Ours

Cookie Magic

It was just an ordinary Thursday. We had no plans. All of us are under the weather with colds. We made it to the park (see below) for a picnic lunch and I was gearing myself up for another long (always fun) but napless afternoon with the queen of non-sleep when I got a call. The cookie ladies were on their way! Nana and Grandma Mil with a bucket of my absolute favorite fall cookie dough ever (molasses cookies), the perfect cutters, and a mini-rolling pin for the queen of non-sleep.

The point is, that Nana can just pop in. Like any time. She can visit us withOUT feeling jetlagged or sleeping on a ghetto air mattress. It really is magical. We don't have to memory-cram. Memory cramming is exhausting. We can take our time, savor the moments like a fine wine.

Oh, and before I forget: Heidi had a few "the things they say" moments lately.

1.
Mom: "Heidi, can I read to you tonight?"

Heidi: "Yes, if you behave.

2.
Lately when I tuck the girls in, I've added praying for their future spouses. Heidi picked up on that really quick and chimed in during the prayer:

Heidi: "Yes, I will marry a very tall man. I will wear a white dress and have a headband on my long hair and jewels on my flip flops."

3. Heidi was praying the other night.

Heidi: "Dear Jesus, I pray that we can have more money. Amen."

This had me somewhat disturbed. Do we talk about money that much? It has been more on our minds lately with the move and all--is Heidi picking up on this and learning the wrong things from us? So the next morning I asked Heidi about it.

Mom: "Heidi, do you remember praying for more money last night?" (she nodded). "Why do you want more money?"

Heidi: "So we can give it to Jesus."

Okay, so we're not totally off track. OR she has already mastered the art of the Sunday School answer at age 3. I'm choosing the former, at least so I can sleep at night.

And the cookies were AMAZING. Thanks, Nana!

Where we Are

So far it has been a gentle autumn. I'm getting a little nervous, because every time we say we're from New Mexico people immediately say, "have you been here for winter before?" And then I recite my whole thing about how I used to live in GR and there is some serious winter there, blah blah blah. But I admit, I got pretty spoiled. Having perfect powder snow followed by killer sunsets is going to be really hard to be away from. The first year I lived there, I couldn't stop smiling due to the constant sun-endorphins. My soul was so hungry for light. But I digress.
But this--foliage--up close (not a distant aspen)--that you can pick up and show your kids and hear it crunch beneath your feet? I missed this.
This is the park by our rental home. A giant sand dune overlooking a small, clean playground. We come here at least once a day.
The kids run up the stairs and then run back down the sand.
If you climb to the top of the sand dune, you can then walk down the other side.
And your eyes will be greeted by this. One of the prettiest beaches I think I've ever seen. Yup.
Right now, there is almost no wind, just sun and clean, clean sand. Try not to trip over the kids getting their senior pictures taken. There are a lot of those.

So at night after dinner we walk over here and just let them sit around in the sand, occasionally pulling Elsa away from the water.



Shamelessly, blatantly copied from Kelle at Enjoying the Small Things.

So, there are many things I miss that will never be replaced or surpassed. There are also many things I love. And that is the meaning of moving. By this Saturday we will officially have been "moving" for two months. I can't even remember how it all breaks down, a week here, a week there, here a week, there a week, everywhere a week, week. Somehow in the middle of all this I joined a homeschool coop for Heidi. And made posters and stuff. And tried a new soup recipe. Because all of us got sick with a cold.

I think a lot about the Ingalls these days. No one could have told me I would cry the day I got to visit one of their homesteads in South Dakota and actually behold a dress that had belonged to Laura. Yes, people, I cried. I can't wait to read those books to Heidi for the first time...because they will mean so much more now. Home is in the wagon, even the wagon is heading to Heaven only knows where. Home is around the fire, even when you can hear the wolves howling nearby. You're still home. Home is making and holding, listening, sharing, singing, and reminding each other of the Truth. And a good episode of Survivor. Yeah, we'd be the Olson family with the satellite hanging off our wagon. Anyways, with (hopefully, hopefully) the end in site of all this wagon-ing around, I'm thankful for the reminder to be thankful. And for all the blessings we have received from family, friends, and strangers, the hospitality, the echoes of Home, that have made this time so sweet.

I'm just really hoping not to be writing a similar post in another 6-12 months. Here's to hoping the next post will be entitled "closing day."

Indian Summer: Elsa and the Water

We have a TON of pictures that we are editing. If you have ever seen Gramps in action, you will understand. He, btw, is behind most of the "good" pictures on this blog. He is very committed to getting the perfect shot.

These pictures of Elsa capture her distinctive personality so well, namely, her unabashed love for the water. I noticed from her first day (literally) how much she relaxed and enjoyed the water as a newborn and how easily she could throw her head back and float. She never lost that.

I also feel a need to defend our use of floaties. As a life guard and the daughter of a pediatric nurse, I have never supported the floaty, as studies show they are not helpful or safe. But the studies fail to show how much fun they are! After months of bending over Elsa and letting her hold my hands so she could practice floating, I was willing to give them a try, so at a friend's house we borrowed the floaties. Instantly she was relaxed, happily floating on her back all over the pool (under my watchful eye). So we got her some floaties. At least now I can stand up while she engages in her absolute favorite activity.

These pictures are from the mountain lake where we stayed in Montana. I wish I could have captured Elsa's first moment with the lake. After a long day of airports and car rides, we walked down to the pebbly beach while the caretaker was giving us a tour. One look at the lake and Elsa was marching in, clothes and everything. She didn't care that the water was 65 degrees. And immediately she was laying on her back, soaking in every ice cold moment.

I love my little water baby.