January Bliss

Yesterday we hiked up the hill to the Abby in Mt. Angel with our friends Michelle, Tirzah and Henna. The girls had a great time and we enjoyed the peacefulness of the monestary. We also enjoyed the taxidermy museum there. Amazing!

The girls played "church" at the grotto, which is on the pathway up to the Abby. They sang songs, prayed and "decorated" the "church".

My little kitchen helper - Annah - LOVES helping in the kitchen. Here she is with our weekly batch of sugar-free (honey and molasses sweetened) granola.

Our little inauguration party with red, white and blue presidential muffins and Obama family paper dolls and Mira wrote an essay titled "Our New President". The girls played "white house" much of the afternoon.


The girls chasing chickens at a friend's house. Soon they'll have their own to chase around!

Beach Day in January

Great Book Recomendation

Little Heathens:
Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression

by Mildred Armstrong Kalish

I am almost finished with this delightful book and just wanted to let others know about it. It's a great non-fiction read - a simple story about how to find meaning and purpose in the simple tasks of everyday life during hard times. I think it's especially relevant with all that's going on in today's economy. I got it at my local library. Let me know if you read it and what you think!

Here's the synopsis from Publisher's Weekly:
Kalish's memoir of her Iowa childhood, set against the backdrop of the Depression, captures a vanished way of traditional living and a specific moment in American history in a story both illuminating and memorable. Kalish lived with her siblings, mother and grandparents-seven in all-both in a town home and, in warmer weather, out on a farm. The lifestyle was frugal in the extreme: "The only things my grandparents spent money on were tea, coffee, sugar, salt, white flour, cloth and kerosene." But in spite of the austere conditions, Kalish's memories are mostly happy ones: keeping the farm and home going, caring for animals, cooking elaborate multi-course meals and washing the large family's laundry once a week, by hand. Here, too, are stories of gossiping in the kitchen, digging a hole to China with the "Big Kids" and making head cheese at butchering time. Kalish skillfully rises above bitterness and sentiment, giving her memoir a clear-eyed narrative voice that puts to fine use a lifetime of careful observation: "Observing the abundance of life around us was just so naturally a part of our days on the farm that it became a habit." Simple, detailed and honest, this is a refreshing and informative read for anyone interested in the struggles of average Americans in the thick of the Great Depression.

Read more about the book here: www.little-heathens.com

Christmas and New Years!

Christmas sisters in their new dresses from Grandpa Ben, Kirsten and Mikkel in Denmark.

Christmas Eve with my sister Leyah and her boyfriend Eric

Lil' Jule aften dinner (the night before Christmas Eve) for Chip's annual shrimp feast!

Mira painted this watercolor (all onpicture from a Santa statue at Mimi's house. Isn't it beautiful?!

Snow Girl! We had a great time sledding down a hill on our street.

Happy New Year!

Watching the Glockenspiel in Mt. Angel come to life! Amazing!

My first rag rug! Shane's mom taught me how to do it.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow....

We've been having quite the snow storm here. It's been snowing constantly for several days and we haven't been able to leave the house all weekend. The ice made it impossible to drive (or even walk down the sidewalk!) and so we've been staying inside and trying to stay warm except the power keeps going out for long periods of time. Thank goodness for our woodstove! As of today, Monday, it is snowing very hard and there is several inches of snow on the ground. Very cozy!

For 4th Advent Shane made traditional Danish Ableskiver from scratch. We enjoyed a yummy little party with my mom, Chip and sister Leyah while the power went on and off. We watched most of Polar Express before the power went off for the night. The snow and ice storm continued outside and we went to bed by candlelight...

At a Christmas party at our neighbors house Friday night. (Annah and a friend)

Snow Days

The snow was falling hard when we woke up this morning and both girls were in full snow gear and making snowmen by 7 am. The snow melted mid day and then it began snowing hard again in the early evening when I took this photo of the girls in front of our house.

2008 Willamette University employee holiday party

Annah enjoyed the chocolate fountain at Shane's work party at Willamette University. And Mira lost her tooth while devoring her chocolate coated brownies! I'm amazed we were even able to find the tooth in the sea of chocolate everwhere!

Annah is definitely a daddy's girl...

After the party we walked over to the State Capitol and watched the Holiday Electrical Parade. The girls loved it but it was soooo cold!

Shane and the girls are ready for the party!

Earlier in the day, the girls and I went to Roths, the local grocery store, to make gingerbread houses. We met friends there and it was a fun, free activity!

I took the girls to the local Senior Center where they sell doll dresses. They each had fun picking out a holiday dress for their dolls. So cute!

Saturday morning Shane and I had fun together in the kitchen canning apple pie filling for Christmas gifts. We listened to Christmas carols and had so much fun!

Birthday Girl

Happy 4th Birthday Annah!!!