Post Category → fiona

pictures of december

Excitement is ramping up around here. Today we exchanged names (well, the kids did) and bought gifts for one another. Four or five times, I was pulled aside because a little boy needed to tell me a secret — a bursting with joy secret because their gift is just so so so wonderful and the recipient is going to love it so so so much!

We drove home in relative quiet until William suddenly said, “Mom, I was just dreaming about opening my present [on Christmas Eve, when they exchange their gifts], and I was so excited, and then I remembered that the next day will be Christmas!! (Said in the most COULD LIFE GET ANY BETTER voice you’ve ever heard.)

Before that day actually comes, and I get swept away with everything that entails and suddenly find myself two weeks into a new year, I’ll quickly put up photos of this special month. I do so love coming to this little corner of the internet and reminiscing…

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Three little girls, Fiona wanting very much to be as big as Beatrice and Margaret


Ready to get a tree


Easily entertained


Can’t wait for Daddy to come with the tree


Here it comes!


And there it is.


Early Sunday morning reflections.


Rest and reading time after decorating the bagel shops!


She loves baby dolls.


Pigtail perfection.


Cookies baked for neighbors and friends.


Special afternoons with my grandparents.


Time with beautiful sisters and their scrumptious babes.


Concerts.


Lots of this.


A break from routine school means time for not-routing things.


They keep careful track of this growing pile.


Drawing names!


Fiona felt very grown up with that slip of paper!


Too excited to get a picture with all four looking at me.


Lunch with family at (drumroll…) The Bagelry. (Pretty yummy!)

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Have a wonderful last few days before Christmas!

december’s story: grace and peace

I can’t believe we’re halfway through December, and oh-so-close to Christmas.

It’s all Christmas, all the time around here. If Beatrice isn’t making up songs about angels and shepherds, boys are pounding out Christmas duets (duets! Yay!) on the piano, or Fiona is touching ornaments. Or I’m slipping to my room to wrap one more present— or make that one half a present, someone is pounding on my door.


December 1st Christmas movie, though I can’t remember for the life of me what it was.


celebrating our first Friday post-CFA with a lazy breakfast


sleeping under the tree


mornings like this.


performing with almost 100 voices and instruments in a beautiful Christmas cantata

Snow sure helps the mood along, and for some magical reason, it’s gently hanging over the edge of our roof right out the window in a way very reminiscent of frosting on rum logs. There is lots of outdoor play before breakfast, because somehow, jumping out of bed and pulling snow gear on over pi’s is just the most fun. (And it buys me time, since I can’t seem to make cookies and have breakfast thought through.)


early morning, after our first significant snowfall


Jameson has made all of the rum logs this year completely by himself


pepparkakor


preparing cookie gifts

We are watching Mary’s slow trek as she waits for her baby to be born. We do our best to read one little book each night from our Advent calendar. And this year, we’re sneaking in a bit of this book here and there — a whole week behind, mind you, but pressure is not very Christmasy, so I’m doing my best to not feel any. Today we read about Isaac, climbing a long road with wood on his back, a shadow of the Child of Promise who walked a long and dusty road for me. I’m blessed, blessed, blessed to hear the thoughts my boys share, the connections they make. William especially seems quite enamored with this whole typology thing, realizing that all of those stories were pointing to Jesus. And I get to be right there, watching that realization dawn. What a privilege.

This is a month made for Jameson, my gift-giver. Suddenly, he is busily hiding secrets and scurrying to prepare a surprise. He generously finds $1,000 guitars that he thinks I should buy William. (Ha!) He is in his element. Saturday, when William was at work with Ryan, he took advantage of the 20 minutes it took for me to lay the girls down for naps and found paper snowflakes to hang from the ceiling. After being stunned by that beautiful surprise, he then made coffee and set out a whole little “coffee date” for him and me. He beamed with love. Today he gave me the gift he’d made me and put under the tree: a little “Meery Christmas” garland. Insert mother heart bursting right here.


snowflake surprise


afternoon date with this boy


my Christmas gift this year

Then there’s quiet William, who made me a card two weeks ago and tucked it away for Christmas, but seeing Jameson’s gift giving (“I’m just so bad at waiting, Mom! I want you to have all of my presents right away!”), he decided to pull his out, too. Simplest, sweetest, “I love you, Mama” card.


cutest cards


moments to tuck inside my mama-treasure-box, i.e., my heart

Are you kidding?, I think to myself. How could anyone possibly be as loved as I am? Let alone someone as grumpy and ornery as me?? Is this real? Are these little boys really smiling that big at me, their hearts in their eyes? Is this little girl really climbing up to plant a random sweet kiss on my cheek with a whispered, “I wuv you so much, Mama,” in my ear? Is this baby really laughing and dancing and wanting me to know that I’m her world?

