Small Moments Captured

The Best Part of Waking Up...

2012-01-28T09:37:00.003-05:00

There's nothing like starting your morning with a mouthful of old coffee grounds.
Could it be there is someone in the family who loves
coffee more than me?

Still Here

2012-01-15T09:23:00.007-05:00

Hello there! Yes, I'm still here. I'm just having major writer's block...not that I write a whole lot anyway :). A quick update of random stuff:

We're back to homeschooling. One of the fun things we've been able to do is coincide our study of seeds with a sprout kit Aunt Katie gave the kids for Christmas. The kids have loved watching the changes occur.
This mild winter weather has allowed for a lot of muddy, outdoor play.
I have a few sewing projects I've been finishing up. Pictures to come eventually.
As far as new goals for the year, I have a few areas I'm working on, but I've been contemplating them since early December so we don't have to call them "resolutions" do we? :)
We have been feeding the birds this winter and it's been so nice to see the cheerful red of the cardinal, the sweet black cap of the chickadee, the adorable eyes of the tufted titmouse and the climbing antics of the nuthatch. They make me happy.
I've been very introspective lately. It makes me quiet. Thoughtful. It's like I can't think about much else until I resolve things in my mind. I'm not sure that's a good quality for those around me, but it leads me to the Lord for his leading and direction. Time spent pondering with Him is a good thing.

Here's hoping your winter is off to a good start... resolutions or not! :)

"one"derful!

2011-12-21T15:17:00.004-05:00

Today marks a year when in the wee hours of the morning our sweet boy was born. He was laid in my arms and for the third time in my life I thought I'd never seen anything more precious. To think, after our miscarriages we decided to try just once more. And look at what God's gracious hand gave us. We know he is a gift. He belongs to God, as do our other kids. He is not ours to selfishly hold on to, but it raise up to bring glory to Him. I'm just so incredibly grateful that He chose us, in His perfect plan, to have such precious gift. Thank you, Lord.

Ethan, you are:

My sweet rascal. You are laid back, yet determined. I don't know how those two character traits coexist, but you pull it off! Curious should be your middle name.
You are a jokster. You tease me already in your own little way.
I love it when you smile and crinkle your nose. Oh, it warms my heart!
You love the outdoors more than any other place! Absolute glee exudes from you when we step outside to play.
You are quite the conversationalist. I love your jibber-jabber.
I cherish our snuggle time. Your silky hair on my cheek is good medicine.
...and your laugh is music.

Happiest of birthdays to you! We love you!

11 Months...And So It Begins.

2011-12-01T13:25:00.003-05:00

It really all started yesterday. First, two separate attemps at four steps each, then nine. He still prefers crawling, but occasionally I catch him taking a few careful steps on his own. I'm excited, proud... and maybe just a tiny bit sad. How can my baby be almost a year old? I'm so grateful for him. What a sweet addition to our family!

Five

2011-11-10T13:59:00.005-05:00

On Sunday, Lydia turned five. Oh my! How time just scoots along.
We had a simple family celebration earlier in the day and then with our house church
family in the evening.

Upon waking, she donned the purple crown I made her last year and did not remove it until bedtime. She requested spaghetti for dinner and a chocolate cake with light purple frosting. Overall, I would say her day was a success!

Our sweet babysitter, M, brought Lydia an Aurora Princess Baby.
She's in love.

Some of your favorite things:

Color- purple
Food- spaghetti, oatmeal and french fries
Activity- swinging, twirling, racing your "car" down the driveway
Theme- princesses, fairies

Lydia,

My precious daughter.
You are a great blessing and it is an honor to be your mom. It's been a joy to watch you grow the past five years. My heart melts at your tenderheartedness, yet you have spunk! I love your silly moments... and there are many. You are my sweet girl and I am so thankful you were chosen by Him to be a part of our family. I pray that He will enable me to be a mom who will show you what it is to love Jesus and to love others.

yours forever,

momma

A Robot, Fairy and a Kiss

2011-11-01T07:20:00.008-04:00

Last night the kids had such a great time! There was a major countdown going on
here until the moment we stepped out the door.The fairy and the robot, all ready to go.

And of the course, my Hershey kiss who was forced to come along the big event.
He was quite a trooper.

And the only thing he's guilty of melting is my heart.

On a side note, I wanted to share this fun frosting recipe. It's very sweet, so it would
best be paired with a dark chocolate cookie or a cookie that's not overly sweet itself.

Spiderweb Icing:

3 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp corn syrup (I would like to try honey or brown rice syrup next time)
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp + 4 tsp milk (separated)
2 Tbsp cocoa, sifted (Trust me, it's worth the effort)

Blend sugar , corn syrup, vanilla and 3 Tbsp milk plus 2 tsp milk until smooth. Remove 1/3 cup icing and stir in cocoa and remaining 2 tsp milk. Transfer chocolate frosting to a baggie. Snip the corner. Ice cookies with vanilla icing. Beginning at the center, pipe a spiral of chocolate icing onto the cookie. With a knife tip or a toothpick, drag through the spiral to create a web pattern. Let stand until set.

10 Months

2011-10-29T22:19:00.002-04:00

Do not let this mellow look fool you!

There is a spunky, very curious, active little boy emerging with each new day.
Still as precious as ever though.

Summer Favorites: Silly

2011-10-18T13:40:00.007-04:00

The kids making their scariest faces two weeks ago.
Pretty cute villains, huh?!

Lydia's drawings named: Scary Cat and Mean Dog. I'll say!

These are pictures from a night when we all just randomly started
making funny faces at each other during dinner.
I'm not sure how much food we actually ate.

As Ethan was learning to crawl, one of my favorite things he would do is strike
random "yoga" poses and just hold them. Gotta admire his strength!

These pictures bring a smile to my face every time I see them. I love random, silly moments of
life. They help bring perspective to the more stressful side of life!

Summer Favorites: Faces

2011-10-14T12:02:00.004-04:00

There were so many things I wanted to blog about this summer and somehow it never happened. So I wanted to take the next few posts to share my favorite pictures from the past few months.

A rare close-up of the man who leads us along.

Hard at work, black knee highs and all!

Sweet little face peeking out.

Pure joy.

Really Mom? Could you lay off the photo shoots?

This was an outfit Lucas proudly picked out for himself one morning. I'm not sure what I like more, the tie or the shirt tucked into his shorts.

Oh, I could melt into those sweet baby blues.

Double sweetness.

Projects from the Summer

2011-09-29T22:02:00.001-04:00

(Please pardon Blogger's weird spacing of my photos and such...not sure what's going on.)

This summer has been full of projects for friends and family who were having babies. I made three nursing covers...

This is the cover I made for my SIL, Katie:

The green one I ended up keeping for myself:

Here is my favorite one.

My SIL, Katie, hired me to make a cover for one of her friends. She wanted something neutral so I chose linen with a few of my favorite neutral quilting fabrics.

These are my replication of some fabulous burp cloths my sister, Katie made for me when Ethan was born. I have loved them so much I asked her if I could make a few to give as gifts. If you are looking for a great gift to give at a baby shower you should check out Katie's burp cloth sets. They are incredibly soft!

My favorites. I love a fancy embellishment.

And these fabric cubes take the cake. Katie (my SIL) hired me to make these also. I was so pleased with how they turned out. I love the fabric color combination. I hope the momma and baby who received these loved them too!
Thanks to my family, I also had the opportunity and blessing to make jam and can peaches, salsa and tomatoes. I was also able to put some corn in the freezer for the coming winter. It's a lot of work, but there is so much satisfaction that comes along with it, especially when you can taste summer in the middle of winter :)

(Just love the color of these peaches and jam)

So, that sums up most of my craftiness this summer. This winter I REALLY want to focus on quilts for the kids rooms. I've been talking about it and thinking about since I was pregnant with Lucas. Think it's time I did something about it? I hope I have some progress to share before the year is out.

9 Months

2011-09-21T16:20:00.000-04:00

I promise this blog isn't all about Ethan! Although, in my opinion he is cute enough to have a blog all about him ;) It's just been so crazy the past few months I haven't taken the time to blog about anything else!

Bub-Bubs, as I like to call him, hit the 9 month mark today and it blows me away how quickly time has passed! My sweet boy is crawling like a mad man, following me everywhere. He's pulling up and has a mouth full of precious little teeth... and the pediatrician told me yesterday he is getting his one year molars already. Code for high alert for biting, for this momma! Everyday, I'm am reminded of what a precious gift and addition he is for our family. I am so, so thankful for him.

