Gifting...

When I went to bed the night before my birthday, I found this sweet offering on my bedside table... Livie had been thoughtfully busy. (Do you see her precious shells in the display? There was even a whole sand dollar she had saved from an adventure with Tuma in the summer.) Does it get any better? Turns out it did...

The next morning Livie came in early to help me celebrate...I had MacGyver, dogs, Livie and Hope all tumbling and snuggling together on our bed.  Can you imagine what is in this lovely masterpiece?  I was tempted to leave it wrapped but she wouldn't have it.

this is it...and MacGyver immediately ran downstairs and filled it with my favorite  hazlenut brew...

Hope, too, had thoughtfully prepared for my birthday weeks ahead buying a beautiful, china plate at one of our favorite bazaars and saving it for my big day.

Isn't it lovely?  ...just like my daughter...

And Jon, bless him, watched the girls so MacGyver and I could have an evening strolling under the twinkling lights of Bridgeport, eating my favorite burgers in a heated gazebo.  It's so fun to be outdoors in the fall...  We even found the amazing lampshade we've been searching for...photo in a later blog.  Did I tell you, Jon left me a package for Hope to deliver after he went back to school?  He'd been shopping at Nike...and bought me a new hoodie.  Another, perfectly thoughtful gift.  

And there were gifts from family afar and dear ones close by...cards to make me belly laugh and cry all at the same time.  ...time spent with friends to help me celebrate.  My heart is full.  Thank you Lord for all these wonderful ones You've placed in my life.  I am blessed.  These are the good  ol' days...

The first Sunday of Advent

The first Sunday of Advent we'll light the Prophesy Candle.  I have the breakfast table set with a wonderful book to guide us through the season, (Rebecca Hayford Bauer's The 25 Days of Christmas) Christmas plates, yummy cinnamon rolls, oranges, Marie's cheese souffle and small packages for the family.  I'll post pictures later...

We've been celebrating Advent, looking forward to the coming of our Savior, from the first Christmas we were together.  That Christmas we were given the privilege of lighting the Prophesy Candle in our large church in Bel Air, California.  Jon was just a little guy and I think the experience was a bit much for him.  He was a trooper.

The Prophesy Candle reminds us of the incredible "fingerprint" our Father God left through the prophets  to help us see the miracle of Jesus' birth, life, death and resurrection and know for certain that He is The One.  Isaiah, Micah, King David and even Moses write of the coming Messiah among others.   Each year, as I learn more and study scripture, I am even more amazed at the complexity and depth of the prophecies and their miraculous fulfillment in Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  Thank you, Lord Jesus for coming...  May we celebrate You well this season.

So happy together...

Never mind that this is the living room furniture...

She joined them and they didn't move a muscle...

November music sharing

This is Livie...sitting right next to her teacher ready to play in her first "Music Sharing Day." Look at her smile...her poise! I'm sure I never was quite that confident.

Look at those lovely, rounded, piano fingers. They made beautiful music together.

All smiles ... momma and daddy are smiling even broader than she...

Then it was Hope's turn. She played beautifully...

And then, the moment I had waited for...the trio. Hope and two friends played Amazing Grace and Blessed Assurance. I was in early heaven... 

November sunrise...

Do you see it??? The beam of light? I'm not very good at capturing sunrises yet, but I had to show you this...

He's so good to me...

November Snow

Snow in November is an unusual event around here...one to be enjoyed!

The moment the girls came down the stairs, they asked to go outside. We have an unspoken rule around here...school, homeschool, goes on hold when there's snow.

Livie went straight to MacGyver's tractor. I tried a fancy shot into the sun to capture those bits of light...hmmm...didn't quite work out, but I still love the shots.

She just loves Daddy's tractor.

And then there's Hope...Hope and her Cupcake. The dogs love the snow almost as much as the kids...and so do I. Praying for more...

the night before Thanksgiving...

It seems that when the family comes together, one must have a meal worthy of those dear ones even though it's not really Thanksgiving yet...what to do, what to do?... The answer, Sarita's Tomato Soup, Daniel's Cesear Salad, Open Door Farm Pesto and yummy bread. Dessert??? oops, well there's always tomorrow.

I can't decide...

We begin making pumpkin pies around here on the first day of fall...I can't help it. So, with Thanksgiving tomorrow, do we make one more or do something new and different?...hmmmm...

I did get this lovely, new cornucopia cake pan for my birthday (thanks bro, D & E)... I think maybe Anna's Fresh Apple Cake might be the ticket...and a pumpkin pie. We can eat the cake for breakfast.

Isn't this red dish beautiful? That was a 'just because' gift last summer from my wonderful husband. That's his best way to gift and I just love it.

breakfast with Daddy

We have an old-new tradition...breakfast out with Daddy, usually one child at a time. It began years ago with Jon and sometimes with his best buddy Paul.

We were thinking some man to man time would be good for all and it was...still is when we can get it!

Hope won the draw for the first time out with Daddy for this school year...Livie was pretty disappointed.

But, the day came and Livie rose to the occasion, dressing up for our time together

complete with a lovely flower for her hair.
She made scones, sliced oranges and poured coffee...mmmmm...

Then it was Livie's turn

and Hope stayed home. She too dressed for her breakfast with me...I am honored!

We had our special time upstairs in my bedroom...sweet time together.

And Livie joined us when she got home.

I'm not sure who has the best deal, MacGyver or I...

Our mixed up, beautiful fall...

This has been the most unusual fall...

We had a very late spring and consequently didn't get our pumpkins planted.

Fall, 2009

Open Door Farm without pumpkins is ...well... an oxymoron.

Instead we still have ...fuchsias... really, fuchsias...go figure...this is November!

And roses...beautiful roses...

enough to fill my beautiful rose bowl with fall color.

I am enjoying my beautiful, late blooming flowers but I was longing for my leaves, my golden, red, pumpkin colored, falling beauties.

They finally arrived and continue to take my breath away.

My heart is full. Thank you Lord for seasons...for beauty paving the way to winter...

Only You could make things so amazing.

Dressing up...

We've come to really enjoy our Halloween tradition...sharing it with our dear friends. We concentrate on the sweet/fun dress-up side of the holiday and shun the icky, scary parts. This is last year's picture of the younger ones from our two families. You'll see a similar photo from this year at the end of the post.

These guys looked pretty awesome a few years back...and they could make record time through the neighborhoods collecting enough booty to last until summer.

See the size of his bag? ...think big, Son.

Now, this year Livie and I had a remarkable moment in T.J. Maxx...a perfect dress for a queen...meet Lucy of Narnia, complete with hoop. (We'd just read a great story about a mishap with hoop skirts in In Grandma's Attic...highly recommended reading!)...perfect timing...you should have seen her negotiate that hoop into sitting position. She looked absolutely lovely and as she reminded us, was the only 'queen' in the bunch...the rest were 'princesses.'

So, what to do about Hope? She had her heart set on Buttercup, from the Princess Bride...actually a perfect choice for my long haired, blonde beauty. So, off to Fabric Depot (thank you Laurie for introducing it to me so many years ago), a wonderful place where creative dreams begin...

It was going rather well except that we were running out of time and other important things kept taking priority... Sunday morning, Halloween morning, I got up early, sewed while Daniel got the family fed and ready for church, went to church in two cars so I could rush home as the last 'amen' sounded...and I did...

Isn't she beautiful? I had to pin the back and she graciously understood.

Once again, a sweet group of lovlies to graciously greet the neighbors.