Enjoyment

Just enjoying some of my presents while both my kiddos are napping.....and an added bonus...the Lord decided to have snow drifting down right outside my desk window...sigh....love!


I totally forgot I use to do these all the time...I need to get back to it!
High Point: sitting and reading 1Corinthians1 while the Lord gently convicted and refreshed my soul!
Low Point: Isabelle knocking over her new "Belle"sippy glass which was full of lemonade and water....(this was of course in the bathroom...a normal spot to be drinking right?!)

Christmas!!

This is how I too feel on Christmas Morning....oh Isabelle my little girl-we share so much in common!
My little boy.....joyful as always...he really just loved the wrapping paper.



Adorable....a little girl in pink...opening a pile of presents...on Christmas Morning....love.

Singing Christmas Songs with my family....here she is with her cousin Charlotte....how sweet right?!
After the most amazing Christmas dinner(and brunch and lunch and treats...all made by my mom..who truly is the most amazing and generous cook there is!!)-sporting our music crowns. We all got little horns and numbers at our plates and after dinner did a musical performance that had us all laughing so hard we could barely breath!!

Christmas is my favorite....my Savior was born and He has changed my life forever!!

Homemade Marshmallows!! Delicious!!

We decided to make marshmallows yesterday. I have done this feat before, but never with two kiddos about...so we set out to begin the exciting journey......it was delightful. Isabelle entertained herself cleaning items in the sink, while Judah happily sat gnawing on his fingers and his little Sophie giraffe. The marshmallows were a glorious mess-and today turned into a glorious treat!! There is nothing in the whole wide world like homemade marshmallows! Truly if you have even an inkling to try them DO IT! They make coffee and hot chocolate beyond amazing-and they are the perfect little packaged gift to give away.


I got the recipe here:
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/best-homemade-marshmallows?autonomy_kw=marshmallows&rsc=header_10

Are you salivating yet?? Seriously this could be included in the images at the start of Willy Wonka!!! Something so pretty about shiny white goodness!!

Slicing out one little marshmallow for a treat-tell me this does not look like a winter wonderland itself:)
Paired with my morning espresso......unreal!
Enjoy....and PLEASE let me know if you make them!

New Hobby Alert

So my sister Emily invited us girls to this amazing little spot called "Esther's Place". We learned felting there-what is felting you may ask. Come let me show you:)



You start with this.....and then after a bit you get..........

THIS!!!



We made adorable nativity scenes while there-I made the Joseph, baby Jesus, and lamb-and then did a few alterations to Mary. Aren't they so fun!? Amazing that just poking raw dyed wool with a little needle makes these fun characters-crazy! I love it!



I had to buy a bit of wool for my own projects that I was inspired to make. You can see one of them-a sweet little birdy.


I am trying to brainstorm cute little things I can make for Christmas-any ideas?? Merry, merry to you!!

Christmas How I love Thee

I adore Christmas time and all the wonderful blessings it brings. How appropriate that the time of year we celebrate Christ's birth (the most amazing thing for our lives good-salvation) is filled with joy and happiness!! I plan on (cross your fingers) posting some fun blogs related to Christmas-so this is just a toe in the water of what I hope to do-but here is a sneak peek of something I am making for my two little kids. I am not an expert embroiderer....not even close. But I love the "handmade" look of it-and what it will forever say to my beloved children.

Playing in the Snow

Being in the snow brings out the child in me....it makes me giddy and silly and so so so happy! I declared to my husband Nate that I could never live anywhere warm year round. (this statement was made while I was deliriously prancing about in our backyard) I seriously would go into depression......I would much rather live somewhere cold year round than warm...I know I am weird.

We had the most delicious fire last night.....and enjoyed giving one another neck massages (why are necks always so dang tight??) before we near passed out in bed. It was a delight. But of course, any good fire needs good firewood-so here are a few pictures of me and sweet Isabelle gathering wood. (Don't mind my amazing outfit....it is my pajamas:) I had better things to do that day than get dressed....right?!)












What is your favorite thing to do while it snows?? Or what do you do if you don't get snow where you live??

My Winter Dream

Now that we have officially had our first snow....let me show you what I dream of doing in our front lawn!

I have talked with Nate about it-and he is game. So once there is enough to get to work I hope we shall:)

Enjoy the lovely lovely snow....and if you have none....sorry.

Thanksgiving in Pictures

the star....the most beautiful turkey

my loves reading the beautiful program my dad makes every year
the prayer.....and the lovely table spread!






one of the amazing "treats" nate and I gave to the family.....I love how we all get into it:)


football outside with grandpa and nate
my little running girl....every shot was blurring......she was having the time of her life

football stars
dad taking the kiddos out to burn a little energy

Wanna Win a Cowl??

If you want to win one of the lovely cowls you just saw in the last post...then go visit this lady's blog...and find out how you can:)

Happy Thanksgiving Adam (not eve...but adam...he did come first;))

The Blog...of an amazing woman who you really should want to read about day to day besides!!

http://thankfullythinking.blogspot.com/

Handmade Holiday Sale Coming!!!

Tuesday, December 1st is the new black Friday!!!


So one night I thought to myself....I love selling my things on Etsy...so why not give it a go in real life? I mean, who says we cannot dream big right? Well a few conversations later it is here and it is happening! I talked my sweet big sister Emily into doing the sale with me and she is now hosting it at her own beautiful home in Naperville, Illinois. We will be selling the stuff we are busily making (emily is extremely creative and talented!!) and about 15 more lovely people's goods as well. Now-if you want to come to a house full of one of a kind, beautiful, handmade items rather than stressing out under florescent lights in a panicked line of shoppers, then this is the sale for you!! Leave comments below if you want to know more. Also, check out the below link on facebook to see some of the other vendors involved and some of their work as well! Enjoy all and get plotting for Thanksgiving!! I know I am.








Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?filter=app_2305272732#/event.php?eid=210587075319&ref=nf
don't forget to stop and smell the roses today:)

Currently I am Happy Because.....

I have pretty napkins in my kitchen (one of the cutie things my sister Emily gave me)



Isabelle and Judah-yes Isabelle is wearing a strange hat and reading to Judah from my day planner:) which she refers to as a Bible, since all the other books that look like that are Bibles


Starbucks now has Gingerbread Lattes (and we got amazing starbucks gift cards for our birthday!!)
Nate made our first fire-and it was soooo wonderful! I adore, adore, adore fires.
I got to hang out with the women I love the most in the world!! (my sister ruth, emily, sister-in-law karen, me and my mom) blessed am I indeed!

What is currently making you happy?

A Gift for Nate

Today is Nate's birthday....and my birthday:) Yes, we have the same birthday-which is amazing!! But for his birthday Isabelle decided to paint him some masterpieces. Here is a view of the master at work.