merry christmas eve

 

"May we increasingly learn and more fully understand that Jesus Christ is the 'light which shineth in darkness.' In every season of our lives, in all of the circumstances we may encounter, and in each challenge we may face, the Savior is the light that dispels fear, provides assurance and direction, and engenders enduring peace and joy. May the beautiful lights of every Christmas season remind us of Him who is the source of all light." --David A. Bednar

with love,

the wheelers

thirteen

 or the one where summer grows up.

my morning person. my helper. comfortable and cozy and clean. reading books, chatting with friends, listening to music. she knows all the words to all the songs by ajr, and she can't pick a favorite anything. no drama (as long as there are no shots). acing (the highest level) math. two and a half inches shorter than her mom (and counting every inch). 

still on her tiptoes. still looking out for the underdog. still without guile, and still believing the best in people. 

but my baby no more. 

happy birthday, beauty! may your forthcoming teen years be kind to you, and may you spread that kindness around.

autumn in orange

How silently they tumble down
And come to rest upon the ground
To lay a carpet, rich and rare,
Beneath the trees without a care,
Content to sleep, their work well done,
Colors gleaming in the sun.

At other times, they wildly fly
Until they nearly reach the sky.
Twisting, turning through the air
Till all the trees stand stark and bare.
Exhausted, drop to earth below
To wait, like children, for the snow.

--Elise N. Brady

be kind, rewind

so here's the thing: i have somehow accumulated a pretty decent pileup of unpublished blogposts and pictures dating back to october (trick or treating!) of last year. yes, all the way back to the land before time. the time before now. the then before this.

my hope is to publish them all before october (trick or treating?) of THIS year. and if you so choose to follow along, then prepare yourselves for a bumpy ride because i anticipate being all over the place with this little task like a super uncoordinated time traveler. 

first up: raspberry picking!

this we did in july 2020. the berry fields were pretty packed due to the pandemic and folks maybe not having much else to do (and also there being half as much capacity for picking), so we had to rise and shine and be out at harvold's before 8am--a first in almost a decade of berry picking--in order to not be turned away. 

luckily, we made it in time, we stayed in our lane, and we got to pick our little berry hearts out.

after the harvest, we enjoyed our traditional raspberry milkshakes, and then bryan and i went on to low-key ruin all but one of our seven batches of jam (another first) by mixing the sugar in with the pectin simultaneously like amateurs who couldn't read directions. the good news is the kids don't seem to mind our super runny jam, and the overall "twenty-four pints of raspberry jam we ruined" vibe seems to fit in with 2020 just fine. 

and so it begins

first day of school pics!

ugh. don't even get me started on this one. 

older, wiser, taller, and set up all the computers for us last night.

starting off middle school--one of life's bumpiest transitions--in a pandemic. 

taking on the challenge like a boss. brain of steel, heart of gold.

back in school together for all but two remaining years of their education.

third grade and as confident and independent as ever. 

ready to do the math and memorize the things and maybe read some stuff, too (if he must).

and finally, first grade doesn't even know what it got itself into with this kid. 

also, is it wrong that i'm kinda hoping his two front teeth never grow in?

cruising through elementary school together for three more years. 

the whole crazy crew after a first day well done.

not pictured: me, trying to rise to the occasion of distance learning and follow the example of resilience and flexibility set by my children. God bless the teachers, heaven help the parents, and may the kids--as they are wont to do--make it through the whole thing just fine. 

girls of summer

late summer days and nights are my second favorite season of the year.

my first favorite season is october. 

backpacking: toleak point, bonus

but wait! there's more! a handful of straggler pics (for mere!) from around camp:

the best part of any camping trip: le feu. 

not sure how much longer i'll be able to pick him up like this.

(in this case, i'm trying to keep his feet out of the sand since he's all clean and ready for bed.)

the young boys minus eli, who--like a deft ninja--is a little tricky to catch.

backpacking: toleak point, part 3 of 3

and lest we forget that this was, in fact, quite the hike, here are a few pics of the joy in the journey.

there:

and back again:

(burying banana boat.)