Hope's Artwork

Hope is taking an online art class consisting of videos.  She is also spending hours a day drawing and shading. 

And while she is doing schoolwork during our group time, she will draw pictures like this. It looks like some of the pages in our adult coloring books. Maybe someday she will draw one of those?

Hanging Things Up Around the House

My plates are hanging up in the dining room. I tried to use those wire hangers, but they didn't work with the majority of the plates. So I went with the glue-em-to-the-back kind. So far no midnight crashing of plates...

The mirror in the entryway makes the space seem much lighter and spacious. It weighs about 4 tons since it is cast iron, so Brian had to mount it to a board before hanging. I am still nervous that it will come crashing down in the middle of the night, or worse, when someone is standing right by it. Again, so far it too is hanging in there.

Homeschooling In The Winter

We had a little bit of snow this past week. Grr. I wonder when we are going to find the lawn again. It's been three months since we have seen it. I think that's a first.

On these cold days, doing school in your jammies is the only way to go. Abby is not in school, but she was joining Jacob and Hope in their video art class. We have been consuming a record amount of hot chocolate in the mornings this winter. Anything to stay warm!

The Inspired Room

One of my favorite blogs is "The Inspired Room" by Melissa Michaels. Her decorating style is coastal (perfect, since she is from Seattle and lives by the water).  Even though my style here on the windswept plains is far from coastal, I love her cheerful style and colorful mix of furniture and accessories.

I loved her sofa ottoman so much, I bought the same one for our family room in a different shade of blue. Our family room isn't as fancy with this new ottoman, but wow does it feel different. This ottoman is perfect for putting up your feet or sitting or laying on. It makes the room much more functional for us right now.

And her wallpaper done with wrapping paper of maps?  Well, I bought that wrapping paper and stuck it in the frames in Jacob's room!

Angels

This year I remembered to get out my January angel from the china cabinet.  A couple of Christmases ago, Hannah and Abby bought her for me from the antique shop so that my March angel could have a sister. Mom had written the date of 1974 on the March angel, so this one has been with me for a long time. I thought it was great that the March angel finally had a friend!

Plates

I'm getting ready to hang some plates on the dining room wall.  The picture that was hanging there for 14 years became faded from the sun, but I don't think I'll have that problem with these plates.

All of the plates are new, except the pie dish in the middle. It was one mom had and I'm glad it will be displayed instead of hiding out in my kitchen cupboard. 

In other house news, I am hoping that the 40 yards of fabric (20 of linen, 20 of cotton) I ordered will be here soon so I can start sewing curtains for the living room. The windows seem so lonely and bare.  I haven't sewn curtains for several years. I wonder if I remember how. 

Pictures from Brian's Phone

Three kids (young adults!) outside the mall.

Hannah dancing with Benji (fellow Thorn intern and Jessalyn's brother). 

Some Thorn interns looking un-period correct at intermission.

Fog

Trying to capture the glow of the fog when the sun breaks through.

Hope's Artwork

Hope has been working on her drawing skills lately. Most pictures are of horses, of course. But yesterday she drew a wolf.

Civil War Ball

It's that time of year again when all good homeschoolers come out to dance.

Abby had to work all day, so she couldn't make it to the dance in time to participate. But she managed to do fancy hairstyles on her sisters!

The lighting was bad for my camera, so the pictures didn't turn out very well. I need to figure out how to upload the fun dance videos I took!

Deer in the Neighbor's Yard

While I waited for Hope to take care of the horses, six deer came to find lunch in the yard. When Hope came out of the barn, they jumped over the fence and dashed away.

The Freedom of Authenticity

To know what you prefer instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to have kept your soul alive.

-Robert Louis Stevenson
A quote found in a book I've been reading by Melissa Michaels called "Love The Home You Have".

Hope's Job- Caring for Neighbor's Horses

Visiting Hannah

We started the new year with a brief walk at the Garden of the Gods.

It seems that all of Colorado Springs had the same idea as it took a loooong time to find a parking spot. It was just as crowded then as it is in July!

It was so cold that my camera lens froze. I thought I'd take an interesting picture before it warmed up and opened again.

The sun was going down and the temps were dropping fast. No time for happy touristy pictures on the rocks. 

We swung by Manitou to visit Hannah's place.

She lives in the very old cabins right across from Summit. Have I mentioned how painfully cold it was? Makes me grateful to live in a place that's a bit warmer in the winter! Good thing she received some warm clothing for Christmas!

With Friends at the Christmas Eve Eve Service (aka "The Christmas Adam Service")

Abby At Work

Doing what she does best- hairstyles!

A finished style.

And Hope at the mall...

More Christmas Pictures

Christmas Day Photo Shoot

Christmas Selfie