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.

multi-tasking!

Happy Birthday Jon!

This was last year...great friends and lots of fun...

But now, I've got this problem...

...he went to college and I can't make him his birthday breakfast on the "You are special today" plate...

You see, October is Jon's month. He turned 19, oh my, on the 21st. The girls and Daniel got to go to Corvallis to help him celebrate...I had a very sick puppy to care for.

The first birthday I got to help him celebrate, his dad and I with some dear friends took him to Disneyland for the first time. He was turning 5. I didn't get to be with him for his day as I still lived in L.A., but I sent some gifts including a wonderful soccer, football, basketball set just the right size for a 5-year-old guy. By the time he was 6, I was there and making breakfast, hosting parties and creating fun birthday cakes. I think the Zorro birthday and maybe the Boot Camp birthday were my favorites...so fun.

He got his new, red Schwinn when he turned 10...joy!

By the time he was in his teens, the cakes turned into brownies

or cobblers like this one below for his 17th.

Happy Birthday Jon. You have my heart and I love you.

Sweet Cupcake...

Cupcake and Buttercup

See the sweet one on the left? ...Cupcake... We almost lost her last week, some sort of gastro bad thing that required I.V.s and antibiotics and doctor's care. Thank the Lord for wonderful veterinarians.

What is it about these sweet animals that so touches our hearts? God didn't have to make dogs...but He did.