~On the Holding Side~

With absolute delight and a fair portion of marvel,  I introduce to you

Lance Victory

10 lbs 12 oz,   21 inches long

Friends,  for the last few days and nights I've been cared for like a queen

by my husband and each of my capable growing-up-too-fast children.

I have a beautifully nested "turret" from which 

I sit on my bed or rocking chair holding my newest handsome love;

from here I can see out our second-story hillside window and look 

over rooftops of the wintry town below,

then across the valley to powder dusted mountains beyond.

Yesterday it even snowed big sleepy, drifty flakes, blessing my heart and senses.

{Oh Holding Side, you finally did come!}

While I have been sitting, I've attempted to form my thoughts and feelings 

into words. 

yet here I am tonight still fairly speechless.

The first days after opening such a package are a daze.

So much to process.

After doing this a few times, I've learned the value in

holding and breathing and kissing kissing kissing

sweet chubby cheeks.

In fact, even though it's winter, little Lance didn't get dressed

past a diaper for two days because I wanted to be near his skin.

I think his dad was relieved to see him finally clothed!

{Silly, proud, wonderful, smitten dad!}

Rather than recount a birth story, I just want to say how utterly

and desperately grateful I am to my friend Jesus

who walks with me through every small moment

and keeps me from racing into the next moments without his hand.

Who takes my weakness and makes it something beautiful

for His glory

just because He wants to.

How can it be, I am in one moment great with child

 and barely entering labor full of unanswered questions,

then just a matter of hours later I am holding my cherished unknown

now known

and the mystery of his story is written?

It is nothing short of a marvel.

~~~~~~~~~

To the King of Kings, our Knight who has conquered

and been victorious over death and the dragon!

Thank you.

~Thank you so very very much~

"But thanks be to God! 

He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

1 Corinthians 15:57

First Deer

This face says it all, doesn't it?
Dropped his little buck in one shot. Wow.

It's nice to come home with a deer this time
instead of just a story, eh Zachary?  :-D

Today our hunter is learning how to carve up the carcass and
I'm looking forward to some venison stew! Yummm.....

Well done buddy. We're so excited for you!

34 Weeks: On the Count-Down!

Either I've finally acquired thick skin, or perhaps this pregnancy
isn't as prone to emotional melt-down from the commentary of complete
strangers who feel compelled to address me.

I am so thrilled to be only 6 weeks away from my due date because the nesting
urge is setting in, and I can put my hands to work at preparing a special
spot for this babe while my heart dreams of being on the holding side.

Since I was 5 months along, folks have been asking when this baby is due.

My answer generally stirs up a response of surprise, and for the last 3
months I've looked forward to being as close as I've felt all along :-D

Susanna took this picture of me today after we got home from a grocery
shopping expedition.

While waiting for the last of our produce to be bagged, the checker asked
how many children I have.  I told her this is my tenth.  In the course of kind
exclamation, she generously said I didn't look like I could have ten children
(thank you, oh thank you!).

She told me that she had a good friend growing up who was second of fifteen.
The oldest was seventeen when the fifteenth was born - no twins!

Well... wow.

There's always a story to put your own in perspective, eh?

And then while I was loading bags into my vehicle, yet another woman
asked my due date.
"Not until December"  I smiled.

Her eyebrows raised visibly.
"You look like you could pop any time!" she said.


Thanks.  And that's exactly how I feel :-P

~Sweet Carolina~

Turned 8!

Oh my heart~  beautiful lovely girl.  My little goldfinch, I call her.

She is the one who never complains, sits on a branch in all her
golden glory and chirps happily away no matter the circumstances
surrounding her.

She never presses to get a word in edgewise, but if given the chance,
she is full of thoughtful ideas and a surprising amount of spunk - even
some dry humor!

Carolina is the one who looks most like her dad as a child - prettier though :-)

Lina loves yellow, but is expanding her preference to include blue and green.
It's a little hard to peg exactly what her likes and dislikes because she's so easy
to please.
It was a bit of a guessing game to understand her hearts desires for birthday
this year.
She did request dinner at a new Mexican restaurant for "Birthday Eve",
so Dad and I took her and enjoyed her all to ourselves while she packed away
the chips and salsa.

In the morning there was just the right amount of celebratory hoopla as she
examined gifts, soaking in every piece of her day.

Green glasses hand-picked by Aloria with Grama :-)
The three biggest boys gifted Carolina with a lovely little Blue Opal ring.
Susanna and Olivia put together a lovely box of yellow things - a daffodil
teacup and saucer, a handmade crocheted  necklace, a journal and hair bow...

Then we went to the park to meet friends and try out a very special new toy:

It had been sunny and warm the day before, but Carolina's birthday was
pretty chilly and very Fall-like.
This fact didn't seem to deter the children from having a ball!  So I wrapped my
sweater a little tighter and braced myself for another hour.

Chocolate cupcakes with green frosting and sprinkles. And for dinner that night, tacos.
When it comes to food, she seems to know exactly what she loves most!

Please Carolina, can I take a few pictures of you before the sun sets?

Happy happy birthday to my darlin'est and dearly beloved Carolina Truth!

We love you precious girl!!

Bits of Fall

Oh glorious Autumn!  Fall season just doesn't last long enough for me.

This year Gramsie and Pops came for a little visit, so you'll see
them with us in these photos as we spent some time at Marvel Hill and
took a beautiful outing up to the Canadian border.

Smell-good candles, cookie and pie baking, soups, and scenic drives
are on the upswing here (not to mention a lot of raking in the yard!)
as we stuff ourselves up with all the outdoors we can fit before winter :-)

Clayton and Carolina recently made the most scrumptious pies from our Summer Cherries.
The crust was melt-in-your-mouth flaky and the filling that perfect sweet/tart that I love!

Our family has seen bears on three different occasions, as well as much evidence at Marvel
Hill (including but not limited to some destroyed apple trees).  Here is a bear story you may enjoy:

Yesterday we drove up to the cabin and rolling into the driveway Dad says "Oh no.. one of the shop doors is open"

Someone else queried whether we remembered to shut it when we left last time?
"Hmm... don't know."

"Maybe," says Aloria "...maybe a bear pushed it open"

"I don't think so 'Lor" says I "There's a  gaping opening not four feet away where we haven't yet
installed the roll-up door.  I imagine a bear would rather walk through the obvious opening if
he cared to get in."

Alas, upon closer inspection there were three neat dusty paw prints on that door.  A bear had
indeed pushed it open. Well I'll be! Aloria was right. Haha!  Not sure if that means our bear
was a gentleman or trespassing marauder, but while the lid had been removed from one trash can,
it didn't appear anything had been stolen :-)