In other news, we have finally kicked off our first official year of homeschooling. We are doing a mix of Classical Conversations through a local coop and Sonlight. I know a lot of moms turn the CC work into full time curriculum, but I decided to put emphasis on Sonlight and we are really enjoying it so far. We are also incorporating Math-U-See and Explode the Code. Since I'm kind of a newbie I may find that we are taking on too much, but that's the beauty of it all. We can tweek things as we go.

In other great news, I recently put my notice into work to change my hours to per diem. For now I will work every Monday, but I'm so excited to grab my Fridays' back for my family. This has been a goal for us since Lucas was born 6 years ago and we were now finally approved for an individual insurance policy. I can't believe we are finally to this point! Eventually we may get to the point where I can work even less.

I miss blogging so much! I'm hoping I'll be able to post more frequently soon. I have a few posts that are partially finished just to show some of the things that went on around here the past couple months.

A Delicious 7 Months...

2011-08-06T07:00:00.002-04:00

Couldn't you just eat him up?

A Mistake with a Sweet Ending

2011-08-02T22:14:00.006-04:00

Lately, Lydia has been asking to have her hair cut. We decided last night that today was the day. I offered to take her somewhere to have it cut, but she insisted that she wanted me to do it... and, I'm sure you can figure out where this is going.

She said she wanted her hair to look like her friend H's hair. I convinced her we should try shoulder length first and then cut it shorter if we decided we wanted to. Right after I reminded myself to make sure she didn't have her head tilted I made my first cut. And, well, her head was tilted. So much for shoulder length! So, I tried to fix it, but I kept making it worse. (Are you laughing yet, Jenn? It sounds oddly familiar, doesn't it? Sorry again about your 8th grade bangs!). Needless to say, I made an emergency appointment with a local salon and they swooped in and saved the day. I was pleased to find she didn't have to do too much trimming to even out my mistakes. BUT, I learned my lesson. I will not be cutting her hair at home again.

She looks sweet. And the style complements her tiny little face, so overall it turned out to be a good mistake!

Before: (OK, so I do miss her long hair a little bit.)

After:

(my haircut)

(salon haircut)

Because It Is That Good...

2011-07-16T11:52:00.007-04:00

(Just a random favorite spot in my flower garden)

My sweet friend, Amber, posted a link to this article. It was so timely and so convicted
my heart. It may not be as effective for you, but this mom is guilty of putting "important"
things ahead of my children. Really, what is more important than
investing in the very precious blessings the Lord has graciously given me?!
I wanted to post the link on my blog as well because as I said, it is THAT good!

A Few of My Favorites...

2011-06-27T22:49:00.003-04:00

Vintage Princess

My Favorite Boys

Best of Friends

Generations (my dad... love you!)

The Light in His Eyes

I Do Believe....

2011-06-09T16:17:00.003-04:00

Summer.

Is.

Here!

Hope you are all finding ways to stay cool!

You Made Me a Mom...

2011-05-27T07:51:00.007-04:00

When I look back a little over six years ago I thought I might miss out on being a mom. (This was before the Lord opened my eyes to the beauty of adoption.) Getting pregnant was taking longer than I had hoped and I was getting worried. I was almost 30, after all. What I didn't realize is a lot can happen between 30 and 40... and beyond. Just when I had come to peace that the Lord may have different plans for us I found out we were expecting you. And my life has never been the same. The Lord has used you to help mold and shape me in ways no one else could.

The day you were laid in my arms my heart burst open with a scary kind of passion. I was so in love I ached. You, my sweet boy, have altered my life in ways you won't understand until you hold a little one you call your own.

~You have grown into a sweet, vivacious boy. ~

~You love to be silly and you crack your sister up! ~

~You have a strong will that will serve you well. ~

~Curiosity might as well be your middle name. You want to know how everything works.~

~You are passionate about numbers and can be found at least once daily with a calculator in hand figuring out things like how many days you've been alive... 2190 days, Buddy.~

~You are the family Meteorologist. I can rely on you to give me the day's forecast,
with any necessary updates throughout the day.~

~This year I had the priveledge of teaching you how to read. I love to feel your little
body next to mine as we read together.~

~I had the joy of watching you fall in love with your little brother.~

I have been blessed to have had one more year with you!
Happy 6th Birthday, Lucas! I love you so very much!

Five Months...

2011-05-19T15:29:00.006-04:00

I haven't taken an intentional blog break, but it's been one of the last things on my to-do list. Things have been crazy here with my job situation and just keeping up with life. Especially laundry for five. I had no idea that one little guy could take laundry from manageable to "Do I have any clean underwear?" and "Do we not have one clean burp cloth out of the 500 we own?"on a weekly basis.

But look what I get to wake up to every single day!
He is so cheerful. My own personal little song bird.
I usually get a few minutes alone with him before my other ones wake for the day.
I'm blessed to have these special moments.

(You may not find this as adorable as I do, so feel free to stop this at any time :) )

I hope to be back soon to show you some fun the older kids and I had planting
our garden during our one nice week this Spring :)

Three Months (Better Late Than Never)

2011-04-06T15:33:00.004-04:00

Oh, those cheeks...

those eyes...
that sweet nose...
that tiny mouth...

his chubby, squishy body!

A feast for this momma's eyes!

Simply Saturday: April 2, 2011

2011-04-02T12:37:00.005-04:00

Kids in the basement running circles to music
+
sleeping baby
+
several loads of laundry
+
one soothing drink
+
HGTV/Food Network
=
a simple Saturday task turned leisurely

Join Jenn for more Simply Saturday posts. Link up!

She's All About the Bling!

2011-03-23T12:58:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, Lydia had to miss an event that was quite important to her. She's had a junky cough with a recurring fever in the evenings. I just didn't feel like I could let her go to this special class. When I told her the news the light just went out of her little eyes. It just about killed me!

So, to make up for such a disappointment we picked up some Caribou Coffee Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal and I let her pick out one piece of jewelry in the clearance section of a local jewelry shop.

Let's just say, the girl likes it sparkly!!! She's quite proud of her new watch!

Simply Saturday: March 5, 2011

2011-03-05T10:00:00.006-05:00

Quilting has always brought such contentment and joy to my heart. These days my opportunities to sit down and sew are few and far between. Right now, I'm diligently working on half square triangles for a pinwheel quilt for sweet Lydia. This is the pinwheel block I'm currently working on. I think I'm going to love them when they are done.

Up next: quilts for Lucas and Ethan. They should have them by the time the leave for college :)

Join Jenn today for more Simply Saturday!

Two Months...

2011-02-26T21:53:00.003-05:00

Precious. Sweet. Snuggle-bug.
A ray of sunshine.

Simply Saturday

2011-02-19T14:54:00.006-05:00

Today, I'm linking up with my sister today for Simply Saturday. She has recently started a weekly posting where people of all photography levels can post a picture that speaks of home or simplicity.

Something that brings a spirit of contentment for me that seems counterintuitive is baking something fun or challenging on a Saturday afternoon. It doesn't happen every week, but last week I took a stab at Smitten Kitchen's Cinnamon Raisin Bagels. They were definitely time consuming, but worth the effort. It's not something I plan to tackle every week, but it's nice knowing I can make a great bagel on my own. They were SO tasty straight from the oven. I'm looking forward to trying different combinations in the near future! You should give them a try... (I even used all purpose flour- gasp!)

Go visit Jenn to see other ideas of simplicity!

Two Peas. One Pod.

2011-01-27T16:00:00.009-05:00

Who is who here? My little men seem to have
the same handsome qualities!
Not that I'm biased.

Lucas

Ethan

Lucas

Oh! I don't know if I can handle this much sweetness one more time!!!

One Month... (and Change).

2011-01-24T14:23:00.005-05:00

Well, the little one turned one month old last week. Officially, I guess he's 5 weeks tomorrow. But, hey, lets go with the day of the month. It'll make it easier. I'm a little behind, but that's just the way things are right now.

I can't believe how quickly time has passed! I will be returning to work next week (SOB!!). Please pray for my sanity. I'm still trying to get this mom-to-three thing and then to take 20 hours a week away will make it a little more crazy. I know we will definitely find our own rhythm. It may not be until 2012, but we will get there. But I do truly love having this little guy around even when it makes for a little chaos.

