Christmas Books... part 2

I've been disappointed by the Christmas books I picked up at the library this year. Although it has been nice to read some new ones, I've not been too eager to add them to our collection. Tonight, we did read one that I liked and even choked up a bit as I read it.



A Shepherd's Gift by Mary Calhoun and illustrated by Raul Colon is a story about a poor shepherd boy who goes searching for his lost sheep. He finds it in the stable. It is a touching story about love and sacrifice. Definitely a book I would add to my collection and the girls enjoyed it too. (Well, the older ones, Elizabeth is having trouble sitting for a cozy story times:-). )

Countdown to Christmas with books

For the second year in a row, we are counting down the days of Advent using books. The girls and I wrapped up some of the books I gathered last year in Christmas fabric (I found 2 bags of it at our local second hand store and my mom gave me some). I also added to my collection using our local library. It is is great way to "test" out the books before deciding if I want to add them to our Christmas collection.

For the first day of advent, we read the book Wombat Divine by Mem Fox. I must admit I was a bit skeptical about this book and I almost didn't check it out of the library. I am so glad I did. It is a delightful book with creatures from "down under." This book tells the story of Wombat who can't wait to be old enough to be in the Nativity play. The time comes and he just isn't right for the different parts. Finally, with the encouragement of his friends, he finds the perfect part. He is just divine:-).
 
My kids have asked us to read this book several times since yesterday. I've been happy to oblige. I may have to add this book to our personal collection.

Our second book wasThe Christmas Bears by Chris Conover. Perhaps because our standards were set so high with our first book, this one just wasn't as good. It tells the story of a family of bears getting ready for Christmas. I believe the implication is that Papa Bear is "Santa Claus," but it doesn't quite come out and say that. OK, but the kids probably won't ask to read this again.

Beverly Reindeer Run ~ 5K

Yesterday, in the snow, I ran and completed my first 5K. I felt good throughout the race. I am feeling really good today as well. I thought my knees would bother me and that I would feel really stiff today, but I don't, so that is great!

I'm very thankful for Naomi for training and running with me. She made the training runs fun and really helped push me during the race. We finished within a second of each other! Here are some pics of the day.

First corner of the race... Micah is in the red shorts to the left of the picture and Will is right behind in the yellow shirt.

Naomi and I waving to our adoring fans. (This is the beginning of the race!)

Daryl bringing it home.

Micah coming back to encourage his sister toward the finish line.

The final push to the finish line... in the snow!

I would run another 5K, but probably not until spring. I'll have to find a way to keep in shape between now and then.

Post Thanksgiving Thanksgiving

How can it be that I spent 21 days of November being grateful and the following 2 days being about as grumpy as grumpy can be. Bleh! Wow, it doesn't take long for an attitude adjustment to readjust in the WRONG direction.

So, I think today, I need to think of 22 things to be grateful for. Let's try this again.

1. A lovely Thanksgiving with our church family. I had never had a smoked turkey before. Oh.Wow.YUMMY. I think this may be my new favorite way to eat turkey. One of our hosts said (before dinner) that "Turkey was just an excuse to make the sides." Well, after eating this turkey, turkey has regained its rightful place at center stage. It was the moistest and most flavorful turkey ever... my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

2. I'm thankful for Tiffany, Tamika and Jonathan who play so well with my children. Daryl and I actually got to have some adult conversation because the kids played so nicely.

