come, let us adore him.

i love the focus that a nativity brings to the christmas season. i have wanted to incorporate a nativity tradition in our family for some time now. i have been on the hunt for two long years as to acquire the perfect nativity for our family. until now, i could not find the right one. the one that spoke to our family. that could last for many, many years. that could be passed down through generations. today i am glad. today, i have found the perfect nativity. now, how to go about actually obtaining it? it is handmade in germany. it is quite expensive. but look at how glorious it is! you can find it here.

how do you provide focus for your family during the christmas season?

oh, christmas tree.

sometimes we go about our days with a narrow focus. we miss out on the abundant beauty all around us. be encouraged to look up. look down. look all around. find the beauty in the day. breathe it in. savor it. and then share it.

somehow, not only for christmas,

but all the long year through,

the joy that you give to others

is the joy that comes back to you;

and the more you spend in blessing

the poor and lonely and sad,

the more of your heart's possessing

returns to make you glad

-john greenleaf whittier

let us go forth, practicing random acts of kindness.

thanksgiving at the hotel del coronado was divine. it is an incredible facility built in 1888, rich in history and aesthetics. we especially enjoyed the old cage elevator with the most thoughtful operator. scot, being the incredible woodworker that he is, enjoyed the amazing wood details throughout the hotel. the thanksgiving meal was delicious. i am joyfully reminiscing about the most tasty butternut squash soup i have ever consumed, and desperately wanting another bowl. the weather was grand. sunny one day, encouraging fun at the pool. overcast + breezy the next, encouraging kite flying on the beach. i am thankful for time spent with family. it was a magical vacation. we are so blessed. and thankful indeed.

still embracing the last bits of autumn goodness before the arrival of advent. enjoying + thankful for leaf earrings for mama and an ever so sweet orange paisley tie for isaak to wear at our thanksgiving meal. looking forward to a southern california family holiday. will post our adventures upon our return.

what in the world is that you ask? well, in our adult world it is a pole for our pack and play. but not in the eyes of a child. oh, no. it is hours of endless possibilities in play. today was spent imagining. this pole brought us much joy today. it was a flag pole, a gun for a bear hunt, a fire hose... many things were on fire today! a flashlight for finding treasures, a telescope for discovering, a seat belt for race cars, the finish line for race cars, the finish line flag for race cars. a horse that took us on a wild adventure. a conductor's baton. and a baseball bat. all imagined by isaak. yes, these are the things of childhood. now if this was some fancy electronic toy, that's all it would be. but the endless opportunity in an open ended object is quite delightful. as the christmas season approaches, and gifts are being purchased, may you be encouraged to think about what you are putting in children's hands, hearts & heads. foster creativity. stimulate invention. have fun playing!

let us give thanks to god above,
thanks for expressions of his love,
seen in the book of nature, grand
taught by his love on every hand.

let us be thankful in our hearts,
thankful for all the truth imparts,
for the religion of our lord,
all that is taught us in his word.

let us be thankful for a land,
that will for such religion stand;
one that protects it by the law,
one that before it stands in awe.

thankful for all things let us be,
though there be woes and misery;
lessons they bring us for our good-
later 'twill all be understood.

thankful for peace o'er land and sea,
thankful for signs of liberty,
thankful for homes, for life and health,
pleasure and plenty, fame and wealth.

thankful for friends and loved ones, too,
thankful for all things, good and true,
thankful for harvest in the fall,
thankful to him who gave it all.

-lizelia augusta jenkins moorer

let us be truly grateful for abundant blessings and reflect upon all things good.

oh, friend, we should never be stingy when it comes to speaking good words to children, but rather sow them profusely. scatter compliments! plant affirmation! sow courage! water with kindness! fertilize with prayer! there will be plenty of other people along life's journey who will sow weeds of doubt, dread, and discouragement. we have the power to wash those seeds away before they have a chance to take root or pull the weeds before they choke out the tender shoots.

-sharon jaynes, the power of a woman's words

may we reflect upon the significance of our words and be mindful as we speak.

a last minute decision took scot, isaak, ezra and i up the central coast to visit our friends. our first official road trip as a family of four. bound for templeton and san luis obispo. the weather was divine. the scenes were magnificent. the company was splendid. the adventures were grand. i marvel at the simple, abundant beauty all around. a deer jumping through the backyard vineyard. a family of bluejays gathering nuts. chickens enjoying worms. cattle munching on alfalfa. the town buildings. the joy of skipping stones in the river. such magical everyday happenings were enjoyed by all. and the local grape harvest... well, that was enjoyed by mama + papa! cheers.

i am ever in awe at the amazing creation of life. let us learn from the cactus :: ponder the following ::

what protects you?

what shields you?

are you guarded?

can you be penetrated?

is your defense always up?

does your nourishment sustain you?

can you thrive in the midst of extreme conditions?

psalm 139:14 :: i praise you because i am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, i know that full well.

praise indeed.

