a few of the things we learned in 2009

:: to climb alone


:: to bike alone


:: to drum


:: to read


:: to sew


:: to build


:: to build some more


:: to have some serious fun


:: to have some not-so-serious fun


:: to find fun in everything


:: to love exactly where we are and what we have

It was a year of firsts - first steps, first school year, first lost teeth. It was a year of endings - closing a business, leaving a band. It was also a year that we had our hearts stretched - the sadness of losing a dear cousin to cancer, the joy of adding a new brother-in-law to our family, the beauty of welcoming a Lithuania orphanage to our prayers and our fundraising efforts, the challenge of figuring out what could be holding back the littlest boy we love so much. But mostly it was a year of ordinary days held together by love. It doesn't get much better than that.

Happy new year!

cleaning is his favorite

Maybe it's because we were cleaning up Christmas at Papa and Gigi's house. Maybe it's because he was in an especially great mood today. But he boxed up decorations, tidied up toys and vacuumed. And vacuumed. And vacuumed. In between he danced and spun and loudly declared, "Cleaning is my favorite!" Tonight he told us the high point of his day was cleaning. Looks like it's going to be a very tidy new year.

christmas cookie time

In fits and starts we've plowed through cookie making, and the subsequent eating and giving. Our new favorites this year are shortbread cutouts covered in powdered sugar. We used this recipe (using granulated sugar) for the shortbread, then refrigerated the dough, rolled it out and cut small shapes. Once the cookies were cooled we tossed them in powdered sugar. So good, and because they're so small, you can pop ten before feeling the slightest bit bad about it.

On the extra awesome side is this recipe for Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti. I never made biscotti before because I assumed it was difficult. Wrong. An easy treat that looks like you slaved. Highly recommended.

Perhaps our favorite, though, is the basic chocolate chip cookie doctored up holiday style. This recipe may exist out there somewhere, but we concocted it in our kitchen, so I'll just tell you what we did. Nothing wrong with making this goody all year long or, as my dear friend Lauren taught me, eating one or two for breakfast.

Holiday Oatmeal Coconut Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking power
1 t. salt
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup dried cherries

Mix together flour, oats, soda, powder and salt. In separate bowl beat butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients, chips, coconut and cherries. Drop on cookie sheet and bake 12 minutes at 350.

not the day we planned

It was to be a cookie-making, card-delivering, gift-sewing, visiting-the-enchanted-railroad-at-the-Arboretum kind of day. But as soon as Elliott popped a little wooden star into his mouth, it was not to be. Two hospitals, one ambulance, six nurses, five x-rays and nine hours later, the nickel-sized star is out and the tired boy and his mama are home. We are grateful for a skilled pediatric gastroenterologist, getting the same anesthesiologist we had once before, kind practitioners all around, nine more days of deductable-met insurance, a grandma who sat with us all day and dear friends who descended with hugs when I slipped in late and empty-handed to our annual neighborhood cookie exchange tonight.

It was not the day we planned, but it is a day that ended well. And that makes it a very good day.

why my kids have a church family - part 2

This Advent, I have been working. A lot. Most mornings I leave the house before anyone is up in order to get to work (at my coffeehouse office) as quickly as possible. As a result, there hasn't been a lot of focus to our Advent preparations. Oh, we have a tree, and the stockings are hung and, when we can sneak it in, some cookies get baked. But as far as a Christmas focus, my boys' anticipation (I am embarrassed to say) has more to do with Santa than with a baby in a manger. I have vowed that beginning this weekend, after I finish up the big project I am working on, there is going to be a lot more focus on the baby Jesus around here. I don't want my kids to go through a whole season and miss the meaning.

Imagine my surprise when last night, past bedtime, as I am, in the ninth hour, making chocolate-covered pretzels to send to school with the gift cards we have to rush out and buy this morning, Liam beautifully and innocently jots this note to his teacher in her Christmas card:

Dear Mrs. McCloud,
Merry Christmas
We give you this present because Jesus was born on Christmas.
From Liam B.

Well, what do you know. Despite my unprepared busyness, a little person is getting the message. And it wasn't like he was pleased with himself or that he even thought the note was so special. It's just the way it is. We give each other gifts because God came as a gift to us.