3. A husband who gently corrects my attitude when necessary.
4. A daughter who forgives so easily. I was a bear towards my Hannah-bear this afternoon. When I was able to humble myself and go to her to apologize, she readily forgave me.
5. A 3-year old who just came to the steps and politely reminded me that I forgot to bring something I promised... yes, politely!
6. A beautiful sunny day.
7. Final preparations for my first 5K are going well. Daryl and I drove the Beverly course this morning. Only 2 potential "trouble" spots:-).
8. Advent preparations are coming along well... I have lots of people stepping in to help!
9. Thanksgiving Leftovers (see #1)
10. Pizza night
11. Some ideas percolating about doing "Random Acts of Kindness" during Advent as a way of teaching giving to my kids... Anyone up for the challenge?
12. My dad's coming retirement... I'm so excited for him!
13. My brother, my sis-in-law, and my niece... we don't get to see them enough, but the last several phone calls, Elsa has been talking and it's adorable!
14. Quiet time... which is NOW!
15. My husband teaching tomorrow which gives me a break this week.
16. Experiencing my bear-like attitude beginning to shift:-).
17. Friends and playdates
18. My college friends... I can't wait for the next girls weekend... Let's get it on the books, ladies!
19. Illinois in summer... Boggs's here we invade come!
20. Christmas in ND
21. Snow... perhaps this week?!?
22. My God and my King

I did it! Being grateful really does push out all those other feelings. Bye Bye mama bear!

Thanksgiving ~ Day 21

Today I am so thankful for my 3 daughters ~ their laughter, hugs, "I'm sorry"'s, "I forgive you"s, silliness, voices, cries, their growing independence and yet still dependent... How could I have known I would fall in love with these little munchkins more and more every day.

Hannah Joy

AKA "Bear"

Sensitive

Rule-follower

Artistic

Curious and Inquisitive

Learner

People-person

Leader

Grace Elise

AKA "Gracie"

Quiet in Crowds

Willful

Determined

Figures things out (mechanically inclined)

Likes Alone time

Enjoys her new role of "leader" from 8:30 to 3:15 (M to F)

Elizabeth Anne

AKA "Little B," "Lizzle," "Lizzie," "Monkey"

Finding her voice

Adventuresome

Climber

Willful

People person, but wary of some people

Quickly learning words

Not so sure she wants to follow her sisters

Rapunzel, Butterfly, Cinderella

Thanksgiving ~ Day 19

Today is a special day in the house... Daddy's Birthday! Here 35 reasons to give thanks for Daryl Olson!

1. Laughter
2. Work ethic
3. Committed daddy
4. Loving husband
5. Good listener
6. Great thinker
7. Enjoys games
8. Takes the girls to the park
9. Puts the girls to bed
10. Arranges his work schedule so mommy can work at the church and he can stay with the girls
11. Makes his health a priority
12. Loves his family
13. Loves his in-laws
14. He's my daddy (Hannah)
15. He has a birthday party (Grace)
16. He's "that one" (Elizabeth)
17. He reads books to me (Hannah)
18. He plays blocks with me (Grace)
19. He's a good dad (Hannah)
20. People respect him
21. Sings funny songs
22. Takes care of car stuff
23. Helps keep the house clean
24. Demonstrates what a respectful man should be to our daughters
25. Involved with the girls' schooling
26. Plays "pretty pretty princess" (Grace)
27. Plays "Balloon Lagoon" (Grace)
28. Creative story teller
29. He's my only dad (Hannah)
30. Makes birthday cakes for the girls
31. Takes the girls bike riding
32. Because every year he turns a little bit older (Hannah)
33. He is a good griller
34. Makes great pancakes
35. He is the wonderfullest, Bestest, Greatest, Awesomeness Daddy and Husband for the Olson Girls!!!!

Happy 35th Birthday, Daddy Daryl!
Dana
Hannah
Grace
Elizabeth  

Thanksgiving ~ Day 18

Today I am so thankful for our church family. Tonight we had a business meeting and we took the girls. Throughout the course of the meeting, the girls were on the laps of or entertaining no less than 12 different people. The wonderful thing was the graciousness of the people on whose laps they sat! Our family has been so embraced by this church... we have lots and lots of local aunties and uncles. Thank you for loving us and thank you for loving our kids. I'm grateful that these memories will be part of my children's earliest memories of church.

Thanksgiving ~ Day 17

Today I had the unique privilege of watching my 5-year-old daughter interact with and learn with other students from kindergarten to 8th grade. Wow... it was great! I was especially impressed by the group of teenagers I saw at her school. They were kind and inclusive to the younger students. I don't know them well (I hope to learn to know them individually), but I was pleased with what I saw.

