Poco Mountain Girl

We had such a great day together at home. The kids popped out of bed early and opened some little presents in the morning, which was very exciting and included things like Superhero Chutes and Ladders, Thinking Putty, and Quidditch goggles.

David gave me an American Giant hoody in a deep strawberry pink/red (which I love) and a sweet card, which I had to read very carefully in order not to cry.  I’m still not very good at getting him presents, unless I get up some verve and do a painting–but I made a yummy dish of enchiladas and a gluten-free apple pie this afternoon to make up for it, haha.

After an early dinner and apple pie a la mode, the kids went out to slide down the hill on their bottoms and I went snowshoeing in the woods. The rest of the day was filled with talking to our families on the phone, kid-made sugar cookies, various treats procured from stockings, and Kevin Costner A.K.A. Robin Hood.

Today was another mark to me of the goodness God is bringing us into. Even as the darkness of the season came to a climax just a few days ago and is slowly brightening each day, I feel that our family is also moving forward into a brighter time, and I’m running into it with everything I’ve got. Challah, challah.

I hope you had an amazing day, too, and I pray that God’s love is surrounding you and lifting you above your circumstances.  Here is a song I have been listening to daily, and holding my heart steady in the place it brings me to.

Yesterday we got an unexpected little snow to celebrate the beginning of winter.

I gave chocolate chip cookies in the mountains another try–but the altitude obviously hasn’t changed lately. We affectionately dubbed them “waffle cookies” and scarfed them all.

Zia is helping me make that messenger bag she wanted from Oliver + s.  We made a girl-only trip out for lunch and to the fabric store, and she picked out a hot pink vinyl for the exterior, zebra fabric for the lining, and four fancy appliques to decorate it. She’s a conservative one, that girl.

The kids and I made snowflakes–I finally looked up some tutorials and learned how it’s actually done. Our snowflakes no longer come out square, LOL.

This is the first time Caleb is spending his winter break with us. I made him a stocking and hung it up with Zia’s and Cash’s, and when he saw it, he immediately took it took down and tried it on. 🙂 It fits great.

He actually has a slightly better pair of footwear, though…

We wanted to buy him a pair of cowboy boots, and he picked out these sweet black ones with python skin inlays.

Cash wanted a soap Spider-Man, so I carved a face and we painted it.

I ordered a skirt from Thailand and it was supposed to be here by the end of January. It came yesterday! Pics to come, later.

It feels good to have passed the shortest day of the year, and I’m really looking forward to watching the days grow longer.

Happy first days of winter!

Last Saturday was the Winter Arts Festival in our town. I called in on a whim four days prior and found there was one space left, just for me. 🙂 I signed up, applied for a tax number, and by Saturday I had everything ready.

Setting everything up!

After helping me set up, David took the kids to a birthday party, and it was all me for the rest of the day–yippee! The event was pretty slow and I only sold six items, but I had such an awesome time.  I worked on my art uninterrupted for six hours, talked to people about my process, and saw a few friends.

Several artists in the community came over with really nice compliments and suggestions for more venues for my work. One 81-year old potter (who took my jewelry classes over the summer) told me this is her very last event, and when she heard it was my very first, she filled an entire paper with a handwritten list of local events she has worked that I might look into.

I felt really grateful for everyone’s support, and I’m looking forward to working at more art festivals. It was such an energetic, creative atmosphere, and I seriously think it was the most fun I’ve had all year. 🙂

We’ve gotten a couple of nice dumpings of snow the past couple of nights, and happily there is now plenty of snow for snowshoeing again. Our woods look like a white wonderland, everything is soft and quiet, and it feels amazing to be out there wandering through the whiteness.

I even talked Cash into trying out a tiny pair of snowshoes for the first time (Zia’s old ones). He asked if he could bring the ipad with him, lol (NO!) and he only stayed out a few minutes, but it was a start. I will turn him into an outdoorsman yet. 🙂

Here’s a shot of our snow-capped truck from up on the deck.

And finally, I’ve saved the best for last. My sister Rahab had her baby, Gabriel Vincent, on December 11. He looks super cute and I wish I could see him in person, but he’s over on the other side of the country right now.  Welcome to the world, Gabe!  Stay very warm and cozy for as long as you can. :0)

Cash got a haircut yesterday, and we barely recognize him. I miss his hair (I knew I would) but he was having a hard time keeping it out of his eyes. It grows fast, and I’m looking forward to the slightly shaggy stage that will be here before we know it.

Meanwhile, we’re having a lot of fun stroking the nape of his neck and admiring his ears. He’s just like a three year old Caleb running around, and even his actions seem suddenly so much like Caleb’s when he was little.

Just before we got it done, I asked him what kind of cut he wanted. He said, “A boyish one.” We went to Whole Foods right after the haircut, and the cashier called him a girl.  I guess you just can’t win, haha.

Yesterday we attending the schoolkids’ annual Tommyknockers celebration.  The kids decorate the town tree with handmade ornaments, then walk to the opera house and listen to a storyteller.  On the way out the “Clauses” hand out goody bags.

Cash got one, too, and was beaming from ear to ear until he opened it (he thought it was chock full of candy).

“What!!! Colored pencils? A coloring book? Cookies? I HATE cookies! An ORANGE?”

He threw each item as far as he could, until at the bottom of the bag he discovered one last item that saved the day: a candy cane. “CANDY!!!!!”

Whew. (Actually, I was breathing a sigh of relief that it was not chock full of candy.)

Later in the evening we went to the school for the Winter Arts Festival. Zia had this oil pastel on display in the gym with the other kids’ artwork.

Zia and her second grade Montessori class sang Frosty the Snowman. They did great and Zia had a lot more confidence than ever before on stage. I was really excited about making a video of it, but when I went to download it, I realized something very disappointing had happened. I only had a few seconds recorded, mostly blurry, and I’m a little bummed.  It’s really too lame too even post, but here it is anyway.

On our way out we stopped to see Caleb’s Street Art collage in the hall. I thought his composition was good, and overall it seems like a very funny piece. All of us, however–including Caleb–are still searching for its meaning.

At home I’ve been snowshoeing in the woods nearly every day, and today Caleb had his first ski day of the season.  While he skied we took the kids down to Boulder to the park. Although everyone around us is happily gearing up for winter and the holidays, I had a really good time pretending it was summer down there in the lowlands, watching the kids play in a glorious 46 degrees.  Christmas lights are pretty, but warm sun is so very awesome.