Onyx

I, Sylvia, claim responsibility for adding a dog to our home.  After many searches on Craigslist, this is the dog I (along with Elliot and Annaliese) picked up yesterday in Roanoke.  This is Onyx, a mix of the breeds Great Dane and Labrador Retriever.  She is around a year old.  She's big, weighs 100 pounds, but she's calm, quiet, and friendly.  Just my kind of dog!  

Frankly, I never thought I'd ever own a dog in the city, especially one that lives inside our house, but here, nonetheless, is a dog that we own and that lives inside our house, in the city.  Change is good, right?!

P.S. A sweet story about Elliot:  On the ride home last night after picking up this dog, Elliot said "Mommy, I think Onyx is scared, so I gave her my blanket to snuggle with."  And sure enough, I turned on the light to see, and Elliot had put his blanket down for the dog, right by her head, just like he snuggles with his blanket at night.

Pottery

Here are some pictures of my two finished pieces of pottery:  mug and bowl.  

Makes a handy soup mug.

Learning about glazing.  I like how the overlapped glazes create a completely new color.  Next time I'll try not to dip the piece quite so exactly in half!
Glaze colors = golden olive and oker.

Glaze colors = golden olive & burgundy.

Sunny Big Meadows

Beauty On Skyline Drive...out the car window.

Handsome driver...

Cool shot out my passenger window.

Fun people to hike with.

My handsome husband.

Cute boys loving the snow and squishy muddy slurpy path.

I like this one.

She was a trooper, even though she is sick!  (Hateful severe stomach bug that lasts for days...)

Even though the weather was full sun and in the 50's at our house, I think it barely reached 40 degrees in the mountains, and it was windy = burrrrr!

Bright colors.

Soccer practice.

After a delicious lunch that was eaten in our car beside an overlook (too cold to eat anywhere else), we continued driving down the parkway into the town of Luray, and then back home.  A fun celebration of sunny weather and God's marvelous creation!

Mom is 70!!

A candle for every decade!

Descriptions of Mom:

-comforting

-graceful

-beauty

-wise

-prayerful

-quiet strength

-hospitable

-gardener

-good listener

-loving

-appreciative of beauty

-godly

-faithful

So thankful for my mom!

Michelle's New Home

My friend Michelle recently moved into her own apartment, and to celebrate with her, I hosted a Housewarming/Swap party in my home.  

Here she is with her housewarming gifts, and a sassy new red hat that she picked out of all the swap items!

Nick and his baby, Moses, came to celebrate and join in the fun.

More awesome people hanging out...

This is where the kids played together with their dads....notice all the kids clothing up for grabs!  

Catching Up cont'd...

Life around here these days....

Babysat this sweet little girl, Sarah Beth, while her mom had surgery.  

Dancing together to a Bob Marley song,...

and jumping on the beds!

Story-time with our friend Harrigan.  Annaliese's hand is intentionally on Harrigan's belly, because she is fascinated by the "baby inside".  She fell asleep in this exact position while listening to her pre-nap story!

Cinnamon roll baking with our friend Dina...a great activity to engage in with friends on a gray cold winter day!

Vincent helps make the rolls too, and then decides it's more fun to simply play with the flour...

yum!

handsome baker!

The descriptive faces of Annaliese...sassy and sweet!!!

Whoa!  HAIRCUTS!!!

Catching Up...

Bounce & Play, Charlottesville, VA

(during Elliot's Christmas break)

Great FUN was had by all!