Closing Thoughts

I read a great quote tonight that I'd like to share. Perhaps you've heard it, but I never had.

"He who trims himself to suit everyone will whittle himself away." Raymond Hull

Much of my twenties, I think, were spent this way. Trying to fit in to what I thought people expected of me, or what was culturally trendy. I remember once buying a bag full of sale clothes at the GAP for Annaliese when she was a baby because I would only dress her in certain labels. On one slim income, our meager dollars could have gone so much further if my pride hadn't been in the way. You know how quickly babies grow - a month or two later and the clothes no longer fit Annaliese. By the time we had Eleanora, three children later, those once trendy and hip clothes I had been to proud of looked so ridiculous that I quietly packed them away.

I wanted to please everyone in my twenties. While there is much to be said about the merits of being a peacemaker, I frantically tried to be one, appease everyone, make sure I offended no one by having no opinion, never speaking up for myself and the stress of it all left me with a ridiculous ulcer.

Thinking back, Aiden's birth changed so much in my life. Like really, there was all of a sudden more important things than having cute hair and spending more of our money than was necessary to have the right outfit. Now, please hear the truths in the words I am writing. You will never catch me outside my house without makeup, oh my - I'm way to pale for that, and I do like to look nice for my husband. The motivation of my heart was all jumbled up and a mess.

I'm 31 (for a little bit longer) and I think it's alright for me to say that I like who I am in Christ today. I'm not like anybody else I know. I don't fit in in most crowds (if you happen to see a crowd of thrifty, thirty something, husband loving, nature huggin', conservative mamas of many - send them my way). I have no idea what my once favored Ann Taylor LOFT has on their racks right now, but my husband delights in me and our children love me (depending on how much math I've assigned them that day). I'm not dowdy (on most days) my shoes are comfortable (all but for one pair) and I can clothe all my kids for what department stores charge to clothe one (admittedly, I do get a happy smile upon finding cute GAP girl dresses at the thrift store for a buck). I know full well of the ways I daily fall short of the mark I'm aiming for, but I know forgiveness and grace and beautiful new mercies for the next morning.

Anyway, these are my closing thoughts today as the calendar comes down. We rehearsed tonight with our children the goodness of the Lord in our lives over the past year. 2010 was a very difficult year for our family in many ways, mostly with losses of all sorts, but still it was so nice to sit around the table, Addie snuggled in my arms and the big boys on either side of me, Papa flanked by his older girls and little Chase and hear each of the kids tell about their favorite times this past year over delicious pasta that Annaliese made and Sean's steaks from the cow hanging in our garage. I have fiercely loved my family and my God and those He's brought into my path. Who can hold regrets for the hurts that come from loving too much?

I wish you all a new year full of God's blessings, closeness to Him, and grace for each day,

Hannah

Pumpkin Applesauce Muffins

I've been substituting crab apple sauce for the oil in the quick breads and muffins I've been making lately and loving the results. These were so moist and delicious! Regular applesauce will work too.

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of cloves
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup crab applesauce or plain applesauce
1/2 cup mashed pumpkin
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
chocolate chips and/or raisins as you like

Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes. Double for a large family. Or triple.

Moment of Truth

God can see you when you're in a teeny corner, mouth full of you brother's Christmas gumballs. And Mama can too.

Grandpa

We have snow.... do you?

Made

We made these, with little presents and too big dinosaurs inside The kids gifted them to their little friends.

From us to you:

Merry Christmas!

Furikake

Cute packages of organic brown rice and jars of furikake are ready for gifting. We sampled the furikake (of, course!) last night and it is delicious over rice with a wee bit of soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. You can find the recipe here.

Crumpets

"I have found, upon inquiry, that there are many persons moving in genteel society, decently educated, possessing some knowledge of foreign languages, music, dumb-bells, and the use of the globe who haven't the faintest idea what is the difference between muffins and crumpets." The Chronic of a Crumpet Tea which was to Be, April 7th, 1875

To indulge and educate yourself on crumpets, the Cultivating Home household recommends you mix up a batch of these delightful things - and quick!

