Hope Farm Housewife

The cheer has been spread these last few days with kleenex, chicken noodle soup, tylenol, cough syrup, and most anything else sold on aisle 6 at CVS.  Nonetheless we are resting up for Christmas day- because we were busy bees those first few weeks of December.

1. Christmas plates that go along with my everyday china. Shannon bought them our first christmas 2. Handprints the boys made at color me happy- the words are quite a mantra for our family this year. 3. This book was bought in Prince Edward Island on our Honey Moon. The pic on front is the bed and breakfast where we stayed. 4. A plate that was a gift- I love it so!

My mantle is combined with things from outside. An old pair of lanterns, Christmas cactuses put in paint buckets, wrapped in burlap. Details are made with ribbon, ornamental words antiqued in coffee and fragments of ticking- can’t forget the painted stockings from Color me Happy!

I decided to use limes and cranberries as my primary decorating inspiration for color and the star was the theme.  The limy-mint green was a nice change from all the deep hunter green. A  large amount of burlap and a magazine article in All You ignited the desire to make a runner. It was so much fun to make-

Who is that Rocking around the Christmas tree? The star just had so much significance this year. Thinking of the three kings following the yonder star. More burlap fun- wrapping the christmas tree in it. and making a garland for the tree!

For the little people that live here: An old pepsi crate turned on it’s back to display Christmas books by the fireplace and a little people nativity sitting on the coffee table-so they could play til their hearts were content. I know baby Jesus is missing in this pic. We found him soon enough!

I wish the lights could stay up year round- their are so twinkly and nice- I had to eat my words this year. I said I would NEVER get an inflatable- ever ever. But my sweet grandma knew how my boys loved them and sent money to buy one. Shannon couldn’t quite bear a 7ft Santa so we comprised and got the ” blow- up Choir” as my boys call it!

I was trying to snap a pic of my wreath I made with burlap and ticking and Tuck insisted on posing.We were headed to Kenimers play and might I add he was styled by the Madre– don’t ya just love the bow tie from my sisters wedding and the grey skinny jeans? This was right before we discovered the double ear infections and bronchitis.

I am  continuing to ask the Lord to restore my heart with Thankfulness. This week with sleepless nights, missed parties, cancelled social outings and lots of home -time I have had a chance to revel in the simple things- like Chicken noodle soup!

The first week of Christmas is especially exciting for me as I celebrate the birthday of my youngest son. Yes, December 2nd- Tucker was officially three! I will never forget the nesting whirlwind that attacked three years ago, I had all decorations out, shopping done, dinners made and in freezer and much more.

We had a Christmas is coming themed family party with a Polar express twist! On December 2, I planned a special day. We started with our tradition of eating donuts for breakfast- Since Dunkin is around the corner. Then lunch with daddy… much to my efforts he didn’t seem to care too much. However, three days later when his party happened, he was pretty pumped!

This year i planned a family activity. We cut out cookies from sugar cookie dough- cooked them and then had a decorating extravaganza. This was extremely fun- everyone really got into it! Apple cider was brewing and the christmas cheer was in the air!

Everytime I set Tucker up to decorate he would start eating the cookie! oh well, they were delish!

I think it’s really special that he was born during the christmas season. I will never forget how full my heart was that first christmas. He was three weeks old!

The night of the family party I drifted off to sleep with incredible thankfulness for a sweet family that lives nearby. It was so precious to celebrate Tucker’s birthday with all of them!

Tucker- your amazing. smart- unbelievably strong willed. Sharp- nothing gets past you. You love your brother. You love Candy and you can climb anything! You delight everytime I seem you coloring, painting or doing puzzles- which is pretty much everytime I look at you!  Your so special and I know Jesus has a special plan for your life.  Happy Birthday, Tucker!

I completed a First this weekend. I ran a 5K race! I hope that as the years unfold I will continue to tackle firsts. This one was particularly enlightening to me because it is completely out of character for me. I have always considered myself a non- runner. I have even declared I could not run- blaming the assumption on chest pains and such.

A pal of mine recently spoke to a group of women about the benefits of setting physical goals, training and running races. She spoke of her own journey and how she had continued to improve and the affect she saw on her mothering, physical condition etc. I sat in the audience with these thoughts. “ Oh, it would feel so good to be able to run an ample distance successfully- but there is no way, I cannot run”.

