Last Look at 2017

The year 2018 has opened and January is underway.  I was remembering as I walked Willa this morning that last year at this time we were preparing to sell our home and wondering where we would end up.  I kept thinking, "Next year at this time I will be somewhere else, and I don't know where."  Well here we are, we have been living up North for almost eight months!

Here are a few photos that we took through the month of December:

a lot of sledding has been going on

Just another day on the slope

Our wood stove has been keeping the house toasty warm.  In fact on sunny days, I will open my balcony door to cool off a bit.

Corey collected these pallets from a customer on his route and made a deck with them.

Lillia is hiding under Asa's elbow, just in case you were wondering

Here are the graham cracker houses that the kids made.  A family from our co-op joined us in the royal icing/candy extravaganza.  This is the cleaned up snap shot.  Our dining room table was sticky for a few days after this event.

This is what remained after about a week.

These lights have been great at night to light up our sidewalk

We had a lot of snow right around Incarnation Day and it is still with us.

Clive is growing fast, and urinating in the house less!  2018 is already looking bright and quite white.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Christmas and Incarnation

Our Advent Blocks

The big day is almost here and we can’t slow down the Advent clock.  How’s that checklist coming along?

• Lights strung (yes)
• Nativity displayed (yes)
• Baking complete (almost)
• Presents wrapped (no!)
• Menu planned (yes)
• Food and ingredients bought (yes)
• Christmas Music playing (yes)
• Cards sent (yes)
• Gingerbread houses made (yes)

Hmmm what would happen if I answered “no” to every item on my list?  What if I don’t do anything on my list?  Will Christmas still come?  Imagine December 25th with no gifts, no lights, no delectable sweets, no stockings, no music, no pageants... would it still be Christmas?

It all depends on what we define as “Christmas”.  I think that most Christians would agree that we celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25th, but over the years we have tacked on many traditions to commemorate this sacred event - cards, candies, trees, lights, presents, pageants, and a chubby man in a red suit (wait, where did he come from?).

It seems as though there are two separate celebrations going on; one where materialism and sentimentalism greatly influence the hustle and bustle of this time of year, and the other is an attempt to recognize Jesus as Mary's miraculous child.  Corey and I have tried to bridge the gap of this dichotomy we call "Christmas", but every year, after a thoughtful evaluation we have found the conundrum of Christmas to be unresolved.  How do we make Christmas meaningful and communicate to people that we are engaging in something different, set a part, holy?

We have come to the realization that "Christmas" can be whatever people in our secular society deem it to be, but in an effort to secure this high feast day, this remembrance of God becoming a helpless baby so that we who are slaves to sin can be set free to serve Him, we have decided to call the 25th Incarnation Day.  You don’t need cards, candies, presents, lights and trees to celebrate the Incarnation of The Son of God.  What you do need is time to reflect on this supernatural truth, time to read, think, sing, and share with your children, your spouse, and loved ones. 

I am not advocating that Christians promptly collect all their Christmas doo-dads and throw them in the dumpster, however we should be careful that Christmas does not keep us from reveling in The Incarnation.  By drinking deeply of Christ’s condescension and the Father’s love there should be an outpouring of joy and gratitude, and The Spirit may move you to give gifts, make tasty treats to share, string up colorful lights, decorate an evergreen, sing carols, or ring a bell at a grocery store.  None of these things are bad, and none of them are necessary.

What I am advocating is that we do what we do all unto the glory of God, the Most High.  Choose your Christmas traditions and activities wisely, relish the Incarnation, and enjoy! 

                          

Instead of just wishing you a Merry Christmas, I wish you an Incarnation Celebration brimming with hope, reverence, and laughter.

Just a Little Bit of Christmas

The Thanksgiving dishes have been washed, dried, and put away or just tossed in the trash and the sound of the Advent calendar clock is tick, tick, stocking, oops I mean tocking!  I don't know when it started, but I get stressed out this time of year.  I can even remember not sleeping for the whole Advent season one year.  I think I was pregnant but I can't remember with whom!

What presents shall we buy?  Will we get a tree this year?  Will I actually bake for the neighbors this year?  How many lights will I put up outside?  How about that family photo?  EEEkkk!

When we came back from our Thanksgiving trip from the desert I had Isaac take down all two of our Christmas decor boxes from the attic in the garage.  I did get rid of a lot of "stuff" before we moved.  Last Christmas I purged the non-essentials before I put the boxes back in the garage.  When I opened the boxes I felt overwhelmed.  What am I going to do with all of this?

You see, at our last home I had a set place for everything, but now there are not set places, no traditions.  So I did what any rational woman would do, I got out even more boxes.  I brought in the rest of the framed art and photographs and decided that they should be hung first and then I could handle the Christmas bric-a-brac.

