Christmas Tree Run (a family tradition)

Soon after Dale and I got married (September of 2001), it became important to me to start some of our own traditions.  You see, when you get married you find out that each of us came with 20+ years of memories and traditions....and sometimes they conflict!  Thankfully, we have been able to keep everyone happy by incorporating each of our family traditions and begin a few of our own.

Our annual Christmas Tree Run wasn't really an intentional tradition at first (meaning, I wasn't initially on board with the idea).  Typically I grew up with a fake tree or a nice tree from a tree lot. I had never been on a "Christmas Tree Hunt" before and I wasn't sure I was crazy about it.  "Why?" you may be asking.....well, we started going when Isaac was one year old (2003).  He had fun at first, but he got cold and wet and although we brought a change of clothes for him, he never really got warm and enjoyed the adventure.  Then we had Levi (2004), and then Micah (2006), and we were hunting around for a Christmas tree with little ones was more of the same.  Cold, wet, tired and miserable after the first hour.

And then there was the teasing we got from my dad.  He wasn't impressed at all with our sparse, organic tree!  He would mock our tree which made the hunt for the perfect tree even longer.  You see, my husband has a competitive side....like seriously competitive.  And he was going to show Bob that he could have a beautiful tree.  So the hunt began to take longer, and longer, and did I mention longer? for the perfect tree that would redeem this little tradition of ours.

But kids got older, and we always had friends that we invited to come.  So now they had friends to play in the snow with.  I started taking hot cocoa and eventually we started having a bonfire.  Wow, what a difference a few years makes!  This little tradition was growing on me and we added a few things to make it even more special:

• We started taking our Christmas card picture up in the mountains with our tree every year.

Christmas 2014

• I would have to get a new hat for this yearly picture (how fun is that?).
• We started going toward Naches and always stop at Shari's in Yakima on the way home.
• I purchase a frame ornament with the year on it from Hallmark each year.  So our tree is filled with memories of Christmas' past.

Christmas 2010

Christmas 2013

Christmas 2006

Christmas 2003

Christmas 2014

• We usually have a slew of boys (a lot of our friends have boys) that go with us.  

What a crew! 2014

2013

2012

A few years back I asked Dale what his favorite Christmas tradition was.  And this was his answer....the annual Christmas Tree Run.  It always meant a lot to him and although the early years were semi miserable for me, I am so glad we kept it up!

Playing together with family always brings good memories!

And Bob has been very complimentary about our tree!

Micah (with Dad's help) putting on the star.

The moral of this little story for me is, sometimes being the only female in a house full of males, I have to put on my "man boots" (as my dad would say) and go with the flow.  In this case I am so glad I endured the hard years of this tradition.  Now we have so many memories like:  the year we got stuck in the snow, the year we saw the big horn sheep grazing, the year we had that really great sledding spot, and etc.  Traditions should be meaningful, and this one truly is!

God Bless You and may you have a very Merry Christmas from the Thompson Family!

Getting Settled

Well....we made it!  All moved in just in time for Thanksgiving.  We had a lovely time with family and we also celebrated Levi's 10th birthday (which fell on Thanksgiving Day this year).  We are starting to settle in and enjoy "living" in our new home.

Recently I started counting the places I have lived and the number of times I have moved.  Basically I have moved 8 times in my life and lived in 6 places (4 houses and 2 apartments).  I have found that I really don't care for moving.  I am not an organized person by nature...I have misplaced things mostly due to being in a hurry, not knowing where something should go and stuffing it somewhere which I quickly forget.  Yes, I am typically the one to blame for most of my own frustrations in life.  Admitting you have a problem is the first step....and if I could ever get off the first step maybe I would find out what the second step is!

This already "feels" like home.  I can't even explain how or why....maybe because this is the place I grew up, maybe because this is the Lord's plan.  All I know is that I have never felt more "at home" than I do here.  We are far from finished with everything we have to do.  I think that will go on for a long time, but we are settling in and getting comfortable in our new/old place.

Starting to get the house decorated has been a fun adventure!  A sweet friend of mine has offered much time both shopping with me and counseling me on "defining my style".  Anyone that really knows me can attest that I am not at all a detail oriented person (see paragraph 2 on organization).  I am a big picture girl who likes what she likes.  Sometimes with no rhyme or reason at all!  In studying up a little I have discovered that I am not "eclectic" (which surprised me), I am mostly "traditional" and a little "country" in my personal decorating taste.