One Week

The count down to Christmas day is repeatedly brought to my attention by our children, as they squirrel away to different corners of our home and garage, working on secret projects.
I'm working on addressing Christmas cards (better late than never, right?) and photo dvds for family member who live far away or don't see our children often. It is heart tenderizing to see how much each child has grown since January of this year. Most of the knitting projects are done. Aiden has requested a pair of slippers that I need to work on, done in orange wool, his favorite color.

Ella would like a back-pack and a string back-pack lined in cotton should whip up quickly. A month or so before Adalia was born, I sorted through my stash of fabrics, over half of which had been given to me, and weeded out ones to donate that I would never use. There is still plenty to work through and the wee back-pack will be a fun project.

Little Miss Addie hasn't put in any requests but Ella helped me pick out some pretty coral-y orange microfleece and bright cotton for a simple quilt. I look forward to warm spring days when I can lay her on it under the shade of a tree while I sit and watch the earth green up and the children play.

Today Sean is carving out some spoons and then two little wooden ducks for the little girls of the family that hatched out our ducks this past spring.

Every morning, the children bundle up for their outdoor chores, carrying food and water to the poultry, bringing them out compost scraps and finding eggs.

This morning Andrew came running in from chores, simply bursting to the seams with excitement for he had caught a rabbit in his trap! He has been trying for a few months now and his perseverance has paid off.

Tonight after the Christmas service at church, I think I will curl up with a movie and wrapping papers and ribbons by the woodstove and begin the wrapping. This is my least favorite part. :(

I hope you enjoy these simple photos of what we hope to be a new cultivating home Christmas tradition - making homemade candy canes! It only took us four batches to figure out how to do things properly and in the end, they were tasty and homely and beautiful to our eyes!

Happy Week before Christmas to you all!

Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Asked what we put in our kiddos stockings so here are some simple ideas of the little sorts of things that thrill our kids:

new toothbrushes - about a dollar each or sometimes free with Walgreen coupons and rebate. My favorite ones light up and flash for the amount of time the kiddo is supposed to brush his or her teeth. The kids just think they look cool in the dark.

one big bag of mixed nuts to split it between them all - under $4

fruit - our kids love Clementine oranges - about $4 a box here

humongous bubblegum balls - Halloween clearance at Marshalls under $2 for a big container

mini LED flashlights (the ones I bought from amazon were under $4 each) The kids use them at night when they go out to tuck in the chickens, ducks and turkey (along with all the other fun uses for flashlights. :)

one bag of decaf organic coffee beans to split between the kids. Our kids love coffee! It is a rare and special treat when they get a sip of papa's so I thought they'd get a kick out of having their own - under $8 at Target

Homemade bags of hot chocolate mix

crocheted treasure sacks. These are simple small drawstring bags and I believe the pattern came from Ravelry. - free with scrap yarn and I'll probably tuck some coins in each

hats/mittens - knitted or sewn from fleece

pencils, markers, stickers, glitter glue - all can be purchased from the dollar store

carved wooden animals from papa

White Feather

Tonight, while cuddling our eldest son, I asked him if he needed any help getting gifts for his siblings for Christmas.
"Well..." eight year old Andrew began in his slow deliberate manner, "I made a spear for Aiden. And for Annaliese..." a pause... "and for Ella."
Immediately I remembered the apple tree suckers I had seen propped inside the kitchen door yesterday afternoon, ends whittled precisely to a fine point, and smiled to myself.
"Ooookay... so we need to get something for Chase?" I asked him. "Would you like to buy something or is there something you have that you could give him?"
"Well..." he began again thoughtfully... "I did find a really nice white chicken feather..."

Sean and I were laughing over this tonight when I told him the story. Only Andrew would love a chicken feather and consider it a beautiful treasure worthy of passing on to his little brother.
Absolutely love this boy of ours and his never ending wonder and appreciation of God's world.