It took about a week of trial and error and some major grumpiness on my part, but pictures did get hung.  I managed to hang most of them myself, even though Corey is the official picture hanger.  He is just so good at it, and I really don't like to take the time to do it right.  But I decided to grow up, and do it myself and, yes, I did pound some nails in the wrong places but that is O.K. because Corey filled them :)

Front door entry way

It was actually nice to see all our "wall art" with fresh eyes and to make different combinations with objects from our old house and new things that we have picked up or made since living here.  The wooden board above the entry way shelf was salvaged by me from one of Corey's demolition projects on our property.  I hot-glued different varieties of pine cones that the kids found or that I picked up on my walks with Willa.  The holes in the wood board where already there so it seemed appropriate that it should be hung somewhere.

pine cone plaque

As you can see, I did finally put up some Christmas trappings.  I decided not to find a place for everything, so I asked Corey and the kids what they really wanted to have up.  Asa mentioned the "three men with beards star" that Greta gave me years and years ago.  He wanted to make sure it had a place.  There was also some major interest about the Advent blocks so the kids and I settled on placing them on top of the piano.  Eleanor mentioned the nativity set and we decided to arrange baby Jesus and his entourage on the book shelf in the dining room.  

Last but not least we settled on a place for the stockings.  They are actually quite special.  I started making them about 14 years ago.  I made the first three for Corey, Esther, and I.  I made up a pattern, chose and cut out different colors of felt and ribbons, and sewed each stocking together.  Then I decided on a theme for each one except Corey's.  He chose the Star of Bethlehem.  I have enjoyed coming up with a new stocking for each new member of our family.  When I was making Asa's stocking I new it would be the last, but it also meant that we as a family were entering a new stage and that was exciting.                    

Hospitality

This is an excellent time of year to consider hospitality.  In fact, I was inspired to write this post because of  this quote by Henri Nouwen which I read in Jon Zens' book, Jesus is Family His Life Together:

Hospitality is "primarily the creation of a free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy.  Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place...we can offer a space where people are encouraged to disarm themselves, to lay aside their occupations and preoccupations...Just as we cannot force a plant to grow, but can take the weeds and  stones which prevent its development, so we cannot force anyone to such a personal and intimate change of heart, but we can offer the space where such a change can take place."

I just love love the idea of creating a space where people can "disarm" and "lay aside their occupations and preoccupations".  The Incarnation of Christ is the most wonderful miracle.  God the Son was changed into a man so that we sinners can be changed into the image of The Son, and we can in turn provide a haven where others might be changed as we are being changed ourselves.

Some people excel at inviting family, friends, and strangers into their homes to share the good things that they have been blessed with, and some of us really have to work at it.  Corey and I laugh as we recall a few awkward, clunky attempts at hospitality towards people that we did not really know.  If you are a Christian you are not "off the hook" because your house is small or you don't know how to cook.  The pursuit of hospitality is like anything worth striving for, it gets better with more and more practice.

In fact, hospitality is essential to the growth of God's people.  To be changed, to become more and more like Christ, isn't that what we Christians truly want for ourselves and others?  The Holy Spirit can use our meager endeavors at clearing weeds and stones to change people - family, friends, and even strangers.

Thanksgiving in the Desert

We made our first trip back to the valley to visit the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins for Thanksgiving.  I was taken aback by the openness of the landscape.  The vast farm fields seem to go on and on.  This is the scenery that I have always lived in, but it seems as though six months in the forest has left its mark. In the past I would cringe as we would reenter the desert after a trip to the forest. I would feel depressed by the dull, sage-brush dotted landscape and pine after something greener and cooler.

On this trip I "visited" the high desert.  I appreciated its openness and found the dry rocky mesas and cliffs captivating.  The fields looked like a giant quilt of various patches of green and brown all sewn together and laid across a bumpy surface.  The mountains appeared to be covered in a blanket of taupe colored velvet.  I think that the cool temperatures, low creeping clouds, and scattered rain storms all added to the awe and wonder of the desert.

Owyhee Mountains

After we ate two turkey dinners complete with smoked turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, salad, pumpkin pie and whipped cream, saw how much the cousins had grown, and caught up on current family activities we drove home.  As Corey maneuvered our Suburban through barren mountains and rain storms I admired the beauty of the desert but looked forward to the fresh, tree-filled air.  My thoughts wandered to the forest before I began to see trees. 

 sidewalk to our front door

 I do not miss the desert, but my memories of holidays past filled with family traditions and celebrations will be a scaffold that I stand on as we seven Ankenys make a new life in the woods.

Let It Snow - Forest Jaunts and Toilet Paper Rolls

The inevitable finally happened.  Several weeks ago snowflakes started falling.  In fact, Lillia and Isaac rode home on their bicycles from the library during the beginning of the storm.  They were all wet, but exhilarated from the chilly air and excitement of riding their bikes up our hill in the snow with fresh new books to pour over.

A view from our deck

The morning after our first snow storm I had an unexpected adventure in the woods.  I often like to let Willa and Clive out together and they seem to have fun.  Willa runs, Clive chases and I try to keep up. On this particular day Willa decided to add a new challenge to our morning jaunt when she jumped over the bent part of our fence which leads to our neighbor's forested five acres.  That part was not new, in fact Willa is infatuated with exploring our neighbors' property and has not been able to restrain herself despite Corey's and my warnings and disciplinary actions.  Our neighbors have kindly hinted that they do not want Willa in their forest.

