our tree house, in progress

I missed a good chunk of the build and I'm sorry to say that I wasn't there to capture the progress from start to finish. While I missed each small step, maybe seeing it after a day's work was better - it was exciting to see how much had been accomplished. The first picture was taken after two full days of work, the second was during the third day, and the last two were taken on the fourth day. With the framework up, I can almost see my dad's vision, and I'm impressed.

On one of the nights, in between yawns, my dad said, "You know, I just really like the idea that I'm building something for my grandchildren. Something that will bring them happiness and lots of good memories." Uh, yeah, I'd say I'd have to agree with that. And I'll add this - I love that my dad gets to use the knowledge that he learned working side by side with his father and that he's sharing that knowledge with Brian. It feels like a big moment, and I think that Sarah and Eric, in their own ways, would agree. They already love it, and they're really excited to see the finished product.

Side note - While I wasn't around much, they did rope me in to helping pull up two of the sides. And when I was helping, my dad was swearing. When I asked about this, Brian said he'd been doing it a lot. I was entertained by the fact that while he was swearing, he was enjoying the process at the same time. What's up with that? Is that just a woodworking/carpentry thing?

the two of them

They bicker. They irritate each other. They get angry and yell. They make each other cry. Sometimes, they would rather spend time with anyone else.

But they also make each other laugh hysterically. They play make believe. They defend each other. They tell stories and listen to each other. They draw pictures and make things for each other. They give compliments and enjoy each's other company. And, sometimes, they even hold hands, without a suggestion that it's the nice thing to do.

Giving Thanks

This week, we are thankful for our family, with whom we celebrated Thanksgiving. We are thankful for the food we shared and the fun we had. We are thankful for the toys and ideas that kept us busy and inspired. We are thankful for pilgrims and homemade butter. We are thankful for beautiful days and outside play that came with warm weather. We are thankful for football games and card games. We are thankful for fuzzy jackets. We are thankful for a place to rest our heads, especially when we're sleepy. We are thankful for each other.

On Father's Day

On Mother's Day, Sarah asked us when it would be Kid's Day. Our answer - every day is kids' day. Even on those days that we celebrate the parents. And today, we had a great dad's/kid's day. Sarah and Eric proudly gave Brian and Grandpop their cards, and then, for the most part, it was all about the kids.

We started the day with doughnuts, a New Jersey tradition that Sarah and Eric look forward to with great anticipation. After that, we went fishing at Moxon Pond, another summer highlight. The two dads got their one break during the day when Brian took Grandpop out to lunch at Jimmy Buff's, a local (meat-focused, high calorie, high choloesterol) institution. The rest of us happily ate at home.

After lunch, we checked out an antique car show, saw some horses, played on a playground, and found a geocache. And even though it seemed like the day should be done, we weren't quite finished. We played for a couple of hours at home, without fussing, which was the best dad's day gift of all. We were treated to filet mignon for dinner and popsicles for dessert. We had a very full, happy day.

windflower

I've been taking pictures of wildflowers recently because I want to hang a bunch of them on the family room wall. (If anyone cares to know, this series will actually make it up on the wall, unlike the office photo project.) Anyway, this one is a windflower and it's my favorite photo so far. Can you tell why?

Nana's Sweaters

The other night, I thought it was warmer than it was and gave Sarah a sleeveless nightgown to sleep in. She loves the thing, and I knew suggesting a change of outfit wasn't going to go over so well. So instead, I offered her one of the sweaters that Nana made for her. She happily agreed and put it on.

With a big grin, she said, "Nana's sweaters are magical."

I agreed and then asked her why she thought so.

"They keep you hot and cold," she said.

I asked, "Do you mean they keep you comfortable, no matter what the temperature outside is?"

"Yes," she said, with another big grin.

Just a Taste

We had a GREAT time visiting our California family. There's nothing better than getting to hang out my sister, not to mention her sweet boys, too. (And, really, I don't think I could ask for a better place to visit her, especially when it's sunny and warm.) I have lots of photos to share and stories to tell, which will come in the next few days. For now, here's a taste . . . a a

December

Our days are always busy, but right now I'm almost certain that December is (by far) the busiest month of all. We made, we cleaned, we played, we baked, we cooked, we gave, we received, we celebrated. These photos are all out of order, because after three days of uploading all the pictures and moments I've neglected to share (because even if I wanted to, I was too busy), I'm ready to be done with December. It was a wonderfully exciting month, as it always is, with both Sarah's birthday(s) and Christmas.

We spent the week leading up to Christmas with my side of the family, and despite the chaos and loudness that four small children create, we loved (almost) every minute. Like Thanksgiving, Christmas is made more special with family. We're grateful that we were able to share our home this holiday season.

Even though my mom cooked ALL the dinners (yes - ALL) and the rest of us helped with cleaning and dishwashing, it took several days for us to recover after everyone left. I felt like Eric looks in the last picture. We're mostly back to normal.

So, as I said, these photos are all out of whack. According to them, Sarah's birthday party came after Christmas. And we must have gone to the Christmas parade recently, not at the beginning of the month. In reality, the ice cave was built the day after Christmas, but who's counting? Maybe sometime in January, I'll organize them all, or maybe I won't. It would probably be more fitting if I let them stay as they are. It'll give me a good sense of what December feels like - very full, very happy, and very, very busy.