Three Favorites

I thought I would share with you three Christmas songs that I fully enjoy. Each of the three brings joy to my heart.  Hopefully, you will be able to click on each song to listen to them. I am working on creating a play list...but until then...enjoy. 

1. Under the Star

Under the Star is written and performed by Rob Taylor. Emily and I had the fortunate opportunity to get to know Rob while we were living in Connecticut. Rob has a wonderful talent and I am ever so grateful that he used his gift to give the world the gift of this song. 

2. Il est né le divin enfant

I was introduced to IIl est né le divin enfant, traditional French Christmas carol, a little over a year ago. After hearing it I finally understood the true meaning of Christmas. Ok...that might be a tad bit of an exaggeration but it is a beautiful song. Performed by the Clare College Singers.

3. Ave Maria

I don't think any Christmas song list would be complete without Ave Maria. This performance is by Arturo Delmoni

As an added bonus here is the translation of Il est né le divin enfant.

Note that the translation is literal, so it doesn't necessarily match the rhythm.

Il est né le divin enfant, Jouez hautbois, résonnez musette. Il est né le divin enfant, Chantons tous son avènement. Depuis plus de quatre mille ans Nous le promettaient les prophètes, Depuis plus de quatre mille ans Nous attendions cet heureux temps. Une étable est son logement, Un peu de paille est sa couchette, Une étable est son logement, Pour un dieu quel abaissement. O Jésus, ô roi tout puissant, Tout petit enfant que vous êtes, O Jésus, ô roi tout puissant, Régnez sur nous entièrement.

He is born the divine child, Play oboe, resonate musette. He is born the divine child, Let's all sing his accession. For more than four thousand years We've promised by the prophets, For more than four thousand years We've been waiting for this happy time. A stable is his lodging, A bit of hay is his little bed, A stable is his lodging, For a god such a humble thing. O Jesus, o all powerful king, Such a little child you are, O Jesus, o all powerful god, Rule completely over us.

Your dilligence in reading the whole post has been rewarded with this little gem

Christmas TV by Slow Club

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

It was our first year cutting down a tree and we scored a 7 foot douglas fir for $17.  Noah was beyond excited as he had been asking to get a tree for weeks.  Kristian couldn't get it cut down fast enough for Noah.  We got it home and had the discussion about how even though some ornaments look like balls we still leave them on the tree and don't throw them.  He has done pretty well with internalizing what we talked about. 

He also has a little faux tree in his room which he loves.  And we have managed to keep all of the decorations in tact on that one as well.  Christmas is going to be so much fun this year!

 

 

 

 

All Things Thrifty

An old college mate has recently started a blog with a friend of hers. The blog All Things Thrifty "is a site to prove to you that decorating can be inexpensive." Brooke and Kallie been thrifty decorators for years. And from the posts on their site they are very talented indeed.

You can check out their site by clicking the icon below. As an added bonus they just starting Seven Days of Give-a-ways. So hurry on over an win one of their fabulous prizes.

 

Happy 63rd!

Mom, Happy Birthday!

We hope you are having an excellent day, and as promised, here are a few clips of Noah being Noah.  I am so grateful to have parents that are so invested in their grandkids.  We love you.

 I believe this is the first time I have gotten him counting on camera, enjoy!

 One day he just started doing these dives.  I have no idea where he came up with it, but it sure is entertaining for us, and good exercise for him.

I am trying to hide so it's not obvious I am getting Noah on camera, thus the terrible angle.  But I did get him singing, finally!  He has learned a lot of his nursery rhymes from those tiny books you gave him.  He often goes in his room and reads them to himself.  We are finding that he has an excellent memory.

Happy 72nd!

My apologies that you must tilt your head to the left, I'm not sure how to turn the video horizontally.

Noah made circles, caterpillers, a heart, and a boat just for you.  I hope you are having a great day Daddy.  We love and and thank you for all that you are to us.

Love,

Em, Kristian and Noah boy

Lakeview farms

This fall season a few friends mentioned this cute little farm which is about 20 minutes away with a pumpkin patch and I found it kind of unique because you get to the pumpkin patch via a short train or boat ride.  Noah patiently waited and we rode the train with Sarah and Preston to go and pick out our pumpkin.  We ended up with a small white one, Preston and Sarah picked out a huge orange one.  The weather was perfect, fall was in the air, and we had two happy train riding, pumpking picking boys.

Happy Halloween!

Yesterday we went to Kristian's office for the annual Halloween party.  Noah couldn't wait to wear his costume.  He has been telling everyone that he is going to be a train for Halloween.

I guess he couldn't wait to eat either.  Cupcakes are one of his favorite treats.

Kristian surprised us with the idea he came up with for his team.  One was a Dr., one was a pig, and the rest were members of the Federal bureau of swine flu crew, (the SFC), armed with face mask, rubber gloves, and neck to ankle suit, dedicated to the eradication of the swine flu, accomplished by providing hand sanitizer to all in need.  Clever.

 

  Now that I am past the half way mark I finally have a picture of my baby belly.  Things are coming along nicely, and yes I have heard it all.  "How far along are you, 6 months?"  A comment from one male without any real understanding of tact, at the time I was 4 months pregnant.  Really it's just not wise to go around guessing how far along pregnant women are, especially if you are a man, because 9 times out of 10 you will wrong and then the conversation will quickly become as okward as an episode of the office.  And then of course I have had a few people tell me that there is no way I could even be 5 months along, I just don't look big enough.  What Kristian doesn't know is that I saw him slip them a $5 prior to their comments.

Here's a moment I have been dying to capture.  Recently I have been allowing Noah to push his own shopping cart at the grocery store, and really it's the simple things that keep him happy.  He obediently follows me through the isles and puts things of his own choice in the cart when he thinks I'm not looking.  He has run a few people over as he likes to watch his feet as he pushes, we're working on that.  After we have fit all we can into his pint sized cart he wheels right up to check out and hands the cashier each and every item.  Really I don't think I have recently seen anything cuter, and I think a lot of our fellow shoppers agree.  It could only be cuter if Noah pushed his cart while wearing his Thomas the train costume.

And the ultra sound results are ....

That we are having

a girl!

I don't know who was more excited to find out the baby's gender of the 3 of us.  Noah has been chanting "sister, sister, baby sister" for the past few days.  I have thought and hoped it was a girl all along, and I found out Kristian has been secretly doing the same.  There is nothing like the excitement and anticipation of knowing that soon, a precious little one will be joining our family.  We can't wait.  

One of the blogs I read had a post with the following quote which I love:

"I believe the act of giving birth to be the single most miraculous thing a human being can do and it is surely the moment when a lot of women finally understand the depth of their power and connection to all of nature. You think it can’t possibly be done, you think you can’t possibly take the pain, and then you do — and afterward you look at yourself in a whole new way. If you can do that, you can do anything....The memory of pain always recedes. The memory of triumph does not."

This season of giving birth, and raising children is priceless.  May my quest to keep up with the day to day while not losing out on the more important precious and ever passing moments prevail.  This season of life doesn't last, and as it passes by I hope to be truly present in each of those precious moments.