no better place

How easily I get behind in the blogging world.  It makes me realize how full our lives are yet here I am, trying like hell to freeze water in a warm river.

:: Last year, Hazel was due on Thanksgiving day.  She came a few days early, but this year we celebrated her first birthday on the day of thanks, as we will every six years or so for the rest of her life.

:: For the harvest feast, we traveled north to share it with our Montana kin.  Thanksgiving at my sister-in-law's house includes: homegrown Indian corn, hand-ground into cornmeal the night before, baked into cornbread, dried into crumbs, made into stuffing, shoved inside a Hutterite turkey and baked for four hours.  Yes, we had a delicious, locally-grown harvest feast--made almost entirely by the hands of my sis.  

The kids ate first and I asked them each to say what they were thankful for.  Juniper said she was thankful for Owen.  Owen said he was thankful for Hazel.  Then Juniper said no, she was thankful for Hazel, then Sam said Hazel and they all started arguing until we pointed out that everyone could be thankful for Hazel.  In the end, we were all thankful for family.  Especially, of course, for Hazel Iris.  

 

I was in charge of the pumpkin pie, of which I had grand plans of baking individual birthday-cupcake-pumpkin-pies.  Normally, I make a mean, flaky pie crust but I doubled the batch and well...my crust was rock-hard.  We told the kids it was a bowl to hold the filling and whipped cream--they were none the wiser.  Hazel was exhausted by the time we sang to her and was far more interested in playing with whipped cream than eating anything.  Who could blame her?  

:: We spent a long, leisurely weekend up north.  There was a little elk hunting, a little fishing, a little playing in the kid's gym, we lunched with old friends on the way up, dined with new friends while there, and--my personal favorite--brunch at the hot springs followed by a snow-sprinkled soak.  Ah, one of my favorite places to take photos.  Nary a winter goes by without a trip to these springs.  (Proof?  Click here, here and here.)    

:: On the drive home, I finished Hazel Iris' birthday sweater.  (What do non-knitters do in the car, anyway?)       

:: Happy Birthday sweet girl (oooh, I've got a letter coming for you).  

My oh my.  There is no better place to be than with family.  

one year ago

One year later, I have lots to be thankful for this Thursday.  Hazel Iris, one year ago:

We are off to romp with our Montana kin--feast, be thankful and celebrate a First birthday.  Back soon.

37 things

In honor of my 37th birthday last week and Thanksgiving this week...37 things I am thankful for right now:

1)  That I get to stay home with my daughters.

2)  Watching their relationship blossom.

3)  My birthday gift: an antique pot rack.

4)  My dad's travel blog. 

5)  Continuing ed classes.  I've taken an herb-growing, fruit-tree growing and chicken-raising class.  Now, I'm taking a watercolor class to stretch my mind and get out of my comfort zone.  

6)  Time to knit.

7)  Time to sew.

^Juniper chose the fabric for this babydoll sling--a young friend's birthday gift.^

8)  That both kids can ride in the Chariot this winter.

^Circa February 2012.^

9)  That we have a relationship with so much of the food that enters our bodies.

^Circa July 2012.^

^Mule deer September 2012.^

10) My mama friends.

11) The mountain behind our house--and the mountain goats, mule deer, elk and moose who call it home.

 ^Circa September 2012.^

12) Getting long-anticipated projects done.

13) Laughing.

14) My do-it-all husband,

15) And his attempt at putting 37 twirly candles in a pan of warm brownies.

16) That my mom has promised to be here for Christmas.  Again.

^My mom and Hazel circa December 2011.^

17) And my brother will likely make it too!

18) That I fit into my pre-pregnant clothes, with room to spare.

19) A new stack of library books.  (Wyoming libraries: I love you.)  

20) Book club.

21) Knitting club--a lot of stitchin, a little bitchin.  

22) Winter squash.  (I'll share my heaven-so-good soup recipe soon.)

23) My blog.  And the people who read it.

24) Mornings with just this one.

25) Afternoons with just this one.

26) My great-grandmother's coffee grinder with a walnut handle remade by my dad.

27) Holy shit I still have ten left!  

28) My crafty, prolific, artsy step-mom whose sewing endeavors garnish every room of our house, and some bodies too.  

29) Friends who have been with us in heart and mind so long, it seems we've never been apart.  

30) President Obama and the country who re-elected him.      

31) Toddler art: the pure evocation of color and emotion.

32) Living at the confluence of three rivers.

33) A clean dining table.     

34) That an oil and gas lease on pristine, nearby public land--a development we've been fighting for 7 years--is now being bought-out by the people.  (Contributions are accepted here.)  

35) How my oldest daughter asks me to take my hug and kiss and put it in my pocket, to save for later, in case I need it.  

36) Chubby baby bums.

37) This life.  

messy, beautiful, perfect

Yesterday I was working upstairs in the loft.  Juniper needed to poop while Hazel was nursing.  I helped Juniper heave herself onto the toilet, Hazel popped off and tried teething on the toilet seat edge while Juniper jumped off the john, still needing her bum wiped, and I had one boob hanging out.  Our everyday.  No one ever claimed parenthood was glamorous.  Life is messy...perhaps that's what makes it so beautiful.  

:: Last week, we blew off election-day jitters with home improvement projects and a jaunt down to the river where we fished and went "on a jungle adventure to look for alligators!"   

We are in Juniper's land of make-believe almost 24/7 now.  The other morning the girls and I went for a short hike in the woods behind our house.  We looked for winter bear dens, fed some bears (a.k.a tree stumps) lots of wild strawberries (rocks), lettuce (grass) and a bit of snow.  I envy Juniper and her little world.  I *remember* that about childhood.  It's magical.  I hope she gets to keep her world for a long, long, time.

^See the "bear" and her "den"?^  

^Whispering so we don't wake the bears.^  (And yes, she was wearing a warm coat but insisted on removing it.)

Me: "Juniper, see these sharp needles?  This is a hawthorn bush."  

Juniper: "Mama, see this snow?  This is Juniper snow."  No matter what we say, it comes right back at us.

 ^Pssst.  She's sporting some mama-made wool mittens, fresh off the needles.^

:: We had such a slow, sauntering fall that I'm ready for--and loving--this latest shift into colder, whiter days.  We are getting snuggly with warm coco and a list of homemade gifts to work on: beginning with squirrel-shaped dog biscuits.  

In the next eight days we'll celebrate one of my favorite holidays, two family birthdays and one young friend's.  

Life.  Messy, beautiful, perfect.