Dash got his Hair cut.

Dash came to me ready to go to get his hair cut.
No fuss no pressure or persuasion.
He just was ready to stop waring it long to cover his hearing aides.
I think He now knows who he is and has greater confidence in him self.
This a passage into his boyhood that is marked with a personality change.
My son is becoming a confident boy.
He is so handsome and loves his new cut.
If you click on the image notice how one pupil is larger than the other. We are watching this closely as per the ushers syndrome thing.

Make it from Scratch Carnaval* Floral Arrangement*

Floral arrangement for a Dinner Table.

When you get your flowers home see that they are kept cool.
Fill a basin with cool water and separate the stems of like plant.
I used an elongated shape (a loaf pan) for my setting.
It is important to consider if your guest will ever looking over or across your display. This is made low just for this very reason.
The pan is filled with water half way and then glass flat end marbles.
The flower fresh or and aspirin can be added to preserve the buds.
Cut the stems of all plants under water.
Due to capillary action the plant will suck up air or water. If air is pulled in it will not allow the plant to absorb water and your plants will wilt and die off prematurely
I used the pine for the linear effect.

Filled in the space with additional baby's breath

Aim for form and symmetry if that is your desire.
Fill in with the accents of eucalyptus.

One by one I then cut the roses and pulled any spent petals.
Remove any rose leaves that might touch the water in your container.
Keeping the stem under water when cut for a second or two, and then getting it into water promptly.
Fill in open spaces with the little accent flower sprays
Spray them daily with water if you are in a dry climate. I have filled the water daily and It is now several days later they look wonderful.
They are opening up now.
I placed the candles directly into the marbles and that is all there is to it.
The flowers were a gift from my husband for Christmas.
Two dozen roses and one bunch baby's breath at Costco. I think it was around $20. to purchase the flowers.
This would be VERY costly to purchase at a florist.

Thankful Thursday

So much to be grateful for this Christmas time.

My sweet Beloved took the children and I shopping and we were able to amply provide for the menu for the Eve and the main event and even a celebration of friendship in the evening.
We are so blessed.
My beloved gave me some "smoked salmon" and these wonderful Christmas red roses.
I took such great pleasure in making an arrangement for the Christmas table. It was so much fun to get to do an arrangement. I love floral arranging very much. The beauty of the life is a real pleasure to my eyes and my soul.
I had a nice salmon snack and we even gave the children some fresh mandarin oranges and the history of them as well.

My joy was full in the time He and I set aside for each other late Christmas eve.
This is something we have done for 25 years now.
When we begin anew.

I saw the joy of generous gifts received upon the faces of my children. Such abundance.
Thank you Auntie and Uncle.

We were so grateful to be able to replace the old bicycles with new bikes.

I was touched at how God had relayed the desires of my heart to another
Thank You SILove

My children appreciated the work of my hands.
This was huge for me.
For I poured my heart into the many things I made for them. They were grateful. This pleases me for them too. To see that character really set sail to my faith and assured me that even in my weakness as a parent I am having a good effect for the lives they have ahead of them.

I was deeply touched to hear my daughter heart toward me in her written work. No greater gift could I have received.
Dash with his "Baby Dog" sang so happily that it was sweet to the very tooth of it. :)

Witnessing a grandfather explain the plane that he flew in WWII.
Seeing an Elder open his heart to this new generation and to open his own heart to the memory of those days hard won. When Men were men and our country stood up against a tyranny that decimated a population. This is one hero of our Country.. So many are now silent.
As that generation is leaving as Grandfathers dear friend went home to be with the Lord this month. So many of the WWII veterans are forgotten.
When History is forgotten it often repeats it self.
We must never forget.

I thank the dear Grand parents who cared so deeply as to ask for the desires of the kids hearts and to gift them with the very toy the each wished for.

But the greatest of all of these was the time afforded the generations to be together and enjoy one another.
My husband Brother and Parents spending a nice day together , leaving all too soon to my started surprise when Dove mentioned we might have friends over later. I do hope they did not feel rushed off..
An unexpected joy of enough energies to set a table for friends to fellowship and our kids to play.

And at the end of the day ...
My beloved told me the story of the Iron.
We took a trip today and re-purchased it.
He will return the other one.
Wow an iron that is well...like a robot sorta.
It makes me laugh.

