Seasons

As each season changes, so does the decor around our homes and neighborhoods. Of all the seasons, I think the change from fall leaves to Christmas boughs is most noticable. There is nothing shy about the way Christmas enters the scene. On November first, the only pumkins and fall leaves you'll see are in clearance bins, and every retail and grocery store is sure to be decked in red and green. I know this bothers a lot of people, but personally, I don't mind it. I do think that Thanksgiving is an important holiday, but the decor is much less festive. Besides, what's wrong with evergreen boughs being part of Thanksgiving? Anyway, I haven't gotten out many holiday decorations yet. I don't have lights, tree or nativity set up. I don't have any holiday wreaths or garlands around my home. But Sunday, I took care of the first item on my holiday to do list. For the last year, the decorations in my home have been second. The first place the season's change for me is at the cemetary where Renee is buried. There we have a small crook where I hang a wreath to match the season. For some reason, this makes her feel so much more a part of the celebration. A part of our lives. At times when I haven't been able to do this small thing, it has weighed on me. I feel like I'm ignoring her, or too busy for her. Even though I know she is not really there, it helps me to acknowledge her presence in my family. And in some ways, it feels like a gift that I give to her. It's one way I remember her, and show my love for her.

Trick-or-treating

Hey, kids!

Who? Us?

Trick or Treat!

Happy Halloween!

So, I thought that this morning I would spend a little time updating my blog and telling you about the picture of the pumpkins in the title, or whatever that box is called...

We carved pumpkins way too early this year, but there was (I think) a good reason for it. The 16th of October is the day that we found out Renee's heart had stopped beating. It's always good for me to have something to do to remember her on anniversary days like that, so I had decided I wanted to carve a pumpkin for her.

William was very excited about this! He picked what face he wanted from his "Five Little Pumpkins" book.

Leonora seemed excited initially, but got a little bored by the time we got one pumpkin done!

She spent a bit of time collecting leaves instead.

Here we are cleaning out William's pumpkin. The kids did a lot of "ewww"ing at the goo from inside. Aaron has a strong dislike for this part of pumpkin carving, so he was the official photographer. I guess he wanted to be included in the picture though, so there's his foot.

Leonora completely missed the carving of her pumpkin, but came back to see Renee's white pumpkin hallowed out.

She also helped a little with the candles and clean-up!

And here's the final product! Including my nice shadow! The kids sat out on the porch watching the glowing pumpkins until bedtime.

Unfortunately only Leonora's has made it to halloween. I think I might have accidentally gotten a baking pumpkin instead of a carving pumkin for her. It was really difficult to carve, but has lasted longer.

Paddy's Day

I hope everyone had a good St Patricks day yesterday! I took a couple of pictures of the kids in their green cloths and thought I'd share. If I knew how to edit photos I could make them look nicer, but here it is anyway!

Christmas

Well, we had a much bigger Christmas than we planned on. We have been given so much by those around us, I don't even know where to start. We have probably recived gifts and money from over a dozen families. Most was given anonomously. I don't think it was from anyone who checks my blog regularly, but just in case, Thank-you! :) Also, a special thanks to the woman in Walmart who pointed out the hole in the back of my pants. Yes, I knew it was there. I've been "planning" on loosing a few pounds before I bought new ones, but she inspired me to use some of the generously given money on myself. Yay for new pants! Anyway, here are some pictures-maybe even a video of our Christmas.

Easter

Easter
Originally uploaded by karalynlund.

Here's a picture of William and his cousins Dari and Verah enjoying the spoils of thier Easter egg hunt.

Good Weekend

We had an exciting weekend! Saturday was my baby shower, which you can read about in my earlier posts. Then Sunday, of course, was Easter. We didn't do too much Sunday morning, but got ready for church. After church, Aaron checked his email and found out that he was accepted into an opera young artist program! He had been anxiously awaiting their email and we were both very excited to hear that they accepted him! Then while he was telling his family the good news, his cousin and her family arrived for our Easter dinner. We had a turkey, potatoes with gravy, veggies, cranberry sauce, rolls, and I'm sure something else... Anyway, it all turned out very good, and I think everyone had plenty to eat! After dinner, we sent the husbands and kids into William's room while the "Easter Bunny" hid eggs for everyone to find. It was a lot of fun watching them (including our husbands) finding eggs, candy, and a few little toys around the room. For the rest of the evening, we all consumed more sugar than we should have, but it was a lot of fun! It was a nice end to a good weekend!

Christmas 2005

Well, we had quite a Christmas. William got to enjoy his last Christmas as the only child/grandchild, and I must say, came away with quite a stash. My two previous posts have more details about that.
Aaron also got to talk to his brother who is on a mission in Mexico, and we spent Sunday night having "breakfast" and playing games with some friends from church. All in all, it was a pretty good Christmas. If you want to see more pictures, go to my Flickr account (there's a link on the right). Sorry in addvance-there are lots of them, and they aren't all the best quality. But some of them are pretty fun.

Some Christmas Gifts

Dscf0059
Originally uploaded by karalynlund.

I got some nice maternity clothes from Aaron's mom, and Aaron surprised me with one of my favorite movies-Moulin Rouge. I also got some rechagable batteries so I can take pictures with my camera (from santa), and some cute bowls with chilly and cornbread mixes from Melissa. There were a few other things that I got for myself, but these were the "fun" things.

William's Christmas Loot

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Originally uploaded by karalynlund.

William got very spoiled this year! Here are most of the toys he got for Christmas.

To Anyone Who Hoped to Get a Card From Me

Sorry, it doesn't look like they're going to make it...
I made the stupid mistake of not taking the stamps (that I bought especially for Christmas cards) out of the bag before throwing it away. My stamps are now resting peacefully in the dumpster outside our appartment. But I'd like you all to know that I had a card for you! :) Maybe you'll get it next year. Actually even if I go get some more stamps and send the cards out promtly, it will probably be next year before you get them. So, if you'd like to recieve a Christmas card from me sometime around the new year, let me know. I'll try to hang on to my stamps long enough to mail it to you.

Christmas is Coming

Does anyone know this Christmas song?
"Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat. Please put a penny in the old man's hat. If you haven't got a penny, a hay-penny (sp?) will do. If you haven't got a hay-penny, God bless you."
My husband will go around singing it, but I'd never heard it before. Anyway, here's my version for you all. "Christmas is coming, my belly's getting fat, and if you're generous, it will all come back!" :) I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season! As a special gift to my friends Melissa and Stephanie, I promise to be less boring and keep you all a little more updated! ;)

Merry Christmas! and God bless you!