The Most Spectacular Show On Earth.

The other day I read Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen. I've been wanting to read this book for some time now, I got it for Christmas and when the perfect rainy day presented itself...I devoured it. I now wish I would have read it more slowly and savored the experience. This book transported me to an adventure of running away with the circus during the Great Depression. I fell in love with the characters and their desire to fit in somewhere, forgetting their past and surrounding themselves with unique and strangely freakish performers. Delightfully intriguing, don't you love it when a book is this delicious?
When Tim and I first started dating I had this incredible desire to go see the circus. He took me to see Ringling Brothers when it came to Sacramento. My excitement ran high waiting for the show to start, but about 10 minutes into the show I started to be sick to my stomach. I couldn't bare the sadness of those caged, trained animals and no animal showed it's emotion more than the elephant. Twenty minutes in and I was in tears. The elephants paraded single file around the arena, trunk to tail-trunk to tail. The last elephant in the line lost the tail of the elephant in front and the trainers whip came down hard, fear flooded the straggling elephant's body as her trunk desperately grabbed at the tiny tail ahead. That was it for me, my romanticized dream of the circus was over and I have had no thoughts of ever going back. I'll stick to reading novels about circus life (if you read it, you'll fall in love with Rosie the elephant), I am far more interested in life behind the scenes of the big top anyways.

The movie based on the book comes out in April. I can't wait!

Happy New Year and thank you for following The Honey Hut.

Eve At The Ranch.

 Friday morning we went to Dad's for a Sattler holiday. 

The 3 J's couldn't make it but as you can see, the rest of us did.

 Dad, trying out Dawson's new scooter. 

Ivy chased him about, calling after him that he was a big kid just like her.

 Some of us girls.

 Dawson showing Ivy the ropes.

 Fun with Big Wheels.

 This face explains exactly how fast this feels. I clearly remember soaring my own Big Wheels down this very same driveway a million years ago.

Our Holiday.

 Everything wrapped and ready.

 Evidence that Santa came, reindeer too.

 "How did Santa know?" was a common comment from both Little Girls.

 Ivy's elusive blue shoes.

 What Santa brought me!

To You And Yours.

This...

 ...is the view from where I sit. 

Jackson happily snacking.

 Little Rambo-tting.

Savannah redecorating.

Weekend Wonderland.

When the holiday season arrives and in celebration you look around the room at all the people you celebrated with the year before, you can't help but count your lucky stars, say a prayer of gratitude and savor the time you have together because thankfully everyone made it back together safely and happily. The weekend was wet and cold, but we filled our days with warmth and love by celebrating the holidays with friends and family. 

Keszler's Christmas Party 

 Petit artists, warming up before the party.

 Santa was there, a big hit with the kids, "he" brought The Little Girls new DVD's. Savannah is still wondering how Santa has our same wrapping paper...oops.

 Ivy wanted NOT to get close to Santa or anything else to do with him for that matter.

 The Treadaway girls and their boys.

 Happiness.

 Blurry but really nothing is sweeter than seeing little William sing Christmas carols while holding a candle. Precious.

 Jeni and I with our elves. Thank you Jeni and Robbie, your holiday party is amazing and I so look forward to it. You are so lovely to spoil your friends the way you do.

We spent Saturday at the Combellacks (my aunt and uncle's), most of my Mom's side of the family was there. It was so relaxing and homey, I forgot to take pictures. But the day was reminiscent of all of my childhood holidays both Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was so normal and happy for me, it hurts when holidays go by and I don't get to celebrate in this way. My Grandparents, Aunt and Uncle, cousins, my siblings, their children and family pets...it was a perfect day. And yesterday Dee Dee hosted a cookie decorating party. More on that to come!

Art Class Interrupted.

Something happened yesterday when 80 kids got their hands on old fashioned clothespins...Art. The kids were focused, serious and creative. I didn't hear the usual, "I don't know what to do." or "I'm not good at this." They happily painted these wooden ornaments, a project my Mom used to do with us four Sattler kids, and couldn't wait to take them home to show their own parents. I must take a moment to thank my sidekick, the incredibly imaginative and artsy Taylor who came up with so many ideas and brought them to "life" on 2-3 inches of wood. The kids love her and tried in earnest to copy her designs.

 My and Taylor's ornaments.

 The students final peeps.