read. And his subject matter is so engaging, perhaps because he's on an adventure few would pass up given the opportunity.

Though I've barely started the book, I have no choice but to highly recommend it. Its been a long time since I've really looked forward to having more time to sit and read. I imagine I'll have this one finished in no time. And then you can borrow it.

proof

I was there too.

red rock canyon

Instead of Trick-or-Treating, Caleb and I headed off to the desert for a weekend camping getaway with his family. We went to Red Rock Canyon, just about a 3-hour drive from home. Growing up with the father that I did, Red Rock Canyon and I are no strangers. Its one of my dad's favorite places in California, and anytime we happened to be driving by on our way to some place else, a stop was mandatory. There's nothing there but, well, red rock. There's no gas station, no convenience store, its not even a real rest stop ... but for my dad, driving by without paying homage to the beautiful desert scenery with a stop and a wander down a lonesome trail would have been sinful.

However, for all the stops I've made, until this past weekend I'd never actually camped at Red Rock Canyon. And though I don't know if I'll ever appreciate it the way my dad does, I've begun to see its merit in a new light. It is truly a beautiful desert landscape, with various kinds of rock and mineral painting the hillsides all shades of red and green. The unique shape of the cliffs, formed over centuries of tectonic movement and erosion is also a feast for the eyes.

Our trip started Friday night with an uneventful drive. We set up camp when we arrived and went straight to bed. I woke up at one point in the middle of the night to rain falling on our rain fly, more an annoying noise to try and sleep to than anything else. But then, in the morning, the rain started in earnest. Caleb's parents had brought their trailer, so we had a nice, dry place for eating and talking and playing games and knitting. We figured we'd just wait until the rain let up a little and then go out and explore. Well, the rain didn't let up until about 4:00 in the afternoon. It stopped a couple times for about 30 minutes, and we took advantage of those times with short strolls around the campground.

Once the rain let up in the afternoon, it didn't come back. And though it had driven us inside most of the day, it was a nice relaxing and restful day. I actually wouldn't have changed it. Sunday dawned bright and clear and beautiful, the way only a day after rain can. Caleb has the better pictures, but I have a few here for your perusal.

Despite my first real Red Rock experience being a wet one, I must admit, as I take my own kids on camping trips throughout California, I'll probably carry on the tradition my father started and force my own kids to stretch their travel-weary legs at Red Rock for a moment of desert reflection.

We hiked around this area late Saturday afternoon, after the rain had finally let up. There was NOBODY else there and we were able to let the dogs off their leashes to run free for a while. One of my favorite things about the desert is the lack of people you tend to find there.

Andrew, Pam, Caleb and Bob.

Wylie and Lucy. Lucy wanted so badly just to play, but Wylie is a bit more mature and pretty much just did his best to ignore Lucy's constant and annoying puppy nature.

Ah, heaven for Lucy ... miles and miles of dirt and sand in which to dig!

The tent took in its fair share of rain and sand and mud in just two days. At the end of the trip, the easiest way to clean it out was to simply dump everything out the front door.

Lucy and Wylie, confined to the trailer for the moment.

Sunday dawned clear and beautiful.

Joshua trees. Not everyone finds Joshua trees beautiful or interesting, but I do. I think they're among the more fascinating trees you find in California, each one so distinct.

Like I said, Caleb has more pictures (and better ones). They also prove that I was on the trip as well. I'll post some when I get a chance!

Jason's Home!!

My cousin Rachel's husband arrived home from Iraq on Friday night! This was his second tour in Iraq with the Marines. While he's been gone, Rachel has kept herself busy carrying their first baby. His bus drove in to Camp Pendleton around 2:00 a.m., and there were 30 family members there to greet him! (We weren't able to be there ourselves, on account of a pre-arranged camping trip with Caleb's family, but we were surely there in spirit!) I'm most excited for Rachel, to finally have him home for GOOD! He is done with the Reserves as of some time in January, meaning no more tours of duty. The baby is due December 1, so Jason is home just in time. Welcome home Jason! So good to have you back.

I love that Jason still has a machine gun in one hand while he kisses his wife hello after 7 long months.

So sweet!! Its the first time he's seen "the belly," as Rachel calls it.

Though I wasn't able to be there myself, I love that our family turns out in such high numbers, even in the wee hours of the morning, to support one of our own. Its the way it should be done!