December Overview Part 2

December Overview Part 2

Working on math in Dad's office

I bought a big lot of yarn for crochet baskets.  I am excited to slowly make the mixed yarn balls that I can then turn into heavy duty baskets.

Christmas shopping for clothes for the kids was beyond ridiculous.  First, this monstrosity is not fashion...I don't know what it is.  Second, we went to 5 different stores trying to find some dresses for Evi.  There were not suitable "church" dresses available anywhere.  I haven't been to a regular clothing store in years and I haven't been to the Goodwill to buy clothes since they closed down the fitting rooms.  I think I will stick to garage sales.


Calvary Chapel had their live nativity.  So well done!


My Christmas present!

Dreaming of having a hot tub (eventually there will be a January update...stay tuned).

Right smack dab in the middle of the holiday madness, Claudia had to be put down.  She took a rather rapid turn and lost a lot of weight in the late Fall.  We brought her inside and fed her special food and egg yolks and she perked up and seemed content for a month and then stopped eating again.  I hadn't really thought of her as being that old.  She was about 12 1/2 and it didn't seem like she was old and slowing down so it did catch us a little off guard.  We let nature take its course until it became clear that she needed help.


I took the children for a long car ride and Phil took care of her and buried her.  We drove the backroads behind our house as Phil laid her to rest.

Claudia was feeling a little energetic one afternoon and managed to escape her kennel and then attack the rabbit cages.  Evi's favorite rabbit Flopsy got freaked out and hurt his back jumping around, paralyzing his back legs.  We did a ton of research on how to care for him and ultimately decided since he didn't appear to be in any pain that we would do our best to let him heal.  Evi took amazing care of him.  Constantly cleaning him up (with rabbits, it is pretty much in one end and out the other) and daily baths for nearly a month.  He made small improvements but not as much as we would have hoped and the intensity of care was really too much and he had begun to get sores.  We needed a way to let go and the Lord was really merciful to give us one.  One morning, he took a turn for the worse, he was unable to drag himself around, and seemed to be in pain.  It was the sign we needed to let him go.  So, Phil helped him along and we buried him under the pine trees in the small animal graveyard. 





I did not plan any sort of New Year's Resolution but one thing I decided to do is institute family down time in the evenings when we are able.  After dinner and clean up, all devices are put away and everyone can choose a project or activity for two hours or so before bed.  People can read, do puzzles, work on an art project, write, etc... with all of us together in the livingroom/dining area.  Honestly, it has been so wonderful!  It is so nice to unplug from a device world and to find something to occupy our time like they would have done in times past.  I am once again thankful that we aren't spending our evenings at sporting events or filling our time with individual pursuits that separate us as a family (and highlights or elevate one child over another).  That has never made sense to me, the culture of having kids spend all day at school and then have sports, music, clubs, youth groups, etc..  It seems like so many people I know are busy almost every night of the week (and weekends too).  I have always preferred to make church the hub of our social life but then again, I am an introvert and I like to be home.  I am a Little House on the Prairie girl at heart.  This is the best of all things - togetherness, downtime before bed, doing something of interest for each person, time to read, no phones or computers.
















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