Today, I'm thankful for teenagers... especially those who defy the stereotypes... and I was grateful for the opportunity my daughter gets to learn alongside them.

Thanksgiving ~ Day 14

Today I am thankful for a group of women that I am just starting to get to know through Community Bible Study. I'm thankful for this safe place where I can be a learner alongside other learners... not a leader... not in charge... simply learning and gleaning from God's Word and my sisters.

Yesterday as I was doing my lesson, one of the questions lead me to Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." I have been really struggling with patience toward my children. I've been short-tempered and feeling like everything they did was an interruption. Through this question, I was challenged to pray that the Spirit would fill me and I would bear this fruit. Wow! My children's behavior didn't change that day or today for that matter, but I was amazed to find the calm and peace that filled me when I needed it most. This could only be an answer to prayer.

Thanksgiving ~ Day 13

We have been extremely blessed to have Grandma and Grandpa Olson with us over the last week. There were many tears as the Olson girls said goodbye. It is nice to be able to say "See you next month!"

We are thankful for family who travels to come see us and spend time with us. The girls loved playing games, going places, being read to, and just knowing that grandma and grandpa would be there when they got up in the morning. Mommy and daddy appreciated having extra hands on deck:-).

We are thankful for our North Dakota family!

Thanksgiving ~ Day 12

This post is a day late, but can Thanks ever be late:-)!?!? Today/yesterday I'm thankful for my dad. He has been a steady, loving presence in my life since the beginning. His wisdom and rationality have benefited me throughout my life. I'm so excited for him as the time is coming when his time may become more his own.

So today (yesterday) on his 64th birthday, I'm thankful for my dad. Happy Birthday! I love you!

Thanksgiving ~ Day 10

Today we had a delightful day as a family at the New Hampshire Children's Museum. What a wonderful place! The girls really enjoyed themselves as did the adults. I'm thankful for so many wonderful opportunities to explore and learn in this area. I'm also thankful that my girls enjoy exploring and learning!

Elizabeth checking her mailbox

Letter carriers

Grandma and Daddy using brainwaves to move a ball?!?

Dressing up and being on television

Leopards in the rain forest

Hannah with an African mask

Elizabeth and Grandma on the trolley

The Kingdom of shapes... my favorite room

Queen Grandma directing the designers

Elizabeth creating her stained-glass masterpiece!

Scientist Hannah

Creating whirly birds and testing to see how they fly!

Hannah's whirly bird going up and up and up!

Thanksgiving ~ Day 9

Oops... I missed a day, but I'm all about grace these days... well, maybe learning about grace... still lots to learn.

Anyway, on this the 9th day of counting my thanksgiving blessings, I'm thankful for the sunshine. After what has seemed like almost two weeks of wind, rain and clouds, the sun rose today bright and beautiful... AND it warmed us up to a balmy 50:-). It was a beautiful day for going running, and I'm thankful for the encouragement of my running buddy... Naomi Deckert. Even though we didn't run together today, it has been a HUGE encouragement to have her with me on the journey to a 5K. I think we might actually make it!

Well, look a there... there were 2 things to be thankful for!

Thanksgiving ~ Day 7

Today I'm thankful for Hannah's kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Kelly. I'm thankful because I am watching Hannah's love of learning blossom and bloom more and more. She comes home confident and willing to try to read and spell... things that I was pretty confident she could start trying, but she didn't want to for fear of being wrong. Under Mrs. Kelly's teaching, Hannah is willing to try new things and I am so excited about that.

Thank you, Mrs. Kelly, for investing yourself into your students.

Thanksgiving ~ Day 6

I found this quote on another blog today...

A man may have to die for our country:

but no man must, in any exclusive sense, live for his country.

He who surrenders himself without reservation

to the temporal claims of a nation, a party, or a class

is rendering to Caesar that which, of all things,

most emphatically belongs to God: himself."