Today during my brief quiet time- I think there was a certain someone attached to me at the time- I prayed that God would lead me to a verse that would calm my anxious heart. (The thought of returning to work has been really hard. Darn insurance!) And this is the verse He led me to:

Psalm 73: 26 "My heart and flesh may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever"

I love that! The STRENGTH of my heart. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, because when I think, " I can't", His power is made perfect in my weak and failing flesh.

Random Thoughts from A Foggy Brain.

2011-01-06T17:28:00.013-05:00

**It is not wise to get on the internet first thing in the morning. Time moves exponentially faster.

**My darling new son is the Houdini of diaper leaks. Four different outfits in 3 hours. Apparently my "tucking" and "cinching" skills have gotten a bit rusty.

**Breakfast at 10am and lunch at 3pm does not do a body good, especially when said lunch consists solely of Bill's Donuts.

**It's not always wise to indulge in a craving even though it's been haunting your thoughts for weeks. (see above :))

**Being in my pajamas until noon... or later... is not all that uncommon anymore.

**Housework CAN wait.

**The "baby blues" really stink. Temporary insanity must be instated. It makes you cry because your baby turned 2 weeks old and he's growing up way too fast! (Don't worry... I'm doing OK :))

**I have been blessed with the best family and friends.

** I really can give up coffee and dairy (again!) for my little man.

**There are some mighty fine teas out there for this momma's wake up routine. My favorites right now- Earl Grey, Cinnamon Rooibos, Spiced Rooibos... YUM!

**I'm finding it's almost easier to find clothing in a heaping laundry basket than a dresser drawer. Please excuse the wrinkles.

** My kids have a built in radar for anytime I'm on the phone or I attempt to read my Bible.

**I'm getting really good at typing with one hand!

**The song playing on TV is..."Every Dinosaur Poops". Hmmm... time to do something a little more productive. Ha! No pun intended!

**I am SO loving being a mom to 3. As crazy as it is right now, it still feels so right.

**God is so good. God is so faithful. Even when we can't see Him working.

New Year Reflections

2011-01-01T16:29:00.005-05:00

Today I was reading from "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young. I had missed a few days surrounding Ethan's birth and today I read the following excerpt from the day Ethan was born. I feel like it perfectly describes the beginning of what we experienced as a family in 2010 and even as we journey into 2011. I see and feel my Father working and molding...

"My plan for your life is unfolding before you. Sometimes the road you are traveling seems blocked, or it opens up so painfully slowly that you must hold yourself back. Then, when the time is right, the way before you suddenly clears--through no effort of your own. What you have longed for and worked for I present to you freely, as pure gift. You feel awed by the ease in which I operate in the world, and you glimpse My Power and My Glory.
Do not fear your weakness, for it is the stage on which My Power and Glory perform most brilliantly. As you persevere along the path I have prepared for you, depending on My strength to sustain you, expect to see miracles--and you will. Miracles are not always visible to the naked eye, but those who live by faith can see them clearly. Living by faith, rather than by sight,
enables you to see my Glory" -Sarah Young

I hope you had a great time reflecting on 2010 and are enjoying the first day of the New Year!

I Can't Stop...

2010-12-26T14:01:00.003-05:00

...posting pictures of our little man.

Please bear with me. I'm in love!
I don't get to see these peepers very often.
When he's awake I'm drawn in.
I'm good for nothing else for at least 30 minutes.

Ethan's First Day

2010-12-22T21:17:00.004-05:00

Here are some pictures of the past day. They aren't the greatest because the lighting has been pretty bad, but you get to see a little glimpse of our new addition.

Completely captivated by this little man....

Lucas meets his little brother...

Lydia's not too sure about this new addition, but she sure looks happy holding him....

He's Here!

2010-12-21T20:42:00.004-05:00

Ethan Garrett
Dec 21st, 2010, 1:39 am
9lbs 12oz, 21 1/4 in long
Perfect in his momma's eyes.
Pictures soon

Recent Creativity

2010-12-20T18:39:00.006-05:00

Here are a few things I've been able to accomplish in the last 3 months or so. I thought I'd share them before the baby comes, because who knows when I'll make it back to this poor, old blog!

Here are a few more pictures from a post a couple days ago. This is the quilt that was made for the project swap for the quilt guild I belong to. It was so much fun to design this quilt and see it come to completion. I just love how it turned out!

(Design/Image under copyright. Please do not use without permission)

Last night I realized that we didn't have any extra sheets for this adorable antique cradle a friend loaned to us for the baby. I found some plush minky down in my sewing room that I've had for a couple years and within a couple hours I had two extra sheets. (See the artwork in the background? I love the way the kids hang their artwork in random places throughout the house.)

This little sweetie is a mermaid that Lydia picked out of my Wee Wonderfuls book by Hillary Lang. There are some really adorable dolls in this book, but this is the one Lydia picked for her birthday.

Back packs for the kids. The kids picked out the fabrics from my fabric stash. They really seem to enjoy using these for various things. I forget which magazine I found the pattern in, but they were fairly easy to put together.

Below is my first attempt at a rug mug, which is a newer fad among quilters/crafters. The idea is that it is big enough for a mug of coffee and a treat, such as a muffin or scone. This was a fairly quick project that brought a lot of satisfaction. And it went to live with a very special friend. I hope to have a chance to make more of these in the future.

And here is a random picture of me at 40 weeks. Lucas took the picture for me because I think my belly may be gone by tomorrow. My due date is tomorrow, but I think our little one may come sometime tonight. My contractions are pretty regular and pretty intense which is why it took me so long to complete this post and why it may seem a bit disjointed and random :).

I hope to have pictures of little feet and hands to show off tomorrow!

Ginger, Anyone?

2010-12-19T13:49:00.002-05:00

I'm usually a big fan of vegetable "sushi" rolls, but today's little feast is all about the pickled ginger. I am digging it in a HUGE way. See that extra little container? It will all be gone very soon. I cannot stop myself! It is piled high on each little roll and I'm in food heaven!

Anyone else experience weird end-of-pregnancy cravings?

Still no baby, obviously.
Still hanging out in the kitchen... a lot.
Most of what I'm making now is for gifts or easy
breakfasts for the kids.

Hope your weekend has been spectacular!

Oh! Hello!

2010-12-15T08:54:00.016-05:00

I'm still here! Still pregnant! Only 6 days left until my official due date, so really any day now we will meet our sweet little one. I've been busy...

organizing....

a little holiday baking....

a little washing....

finishing up a swap-project for a sweet lady in my quilt guild....

And to be honest, I feel a little like this squirrel in his desperate
foraging for his winter food supply...

...because I'm seriously nesting in the kitchen this time! A dear friend came over last week to help me get a few meals in the freezer for after the babe comes or when I return to work. To say that got the ball rolling is an understatement! To date I have:

2 meals of enchiladas- mom's recipe
8 -10 chicken curry pineapple wraps for quick lunches
3 beef vegetable soups, mostly prepped
12 Individual Meat Loaves- Ina Garten's recipe
3 meals marinated chicken thighs
2 sausage stratas, mostly prepped
2-3 quart bags of spaghetti sauce
3 meals of frozen stuffed pasta shells
18 brown sugar oatmeal packets

I've also made...

3 loaves Chocolate Chip Banana Bread for gifts and eating. (We go through this like bananas are going to stop showing up in the grocery store!)

2 batches of homemade cocoa mix for gifts and late night cravings :) (what's up with the text size changes?)

And my favorite.....

Homemade Marshmallows! So yummy and so easy! And they make great, simple gifts!

...and I have to admit, there are a few more things I want to make while there is still time, if there is still time.

Am I CRAZY?!!!!
Bless Brian for putting up with my late evening kitchen marathons!

So, that is where I have been.

What have you been up to?

Lydia's Big Day

2010-11-07T16:47:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet girl! We had such a great time celebrating such a special day! We were lucky enough to have family visiting from out of town, so there was a lot of cousin love going around. We don't have everyone pictured, but for a majority of the weekend there were 6 adults and 9 kids running around. I was blessed to have my sweet sister, Jenn, visiting for the weekend. She graciously took pictures for me. Now, if only I could edit them as well as she does!

Here's our little peanut her 1st week of life getting a little extra TLC at the NICU.

