Library Grinch

Our town Christmas elves who have decorated our town have set up this wonderful Grinch right outside the library. Gotta love the creativity of our elves!

Christmas Greetings....

... on our front door.

Dash at Play...

The kids allowed Dash to join in their soccer game this morning. They love it when he joins in their PE games, but he does tend to hog the ball a bit....

19th Annual "It's a Wonderful Life Party"

Tonight Kim held the 19th "It's a Wonderful Life" Party. I don't remember who created this sign for Kim's porch, but it's been around as long as I can remember. So, for the 19th year, a bunch of pajama-clad women bearing assorted goodies gather at Kim's home to watch this Christmas classic. Alternate years we watch a different Christmas film so we don't get tired of "It's a Wonderful Life." Kim already has plans for our 20th party next year, but she's not letting the cat out of the bag yet. This party is such a wonderful time to slow down, eat sweets and popcorn, drink hot cider, and laugh and cry with friends. What a wonderful life!

Monday: Second Week in Advent

Here's our Advent wreath which graces our kitchen table. Almost every evening the kids and I gather around and read Scripture, pray, read a devotional on various Christmas carols, and sing. This is our sixth year celebrating Advent at home, and I hope that we're creating memories together as a family as we gather around the candles in the weeks coming up to Christmas.

More SSSSnnnnnoooowwwww!

I sneaked out early in my robe and clogs this morning to snap this photo of the meadow in front of our home. I loved the ice and snow on the meadow grasses ... very cool! We had a light snowfall the last two mornings -- such a change from 100 degrees last Tuesday. Weird So Cal weather for sure. :)

"Oh, The First Snowfall of the Winter...."

A minor earthquake jolted Keith and I awake this morning just before 6 AM. The kids didn't wake, but the dog did, so E took him out and reported that there was snow on the ground! After she brought the dog back in, we both stood at the front window, watching the snowflakes fall on our front yard and simultaneously broke into singing from our Bing Crosby Christmas CD: "Oh, the first snowfall of the winter,/The first snowfall of the year...." The pre-dawn quiet was awe-inspiring, but unfortunately too dim to get good photos, although I tried.

So I'm afraid I had to settle on what I saw when I got up the second time which was well after four kids and a dog had romped to their hearts' delight for well over an hour:



Sorry it's not a pristine scene. Snow is a big deal in Southern California, and the old-timers are calling for an unusually cold and snowy winter for us. We're very excited! We've had winters with no snow and winters with just one or two snowfalls. This is the earliest snowfall we've had in our seven winters here, so perhaps a cold and snowy winter is indeed in store for us.

It is very hard for me to contemplate that on Tuesday we had record highs ofnearly 100 degrees, and five days later we have snow on the ground. Obviously life in Southern California can be strange in more ways than one....

Happy Birthday, B!

Our "baby" is 8! (Sssshhh! Don't tell him I called him a "baby"!) Here he opens a box of Legos....



After a day at the Natural History Museum, we came home for pizza and ice cream. B thoroughly enjoyed his day, although he certainly didn't enjoy our singing of "Happy Birthday" to him. (Our family is rather tone-deaf, so I don't blame him....)

Arts Council Meeting

With mimosas, of course! (and Denise, our director, in the background)

Our Creative Arts Council Board of Directors met today for over five-and-a-half hours to brainstorm ideas for the next calendar year. The mimosas were lovely, but we did get a bit silly. Actually, more than a little silly. The spinach quiche, lemon scones, and asian green salad helped quell the giggles, as did the chocolate truffles shared for dessert. We got a ton of work done, and I managed to type up four pages of official minutes afterward....

A Christmas-y Spirit

Our fireplace is the central focus of our living room; it's the first thing one sees when entering our home. And now it's decorated for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, thanks to E who delights in setting up the nativity scene and surrounding elements each December.