i have acquired a new obsession that is vintage books. used book stores, thrift shops, ebay and library sales are my new favorite places. i laugh when admitting, my heart started racing with anticipation as i arrived at my first library book sale the other day. which quickly turned into racing with anxiety as i entered and learned that 1. these things are crazy packed with people, get there EARLY! 2. refer to #1 and then realize this is VERY difficult to do with babe in tow! 3. refer to #1 and then realize choices decline very rapidly. 4. refer to #1 and then realize you need to be familiar with the titles and authors you wish to find. with thousands and thousands of books to go through it can get quite overwhelming. there is an art to this madness. people bring large carts and fill them to overflowing. people are yelling out titles up for grabs and others are claiming them from across the room and running to retrieve them. it is quite the scene. with lessons learned from my first attempt at a library book sale, i was happy to walk away with a bagful of beautiful vintage books all for one dollar. i have also acquired lovely vintage books from ebay, used book stores and thrift shops, but considering the price... nothing beats the library book sale. i am so excited about our new reading adventures. although we already have many, many books at home; we have just begun to delve into quality, classical literature. the heidi book pictured above is for me. i am sad to admit i have never read it. there is something so charming about picking up a book that has been around for over fifty years, reading it, turning it's worn pages and entering another world along with so many others before me. why is it that today's people, myself included, have abandoned the life that books have to offer? why do we find more contentment in turning on the television or computer? i want to change that in my life. i encourage you to consider challenging yourself as well. go gather a book. a classic book. not a modern day romance or a how to... a classic. dive into it's pages. let your children enjoy great works as well. happy reading.

for flowers that bloom about our feet;
for tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
for song of bird, and hum of bee;
for all things fair we hear or see,
father in heaven, we thank thee.

for blue of stream and blue of sky;
for pleasant shade of branches high;
for fragrant air and cooling breeze;
for beauty of the blooming trees,
father in heaven, we thank thee.

-ralph waldo emerson

let us prepare our hearts as the season of thanks draws near.

sunday at seal beach. playing catch. climbing rocks. balancing on trees. feeling the sea spray. warmth from the sun. crisp air. shell collecting. throwing rocks from the jetty into the ocean. climbing the dunes. running away from the water. running towards the water. running away from the water again. watching kites. an act of generosity from another in sharing their parking pass. for all of this, i am grateful. sunday blessings to you.

ezra. 7 + months. 7 + teeth. mostly slithering. sometimes crawling. exploring everything. especially big brother's toys. eating chunky food. growing rapidly. saying "mama." smiling always. laughing loud. now, if i can just get him to SLEEP!

after a night of about two hours of sleep, i gave into the notion that today would be a lazy television day. i turned on a dvd early in the morning. it was off after about ten minutes. (thanks papa) and, i am happy to say, it was not turned back on. instead, we had the most amazing day. and i didn't even remember how tired i was. (thanks starbucks) we began the day at the market. i could've easily chosen to put isaak in the shopping cart with a television in it and go about my business. yes folks, they actually offer shopping carts with televisions now. (so, so sad) instead, isaak helped fill our cart with fresh vegetables. he was delighted to pick them himself. he was curious about weights and measurements, the scales were busy today. we discovered pounds and ounces. big and small. shapes and colors. names and varieties of foods. his face was full with joy. i thought about the children who were at school learning these concepts from abstract lessons and was grateful for this emerging learning experience. we then moved on to washing dishes. together! once i began the chore, isaak asked if he could join in. but of course my dear! eagerly, he rinsed and was happy to be included in such grown up work. next, we decided to take a ride through the neighborhood as we awaited our lunch to be cooked. isaak made gathering newspapers that had been left on the sidewalk and delivering them to neighbors doorsteps his duty. his bike is perfectly suited for the task. he also decided to collect as many fallen sticks as he could and redistribute them. perhaps the whole neighborhood has the passion for sticks that he does. after our ride and our lunch, we settled in to some quality reading of classic literature. rich reading. good cuddles. and nap. after papa came home, we headed out to the park. for what else... but more stick collecting! and other good park fun of course. a very fine day indeed. and to think that i was so quick to refuse the opportunity of a day. i am so grateful for such beautiful moments. be encouraged to engage with your children. to include them in your everyday duties. i am sure you will be glad you did.

we received annual passes to disneyland as a gift. quite generous indeed. we tend to frequent the more mellow attractions. the merry go round. the train. the storybook boat. this day, we ventured over to california adventure. we were so surprised and pleased with how uncrowded it was and enjoyed cruising around, observing the park. we especially liked the farm area. hard to believe that this simple goodness was found. we were delighted. good times.

the sweet smell of gardenias accompanied us throughout our walk at the japanese gardens today. the morning sun was just peeking through the trees and the dew was still fresh upon the petals and leaves. we fed the koi. listened to the waterfall. crossed the bridge. discovered new beauty. all before nine a.m. i think this would be a grand way to start each day. it was so serene. surely it put us on the right path to our day. do you have anything that you do to begin each day with calm?

we spent time rediscovering the amazing treasure that is rancho los alamitos. also affectionately called "great grandma's hill!" as my grandmother has been a docent there for many, many moons. the colors, textures, stillness, life and abundant history that dwells within the gates fills you with awe. i spent many joyful childhood days at the ranch. it is a blessing to return with my children and experience that wonderment once again.