... and 4 years later- just as precious (most of the time :))

Little Lydia,

Oh goodness, girl! You are a sweet, spunky darling! You make my heart swell with pride. You are silly and snuggly. It melts my heart every time you randomly come up to me and wrap your arms around my leg and give me a kiss. You make me laugh when you make faces that only you can make. I love it when you come to me and ask me to play. Forgive me for the times I don't take full advantage of those moments. It is such a pleasure to have you in our family. You make our life richer and fuller. I thank God for the way you have helped me grow as your mom.

Happy Birthday, Gracie-Pooh!

Harvest Festivities

2010-11-02T21:34:00.008-04:00

Here is a quick update of the past couple of weekends:

A local Fall Festival:

pony rides

bouncy house

Beggar's Night:

love the faces on my little robot and cupcake!

They were so busy running around I couldn't get any good shots. This is the
best one with Dad! We had a lot of fun running around
the neighborhood with Kate and her family!

Sunday afternoon called for my first attempt at homemade Spice Donuts. It was a ton of
fun and not nearly as hard as I thought it would be. The kids got a kick out of the
whole process. I, unfortunately, was a bit disappointed with the end result. I was
hoping for a lot more "spice", but I have an Apple Cider Donut recipe we're going to
try out sometime.... or maybe it's good they weren't irresistible. I might have eaten
the whole batch. I love a good donut!!!

I did love the look of the end result though!

Hope you had a great weekend however you choose to celebrate!

Rest

2010-10-24T13:43:00.004-04:00

Originally uploaded by fofurasfelinas

I have a confession. I cannot rest without feeling guilty. I've been feeling pretty run down lately and when I look around at all that needs to be done or that I would love to accomplish I feel a small panic rising in my chest, thoughts of "I can't do all of this!". I struggle quite often with feeling like the condition of my house/yard/meals etc. is the measuring stick for my worth as a mom/wife. It makes me grouchy and short with my family and then the guilt just increases. I don't know why I have such a difficult time with letting things "go". I'm well aware that life is only about to get crazier, which is good, but a bit scary for me.

After crying out a quick prayer of help I sat down to read my daily reading from "Jesus Calling", by Sarah Young. What the Lord had to say to me just confirms that His timing is perfect and that He loves me even if my house is in shambles.

"Lie down in Green Pastures of Peace. Learn to unwind whenever possible, resting in the Presence of your Shepherd. This electronic age keeps My children "wired" much of the time, too tense to find Me in the midst of their moments, I built into your very being the need for rest. How twisted the world has become when people feel guilty about meeting this basic need! How much time and energy they waste by being always on the go, rather than taking time to seek My direction for their lives.

I have called You to walk with Me down paths of Peace. I want you to blaze a trail for others who desire to live in My peaceful Presence. I have chosen you less for your strengths than for your weaknesses, which amplify your need for Me. Depend on Me more and more, and I will shower Peace on all your paths."

30 Weeks

2010-10-16T14:07:00.004-04:00

A dear friend who recently moved to the West Coast just reminded me that I had not taken any belly pictures of this pregnancy. With Lucas I carefully captured each passing month of my pregnancy. I guess it's true each successive child gets less pictures :)

So Stacie... these are for you:) Our baby will thank you!

(Please pardon the cropping of the pics... I was using the timer on our camera and I couldn't quite get it
positioned right before I finally gave up.)

I think we all have those weeks we're certain we'll never recover from, right? Well, this was one of those weeks. My wagon is draggin'! There are so many things I would love to accomplish (nesting, anyone?), but there is no energy to get it done. Thank goodness the baby won't really care if it gets done or not... and neither will anyone else.

Hope you are all having a great weekend. It's a beauty!

Early Christmas and a Little Mishap

2010-10-01T22:04:00.005-04:00

I tell ya, I'm having a hard time making time for this little blog. Between work, homeschooling, yard work, house work, family time, being in my 3rd trimester and trying my darndest to maintain friendships there isn't much time left.

But there are some things that are so cute (to me, anyway) they must be shared....
even if it is over a week later.

We recently decided to take the kids to get bikes. We've given Lucas several opportunities up to this point- even going so far as to take him to try out a bunch of bikes- and he always turned us down. Not this time. So long story short we came home with two smokin' bikes for the kids. They were so excited!

Brian and I decided since it ended up costing more than we anticipated we would consider the bikes a big chunk of their Christmas gift. We will still get them a few things in December, but this takes a lot of shopping pressure off of me. This brings much relief to me since our babe will be joining us during the Christmas season.

Here are a few pictures of the kids first time out:

Aren't they cute? Of course, I think they are absolutely adorable.

The unfortunate part is right after the last picture was taken Lydia cruised on by Daddy, veered left and bit the dust as her training wheels dropped off the pavement. A certain somebody was caught up in the moment of "capturing the moment" and didn't realize Lydia didn't quite have a handle on using her brakes. I felt so bad!!! Her little knees were so scraped up and she seems quite intimidated by her bike now. I am hoping that this will resolve itself or this momma will feel awful.

The Little Things

2010-09-15T07:02:00.001-04:00

The kids and I recently went on a nature walk and as we were walking we started noticing the small detail of nature that we sometimes miss...

A doe silently observing us...

The spiny texture of a seed pod...

Tiny green, glossy leaves on a petite plant....

Time etched in the root of a tree...

Tiny orange flowers....

The way the light sparkles and plays among the leaves and water....

Happy and content hearts!

M is for Monster

2010-09-13T07:39:00.001-04:00

As I venture into the realm of homeschooling our pre-K children, I have tried to come up with ideas to reinforce the letter we are studying that also let me to release some of my bottled up creative energy.

This past week we studied the letter "M". What better way to remember this letter than a plush creature to play with! I let the kids guide me in making their monster the way they envisioned. They chose all the colors, shapes and placement of the details! I'm so pleased with the way they turned out! They are so much better than if I had tried to guess what they would like!

These monsters were made with stuffed fleece, fabric scraps, buttons and glue, and minimal sewing. But you could make these with felt or construction paper as well.

The kids with their best "monster" faces. Lydia said she is a happy monster!
(P.S. Not all of our projects are this elaborate!)

A Call To Recess

2010-09-11T06:18:00.003-04:00

"When [children] are bored or just tired of being alone, they instinctively head out for recess. And a few seconds later, Mom or Dad feel a tug and hear the words, 'Will you play with me?' This question has traditionally and incorrectly been thought of as an interruption. It's not. It's an invitation to recess. Whenever possible, even if it's just for a few minutes, accept your children's invitation to recess." Parenting at the Speed of Life: 60 Ways to Capture Time with Your Kids by Rick Osborne

For more thoughts on cherishing time with your kids read this touching post from MckMama.

This Week's Favorites

2010-08-28T13:25:00.008-04:00

This week has been filled with pleasurable moments. I just had to share! I hope your week had shining moments of its' own!

NATURE:

**God's creative color combinations.

**Cooler days that beckon for open windows.

**Big, fluffy clouds in deep, blue skies.

FOOD:

**Blueberry Lemon Squares- (recipe to be posted soon) I had forgotten about this childhood favorite until my mom happened to mention it as she was sorting through her recipes. I'm so glad she did. How could I forget this delicious scumptiousness?

**Fresh fruit plate with cottage cheese. This has not been visited since I left home,
but this has been baby's #1 request this summer. Love it!

**Slow Cooked BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches topped with Sweet Creamy Coleslaw (with some tweaking of my own) piled on top. I always thought this sounded gross, but I've seen several recipes for it this summer and, again, the baby insisted I try it. This is a definite keeper!

**Chocolate Banana Bread- this may be the "go-to" recipe from now on!

PLEASURABLE READS:

**Kaffe Fassett's Kaleidosciope of Quilts- I love the use of vibrant color in bold patterns!

**The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule

**Jesus: 90 Days with the One and Only by Beth Moore

FAMILY:

**Watching the kids "read" newly acquired library books to each other.

**Days at the park or in the back yard swinging.

**Brian getting a break in his 13 hour days for 3 whole days in a row.
His big project is almost done! We finally got a chance to eat dinner together again! Woohoo!

**Impromptu arts-n-crafts with the kids.

**Laughter and singing from the backseat; precious questions about God and Heaven.

All great gifts to be treasured!

Lost in Thought

2010-08-24T22:50:00.002-04:00

I captured this preciousness this afternoon.
At first I was a bit saddened that he was just sitting all alone
and then it occurred to me,
it is a gift to quietly sit and ponder nature.
What a beautiful little boy!