There were about four things that I knew I wanted to do:

I have always wanted to have a wall decorated with beautiful plates.  I love china patterns of all sorts and this gave me a chance to have a variety of plates:

I love cattle!  I love watching cattle graze and I love a freezer full of beef!  Part of the year we get to feed them, and the rest of the year they get to feed us.  I wanted to decorate with a few pictures of cattle:

I wanted to find the perfect location for my Johannes Vermeer "Milkmaid" art work.  This picture has a spiritual connection for me that was based on a Bible study that I have done.  I call this my "Lifegiver" picture:

I wanted to put some history up for display.  I had a photo of what the house looked like when my parents purchased it in the 60's and another photo of the house from the 90's.  There is a lot of history here and I wanted to make sure that we always remember where we came from:

Meanwhile life goes on.  The boys love living with their grandparents right next door.  Grandma still has a better selection of goodies in the pantry than mom does.  And Grandpa is always up for a game of Uno.  Life is good and God is great!

Short Term Neighbors

As soon as we made the decision to pursue this demolition and construction project a year ago, we needed to find a rental that was suitable for 7 of us.  We wanted something that was:  close in proximity to our construction site, had at least 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a rambler, a three car garage (we needed good storage), accepted a dog, 2 rabbits, AND would allow 7 people to live there for 6-8 months.  It's not like these kinds of places grow on trees! Some friends of ours happened to have just the place for us to rent.  They gladly accepted us as tenants and we moved in September of 2013.

We had just left a neighborhood that we lived in for 9 years.  We had great neighbors that we had established good relationships with.  When we arrived at our new location, I guess you could say I wasn't "eager" to make friends.  I mean, I was "friendly", but like I said, I knew we would not be staying long (initially we thought we would start and finish construction sooner than we actually did).

It didn't take long for a neighbor boy to start coming over to play.  My boys have become pretty good buddies with this guy.  Every.  Single.  Day.  They want to play with Mitchell.  Sometimes they get into some trouble, sometimes they don't, sometimes they argue, sometimes someone gets hurt, but day after day, they want to play outside with each other.

We all knew we weren't staying here permanently, right?  I mean, don't we understand how this goes? Well, the boys are sad....Mitchell is too.  Even some girls in the neighborhood are bummed to see my boys leave.  In my grown-up mind I have been realizing that this hurt is something I have blown off as small and insignificant.  In the hustle of this process I want to stop and consider my boys' hearts.  Loss of friendship is a sad thing.  I know it, because I have experienced it too.  Adults can keep in touch a lot easier than kids can and let's face it, being close in proximity to people helps you stay connected.  It won't be the same again.  Next summer we won't be there to play with these kids.  They will have new neighbors and so will we, but it won't be the same.

I spent a little time today reminiscing about a neighbor friend that I had growing up.  Growing up rural didn't give me a lot of options for friends but I had a great friend named Alison who came to visit her dad every summer who just happened to live 1/4 mile away.  I was so happy when she came!  We rode horses together and had such a great time.  I was devastated when she would leave at summer's end.  I still remember the loneliness I felt when she had to go back to Auburn.  

I suppose as adults we just get a little more used to people coming in and out of our lives.  Not that we aren't still sad, but we are a little more used to it.  And maybe we don't verbalize it the way kids do. All I know is that this is a sadness that I can't take away, blow off, or snap them out of.  It's real to them and they will feel it for a while.  It's also necessary and part of what shapes them as they grow up.  Still no fun to watch.....

I am thankful for our little house on Amber Avenue.  God has blessed us with a great place to stay during this time and wonderful neighbors!  We are packing up and moving on.  This season is coming to a close and a new one is beginning.  As excited as we are to begin our new adventure, there is a little sadness too.

Our Middle Child

A few years ago I read "The Birth Order Book, why you are the way you are" by Dr. Kevin Leman.  I found it to be so interesting and applicable in figuring out personalities within our home, extended family and friends. Since I grew up with two siblings and I have three kids of my own, we pretty much match the stereotypical birth order personality types.  I think it becomes more complicated for people with larger families to decipher who is what type.  Anyway, this book has helped me to learn and to watch my kids as they interact with me and others.  I discovered a few things about my middle son (Levi) who is 9 years old:

He hates conflict and having attention drawn to him.  This reminded me of a time when he was probably less than two years old.  We were at a church potluck and he was wearing a light yellow polo shirt while eating chocolate cake.  Everyone at the table was amazed he hadn't gotten any on him and THEN.......he wiped his mouth on his shirt.  The entire table roared in laughter and he burst into tears! He was so embarrassed and I couldn't figure out why.

[This is where I was going to post an adorable picture of Levi and he asked me not to......need I say more about the above paragraph?  However, he did want me to post several pictures of his frog named Camo].

Other kids are drawn to him.  Why?  He is a peacemaker and he tends to give other kids their way. Kids like this personality in a playmate!  He is very social and middle children can often seek friendship outside the family more than the other birth orders.

