Photo Journal: Thanksgiving at White Oak Canyon

Our Thanksgiving
I hope that all of you who celebrate Thanksgiving had a wonderful one. Despite the difficult situation we are in right now, we do have much to be thankful for. This year we decided to skip all the cooking and go hiking instead. The day was very gray and overcast, but it was beautiful in the woods. We hiked a few miles along a mountain stream to a waterfall (because in my opinion all hikes should involve a waterfall) and then headed back down the mountain and home again. This may become a tradition. I'll post pictures later, but for now thought you might enjoy hearing the water. I am definitely thankful for the sound of water rushing down a mountain. (Oh and there is peek at Larkspur in

Happy birthday dear Beatrix
So we celebrated ten days late.  I don't think Bea noticed.  I was too sad on her birthday, and ever since then I have been waiting for the perfect day, and I'll admit, I was wanting good light for pictures.  I had to give up on that one.  It has been overcast all week, and we ended up celebrating after dark anyway.

And life goes on
Friends still come over for tea parties.I still let my kids do messy tangly things like room weaving.

A deep breath, and a new beginning
I want to start by saying thank you.  Thank you so much for praying for us, for thinking of us, for lighting candles for us, for writing me.  Your prayers and thoughts have carried us through the past week; I know they have.  I will never be able to fully share what happened to bring us to where we are today, and because of that I am aware that our family will be judged.  However, our decisions as parents will never be made in order to shield ourselves from judgement,  but only to protect the best interest of our children, and to keep ourselves on the road that we believe God is leading us, and that i