The Lake

2010-08-08T10:24:00.004-04:00

When the kids and I were visiting my parents last week the entire family was able to get together for a day at the Lake. It was a perfectly, beautiful day! The kids had never seen such a large body of water. We had such a great time! Here are a few photos to highlight our day.

Click here to see some more beautiful pictures my sister took to capture the day. Her pictures are fabulous!

Perfect.

2010-08-05T21:04:00.002-04:00

Fostering Creativity

2010-07-30T07:39:00.001-04:00

Recently I've been enjoying "The Creative Family" by Amanda Blake Soule and it has encouraged me to work towards fostering creativity in Lucas and Lydia. My own creative juices flow freely for projects for myself, but I tend to struggle with being creative with my kids. This book has been so helpful!

Recently, they found a beautiful, yellow, fuzzy caterpillar. They were so enthralled with him I couldn't take him away. Unfortunately a few hours later we found him lifeless.... so sad! They kept talking about this little guy, so I thought it was a perfect opportunity to capture it in a story. I illustrated and they told me what I should write. I thought their thoughts were cute so I wanted to share their first-ever story.

Feeling Industrious

2010-07-28T07:17:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, I realize I had a bunch of produce I wanted to use up before the kids
and I visit Grandma and Grandpa this week.
I'm proud to say I had a productive, exhausting day,
but it's so good to taste the result of hard work!

Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake that has since
received a drizzle of ganache-like frosting.

Mother-Knows-Best Carrot Cookies from carrots I cooked down and froze a few weeks ago. Sounds gross, but they are so good! I've been wanting to try this recipe for over a year and I finally did. They are supposed to be frosted with an orange buttercream, but they are so yummy without it I may just skip that step!

A half batch of Bread and Butter Pickles from the cucumbers from my garden.

And lastly, the kids and I worked on some freezer paper stencil T-shirts for Daddy and the Grandpas.... for Father's Day gifts. Hmmm, a bit behind, but luckily we have very understanding men in our lives. I'll post the final product another day.

Needless to say, I slept very well last night!

From the Heart

2010-07-21T14:09:00.001-04:00

Sweet bouquets.....

from a sweet little boy.

Feeling Grateful

2010-07-13T16:40:00.000-04:00

Cherry Pickin'

2010-06-25T21:51:00.004-04:00

Great memories of picking cherries as a little girl left me pining for the same experience for my children. As far as I knew there were no cherry orchards near our home. Imagine my great delight and surprise when I discovered a You-Pick farm about 30 min from our home. (Google, I love you!). I did not realize how much I would enjoy myself. It brought such feelings of contentment. I wish I needed more cherries so I could go pick again!

The kids were a big help ....

and lasted much longer than I thought they would.

(My sister-in-law and her little boys joined us for the day)

The taste of fresh sweet cherries is out of this world!

And this mini sour cherry slab pie.... was divine!

(Recipe slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

School's Out! School's Out!

2010-06-06T08:18:00.004-04:00

Last Thursday was Lucas' last day of school. I wanted to do something special to show his teachers and therapists my appreciation. I found this tutorial and thought this was the perfect idea. The notebooks are small (about 5.5H x 4.5 W), but thick and would fit perfectly in a purse for grocery lists, quick notes or to keep a little one preoccupied. And as a bonus, she shows you how to make a matching pen!

I would recommend this little project to anyone who likes to sew. I made these in one day, sewing and cutting here and there. I can see making more of these in the future!

My favorite is the on the bottom right. Which one do you like best?

Summer Kick-Off

2010-05-30T08:08:00.014-04:00

Yesterday:

*2 families and one brave friend, 5 kids
*30 lbs strawberries, picked, washed and prepped
*9 batches of jam, berries for the freezer and fresh eating
*berries waiting for at least one fresh pie

*one chaotic kitchen/ living area

*one focused supervisor

*one partially assembled swing set for the birthday boy
(and early birthday present for one little girl)

*lots of fun

*a song or two to pass the time

*absolute fatigue

*a stolen moment to snuggle

Total satisfaction with a day well spent!

Old Man

2010-05-27T21:05:00.006-04:00

Lucas,

Today you turned five! As I woke you up and softly sang Happy Birthday you crawled out of bed and gave me a big bear hug stating, "I'm getting to be an old man, aren't I?"

I am so enjoying you! You have a great sense of humor and you love to make other people laugh. You are quick to forgive and full of wonderful snuggles. I think I say this often, but you teach me so much about myself and who I want to become. You have taught me that it's okay if I don't know all the answers as your mom, as long as I'm doing the very best I know how and striving to improve in the areas where I am weak. You've helped me grow strong in ways I couldn't have without you.

I love you so very much! You were perfectly placed in our lives and I am so grateful to be able to pour into your life and watch you grow.

Remember, I will love you always, no matter what!

Family

2010-05-22T07:50:00.005-04:00

Recently my brother's family moved from Michigan to accept a job in the city where we live. I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to have them nearby! I've had the chance to spend some time with my nephews and it's been so much fun! I've never had them all to myself before!

One day it was cold enough to wear sweatshirts and hats and two days later we were all in shorts enjoying icy-pops!

Little A.

Mr. G

Tough-man H.

Aren't they adorable?!

A little treat to cool off! Poor little A. kept trying to eat mine.

Apparently, this was Mr. G's first icy-pop. A born natural, wouldn't you say?

We also had a 3 day visit from my sister, Jenn, and her four kiddos. As per tradition, it rained everyday... except for the day they left to return home. It's almost become comical... almost. We still had a great time!

Unfortunately, we have nary a picture to show... maybe next time.

Comfort Food

2010-04-06T12:51:00.004-04:00

From this....

To this...

YUM!

The Power Of 5 and 15...

2010-04-01T18:25:00.004-04:00

So recently, I discovered when I feel overwhelmed by my to-do list it helps to enlist my timer. It has become such a friend to me. I will set it to either 5 minutes or 15 minutes depending on the size of the task and tell myself I can move onto something else when the timer goes off, if I so choose. While this is not a revolutionary concept it has made a BIG difference for me.

It's amazing what you can get done in 5 minutes:

load the dishwasher
tidy up a bedroom
clean the bathroom sink and toilet
fold a load of laundry

...and in 15 minutes:

weed your flower beds
organize the toy room
make decent headway on an organizing project
vacuum the floors
mop the kitchen

Obviously, there are many more things that could make it on each list, but for me it's helped me to get started and stay motivated.

Finished Projects 2009: Amy Butler Ladybug

2010-03-18T07:14:00.000-04:00

I cannot take credit for this adorable bug! It is too cute not to share!
My sister-in-law, Katie, made this last summer for Lydia.
She was wanting to brush up on her sewing skills
and we became the lucky recipients of the end product.
She did a GREAT job and this little bug can be seen floating all over the house.

Thanks, Katie, for such a sweet gift!

Daybook 2

2010-03-15T21:19:00.005-04:00

For today... March 15, 2010

Outside my window... it's a dark night, not a star in sight.

I am thinking... all the things I want to accomplish in the next few days.

I am thankful for... Daylight Savings time! Come on longer days!

I am wearing... my pajamas. This usually occurs around the time the kids get into theirs.

I am remember... what a great time i had with my mom and sisters this weekend... even if it was only for 24 hours. Love you girls!

I am going... over to my couch shortly to read a good book. A nice quiet evening.

From the kitchen... the scent of freshly brewed decaf coffee floating in the air.

I am hoping... to make some good progress on several of my "works-in-progress" this week.

I am hearing... sweet silence and it is bee-u-ti-ful!

I am pondering... a new schedule to help me make the most of my days.

Enjoying these words... "Mom, why does my pizza have a big pimple on it?" (Lucas observing the big air bubble in his pizza crust)

One of my favorite things... snuggling into a soft bed next to a warm body at the end of the day.

From my photo journal....

Finished Projects 2009: Quilt Projects

2010-03-08T09:15:00.002-05:00

These projects are quilts that I finished as gifts for family members.

1.) A McKenna Ryan quilt kit that I completed for my Grandma, who loves cats.
It was for Christmas 2008,
but we didn't celebrate until January 2009 so it counts, right?

2.) This is an attic window quilt that I designed and quilted
for my parent's 40th wedding anniversary.

3.) This is a quilt I adapted from a quilt I saw in a magazine several years ago. This was for my mom for Christmas of 2007, I believe.
It still needs the binding turned and tacked to the back,
but this labor of love will find it's new home in about a week!
Thanks mom for your patience!