Now some middle children won't like this one, but I think it is very true.....he can be a bit of a martyr and a victim at times.  He tends to keep track of what everyone else gets and knows if he didn't get his "share".  My boys are all competitive in their own way so this has lead us to many conversations about "fairness" in this world.  One of the things I say to my kids is "life isn't fair and it's good to find this out before adulthood!"  I am also trying to teach them to be happy for each other.  "Be glad when your brother does well, not jealous."

He is extremely creative and inventive.  He is always making something around the house.  He loves tools so he can build more things.  He is an especially good helper and knows more about Grandpa's pond than any of the rest of us.  Recently Grandpa went to Nebraska to visit some family and left Levi in charge of watching the pond levels.  One day Dale told Levi he made some adjustments to the pond and Levi responded by asking several questions about what exactly he did.  Making sure Dad didn't mess something up!

A fly swatter Levi built (yes, it actually works)!

Levi made a pillbox to match Grandpa's

He hates sitting still.  I don't think this much applies to birth order, but it certainly applies to Levi.  He is moving all the time.  He is also an incredible frog hunter.  His Grandma Thompson has lots of frogs at her house this time of year and he (I have no idea how) found one in the dark the other night and brought it home.

Levi made his frog "Camo" a boat out of
a Dixie cup and let him float in my bathroom sink.

He also made his frog a couch to lounge on
(also out of a Dixie cup).

All of my boys are special to me.  As Psalm 139:14 says they are "fearfully and wonderfully made". They are unique and this keeps me on my toes!

Getting ExSIDED!

Alrighty, things are moving right along on the old/new homestead.  Here is what has taken place in the last few weeks:

Tile work is done!  I chose brick set tile to be put over the fiberglass tub/shower.  I love it!  The boys' bathroom has a grey/brown glass tile and our master bath has more of a beige/antique looking tile with a slight hint of green (which matches the wall color).

Boys' bathroom

Up master bath

I fell in love with this decorative tile for my bathroom

Mom and Dad have a completely tiled shower that is lovely.
Mom really likes the glass tile look so she chose it as a vertical
strip in her shower and also as her backsplash.

All of our shelves and and our staircase has been installed.  Our finish guys amaze me!  In one day they:  put shelving in 14 closets and installed our staircase.  They are a father and son team and we have been very happy with them.

Closet outside our bedroom for filing, our printer and etc.

With 3 sons we felt it was important to have a very durable baluster (hope it survives)!

My hood cover over my gas cooktop has been installed, uninstalled, installed, uninstalled and installed again.  Long story!  Initially the cabinet guys installed the hood cover and we were unable to put the vent in.  They took it down so we could access the vent even after the installation (in case maintenance is required at some point down the road).  They put it back in (round 2) when Dad and Dale realized they hadn't completely installed the vent.  So....down it came again, the vent was completely installed and the cover installed again (round 3).  As the cabinet guy was putting finishing touches on the 3rd install, I asked my Dad if he had left anything inside (like his cell phone).  We all had a good laugh over the whole ordeal.  I am extremely happy with it and hope I don't see it removed again.  But I won't rule out the possibility!

An inside view

Lighting fixtures are mostly in.  Our electrician is on a 10 day vacation so he will resume when he returns.  My dining room light fixture was broken so it needed to be returned.  This was a blessing because the one I had chosen really didn't match my pendant lights over my island.  A new light is on order and I love it!  It's funky and a little different but also goes with my farmhouse theme.  Dale is not a fan at all, it reminds him of a crystal ball.  I am just sure it will grow on him!

My bedroom light fixture

How cool is this?

Appliances have arrived (mostly):

I chose Fred's because they had such a great selection but we also like working with Dependable Appliance.

Initially I wanted white appliances.....I know, how dated of me!  But having boy handprints on all the stainless isn't pretty either.  Because I wasn't able to get the oven that I wanted in white, I ended up choosing the stainless steel appliances.  I purchased a fridge with the water in the door hoping this will cut down on hand prints.  Also, I have been trying to train my boys to keep their hands off walls and appliances.....they are starting to do a much better job!  One of those things that I didn't notice when I had white appliances, so training has been a bit delayed.

My island top is done.  I wanted to do something different with my island.  I wanted the colors to be a nice compliment to the other colors in the kitchen, but also to have some variety.  I chose to have my island cabinet in a cream color with a glaze.  I wanted a wood top for the island, but not a cutting board.  I ended up getting a deep stain over a hickory top and it has been completely finished.  I am very happy with the result.

Dale and Dad are currently working on siding the house.  This has been a slow process because Dale also has a full time job with a lot of demands on him.  Dad has been amazed at Dale's agility when climbing up scaffolding, balancing and getting up on the roof.  His mom used to call him "Ricochet Rabbit" for a reason!  They are both engineers so they are doing very precise work here.  It is looking fantastic!

Not the most resent picture but as you
can see, it gets pretty high.

