holiday....celebrate....holiday...celebrate

(name that song!)


we've been grabbing the reigns of more than one holiday for a few years, and i think we have it down now: we love the food and beauty of Chanukkah, the meaning and reverence of Winter Solstice, and the tradition and excitement of Christmas. it has made for a wonderful last few weeks, strengthening our family ties, given us room to create together, and maybe added a few pounds as well:) here is our 2009 holiday in pictures:

1st night of Hanukkah, b lights the first candles

using family recipes, we ate both potato and sweet potato latkes (with applesauce and sour cream of course), stuffed cabbage, and israeli-style orange chicken.

a little dreidel action

first time wearing a yarmulke..and he ate about 10 sweet potato latkes

loving the beauty of candle light

Solstice night came and after our sweet, private family ritual (you can read more about it here) we opened some gifts for mind and body, to get us through the rest of the cold winter days: clothing and books. here the kids pour over their new books sent by uncle payson and aunt kamla and other thrift store finds:

calendars from grand-p and cookie!

a family photo (george must be a cat b/c i could not fix his eyes on iPhoto!)

christmas eve baking: my cinnamon rolls rose!!

ooey-gooey goodness!

making snowflakes and stars to hang up

and while the girls and i craft.....

papa makes dinner!

our new christmas eve tradition: blake's ramen. soooooo good, and we used one of the chickens we slaughtered for the broth and meat--we felt very connected to this hot bowl of yumminess.

before bed, a little dancing and twirling

a fully-stuffed stocking, complete with cat butt stickers (i bet you can guess who that's for...)

i was afraid they'd fall, they were packed so tight!

a lovely sight heading up to bed that eve....

george discovers the joys of chocolate in your stocking

even papa got some treats in his stocking that he's had since he was a child (his mom handmade it)

drinking tea and handing out gifts

puzzles from grandma!

haha, we found this board book at powell's: Nietzsche 4 Babies.

more goodies from grandma...how did this girl not have a jean jacket already?

blocks rule

and firetrucks;)

a shoe made from pipecleaners...that is SO mayan!

time to eat: egg-and-bacon pie, cinnamon rolls, cranberry oatmeal muffins, lox-and-bagels with homemade cream cheese, chicken apple sausage, and mimosas.

isadore and athena snuggle up together and watch Wall-E

the wind was blowing but it was beautiful and sunny in the backyard...nothing like last year!

C ventures up to see the loft

Athena and Michael feed the chickens

christmas day barn fun!

its so nice to have this little family close to celebrate the holidays with!

dreamy looks from mama and papa nomad...looking over the past, looking toward the future?

don't leave me out, guys!

mayan scopes her viewmaster newly filled with shrek slides

i love my sister-in-law

Athena and a chicken

the egg collector

being silly in papa's glasses

what holiday is complete without a rousing game of scrabble? for the record chemynne, the newbie, kicked our butts.

finally, a delicious christmas dinner of duck legs in braised red cabbage with wine and prunes, and carrots with shallots and herbs. aahhhhhh.....

it was a great way to close out 2009....
what was your favorite part of this holiday season?

snowbound in pdx

The last 9 days have been very un-Portland-like. If anything, the weather has been very...um...Central Oregon-y. But since Portland is not prepared to handle the cold temperatures and snowfall that has been plauging our dear city the past week and a half, things in the metro area have been a bit chaotic--public transportation struggles, all flights cancelled, tire chains and snow shovels sold out, and people in general going out ill-equipped and getting stuck in the poorly-groomed streets or staying home and surviving on whatever is on-hand. With an already flailing economy just days before the major consumer holiday, the timing is downright shitty. But what gives us peace, here on Mt. Scott, where the snow is deep and the roads steep sheets of icy death? We have a freezer stocked with meat and broth, buckets full of grains and beans, vegetables and berries bagged and frozen from our summer harvest, a cord of fire wood, an abundance of family movies, electricity and internet still intact, friendly neighbors-friends, 4-wheel drive and chains, warm weather clothing and snow boots from our days in Bend....The Nomad Clan is doing JUST FINE! This is what the ARTIC BLAST, as the local news had dubbed this freak storm, has looked like from our perspective:

Did I mention how much Blake loves to cook on our new wood stove?

This breakfast consists of eggs from our chickens and potatoes from our garden, AND burning wood from our own property!

Isadore enjoys the first few days of snow accumulation

We head out for some groceries before the next storm hits...this is Goobies first snow! (please note the amount of snow on the crease of roof...you will need it for comparison later.)

Kylin, Mayan, and Isadore make a snowman

The night before Solstice (Friday) I work on the girls flannel nightgowns

Goobie, on the other hand, works on his TEETH.

the snow begins to fall again fast

Solstice night we put up our live tree......."Now what?"

Baby Goobies first treeeeeeeee!

I managed to gather enough holly, ivy, rosemary, and sage for our little family ritual Saturday night

the girls snoogle in their new gowns

The next morning we open gifts. Goobie models his new warm housejacket and checks out his new bugs-in-a-jar toy

Avia (Blake's mom) knit these amazing sweaters for the girls...

...they are a huge hit!

The three Nomad dears have a sibling moment

stuck-in-house=increase in sake and wine consumption...lol...Blake clears the recyclables (even though city recycling and garbage hasn't been seen in a week!)

After snowing all day Sunday, the snowman is now merely a snow-head

Sunday night, a Chanukkah feast--Blake steps in to fry the latkes!

The homemade applesauce is a must!

Mmmmm....the stuffed cabbage was so gooooood

Lightin' the menorrah

Goobie!

Monday we gear up the car for travel just in case. There are three ways off Mt. Scott and two of them were CLOSED! (including the street we live off of) chains are on and we are ready (you know, in case we need more wine:)

Remember that shot of me and the baby in front of the garage...look at it now!! And the snowman head is barely visible.....

All this movie watching, so I finally let the girls both see The Princess Bride (skipped the scene with the ROUSes) and now they (Isadore especially) are obsessed!! Here is the scene from the cover: Westly as the Dread Prirate Roberts and Princess Buttercup.

the snow shows no sign of melting so Kylin and MG eat some snow ice cream

Its a Japanese birdbath ice cream cone! And guess what? MORE SNOW DUE WEDNESDAY. Wish us luck!!!

Yours truly, Mama Nomad