4.) A closer picture of the anniversary quilt. You can see each of my siblings
wrote a note or poem to my parents
and it was then printed onto fabric and incorporated into the design.
(or maybe not, I'm having problems in Picasa increasing the size of my pics)

Daybook 1

2010-03-07T08:40:00.011-05:00

For today... March 7, 2010

Outside my window... the sun is shining brightly, reflecting a sparkling wonderland from the frosty ground.

I am thinking... about the busy week ahead and my menu plan.

I am thankful for... relaxed Sunday mornings.

I am wearing... my pajamas and my slipper boots. So cozy!

I am remembering... that we are out of half and half. My coffee will suffer.

I am going... to the Fabric Shack to pick up some fabric to round out my palette for my block of the month quilt I'm participating in with my quilt group.

From the kitchen... I see my kids snuggling together on our over-sized chair.

I am hoping... I can complete said quilt :)

I am hearing... the washer running, working feverishly to remove all the remnants of melted crayon from a load of Lucas' clothing. (You must check out these tips if this ever happens to you! Scroll about 1/2 way down til you find the 4-5 ingredient concoction)

I am wondering... when we'll all be over our colds.

Noticing... little tips of green poking up through the dirt.

Pondering these words..."Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight" Psalm 119:35

One of my favorite things... a new love, Kaffe Fassett fabrics.

From my picture journal...

These Daybook entries were inspired by The Simple Womens Daybook. I initially first saw this at Cinderberry Stitches and thought it was a great way to simply journal your year one week at a time. I may not be able to do it every week, but I know I'll enjoy looking back at my entries at the end of the year.

Find other Daybook entries here.

Finished Projects 2009: Baby Projects Edition

2010-03-06T08:22:00.007-05:00

Clockwise: starting at upper left hand corner-
travel quilt;
custom bedskirt;
baby quilt, blocks, ball and scottie dog;
custom bumper pads

You'll have to forgive me. The following posts
are to remind me that life is not all
work and no play. And for me,
it's a concise record of all my projects.
When I get discouraged about all
I can't accomplish in my crafty/sewing world
it helps to review what I have accomplished!

Longing for Spring?

2010-03-03T07:00:00.002-05:00

Swimming googles...

and big, bold flowers...

from dresses worn last summer...

I don't blame her!

Yesterday morning Lydia insisted on adding the skirt
I made her last summer and a pink beret
to complete her outfit
and she insisted on wearing them all day
... pretty cute combination!

Your Sweetness is My Weakness

2010-02-28T20:51:00.005-05:00

Ah, yes. My newest addiction.
***SIGH***

Why such a big sigh, you ask?
A few weeks ago I decided
it was time to kick it's beautiful-ness to the curb.

Yes, I'm sugar free now.
No artificial sweeteners either.
My taste buds have gone through quite an adjustment.

The hardest part was psyching myself up
to take the plunge.

No sugar...ever?
Not exactly.

It's sweet little form will be saved for special occasions,
like my recently celebrated 8th anniversary, birthdays,
special days with friends.

And I'm feeling better for it!
Good-bye family history
(and the fact that I too often use to help me cope!)
... I'm taking a new road!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T12:03:00.005-05:00

(Chocolate Pudding Wedges with Cinnamon Toasts)

Hope you had a lovely day!

Mmmm.... Hot Chocolate!

2010-02-11T15:28:00.001-05:00

Hope you are getting your cocoa fix this week!

Math Can Be Fun!

2010-02-10T09:32:00.004-05:00

More of this +

2 snow days + playing in our pajamas +

several cool creations +

at least 50 snow angels +

(hot chocolate x 4) =

a whole lot of fun!

Saturday Morning, 8:30 a.m.

2010-02-06T14:00:00.001-05:00

Coffee and pajamas. Highly overrated
on such a glorious morning!

Hope your Saturday was relaxing and fun-filled!

Your Hands- J.J. Heller

2010-01-16T16:59:00.009-05:00

...if you are searching for answers,
...if your heart is in pieces,
...if your faith is hanging by a thread,
...if you just need reassurance,
...if you fear what tomorrow may bring,

...these words are for you.

"God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble."
Psalm 46:1, NIV

Love....

2010-01-13T11:39:00.005-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. My brain has been more
than a little fuzzy just thinking and
pondering over the past few days.

Isn't that little bird the so cheerful?
My sister made him for me when we went to Michigan
this past weekend. He sits in my kitchen window and
reminds me how much we are loved.

About a month into our pregnancy nearly every time I would get into the car
I would hear "How He Loves" by David Crowder.
I half joked with Brian, a little bit nervously, that I wondered if
God was trying to prepare us for something.
Deeply and secretly hoping we wouldn't lose this baby too.

All the while, God was whispering....
I love you... it's going to be tough.
... I love you.... I love you...
Trust me... I love you!

Here are the lyrics:

He is jealous for me.
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree.
Bending beneath the weight and wind of His mercy.

When all of a sudden
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me

Oh, how He loves us so
Oh, how He loves us
How He loves us all

Yeah, He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves

And we are His portion and He is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking

And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets

When I think about the way…

What Do You Do When...

2010-01-06T09:31:00.008-05:00

...the unthinkable happens?

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth"
(Psalm 34:1, NASB)

Thank You, Jesus, for two beautiful, healthy children. You are the Giver of Life and they are a great source of joy.

Thank You for the opportunity to invest in their little lives. You are the ultimate example of what it is to love Your children.

Thank You for the tender heart of a little boy who assembles a care package for Mommy before she heads to the ER. His heart of compassion is a gift from You.

Thank You for a loving, devoted husband who walks right beside me during this time. You are growing us together, knitting and strengthening the knot that was formed nearly 8 years ago.

Thank You for the amazing and beautiful women you have placed in my life... they are beyond compare. They continually point me to You and You have intertwined our stories.

Thank You for the assurance that even though we may not understand Your purpose through this, we can trust You fully!

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,
for those who those who are called according to his purpose."
(Romans 8:28, ESV)

We cannot explain or understand why the Lord would allow us to miscarry again,
but I must cling to this verse knowing that His word is Truth. I can know without a doubt that there is a purpose and a plan that He has in store for us. And right now I really don't want to go down that path, but He is Sovereign and He is good! One day, whether in this life or
the next, I truly believe it will all make sense. We will see His
goodness laid out before us!

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!"
(Psalm 38:4, ESV)

(A big thank you to all who have checked in on us, prayed for us,
offered your help, etc. We are truly blessed!)

Psst.... Look At My New Ticker!

2009-12-30T21:38:00.009-05:00

It's right below my profile...
Yup! That's right!
Most of you already know the news,
but some of you may not.
I haven't had an ultrasound yet because I was too early at my first appointment.
The Holidays have delayed my second appointment so I'm excited to have my 1st ultrasound.
I'll be approximately 12 weeks along.

The kids don't know yet, but Lucas has a sneakin' suspicion.
He outright asked me today if I have a baby in my belly
because my belly was getting bigger.
Ummm......
I think it was related to a Franklin (the turtle) movie that they've been watching lately,
in which Franklin is having a hard time waiting for Spring to
arrive because that is when his baby sister is due.

I don't want to purposely mislead him, but I would like to have my
ultrasound first since we miscarried last time.
I just told him my tummy was getting fluffy,
which is not entirely a lie due to lack of muscle tone
and too many Christmas goodies!

I really am looking forward to sitting down and telling them the good news!
I'm glad I could share it with you!

The Sweetest Gift

2009-12-26T22:03:00.009-05:00

I have the best 2010 calendar a mom could ever want!
Here is the layout for the calendar Lucas made
for me at preschool. It's laminated so I can use a dry-erase
marker to mark my schedule. When 2011 rolls around I can
print out my calendar, laminate it and reuse the pictures.
This is something I will cherish for a long time!
Thanks sweetie pie!

Inexpensive and Adorable!

2009-12-23T13:25:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago I picked up these $1 kits from Jo-Ann's for the kids to make. A few of the details were a little difficult for them, but they had a great time anyway. The only thing we changed was to give baby snowman a scarf of his own.

Here are the end results:

Lucas' snowmen

Lydia's snowmen

I love the individuality of each one and I think they turned out much
cuter than the one pictured on the package!
(This mom is not biased at all!)

How Could I....

2009-12-20T21:58:00.004-05:00

...take these down?

Last week when I came home from work the kids
excitedly told me they had decorated for Christmas
while I was gone. They were so proud and so excited
So.... how could I possibly take these down? They are here to stay.

