Hello December!

December is at last here, arriving with glorious sunshine and blue sky. For a moment, I thought it felt a bit like spring, as the weather has been cold and dark lately. And of course, seeing the bare trees outside the window propels me back to winter reality. Yet, 'tis the season of joy and it couldn't start any better!

The girls have been waiting for the Christmas tree to be put out and decorated. Even Kyrene, as little as she is, remembers where we out the Christmas tree in the corner of the living room and reminds me quite often about it...

Thanksgiving Day was wonderful and relaxing. No cooking for me as we opt to eat out today at Cracker Barrel to satisfy my southern food craving. However, it was a cold and grey day, and with no place to go, the girls were antsy. And we decided right there and then that a Christmas tree will cure all of the dreary weather outside.

The girls were beyond thrilled, jumping up and down and squealing. And the best part? They were entertained for almost couple of hours, mostly imagining that it was an apple tree and they were "picking" the apple, a.k.a the ornaments, off the tree. Oh yes....great imagination indeed.

This brings the memory of my childhood, as I always loved Christmas tree in our home. I used to turned off the living room lights, and then sort of coaxed my little brothers to join me by the lighted tree, and sang through the Christmas song book. Ah...the memories...

I'm looking forward to this month of advent, of celebrating the Savior's birth, and of slowing down and savoring the time spent with my loved ones.

Autumn Sights

I've been waiting for some warmer weather around here to get the girls to our long awaited trip to Meijer Gardens. And today cannot be more perfect for a good dose of girls day out.

We started the day by stopping by the library for Bright Beginnings playgroup. Hannah surprised me a bit by crawling through a net tunnel, without any hesitation. So very proud of her! They especially enjoyed the green homemade play dough, rolling and cutting them to small dainty pieces.

Then off to McDonald's we go. No nap is required afterwards. Such a treat!

Then, off to one of my favorite places to visit in the fall. The shady gardens looks like a picture out of a storybook:

Immediately as we walked through the covered entry way, thoughtfully placed groups of giant pumpkins, gourds, and mums sets the stage of what we would see inside.

Loving the giant pumpkins.

Long, good day spent with my two favorite girls. Add that to soaking in the bursting colors of reds and oranges around us. It's almost as if nature is making the last bold statement before everything is blanketed with snow. A perfect autumn day indeed.

This is Summer

My 20 things to love about this summer (so far)

1. Nice, breezy weather

2. Ice Cream

3. Strawberry Picking

4. Jam making

5. Lake Michigan

6. Cherry Picking

7. Peaches from Wells Orchard

8. Raspberries Picking

9. Late bedtime

10. Gardening

11. Water Play

12. BBQ

13. Blueberries

14. Playtime at the Park

15. Flowers

16. My Parents' Visit

17. Shirts and Shorts

18. Fourth of July at John Collins Park

19. Chicago

20. Out walking

Summer beauties

I can never get enough of fruit picking during Michigan summer. Getting out in fresh air, picking those little fruits feels very therapeutic. And spending the time with your family out in nature, just enjoying His creation is such a privilege.

The raspberries season is a bit late this year, yet the wait is worth every bite. Just look at these beauties:

We picked 3 quarts and made jam once we got home. The raspberries yield 5 jars of jam, packing the fresh taste of summer to be enjoyed later.

Our Fourth of July

The day was full and satisfying, starting with quite a busy morning in the kitchen. I was fixing potato/egg salad, baking cherries coffee cake, and canning cherry preserves.

My dad was the master cherry pitter.

Cherries Coffee Cake, from Cooking Light

Then we all headed out to John Collins Park in East Grand Rapids for July 4th Celebration. I also need to note what a nice, breezy day it was. In fact, this summer has been unseasonably cool. We've been getting low 70's day and mid 50's night, which is a grand treat after living in the humid and sticky summer in the South.

We laid out our food, enjoyed feast of hot chicken wings, chicken mozarella sausages, and potato salad. The fireworks came around 10 p.m. Hannah loved the first few parts of it, but as the sound got louder and the fireworks got grander, she was not fond of it at all. She spent most of the time sitting in my lap, with her head turned the other way. Maybe next year...

Kyrene on the other hand, sat in my mom's lap the whole time and just enjoy it beyond measure. She was just totally captivated, saying "more more!" whenever there was a few seconds break in between, and just saying "wow".

Leaving the park at almost 11 at night, tired but happy. Happy to be spending time together, but especially grateful for the opportunity to live in this country. When I heard the band playing Star Spangled Banner, I couldn't help but felt a bit of warm tinge in my eyes. As an immigrant who was given the privilege of living here, I am immensely thankful for all the things this country is all about.

Girls Day Out

Today I got to spend the whole day with my little women, as Tim was busy finishing assignments at school. We started our day at Michael's, then went on to bring lunch to Daddy, which has always been a source of excitement for Hannah.

I made an impromptu plan to go to Meijer Gardens and skip nap time, since Hannah has not been napping this week. Both of them were wonderfully pleasant the whole time, as I told them beforehand what I expected of them while we were there. 

Kyrene was super excited to see all the cactus plants and they both had a blast throwing hay in the red barn.

I can imagine how we're going to do things together as they grow up, doing all those woman things. I thank God for the privilege of having daughters in my life.

Friday, Feb. 13 picture

My first attempt at roasting chicken. It came out looking beautifully, but a bit undercooked on the thighs. I popped them back in the oven and it came out tastier with crispy skin. There's that certain warmth in the house when the chicken was cooking in the oven. Will be roasting one more soon.