Two Months Old

My heart gets overwhelmed and feels so full every time I think of the tangible evidence of God's goodness in my life named Addie.
Having six children, I have often been asked by mamas expecting their second child if the love for another child will be as strong as it was for the firstborn. I remember being concerned when I was expecting our second, wondering how in the great green world I would be able to love another child as much as I love Annaliese. Thankfully, God has given the heart an endless capacity for love. As I grow older, I think I've become more aware of how fleeting these years with our children are and savor them more fully and wondrously.

Twelve years ago tonight...

sweet memories filling my heart today. Look what God has done.

Transforming Rural Churches

When I saw the title of O'Dell's book, I knew I wanted to read it.

Sean and I, as you know, are lovers of rural, country life and having several dear friends over the years who have pastored small churches, I could not resist the opportunity from Thomas Nelson to review this book.

It did not disappoint. This book is an easy and inspiring read, bringing up the albatross in the room that our mega church minded culture is trying to step over -what about the small town, rural churches? Who will shepherd those flocks? And how do pastors called to the rurals bring about healthy change that brings growth?

Here is one of my favorite quotes from the book, ‎"My life...my marriage have got to be red hot, because a red hot marriage & a functional family is the most powerful evangelistic tool in rural America.more important than the building,satellite uplink, Christmas cantata is what's happening in the home because everyone sees it and it speaks volumes about the gospel." Shannon O'dell

(though I was gifted this book by Thomas Nelson Publishers, its free-ness did not influence my review of the book)

Book Review: The Nativity Collection

Really and truly a wonderful collection of short Christmas stories to read with your children and family, The Nativity Collection is a series of heart warming stories that will draw your heart closer to Jesus this season. I highly recommend it.

(Thomas Nelson Publishers sent me this book to review. My review is in no way biased based on the gift of the book.)

Done with work in the early afternoon, Sean and I loaded up children and pulled out of the driveway in a downpour to head to an IMAX theater and science museum for a family afternoon/evening.

The children and I, after morning math lessons, had run errands (20 lbs of butter in the freezer now) and I was delighted to sit and work on a knitting project in the quiet comfort of the suburban. Quiet with six children only because we gifted them an early Christmas gift of a new Jonathan Park cd and they were fully captivated with the newest adventure.

While my needles clicked away, sliding stitches into a soft pinks and white beret, the downpour turned to sleet, then snow, then ice and Sean drove more slowly. On our fifty mile or so drive we passed four cars off the road, three of them overturned.

The IMAX was a first for our kids and they loved it, Chase asking that we hold both of his hands in ours while he snuggled into Sean and Addie snoozled and nursed snuggled on me and the rest of the children sat, heads back, taking in the fullness of the enormous screen. We do not celebrate santa but Christ, but the storyline is an enjoyable fairytale. I must admit the huge screen and non stop motion made me motion sick and I was glad to close my eyes for bits at a time. How I ever used to love rollercoasters and dream of sky-diving is a mystery to me now. I think I'm just getting old. So I sat and watched our children's faces as they watched and thought of them someday being wrinkly old people and loving the thought that even when I am gone someday, they will remember our family times and build on them for generations to come.

After a special dinner out at Chipotles, we did a little shopping, peering on shelves for the fruitcake Sean would like, buying Ella and myself each a pair of cute and sensible black shoes for winter and a few stocking stuffers hidden from small eyes as I paid, then relishing the dusting of snow on the ground before heading home sweet home.

We were just a few miles from home when the deer hit us.
Thankful to God tonight that we are all well, that we are safe and whole, that we have insurance to cover the damage, that we drive a large vehicle and that in all our years of living in a populated deer area, this is the first accident we've had with one.

Kiddos are snuggled in bed, Sean is out getting an accident report, and I am going to settle down with my knitting once again.
Blessings,
Hannah