Easy Advent Calendar

2009-12-12T13:19:00.002-05:00

Lucas brought the above Advent calendar home from school. Although I would prefer to have an Advent calendar that helps us focus on the true meaning of Christmas (I have yet to make a Jesse tree) he has really enjoyed placing a cotton ball on each corresponding day.

Of course, Lydia needed a calendar so she could join in. I drew a simple snowman and penciled in 25 circles similar to the Santa...

...let her decorate with pens and crayons and soon we will have a very
fuzzy snowman and Santa on our hands.

Now, on to shopping for my Jesse tree ornaments!

Making Memories

2009-12-10T12:07:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, the kids and I decorated our cut-out sugar cookies. It was cold and blustery outside and warm and cozy in the kitchen. We played Christmas music and had so much fun! As you can see in the first picture, while I was busy help one kid the other would be going crazy with the sprinkles and M&M's. We had an out of control sprinkle-fest going on! It was great!

Sugar Cookies- Taste of Home (compliments of my sis, Jenn)

3/4 c butter
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Cream butter and sugar until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Combine dry ingredients and add to your creamed mixture. Chill for one hour. Roll out dough to 1/4 -1/2" depending on if you want crunchy vs soft cookies. Cut out desired shapes. Bake @ 375 for 8-10 min. Cool and frost.

Buttercream Frosting- mom (love you!)

1/2 c butter
1/2 c shortening
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
5 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/4 milk or half and half

Cream butter and shortening. Add salt and vanilla. Mix well. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time alternating with milk. Beat until light and fluffy. Keep covered until ready to use.

***This made enough frosting to generously frost 2 batches of sugar cookies***

Now frost and decorate your cookies and try to keep from eating 2 or 3 at a time. SO good!

Graduation Weekend

2009-12-06T21:33:00.003-05:00

A certain someone moved into a "big girl" bed this weekend!

Two Kinds of Cute!

2009-12-03T16:22:00.005-05:00

Lucas decided today would be a good day to wear part of his Halloween
costume again. Such an adorable look on his face!
(We did end up going to a church festival... for those of you who I discussed Halloween
celebrations with, way back in October. I'm glad we decided to do it!)

Lydia showing off her new purple tutu, a wonderful birthday gift
from my sister Jenn's family. She looks so adorable in it!

O Praise Him!

2009-11-26T09:07:00.002-05:00

"But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more." Psalm 71: 14

All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing
Oh, praise Him
Alleluia

Thou burning sun with golden beam
Thou silver moon with softer gleam
Oh, praise Him
Oh, praise Him
Alleluia
Alleluia
Alleluia

Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in heav’n along
Oh, praise Him
Alleluia

Thou rising moon in praise rejoice
Ye lights of evening find a voice
Oh, praise Him
Oh, praise Him
Alleluia
Alleluia
Alleluia

Let all things their creator bless
And worship Him in humbleness
Oh, praise Him
Alleluia

Praise, praise the Father praise the Son
And praise the Spirit three in one
Oh, praise Him
Oh, praise Him
Alleluia
Alleluia
Alleluia
(lyrics revised by David Crowder)

Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!

Baby Shower!!!

2009-11-25T09:20:00.012-05:00

I was beyond pleased to be able to throw a baby shower for Brian's sister (and my SIL), Katie, this last weekend. I had so much fun dreaming and planning for the big event. I wouldn't have been able to pull if off without the help of Mom1 and Mom2 (Katie's mom and MIL), so a BIG thanks to them!!!

The Momma of Honor: She's beautiful even with food in her mouth! (Sorry, Katie, it's the only
pic that turned out! You still look super cute!)

The feast: Specialty crackers and soft cheeses, Pecan Crunch trail mix,
fresh fruit and mini quiches.

I loved how the napkin rings turned out. You can't really see, but each one had a little
cardstock square with an inspirational word on it.

A close up of the Pecan Crunch trail mix. This recipe is hard to leave alone!
(I will post the recipe in a few days. It's great for the holidays!)

White Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan-Gingersnap Crust and Sweet Cream.
You will not be disappointed with this recipe!

I had an absolute blast making these plush toys for Mr. C.
I used them as my shower decorations:

mini quilt: Amy Butler fabric backed with white Minky (pattern by moi').
plush ball: Purl Bee blog
plush blocks: P.S. I Love You quilt book.
plush scottie dog: Allsorts blog (archive: May 2006)

Momma cherishing her little man!

It was an honor to celebrate my new nephew, Mr. C! He has such a neat story behind his life already, but for the World Wide Web it shall remain quiet for now. I love that little guy so much! Such a sweet, special gift from God! We had a great time celebrating!

Purple Party

2009-11-13T21:20:00.006-05:00

This past Sunday we held Lydia's birthday party with family who live close. For months she has been asking for a "purple" party. It was a fairly simple party, but I believe we fulfilled the need for purple. Here's a pictorial account of the fun!

White cake with purple marshmallow fondant dusted with lavender luster dust.

Her royal princess modeling the crown I made her while sneaking a sample of her cake.

Purple swirls... an extra fun touch!

A pretty posy to dress up her shirt. Inspired by Lindsey Cheney over at The Pleated Poppy. I would love to support her sweet little business, but I need to use up my ridiculous stash of fabric somehow. So this my version of a posy.

Lydia's purple stash!

Uncle Clay and Aunt Katie!

Happy, Happy 3rd!

2009-11-06T20:26:00.005-05:00

How can it be? My little girl celebrated her 3rd birthday today! She's is growing up into quite the little lady!

Some of your favorite things:

Anything purple!
Doggies and kitties
Princess everything.
Visiting the fish and "monsters" (lobsters) while grocery shopping.
A new found love for puzzles.
You love to wear dresses!
You make up songs almost everyday and sing your heart out.
INDEPENDENT!

Lydia,

Goodness, honey! Would you slow down? You are growing up so quick! You are a precious little girl! We are so blessed to have you as part of our family! Your smile lights up a room. You are feisty and independent, but you have such a tender heart. As you grow, I pray that you will love Jesus and fully know you are a daughter of the King. A princess indeed! I love you, sweet girl!

love- Mama

THEN... Nov 2008

AND NOW... Nov 2009

(trying out her new boots)

Leaf Hunting

2009-10-27T06:41:00.009-04:00

WHAT?!!! I have a blog? Apparently I had forgotten! Life has been busy. And I've been adding too many phenomenal blogs to my Google reader and now I need to pare down. There are too many gifted bloggers out there! Like this little excerpt from Mylestones, "...the thunder and wind drummed up the leafy marching band and swirled into an unrehearsed formation of autumn paisley." What a creative and poetic thought process! My head would implode if this kind of word picture came from my own thoughts! I am a simple girl with simple thoughts and speech. I would love to be able to write in such a manner, but that is not where God has gifted me. I need to remind myself of this when I start to think my posts need to be eloquent and inspiring before I allow myself to post them.

So, without further ado...

I've been trying to make an effort to do more involved activities with the kids. I tend to be a home body, but I want them to have a fun and active childhood filled with good memories. So, I am making the effort. I want to be able to look back on my ventures of being a mom with no regrets, so I'm busting out of my cozy comfort zone and trying to plan something every 10 days to 2 weeks. Nothing spectacular... just togetherness outside of our normal routine.

A couple weeks ago I took the kids to a local nature reserve to go hiking and leaf hunting. Our goal was to find leaves we could press between sheets of wax paper. The kids loved the walk and it was all I could do to make them turn around to head back to the car. In total I think we hiked close to 4 miles! The leaves were still too green, but it was a beautiful walk. (We went leaf hunting a few days later in our neighborhood and found some gorgeous specimens.)

Here are some pics:

Enjoying the river

Looking all around for the perfect leaf.

Possibly the biggest tree I have ever seen. I had the kids
stand next to it for perspective, but it still doesn't do it justice. HUGE!

Peaceful!

Beautiful variations of color on a fallen tree.

And our productive leaf hunt a few days later.! Cold and rainy, but fun!

Hope you enjoyed the update and next time I won't stay away so long!

Goggles Are Great and Other Random Things

2009-09-12T14:27:00.006-04:00

Who knew what fun a couple pairs of goggles would bring to our day! I stopped by CVS and found these goggles 90% off. The kids love them and they make me laugh every time they put them on.

