EKjourney Backup

Christmas snuck up on us this year and oddly it didn't feel much like the Christmas season.  I think perhaps all the new house focus and the business of the weeks leading up to Christmas made it feel less "holidayish".  We had Christmas Eve dinner at my parents (delicious creamy salmon soup....seafood for Christmas Eve is a family tradition).  Christmas morning, we went to church, and then met over at my parent's for stockings and gifts.  We went home for a few hours of playtime and then back over for Christmas dinner (turkey confit).  I love that my mom makes such delicious and healthy meals.  I always hear about how people gain weight and eat lots of sweets and junk foods over the holidays.  We walk away from the holidays feeling really good...maybe even better than normal! I am so glad for the "magic of Christmas" for the children.  I love how excited they are.  I love how they are blessed with gifts.  I love how Christmas vacation is...

*I wrote this last week but forgot to post it. The coming of Christmas ponderings... Oy, this is going to be a crabby post!  I was thinking this morning about how all my Advent plans went completely kaput as a result of being overly busy this week.   Most of every thing that we have done has been special in its own account but tallied up it has taken away from my own ideals of preparing for the Christmas season. For me, I love the idea of Advent...taking a month of purposeful and consistent focus on the prophesies and fulfillment of the Messiah, on the gift of salvation, and on His promised return.  The Bible is full of beautiful truths and it is woven so amazingly through the Bible in its entirety.  Sometimes I have trouble seeing the big picture but Advent pulls it all together for me.  I was prepared this year!  I had a devotion where we would read through scripture and learn the names of Jesus.  I had our traditional Jesse Tree and ornaments and r...

I always post a newborn baby picture for birthday posts.  I was feeling rather nostalgic this morning as I downloaded the birthday pictures from yesterday and looked at the ones taken around the same time from 9 years ago.  My oh my, how different things were back then.  Sawyer had just turned 3 and Jubilee was 18 months.  We were in the throws of the baby season...just at the half way mark with Evi being our true middle.  We were in our early 30's and so new to parenting...only knowing infants and toddlers, with plans and dreams of homeschooling and a larger sized family.   2 weeks overdue and waiting.. Phil, pre gray hair days LOL! This was my first "medical" birth.  Sawyer was textbook.  Jubilee was too fast and too intense.  Labor was progressing slowly and they wanted to try pitocin.  I was pretty fearful of pitocin so I decided to get an epidural as well.  As soon as they got the epidural in, I progressed quickly (without the ...

We met with the inspector today to do a walk through of the house and determine what needs to be fixed and upgraded before refinancing can be done.  Everything was what we expected except for two things. We need an electrician to come through and check the wiring and the panels.  We need to create a firewall between the house and the garage. (We had planned to insulate the garage anyway which will suffice for fire protection.) We got our well inspected as well this morning.  We have a ton of water (30-40 gallons per minute) but may need to put an ultra violet light in for sanitation.  The pump is fine.   In theory, we have 3 days to withdraw our offer since the inspection has been done.  We will be asking for an addendum to the contract that allows for an electrician to come in and evaluate.  We don't want any hidden expenses since we have a limited budget. We have a nice long driveway so we are well off the main road, here is our section (the other pa...

The weather began shifting Wednesday afternoon and schools were let out early in anticipation of freezing rain, snow, and dropping temperatures.  Yay!  3 inches or so of snow and icy roads meant snow days Thursday and Friday.  Phil was home (though he worked late Wednesday night) and we could have gotten a lot done including school with our own children which of course we didn't.  Instead the little ones were running outside, sledding down our road, making snowmen, throwing snow, and having a wonderful time with the neighbor children.   Sawyer just couldn't resist making a quick snowman before bed Wednesday night when it was snowing steadily.  This is on the front porch LOL. Thursday, we took a drive to see the winter wonderland where we live. I love this tree, holding on to its yellow leaves. ...Out Cascade Highway through farm country (all these pictures are just "point and shoot" out the window of a moving vehicle)... Down Sherman road....where, if all g...