Here’s to life in the new year!
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Christmas party!
Iris turns one with Christmas cookies for her cake…
and caroling for her party!
Many onlookers help her unwrap her gifts.
Cousin Heidi, friend Evelyn and the birthday girl.
Iris is a bookaholic just like her big siblings. 
She loves to be outside and eats sticks and dirt.
She always makes the cutest crinkle nose grin.
She’s learning to help around the house.
And she’s learning to mix and stir in the sandbox.
Tall enough to enjoy the piano.
Enjoys a ‘game’ with Ivy – don’t you love baby laughs?
This little one has changed much in the last year – kind of hard to think back to that helpless newborn when I watch her run around with the big kids. I’m glad to watch the development day by day, the growing and learning, the little things that tickle her humor. One of the perks of motherhood is getting to know these little people like no one else!
Happy birthday little cutie!
A special Thanks
Today I am particularly grateful for the quick arrival of a tiny bundle of joy fours years ago. Flora has blessed our life with a constant reminder to observe and enjoy all things beautiful. 
Two weeks ago we celebrated her life along with her birthday buddy and cousin, Jenny. Being so close to Thanksgiving we planned an Indian birthday party. My Mom, two sisters and I had a fun time preparing a playscape for the party!
We made a wigwam using a dogloo, mom painted the backdrops and Katie found props.
I made a Pueblo house from large boxes.
Lori crafted a canoe with a shower curtain for water.
And teepees we made from feed sacks and easels.
Brian started off the party reading Pocahontas to the guests.
Then we made feathered headbands.
Katie assisted in bead bracelets – kindly supplying the supplies and patience to help a bunch of preschoolers string small beads.
We ate indian food – fry bread, popcorn, jerky and dried fruit. Do you like Lance’s war paint? He didn’t want to take a shower that night and risk it washing off!
We decorated ice cream cone teepees
And of course, enjoyed some cake! Jenny wanted to wear her princess dress instead of her indian costume. One of Flora’s gifts was a princess dress and she has worn it almost every day since then. Maybe next year we’ll just do a princess theme again 
We sure love and enjoy these two girls – so opposite in personalities and natures, but such good friends. Today, when I told Flora it was her “real” birthday she exclaimed “Oh, now I can invite who I want to my party!” She thought a minute and then picked Jenny. I’m glad these two girls can share the bond of friendship as well as family.
Child Development
I think toilet paper rolls are there to prove that, even though “every child is different,” they are all really still the same.
Week off
We are trying a school schedule of 6 weeks on and then one week off. The week off is to have time for some fun projects and refresh our brains so they are ready to tackle learning again.
By the end of six weeks we were working on short vowel blends, using magnetic letters to make words.
The timing of this week coincided with the arrival of our bulk apple order so we spent one of our days making applesauce!
Doesn’t this look like a helpful bunch? Eden washed, mom chopped, Flora put apples in the pot and Iris sampled.
Lance and Ivy were a huge help. They could chop, grind, feed the baby, entertain the little girls and spread work ethic among the ranks.
Enjoying some fresh apple juice!
These three believe you shouldn’t “muzzle the ox that treads the corn” so they enjoyed apples all throughout the day.
My whole team was super and we finished in time to make Daddy a special birthday dinner and cards. Then we celebrated by watching a movie…because mommy was tired.
Today we hosted a tea party – the girls activity request for the week. Things were a bit crazy the day before so Aunt Katie helped with the prep and then Grammy swung by to help with clean up….that’s how we manage to do such fun stuff all the time.
We invited two families with lots of girls to make things more fun. They happened to have super moms who helped me set things out and clean up too.
Eden thinks this a wonderful party.
Princess Flora indulges in some chocolate…so good for the feminine soul.
Ivy enjoyed the social element as well as the smorgasbord for sampling.
During the tea, Lance kept the male guests entertained making bows and arrows (his request for the week). When the tea was finished the boys amused themselves by “hunting” the girls and capturing them in the dog kennel.