It's been pretty slow around our place. Here is a random list of the past week's activities:

Brian and I helped our neighbor pull out her overgrown bushes along the property line. We both wound up with poison ivy. I should seriously know better, but I thought I was being super careful. The area on my leg is so bad! I will spare you the nasty, horrid details.
The kids and I headed North to spend time with my parents and siblings last weekend. We had a good time catching up and laying low.
I had a wonderful night out alone last night. Finally, shopping without having to keep track of little hands! Just window shopping, but it was totally relaxing!
I'm on vacation this week. Yea!!!! The weather is gorgeous! I'm hoping to get some more decorating and yard work accomplished....maybe a little sewing on the side! (Please, please, please....)
Yesterday, I made three batches of strawberry jam. My little family is plowing through the batches I made in June. It was a little more expensive to make it this time of year, but I know it won't go to waste and it makes everyone so happy!
I picked these little beauties this afternoon. My rose bushes are make one last push before the frost. They are as fragrant as they are pretty!

I hope you all have a great weekend and an enjoyable week to come!

First Day Underway!

2009-09-02T14:21:00.007-04:00

This is a little delayed, but I still wanted to post some pictures of the 1st day of school for Lucas. He will be attending preschool again this year. Last year we saw some phenomenal changes in our little guy. He's been asking for 6 weeks when he would get to go back to school. He's ready and he loves it!

Luckily, my boss allowed me to come into work late, so I was able to see him off on his first day. I was so brave until the sun illuminated his beautiful, smiling face as they drove off. It struck me again for the thousandth time how much I'm going to miss not having home all the time.

He seems to be really enjoying his teacher and class room. This afternoon we finished our first home project.

A school bus that he was to decorate anyway he wanted.

Our Last Hurrah!

2009-08-27T07:42:00.008-04:00

(Warning: This is a little photo heavy. They are so darn cute! I can't help myself!)
Yesterday was our last official day of summer. The school schedule is upon us. So we spent some time at the local splash park enjoying the afternoon hours. It wasn't oppressively hot so we did a lot more "park" and a little less "splash". There was a breeze that kept creating a fine mist that was rather chilly, so I can't say as I blame them for not being too keen on getting wet.
Here we are upon arrival! Ready to conquer all that awaited us!

Such a fun place!

Playground fun:

Pretending their towels are capes!

Be still my beating heart! I love this picture of Lucas and the dappled light on his hair and skin.

Time to go home! I am so thankful for the lazy days of summer! We had a great time!

A Favorite.

2009-08-23T14:35:00.005-04:00

Gladiolas.
For some, they serve as reminders of funerals or lost loved ones and therefore are not well loved by those individuals.

For me: frilly, feminine, regal. Gorgeous shades of color. I eagerly await their arrival in my garden so I can marvel at their beauty.

A peek at their exquisite detail. Another good gift from God.

Lazy Summer Days...

2009-08-17T08:56:00.004-04:00

...blowing the last of the remaining dandelions...

...hanging out in the shade of the trees...

...and making mom chuckle at post-lunch artwork...

Twirly Skirt

2009-08-13T10:03:00.006-04:00

Isn't she adorable?
My little lady is modeling her new twirly skirt.

Last year my mom bought her a pack of yellow, orange and green tank tops. We didn't have a lot of shorts to wear with them so I decided since summer is almost over I better get on the ball and make her a skirt to compliment these cute shirts. This morning she decided the orange polka-dot would be the best match for today.

Why not?

I've eyeballed enough tutorials that I figured I could wing this one on my own. A simple fold-over waistband with a ruffle added to the bottom of the body of the skirt. I estimated the fabric strips that I cut using the length of the fabric as the width of the skirt/ ruffle. I'm glad it all worked out because...

She loves her new skirt!

Must. Make. More. Pillows.

2009-08-08T13:04:00.004-04:00

My Extreme Makeover experience has gotten me in the mood to make pillows for my own home. I have had my eye on a certain Waverly decorator fabric for a while now. This weekend it is 60% off. Need I say more? I had to snatch up a small snippet of it. It will nicely tie together the two colors I have been trying to combine.

So summer-y! It reminds me of something you would see in a beach house...

Wonderful texture...

I love you, Joann's!

Welcome Home!

2009-08-06T08:41:00.002-04:00

Here is the house in it's final stages. The family comes home today to enjoy their new spacious home! Welcome back!

Pillow Talk...

2009-08-05T08:40:00.004-04:00

I just returned home from the longest sewing marathon of my life! I have no idea what is going on in "real" life. I received a call Monday morning to make custom pillows for Extreme Makeover. Seriously?! Me?! I couldn't pass up this once-in- a- lifetime opportunity. The adventure began late Monday night after a full day of work and for the past 32 hrs my mother-in-law, myself and a couple other ladies have been sewing to meet today's deadline. The pillows look great, but in my exhausted state I forgot to take a picture before we dropped them off. I hope to post one from my mother-in-law in the near future.

It was great fun, but now I'm off to find my own pillow for a couple hours of shut-eye before Aunt Katie and Uncle Clay bring the kids home from their sleepover! (Thanks Klaytie!)

Demolition Day...

2009-08-01T14:36:00.004-04:00

...and sweet treats!

After three separate trips down to the EMHE site we finally saw the demolition! I resorted to bribing the kids with chips and ice cream the last trip down. I'm glad I did because we got front row seats to all the action! The crew has been so nice to all the neighbors of the Terpenning family. They have taken great care to make us feel a part of the process!

GOING...

GONE!

Extreme Makeover Home Edition...

2009-07-30T10:39:00.004-04:00

...is happening on OUR street just one block down! We just had the privilege of watching from afar as Ty and the crew surprised the family. Over the last couple days I learned that all the homes that EMHE completes are fully funded by donation only. They recruit local business and neighbors from the surrounding area to complete the work. Pretty neat! We hope to volunteer some of our time and we can't wait to see the final home for this deserving family!

Hitting Home...

2009-07-27T06:06:00.005-04:00

I recently mentioned that I have been reading, "My Utmost For His Highest" and I have been so encouraged how God is using this little book in my life. The last time I read it I was a freshman in college and I don't remember it hitting home like it has been lately. I guess having another decade (plus!) of living under my belt has changed my perspective.

I accidently read one day ahead today, but the Lord must have known I needed to read it. It has helped to change my attitude about going to work today. I don't understand why He hasn't allowed me to stay home full time. Even though it doesn't make sense to me, my eyes need to be on Him and not on my end goal.

To challenge your thinking here are the readings for today and tomorrow.

Ready for the Sun!

2009-07-25T10:06:00.007-04:00

A friend of mine needed a sunhat for her little boy and I happened to find the perfect pattern on sale for $0.99. When I saw this pattern I had the perfect fabric from my stash in mind- a wonderful khaki patchwork plaid. So adorable!

The hat is fully lined, but was really easy to put together!

The pattern called for using 5/8" ribbon to finish off the edge of the hat. I was on a time crunch and didn't have any ribbon on hand, so I finished off the edge with a decorative stitch. It looks a little unfinished, but it looked OK overall and it was still soft for the little guy's head.

Here is my little Sherlock Holmes modeling the finished product. I'm pleased with the outcome and I will be making more of these, for sure!

So In Love...

2009-07-18T15:16:00.002-04:00

...with this hair!

And the little girl it belongs to!

How Well Do I Know Him?

2009-07-12T08:23:00.004-04:00

"...that I may know Him..." Philippians 3:10

"A saint is not to take the initiative toward self-realization, but toward knowing Jesus Christ. A spiritually vigorous saint never believes that his circumstances simply happen at random, nor does he ever think of his life as being divided into the secular and the sacred. He sees every situation in which he finds himself as the means of obtaining a greater knowledge of Jesus Christ, and he has an attitude of unrestrained abandon and total surrender about him. The Holy Spirit is determined that we will have the realization of Jesus Christ in every area of our lives, and He will bring us back to the same point over and over again until we do..."

"The aim of a spiritually vigorous saint is "that I may know Him . . ." Do I know Him where I am today? If not, I am failing Him. I am not here for self-realization, but to know Jesus Christ. In Christian work our initiative and motivation are too often simply the result of realizing that there is work to be done and that we must do it. Yet that is never the attitude of a spiritually vigorous saint. His aim is to achieve the realization of Jesus Christ in every set of circumstances."

-modified from Oswald Chamber, "My UtMost For His Highest

Because Every Rainstorm...

2009-07-11T12:57:00.002-04:00

...needs an audience!