If it feels too good to be true, it’s because it is. It’s grace, a gift. I know what I deserve — I look that ugliness right in the face many times a day, and it’s ugly. There’s an equation here that just doesn’t seem to balance out: How can I have a life of blessing, of gifts, of walking with God? I could never seem to do a good job balancing my checkbook, but even with my enormous lack of accounting talent, I can see a serious discrepancy like this one. Maybe you don’t think it’s that serious, look at my life and see a good person who tries hard. But I know. I know the discrepancy. I know the selfishness and self-seeking and jealousy and pride that fights to have its way moment after moment. How can a heart like that then receive blessing?

Jesus.

That’s it. That’s the only way to justify the account of my life. For someone like me to walk with God, to know Him and love Him and know that He loves me — it’s Jesus.

So I open that handmade card with 6yo scrawl, I feel those arms around my neck and see bashful eyes full of love, and my soul feels more than just full. It feels grace.

“Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled”

Reconciled.
Justified.
Balanced.
Paid in full.

Waking up to morning after morning of new mercy.
Too good to be true.
God is like that.

november photos

Time is always flying, but this year it’s definitely taking me by surprise. There are Christmas trees being gotten, so I suppose it’s time to wrap up all things harvest/autumn/Thanksgiving related. Another fall: over. Check. Done.

Quick photo dump before I turn the page and dive into Christmas:


It only took 9.5 years, but at long last, Ryan loves apple pie. Maybe even more than brownies? But definitely not more than ice cream. (He’s a Dunphey, after all!)


Not enough of this, but I enjoyed every pause that books afforded.


This. *sigh* Two brothers who were too excited about the Thanksgiving books to not read them together in bed. Asleep mid-story.


This one, growing up so quickly. Introducing a bit of running, and even some dancing, into her routine.



A first snow that was for real. None of this float-in-the-sky-but-never-land stuff. The kids were ecstatic.


Having to leave for the evening, and coming home to Fiona in her happy place, snuggled up against Nana.


A birthday party for the “twin cousins” that was too much fun.


No words.


More often than not, the only family dinners happen around one of these tables. Usually Ryan is working behind a counter and we just are happy to smile at him while we eat on a Sunday afternoon, but this time we were there after hours. Music up, happy kids, custom-made bagel sandwiches, and 6 of us all together.


Fiona, caught red-handed in toilet paper fiascos.


Growing in diligence. Blocking out the distraction of children playing in the next room, and diligently doing his work.


And Thanksgiving. A day of food and family and togetherness. Thankful.

William’s 6th birthday

My little baby William is turning 6 in two days. (More on that then.) As per our tradition, he was celebrated with an especially “big” party. He picked a theme (football; shocker), invited a whole table full of people (11 sounds like so many until actually having to pick only 11!), and helped me plan games, buy goodies, decorate, and get festive! I’m no party-planner extraordinaire, but every little detail and effort was received with great joy and many eye twinkles. I love that little boy!

Yes, a thousand pictures. Because I’m his mom. :-)

exploring and enjoying fall

An amazing forecast, living in the amazing Northeast, and having young children is the perfect reason to make the most of hikes and field trips and explorations. Books can happen in February.

Saturday was shared with my friend of 15 years. Of course, 15 years ago, we would wake up, see sun, grab coffee and jump into a car. Now we have to plan a bit more, pack a bit more, and somehow “we two” have become TEN. So, two cars, driving into the mountains, enjoying the VIC.

Sunday, the kids and I went to The Bagelry after church, followed by our first excursion to the short but magical trail on Coakley and Falls Island in Canton.

Monday was a late afternoon walk along the Raquette River in Potsdam.

Thursday, we visited a favorite trail along the St. Lawrence. We brought some lunch and school books and soaked up sunshine and fall.

Walking, perfect temperatures, four kids skipping and running and climbing and loading as many acorns/chestnuts/sticks/rocks as possible into my stroller? The only thing better would be doing it with Ryan, but I’m super thankful we’ve been able to enjoy this beautiful North Country and God’s amazing handiwork.

apple season

There’s an orchard nearby that sells delicious cider (not too sweet, just the way I like it!), crisper-than-crisp Cortlands, and APPLE CIDER DONUTS. When I say, “apple season!”, my kids hear, “DONUTS!!!”

Last Friday, we went. We held off on breakfast, because DONUTS. Our tummies rumbled, but we didn’t care. They went to bed the night before already imagining the taste of donut dunked in cider. We drove the 35 miles with sunshine, autumn’s bright blue sky, beautiful farm fields edged by just-beginning-to-turn trees, and we were loving it.

We loaded a 1/2 bushel bag with Cortlands, grabbed a gallon of cider, and without hesitation ordered 2 dozen donuts, 1 plain, 1 cinnamon-sugar, thankyouverymuch. They were still hot. Did you know that the number of donuts one can consume increases exponentially when they’re served fresh and warm? (We did not eat 24 donuts, however. Ha!)

There were errands afterward, and since it was a bit past lunchtime, we drove home via the new Bagelry, which I had yet to visit during hours of operation. We got home with enough time for some backyard football and baths for church. What a lovely, lovely day, celebrating fall’s abundance. Mostly, though, celebrating life with these beautiful kids.