Dale using a surveying tool to line up siding.
He is also a dog and cow whisperer!

We have had about 190 days injury free....until yesterday.  Isaac was helping Dale with siding and fell a short distance down the scaffolding ladder.  He admitted later that he was trying to be a little fancy.  A hard but good lesson with a mild injury.  We went to the emergency room to find he had a badly sprained ankle.  He is on crutches now and hoping to recover for football playoffs.  We are so thankful it wasn't more serious!

BUMMER!

Mid-September.....Came and Went

I sit here on September 27th, reading my last post that was written a month ago.  Yes, I knew it was a bit of a stretch but we were hoping to be moving this month.  Well, we are not.  Our house has been a buzz of activities though, and it  has been pretty exciting to see so many subs coming and going!  A lot has changed in a month.  Here is an update:


Our walls have been painted!  We used a company called V&A Construction and they did a fantastic job!  I learned a valuable AND expensive lesson about paint.  When the paint has been mixed but walls have not been painted, it's a $150 expense to change colors (for a few rooms in the house).  Once the wall have been painted it's a $500 expense to change colors.  The moral of the story is:  when in doubt about a paint color, investigate before the paint goes on!  Also, all greens are not alike.  I wanted a few green walls and my first pick looked like mint chocolate chip ice cream without the chocolate chips.  Don't get me wrong, I love mint chocolate chip ice cream!  In fact, it is a favorite around here.  I don't love it on my walls though.  My "fix it" (because I just couldn't live with it) green was more of a light sage which is far more relaxing.  It was a little spendy, but it was worth it.  I love the new color!

Mom and Dad;s Living Room

My bathroom walls (a nice, soft green)

Part of the flooring has been installed.  Carpet will be one of the last things to be laid, but the vinyl, tile and laminate flooring has been put it.  We hired a company called Tight Lines to install the tile, vinyl and carpet, and Dale installed all the laminate flooring.  He is a meticulous guy, so let me tell you how perfect it looks.....it looks perfect!  It took quite a bit of time, but it's all in and we love it.

Dale walking on his newly installed floor

Vinyl in the bathrooms

Tile entry on Mom and Dad's side

Cabinets, kitchen sinks and countertops have been put in.  We used Tri-City Cabinets and they really did a great job listening to what kind of look and feel I wanted.  The kitchen is important to us.  We spend a lot of time there and love to have friends and family over.  Our cabinet guys added a lot of little finishing touches that made a big difference.  They aren't quite finished yet but they should be by next week.

I wanted a farmhouse kitchen so I went with a paint grade maple and a farmhouse sink.

Mom wanted a laminate countertop and a stainless steel sink

Trim and doors have been installed.  This makes the house really look great!  I decided to go with trimmed out windows with a sill.  I have learned so much about details with this project.  I am now paying attention to trim, sills, base, doors styles and etc. These were some of the decisions that really had me searching for what I liked that also fit my budget.

Upstairs view

Meanwhile, life goes on beyond the house project.  We have had a busy month but it has been a great month.  And I am so thankful for all the Lord has done and continues to do in our family.

Isaac (54) is playing his first year of football and having a blast!

Micah turned 8 years old!

Two of his cousins came to celebrate with us.

Dale took a few days off to work on the house and I enjoyed getting up early and working alongside him.  I love digging in and helping him when I can.  This is a view of the sunrise taken at our new house. 

Patios and Porches

back patio

Porches/patios have been poured!  We think they are lovely and look forward to enjoying them when we are all moved in and things quiet down a little.  "When will that be?", you ask.  People are starting to give us their predictions...we've heard mid-September, end of September all the way to the end of October (that guy isn't really our friend!). Our General just says "when it's done", in a grumpy tone but we mostly ignore that attitude and go back to our favorite guess which is mid-September!

The porch work has me thinking back to a few childhood memories.  My folks added the front porch to the previous home after us kids moved out, but the back patio was a place that we all enjoyed growing up.  My favorite memory is when my big brother loved to push me around on my tricycle.  Growing up on a little farm on a rural road didn't offer much concrete for such things.  One day he forgot (?) about the set of concrete stairs that leads to the basement, but he remembered them just in time to jump off the back of the trike.  I love that story!  I have a nice scar to remember him by!  (Love you Ken, you are my favorite brother!)

How could I still be mad at that face?

We also used to love thunder and lightening storms.  We would often lose power back then for long periods of time.  Something our kids don't really get to experience anymore.  We would light all the candles in the house (mom had oil lamps as well) and make sure we had plenty of flashlights to see by.  Many times we would go sit on the back patio and watch the lightening show.  It was both beautiful and a little scary to me but I always felt safe.

I know my boys will make happy memories on these porches as well.  We look forward to family and friends relaxing a bit with us here in the near future!

front porch