The new part was that on that day Clive decided to follow her through the little hole in the bottom of the fence.  Of coarse I had to follow so I jumped the fence and awkwardly trudged through snow, trying to avoid scraping my face on branches and keep from twisting my ankles on rocks and logs.  Thankfully I was fully dressed with real shoes on.  Clive finally stopped right in my neighbor's backyard and "laid some cable"- as Corey likes to put it.  I did happen to have a plastic baggie in my coat pocket especially for the purpose of picking up doggie doo so I quickly implemented this handy waste remover, hoping that my neighbors were not watching from their back windows while they ate their breakfast... eek!  Then joy of all joy Willa came running out of nowhere and we three: naughty dog, the little twerp, and crazy lady made our way back to our side of the fence.  Willa stealthily bounded over logs and boulders as I carried a squirming puppy, clumsily grazing every branch possible while having to stop and find my beanie.  Whew, what an adventure to wake up to!

As you can see the relationship between Clive and Willa has improved.  They both enjoy laying in front of the wood stove together.  In fact, they often lay or curl up in the exact same way.  Willa no longer stays hidden in Corey's and my bedroom.  She has decided to put up with Puppy Clive and is actually quite patient.  He barks and growls at her and tries to initiate wrestling matches. Willa just takes it and endures the little spark plug.

I also have some very exciting news to share.  Just take a look at this beauty!

We do have all the bathroom walls textured and painted and the toilet paper holder is installed.  Corey has had some problems with installing the new light fixture because of the abnormal wiring, but after a consultation with his father during our Thanksgiving visit he will hopefully get that figured out this week.  As Corey likes to repeat, "Feather by feather the goose is plucked," so it goes with the bathroom remodel.  Someday I will have a sink to go with the t.p. holder.

Introducing Clive and Clara

Greetings family and friends!  We have been plugging away at home school lessons, chopping down trees, stacking wood, and upgrading our grey water basin.  We have been enjoying crisp sunny days amid rainy storms.  The forest looks so lush and green.  We can see a light frosting of snow on the mountain peaks that are partially covered with mists.  It is quite scenic.

Our first autumn at Haefen is going well, and among several projects we have added a couple of new animals to our family.  We of course still have Willa, our Irish Terrier who seems to like her new forest home.  She has plenty of room to run and roam.  Unfortunately our two acres aren't enough and she has been exploring our neighbor's property as well.  We have placed fence-fixing to the top of our to-do list.

Willa posing for Esther and Lillia on the wood pile

Ella and Clara

Before we left Nampa, Eleanor made it clear to us that she really wanted her own hamster.  Esther and Lillia have both had hamsters who have lived out their short but tender lives.  Caring for them were both great learning experiences for the girls.  We promised Ella that when we found a new home she could have her own hamster. 

So several weeks ago, after Eleanor had read a couple of hamster books, we drove to a pet store in Spokane to find a hamster.  They only had one "Robo" hamster left.  Roborovski hamsters are from Russia and they are the tiniest hamsters, about the size of a golf ball, and the last one was a female so we snatched her up, bought some hamster gear, and took her home.

Eleanor decided to name her Clara after a character in the book Dutch Color by Douglas Jones.  Eleanor thinks that her hamster is kind of reckless just like the character in the book.  Clara is pretty crazy, always very busy, and hard to hold.  We had a fun time trying to take this picture.  Eleanor was so worried that she would drop Clara.  So far, Eleanor is a careful caretaker and she really cherishes her first pet.

Clara was a planned pet but the newest member of our family was unexpected, at least to some of us.  Last Friday, Corey came home and asked me to come outside because he wanted to show me something.  I thought that maybe he had found some amazing thrift store treasure that he is known for finding.  He had all the children and I come out to the Suburban and right before he opened the passenger door I asked, "Did you get a dog?".  I thought that maybe he found a stray dog on his route somewhere - you never know what Corey might bring home.

meet Clive

I was on the right path, but strangely this dog was a small puppy with a blue collar with an attached metal tag that read "Clive" and Corey's and my cell phone numbers were engraved on it.  Hmmm... this seemed premeditated.  This dog was probably not found on the street.

Sure enough, Corey "found" Clive online and flew him here from Missouri, which is the same state that Willa came from.  Clive is also an Irish Terrier.  Corey picked Clive up from the airport after work and brought him home as a big surprise!

As is the custom we named him after one of our favorite authors.  Willa is named after Willa Cather and Clive is named after Clive Staples Lewis.  When we found out that C.S. Lewis grew up with an Irish Terrier it just seemed natural that we should name ours after him.

Of coarse, all the kids adore Clive and Corey is so happy to have the long-awaited partner for Willa.  We hope to breed Clive with Willa when he is old enough.  Right now Willa is not "too into him".  She usually stays upstairs to avoid the puppy terror, but he has figured out how to climb the stairs, so Willa has retreated to Corey's and my bedroom.  Willa has seceded the rest of the house to Clive, but she refuses to give up her master bedroom retreat.  Clive receives a strong growl when he comes too close to Willa's hideout.

Hopefully Willa will come around to the program and embrace her husband-to-be.  It has been six days since Clive arrived and Willa has shown some progress.  She will come downstairs when Clive is asleep!