Days later at a party, I heard some friends talking about this jingle bell 5K race and spontaneously I decided I was going to do it.- no matter what. When I told the husband, I thought he was holding back laughter. He believed in me but also knew I displayed almost zero endurance.

I promptly tackled the training period, starting small. I remember achieving a mile in October without stopping and wondering how I was ever going to run 3.2 miles continuously. I knew i could stop and walk in the race but my goal was to run it entirely.

What I learned is that my body could do physically more than I imagined. I started running with a friend who is experienced and she observed my stride- noting I was often clenching my fists and tensing my arms contributing to the chest pains. I also learned that I just needed to run through the pains that occurred. It is amazing how they stopped and I realized HOW OFTEN I WAS USING DISCOMFORT TO STOP MOVING FORWARD. This truth has correlated so much to my character and spiritual growth. When it gets uncomfortable we often stop. Is is only when we push through the pain that we see growth.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

I have seen growth in my physical body as I pushed myself towards a goal. Simultaneously I am anticipating growth in my personal life as I push through discomfort with Thankfulness. It is gratitude that will push us through the stretching, trying, rough spots.  In the Bible, the Christian life is often described as a race to be run.  Similarly a race requires perseverance, training and commitment. The parallels to the Christian life are evident. We should rid ourselves of all hindrances.

I didn’t stop. I ran the entire way with no pains. I was further excited that I achieved my best time thus far and placed well! And to think  six months ago I said I couldn’t run! INDEED I CAN. I am blown away and saddened by how many things we are capable of doing but don’t because we believe the lie that we can’t! What do you think you can’t do today?

This past Thaksgiving was unlike most from the past. Yes, all the familiar traditions were intact. The difference was that our entire family- all ten of us stayed in a house all together and then drove the 25 minute distance to my grandmothers bed and breakfast in Helen.

leaving out details of how this occurred but noting that this was a vacation home for some special people with children. Needless to say, the home was kid-friendly and we were right at home

I thought we were going to a mountain cabin. I had never, ever been in a mansion- esque mountain cabin. The mansion characteristics were separate rooms and bathrooms for everyone in what seemed to be wings of the house. The wide screen theatre that seated ten, a game room complete with jukebox, pool table, and multiple other games. A huge table that we all fit at for meals,  a play room for my boys, a fire pit for s-mores, a wrap around back porch with a view that was sure to take your breath away.

Let me clarify that we would have been just fine piled on top of each other in a small mountain cabin. But Jesus wanted to pamper us and give us a luxurous few days together- something that is a rarety these days.

Both of my siblings will spend Christmas this year with their inlaws:(  So this was our only  “Holiday”  time together. The three siblings and spouses even snuck away a few times to enjoy the clubhouse and all its amenities. We rented golf carts and rode all over the mountainous golf course- which was our back yard!

We cooked together, worshipped together, watched movies, worked on puzzles. Laughed. Prayed for one another.

This is a fave memory:  more times than I can count my mom and dad would grin from ear to ear and acknowledge how great it was to all be together in a fairy -tale- of- a -place with a fairy- tale -of- a- view. Thankfulness abounded…..

This thanksgiving Shannon and I drew the words Thankfulness and Restoration.

I believe the Lord wants to restore my heart through thankfulness. This was the start… …

My boy likes to sing. He sings loudly and proudly. This thanksgiving performance was hilarious because I didn’t know whether to be proud or embarrassed that he was singing SO LOUDLY… SO BOLDLY. I mean at times it seemed he was the only one singing…. At times I think my assumption was true. Nonetheless his enthusiasm for singing the Lord’s prayer and doing the sign language was and forever will be a treasured memory. Here is a little Holiday Cheer!

Untitled from Shannon Lewis on Vimeo.

And a few pics of my little turkey! – I think that is what he was- I mean, he had a tail and all!

It seems that the entire world marvels in the joy of Children’s voices around the Holidays. What is simpler and truer than a group of kids singing songs about our Saviour? It truly is one of my favored delights of the winter Holidays.I mean what could be cuter than overhearing my Kenimer sing this song at Big Lots today:

ROUND YON VIRG- A- TEE  MOTHER AND CHILD.  Over and over and over

He was singing loudly- I tell ya- every little old lady we passed chuckled and smiled from ear to ear. It’s the little things that bring good cheer.