And so it goes, again. This is why my kids have a church family. When we fail to find time or focus to share the true meaning and motivation behind our love and actions, we've got a team backing us up. Whether he's sitting in church coloring while the choir sings, or in Sunday school gluing popsicle sticks on construction paper, or clearing plates at a free community dinner, or being hugged and high-fived by a family who is sharing and spreading this awesome gift, my son gets more than I could ever give him. Best of all, he ends up teaching me. Thank God for that.

salt dough magic

I have been longing to do crafts with Liam this Advent but my outside workload has made the extras near impossible. On Tuesday morning, however, Liam had his friends Ava and Abby over and I took a break from work to be fun, crafty mom with salt dough. A neighbor had made ornaments like these with her kids and they looked doable. They were actually easy enough for five year olds to help with start to finish. Cheap, easy to clean up, and very gratifying.


To make the salt dough, we stirred together 4 cups of flour and one cup of table salt, then mixed in 1 1/2 cups warm water. Using my hands, I got the dough together into a ball in bowl and then dumped in out onto the counter and kneaded (with the help of my friends) for about 8-10 minutes. Then I rolled the dough out and let the kids each cut out four ornaments. With the dough that was left, they made snowmen, using whole cloves for buttons and eyes. Everything was baked at 325 for about 30 minutes.


Painting was everyone's favorite part. I used a wooden skewer to make holes in to top of each ornament before they went into the oven and then punched the skewer back through as soon as they were baked. None of this is rocket science, but the process and the results made three little artists very proud.

while ringing the Salvation Army bell

It was a cold, cold hour. We netted probably $15. But the memories with Liam made our efforts more than just a nice act of service.

"Try to catch me, lady," he called to me while running in circles around the bucket.

"Let's practice," he said when no one was near, and then repeated in his friendliest, cheesiest tone, "Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas." However, when a friendly soul came and put a buck in the bucket he wouldn't say a word.

My favorite, however, was when we rang and rang our little bells and a stream of people walked in and out of the store without pause. Liam studied them all for a bit then turned to me and said, "Mom, either these people are all out of money or else they think we're just here to play songs."

Not a cynical bone in that little body. What a way to spread good cheer.

news flash

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you this special report:

British guitarist Andrew Bordoni will cut his hair short if 100 people buy his new album by December 20. As wife of said guitarist, I am kind of excited by this possibility. It's time for something new around here. Plus, if it happens, at least 100 people will discover this amazing guitar-oriented instrumental rock album. It is sooo good. Hear a little for yourself. (Tracks 1 through 4 are on the new album):




Then, check out the website to order the album and be part of the transformation! (The ponytail will be donated to Locks of Love and 10% of the album sales will go to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.)

mornings like this

He is up before dawn every day now. With the Christmas lights, the cozy afghan, the quiet stillness of the snowy neighborhood, and this little friend who snuggles his blankie next to me on the couch, I almost enjoy it.

tree tradition

:: searching (for God knows what)


:: wondering (if my dad is as crazy as he looks)


:; waiting (for someone to please get me out of this cold)


:: finding (that being outdoorsy ain't all that difficult)


:: celebrating (every last drop)

...and that was the third hot chocolate of the weekend! A sign that it was a wonderful one, indeed.

good intentions

So much to make. So little time. But it makes me happy just to think about all the lovely, lovable and hilarious (oh yes, one of these will be very funny) results . . . if I can pull it off. If not, there's always next year. (And 11 months to get working - as if that would ever happen!)

Cookies, however, will be made. Lots of cookies. Stay tuned.

family friends

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival. - C.S. Lewis

This was a weekend chockfull of being with people we love - friends, family and most of all family who are friends. First, a two-day Thanksgiving whirlwind with second cousins, third cousins and first cousins once removed, all of whom are some of the most beautiful people I know. All of whom doted lovingly on my boys. All of whom I wished I could have lingered with longer.

Second, a lunch with a cousin who knows me like no other. A lifelong friend with history and connection. A sister in, oh, so many ways.

Third, a dinner party with longtime friends with whom we can always and everywhere be ourselves. No topic is off limits for discussion. No joy goes uncelebrated. No sadness goes unseen.

Finally, a sibling bash with all eight adults and four children in attendance. An incredible culinary potluck, heavy on the pastry-wrapped brie and the brownies. A happiness and togetherness that just is. A preview of a long-awaited Christmas gathering - in which new uncle Tim will finally get to appear in the family photo!

It's true that friends and family who are friends are not needed for survival, but as the weekend showed, life would be just empty and sad without them. It was a true thanks giving.