Wordless Wedensday

Tails from the scales Weel #13

Merry Christmas. I did better this year about caring for myself. I did gain 2 pounds last week, well it is time to begin again.

I remembered to take care of myself. I made a Christmas meal that was all beneficial for me. I avoided all the allergens I could. When the Christmas cookies were made I used millet flour. I even did my knee exercises.

1. Drink more water and tea
2. Do my knee exercises and core strengthening.
3. Walk or ride bike every day (this is what dropped off during Christmas preparation)
4. Stay away from avoids (wheat,dairy, corn and candy) I had corn on Christmas eve with the family.
5. rest better set myself up for a good nights sleep (this had been totally failed during the week before hand, now it must be reinstated).
6. Pray for all of you and myself that we all resist the temptations that would so easily take us off course.
Gained 2

193 starting

191 week one

191 week two (at 189 on Friday) First Synvisk Injestion

193 week three Second injection

190 week four (189 peeked at me) Third Injection

192 week five

188 week six

189 week seven

192 week eight (most of it lining my colon)

189 week nine

189

189

189

191 Christmas week.

The Big Surprise! ( New Bikes )

Good Morning!
I hope all of you were able to have a peaceful start to your day.

I forgot the Big Surprise we gave the children yesterday.
After the kids had opened the gifts and were under the impression that the gifts were completed they had settled into playing with and becoming acquainted with the things they had received.
Daddy Man and I slipped away into the master bedroom closet where the night before he had retrieved these from the grandparents home across town. He had returned late and cold to stow them for Christmas Morning. We decided not to leave them out in the living room.
We entered the room as I spoke to Dove...I said... Dove, I forgot this in my closet..." She looked up slacked jawed and amazed with glee and wonder. Then Dash saw Daddy with his following behind me.
OH! THE GLEE!

Before the crisp of the day changed into a bluster of Desert winter chill...
We took them out front to ride the bikes.

Little Dove was so sleek on hers. She had desired a blue one.
Her other bike was a yard sale find that she had purchased with the money she had earned herself. It was so worn out. We are so thrilled to be able to give them such a gift.
We got the very basic bikes. The lack of the hand break will help them to be able to ride with less complication. (side benefit was that the cost were kept low). Most of the bikes I saw all had lots of extra gears and such. We kept it real simple. That is important to the overall success of the experience for them. With fine motor problems it can really help.

Dash struggled with his bike. Then Daddy man lowered the seat as far as he could. He eventually mastered it after several falls.
Later today we have a ride to look forward to. Once it warms up.
The desert winter has come to chill us well.

Tackle It Tuesday Ha...Ha!

Christmas 12:30 a.m. of eve to morning found us at
Communion together, quiet and embraced.
We spoke as three Our God ,my Husband and me.
We made amends, spoke as friends those treasured hopes that do not end of all we want to be and who we desire to become. We see the mark we miss so easily and share the grateful hearts of the one who met the mark for us.
We thank him for that and take to Him all those desires of what we long to be. We tell Him of all the needs and desires and as for His will and provision in our coming year.
We speak specifically. Reverence and refreshed in Him and in each other we retired to bed

The heart of this Wife and Mother to bring Christmas Joy to her family and friends.

At Morning not yet bright with the dawn the joy of children rings us a wake!
We held them at bay until we could dress and get a drink of water.
We stilled the madness and slowed the tide today.
We had one gift before they ate and reined them in.
I served them croissants and fruit preserves and juice.
Then I served the dogs a large knuckle bone for Christmas. It kept them busy all day.

Once Little Dove received her hand held game she was gone into it.
So we slowed the pace and just let them play with that one thing for a while. I got the roast in the oven and prepared the fruited roasted vegetables.

When things were in oven we resumed the gift exchange.
Daddy Man has on the knitted scarf that Dove and her Grandmother had knitted together.

Dash gave his Daddy a rein deer ornament he mad for him in school.

By far the sweetest gift I received this year was this wonderfully rendered gift wrap that contained the most endearing "hand written" book by Dove. It was so amazing! It told of her favorite things. It spoke of her hearts desires for me and her daddy to have the gift of two weeks in the mountains. She spoke of her favorite memory with me and why.

I was so deeply touched and set to tenderness so fragile I felt a float.

Monkey loves having Dash :0 and he gave me a hug for making him.
Dash gave me some "google eyes" for crafts and some beautiful beads(they are in the box beside me), Three buttons and a wonderful (two tea bag) mug.

