Texas City Family

Last fall we visited with the Applegath family in Texas City, including my nonagenarian grandparents.

The girls enjoyed their time with Meemaw, Pawpaw, Uncle Tom, and Uncle James.

Every Applegath family gathering must include games, and this was no exception! I've played countless games at this very table, sitting in these same chairs, and it's deeply satisfying for my girls to do the same.

One of my favorite moments of the trip was watching Grampa teach Hazel to play train dominoes.

The girls were delighted to get lollipops as part of the children's service at their church. Gramma was just delighted by the girls.

She and Hazel enjoyed some good reading time together.

What fantastic role models! May we all live so richly...

...and so full of love.

ICS UN Day 2015

Juniper represented Japan at her school's annual UN Day celebration. Here she is in the parade...

...and an individual photo of her in her kimono.

Sometimes it's like that

Hazel is learning how to write her letters and has gotten the idea that she can use written words to communicate. As someone who used writing as a coping mechanism for my own childhood angst, I could relate to this activity. (In case you can't quite figure out that last word, she often mixes up M and W.)

You don't say, Mr. Claus?

Christmas pageant

Friendly beasts, angels, and shepherds all illicitly stomping down the pews.

Too old for Baby Jesus, too young for a friendly beast...maybe next year, Fern.

Cutest sheep, ever. Hazel explained to me that the best thing about the pageant is that it lets her know when it's Christmas Eve.

Hazel insisted that the Storm Trooper tattoo on her forehead was fine, because her sheep mask would cover it up.

I guess the angels were more interesting than the action down below. Juniper was among the angels for the first time in this year's pageant. Apparently, she and Violet worked out a deal to rotate between angels and beasts each year, so that they can be together in the pageant. Forever. Juniper seems to think that she and Violet are on track to being the only middle-aged beasts/angels in the show.

Merry Christmas, sisters.

Spark the Snow Girl

If Spark came alive, she would grasp my hand and fly into the partichel portal. We would play in Iceland, the land of snow. We would play and play and play! Then, I would have to go home. But, she would say, "Don't worry. Evry time you make a snowgirl, she'll teach you more Tiger-Snow demon triks!" Then I would go home.

--Juniper

 (If you click on the image, you should be able to pull up a larger size version of it. There are some nice details you may miss in the smaller version--especially the portal at the center of Spark's bottom circle.)

Family in Indigo

Grier's Christmas present/project for the family was a natural indigo dyeing extravaganza--shirts, scarves, bandannas, tote bags, aprons, and tea towels. It was fun to have so much of the family together for Christmas this year!