~CS Lewis~

 

I'm thankful that I was able to go to the polls today without fear of violence by someone who might not agree with me. I'm thankful that no matter who wins, God is still King. God bless the world God created!

Thanksgiving ~ Day 5

Today (yesterday) I was thankful for the heat we turned on for the first time. Winter is coming and I often take for granted how easy it is for us to be warm. I know that is not the case for so many people around the world. At our church, we will be raising money for the Daya Project to help them provide blankets for people in India. More information will be available about this year's project on the Daya Project website. To read more about last year's blanket drive, read this.

This was the results of last year's project...

Picture taken from the Daya Project website.

Thanksgiving ~ Day 4

Today I'm thankful for being exposed to a Global Christianity. I realized this past week that when all I experience of Christianity is American Christianity... a richness and depth of truth is missing. My hope and prayer is that my experience and the experience of my children will continue to grow through travel around the world as well as more visits by our brothers and sisters from our global community.

Photo by Carl Oulton

Thanksgiving ~ Day 3

Today we are thankful for the safe arrival of Grandma and Grandpa Olson. We are looking forward to playmates, the dishes elf:-), catching up conversations, and inviting them to participate in our life here. Welcome Grandma and Grandpa!

Tonight Hannah and Grace enjoyed a bedtime story by Grandma.

Thanksgiving ~ Day 2

Today we were so blessed to spend this morning with these incredible people...

Although these pictures were not taken today, (imagine a park instead of a farm and winter coats instead of simply long sleeves) it was the same bunch of fun! I so appreciate Rachel's perspective on life and parenting. We may not have the exact same situations between my girls and her boys; we share similar desires to raise our kids with love and grace.

Today I'm thankful for my friend, Rachel and her boys.

Thanksgiving Challenge

Two years ago I committed to writing a post every day leading up to Thanksgiving talking about something I am thankful for. For 2012, I am going to commit again to this challenge.

On this, the first day of November, I am thankful for good conversations. These happened throughout the day today. This morning, I was reminded that it isn't what I do that makes me valuable, but who I am. Over lunch, I was involved in a very enlightening conversation with our brothers from Malawi... everything from explaining how elections work to children in worship to the US involvement in the politics of Malawi to witchcraft and owls. This conversation was so enriching!

Deacon William, Robson, Pastor Anthony, Elder Godfrey

Finally, this evening, spending time talking to my best friend and life partner... my wonderful husband.

Thanks for good conversations.

Apple Picking with the Family

Today we went apple picking in Amesbury at Cider Hill Farms. It was a beautiful day after the rainy week we have had. The air was crisp, just like a fall day should be. The sky with blue with fluffy white clouds.

The orchard was planted on a fairly steep hill, but once you got to the top (riding a cool wagon moving by daddy power) the view was amazing. Probably in one more week the surrounding trees will be in full color.

The day wouldn't be complete with out apple cider donuts. As much as we love them at Russell Orchards, these were AMAZING. I think that had something to do with the cinnamon and sugar covering them and the fact they were almost 1/2 the price.

Going...

going...

gone!

Very fun day with the family! It was topped off with fresh apple pie... with 2 crusts (as Hannah requested) and vanilla ice cream! YUMMY!

September pictures

Today Hannah's school had a teacher in-service day, so she had the day off. I decided to take the girls to Ravenswoods to see if I could get some pictures... not an easy task. They are either acting goofy or turning away to look at something else. These were ok... if anything, they show who the girls are these days.

Elizabeth ~ my pick-up everything, get into everything, busy little girl

Gracie ~ my introverted,  "coming into her own personality now that big sister is in school," learning so much little girl

Hannah ~ my school-loving, people-loving, "what are we going to do now" firstborn little girl

Ironically, probably the best picture of the girls together was my first picture; right outside our side door.

Grace ~ 3 years, Elizabeth ~ 19 months, Hannah ~ 5 years