The Iron
This is the story of the Iron. I have no recall of this...(Every day is new with a brain injury) My sweet beloved had gone to the Sewing Guild store where he procured an iron That I had apparently told him about some time ago. A wonderful iron that he held in his mind to acquire for me. I do not remember this nor ever seeing what he described.
However, recently after some problems with my iron and he fixing it...I had spoke with my MILove about my iron and it being repaired by beloved. She had told me about an iron that is good for seamstresses. I use my iron in my clothing manufacturing for the family so it is a tool that is used heavily. I showed him what she had told me of some time ago on our date. Well he had already purchased the other one. Now he had to return it after all the efforts of traveling to get the first one I know nothing about.
My sweet beloved told me about this all late today. I am so touched that he went to such great lengths. I felt strange not to have any recall but will just let go of the fears of that challenge. He told me how I laid awake and told him all about the other iron and all of its attribute. Sure that I would yet prefer the other (even though he did return it) he kept the receipt to this one. I will have him take this back to get the original. It is yet a mystery to me. He tells me how much better a tool it is for me. I have a wrist that is tender it will serve my wrist much better. I trust him knowledge of a better tool. Having told him of it after a sewing guild meeting I am sure it must be a wonderful iron.
Yet another mystery! :)

My heart had desired another wind chime for my humming bird chime got destroyed on the back porch. I had even spoken to Papa of it. Low it came through my SILove...if she only knew she had heard my heart. Thank you I love it!

About this time in the morning I had a bad allergic reaction to some packaging (we think). I spent the rest of the day grateful for the many tissue boxes around the house for I was battling the reaction every few moments for hours with no relief. My face began to swell again. We used the albuteral and we were a little concerned of an ER visit but kept it to our selfs. Beloved and I prayed and I just tried not to get too frustrated! My nose was running like a faucet! Nothing was working. It was my sweet opportunity to overcome. For everything was so wonderful in my day it just served to keep me humble. :) sorta like the flaw bead in an Indian design.

After a while the Grandparents (Beloveds folks) and his Brother came and had a lovely visit and a feast of a meal together.

We all gathered around the computer in Beloved office to see the "Google Earth" where the WWII bases in India where FILove had served had been discovered after great efforts. We saw your place too Amritra.
We showed the folks the orphanages in Russia that we have now discovered and bookmarked on Google earth as well it is so fascinating to see the other side of the earth from a hawk eye view.

We waited again to milk out the gift exchange and everyone was good enough to await my stowing the foods away after the meal before the gift exchange, for the children. I do not want to miss a thing! These years all happen so fast. I was so glad that the kids had the experience of waiting this year. I consider it a gift to them to show them this skill.
It was so well worth the wait for them!

The dogs were outside all day. They were thrilled for the bones from the roast as well.
Willy made short work of it.

While "queen Rena" was more slow to the effect of vanishing the evidence.

The children were thrilled to see the gifts that they had longed for from the wish they made in a catalog. I had told grandmother the wish they had her anted grandpa gifted them their hearts desire.
The assembly of the fort was a thrill.
Dove found herself over and over again liking Dash"s gifts more than hers.

Boys toys are so full of action. She even shared her gift with Dash so that she might share the thrill of the fort. They really do share well.
I have always told them that all we have belongs to God we just get to use and care for it. Sharing it is no more than what he has done for us, to share it with us.

Grandfather (Paternal to Beloved, his dad) seemed to like his foot warmer.

This is an amazing pop up book (this is engineered paper!)for the Chronicals of Narnia series. A gift from the Grand Parents.
Beloved has read all seven novels out loud to the children.
Uncle J. gave a wonderful gift card to go explore the lovely book store of plenty:)
This is an adventure all in itself. We will take the children to chose a book for them self.
Thank you, Uncle J.

After gifts and some rest we shared a desert.
The children helped Grandmother make the Whipped cream.
Grandmother loved my miser and Dove asked me to give it to Grandmother. Too sweet of course I declined it and MILove said of course not. It was touching.

In the late afternoon as the day dissolved the energy was enough to offer a dear to us family some Christmas Fellowship.
It was my heart to give my Girlfriend (and her family) a Birthday evening out and about.
We set a buffet of meats and breads and chips, guacamole and salsas. Beloved gave me a small smoked salmon fillet for Christmas and she enjoyed a few bites. Few will eat salmon with me (it is a deep sea/fresh water running fish of the Pacific). I had some sandwich fixings. We even shared a pot of tea. The children played. She and I both home schooled and our children were close. Now that mine are in school they do not get to spend as much time together. They are all now in differing developmental stages and the relationships are evolving and changing.
They played hard and we had a nice visit.
Happy Birthday Michelle!

Socks and Socks II are just tuckered out (a bit staged) :)
With the giggles and glee of two children who insist on "camping out together" during their vacation...their day draws slow. Story time and hush a byes...Good nights and tunny aches (Dove ate too much bread)...I love you Moms...then silence and the pillow pulls them into the land of nod.

Happy Birthday Auntie L.

I Hope all of you were given the opportunity to see how very blessed you are. Even in want. We are free, loved and given favor, mercy and hope.

My family on Christmas Eve

The Lamb...and the baby Jesus came to the manger this morning as the last box on the advent came open. The Lamb who takes away the "missing of the mark" (an archery term) by all mankind (sin) of the world.
The children and I had a blast walking around the neighborhood and passing out our cookies and candy trays with the card. We had thrice the perfect moment when as we approached the house they just pulled up or were just stepping out. One neighbor shared a nice tin of butter cookies Beloveds' favorite.
We spent the day continuing to rescue the habitation of the daughter who lingers in the scattered chaos that is the image of such great imaginations wildly flowing through her mind.
Daddy Man gave "great pains" (his muscles hurt, I empathize with a sweet knowing smile hidden from his view) to hang in there as I did all I could to stay away from the task.
Helping mainly at the end by preparing Hot dogs and encouragement by the cup fulls!
I was thrilled to treat myself to the stocking stuffer from my darling
Smoked Salmon a tradition of mine from childhood.
It makes me feel grounded. I do not get to see the pacific forests but I can taste them.
I had my smoked salmon with rye crisps.

Daddy man is sore from all the tasks. I think I am really understood :) . It is now that he has taken this great task to heart and duty for the first time, that he is implementing a new bed time ritual before the set story time. The rooms must be picked up. This training is well over due. I was not given such childhood training and so it is good that he will be instigating the duty. He has personal incentive now :)
Our children's rooms are clean! Of course it is a base line for I have yet to fix the messy drawers and organize the clean laundry hanging in the closets. Laundry We finished it! 6 (double) loads!
This is a huge gift to us all.
There is so much peace in the removal of chaos .
Peace.

Between the two rooms we removed all of this to give to charity or other who might need it

Daddy man was working on Doves room all day .While I got the shopping for tomorrows Standing Beef Roast with red potatoes, and apricots , figs and plums. Rice and a nice salad that MILove will be bringing. She is also bringing a pie.

THANK YOU! Auntie L. and Unckie T. and family for the great gifts. They have one gift to open on the eve and they chose yours. They were delighted! That was so generous of you. The tiger cub robot (Fur Real) is amazing!

Assembling them "transformed" Daddy man. (they are Star War transformers)

We had a Christmas Eve "Walton's" movie night complete with a wonderful feast. Tacetos a rolled corn tortilla with spiced chicken in it (still in oven), guacamole, mango salsa, tomato salsa, soy cream cheese herb' ed and fresh romaine lettuce and tomatoes and organic refried Pinto beans. Corn chips too. A neighbor or two stopped by to give us a treat.
One was pretzels in white chocolate and another gave the kids a box of chocolate cherries.

We had Turkish delight for desert. I had this as a child at Christmas> I always loved it . A jelled fruit and nuts treat.

The Raindeer are left a snack as well as Father Christmas.

Little dove has marked all the carrots to see that they are not just recycled into the refrigerator.
We have explicit orders that the reindeer will leave carrot crumbs of course.

The children understand fact from fiction.
Sometimes in our lives we knowingly embrace a few hours of fiction just to escape the reality of the harsh truth.

And we...well we decided we need some fantasy too.
It is sorta well...way fun to play along.
I just heard some pitter patter of little feet...:)
It must be hard with so much excitement :)
The Children are nestled into the bed while giggles and whispers are sweet in my ear.
Soon we will begin the HO HO BEES!....
Then it is time for two lovers to enjoy communion and a time together.

Merry Christmas too all and too all a good night!

Imperfect sock monkey wins hearts

I did it! Both monkeys are done and wrapped and I am now working on the other doll house.

Photo Hunt * Light*