Goodbye, 2009...

2009 was a bumpy year for me so I guess it's only fitting that I cap it off in 5 days worth of stress-induced hives. Yikes! I like to joke and blame them on the ugly plastic black & decker tool-set Nick bought Haley for Christmas, it's enough to make any girl break out into an itchy fervor, but I know it's a lot more than that and I just need to learn to let things go.

I've been knocked out and drugged up for the past 5 days and I am looking forward to ringing in the new year, awake and alert, with our little family of 4. I had originally wanted to go out with friends, but I really can't see myself starting off this new year without my two little pumpkins and their daddy by my side. Afterall, they are what helped me push through this year despite everything. I want this year to be all about us.

I'm normally not big on new years resolution hooplah, but this year, I am totally embracing a fresh start and making several promises to myself. I am sending this year off by putting the finishing touches on my 101 to do in 1001 and am ready to check things off one by one and give myself mental gold stars as I complete each task. Maybe I will make myself a reward chart, haha, I am a visual person indeed.

My biggest desire, to make each day count.

Have a safe and wondrous New Years Eve, friends!

<3

I love spending Christmas Eve with the Rakes side of Nick's family. I swear Mema and Poppa Rakes are everything Nick and I aspire to be when we are older... minus the cigarettes and flashing colored christmas lights, though I wholeheartedly cherish those little details about them too.

Mema is so cute in her green velvet two-piece ensemble and wobbles around all liquoured up in her kitty slippers and Poppa is very laid back and gentle yet ready to give someone a piece of his mind when it comes to the well-being of his family. Their home is full of traditions and storytelling and the same songs year after year... lots of warmth and sausage balls and two big ole mismatched broken in recliners to boot!

Oooh, my heart is just so happy right now, my soul truly needed a night like tonight and I pray my deepest prayer that God continue's to change and mold my heart and send more light and love through the remainder of his Son's birthday. After so many weeks of trials and fights and being upset and crying and things breaking apart, I finally recieved my christmas miracle in the form of a Statler brothers song. The greatest christmas present, is something you can't buy....

Merry Christmas to you and yours <3

Let it snow...

Am I the only person that is a bit scared of snowmen? Ours is a horrifying cross between an awkwardly dressed Adam Sandler and Michael Jackson and I am keeping out of the front yard until the sun melts him away. I don't think Haley was a fan and I don't blame her. If you ask me there is nothing inviting about coal eyes and long twiggy arms just waiting to get ahold of you. We probably won't be watching Frosty the Snowman anytime soon ;)



Bless her heart.

xoxo

My Little Snow Angel...

We are officially snowed in on our little street and I couldn't be happier and more miserable! Happy because Nick gets to stay home and snuggle and help with the kids so I can get a lot of work done and and "miserable" because I wasted all of Haley's super sweet winter clothes on yesterday's delicious hobo in the snow winter outfit and will have to concoct something extra magnificent for today's little family photoshoot.

My darlin' little snow fairy, a million kisses for your little frozen pink toes!



My darlin' big dork of a husband, a million kisses to you and your weird lizard tongue too!

xoxoxoxoxo

Baking with a two year old...

Today I am grateful for sticky fingers, chicklet teeth, a daughter who calls every cookie cutter shape "triangles!" and the imperfect cookie cutting methods of an inventive 2 year old.

Haley is presently passed out on the couch, belly full of cookies and cookie cutters still in hand. I love that girl! <3

Goodbye Scrooge...

I have a property tax bill, possessed sewing machine and a broken washing machine to blame for my sour christmas mood. Life's realities have made the past week or so anything but merry and bright. I am determined to claim the rest of Christmas for my family and myself no matter what the circumstances may be! I am forging my own "Christmas Miracle" of sorts and hopefully life will decide to play along after delivering so many lumps of coal.

To start things off, a christmas gift to myself in the form of an old quilt top. Nothing like an undeserved gift to yourself, from yourself to lift your spirits!

Now to do something nice for someone else!

When I'm feeling blue, when I'm feeling low,
I start to think about the happiest man I know.
Now he doesn't mind the snow, he doesn't mind the rain,
But all December you will hear him at your window pane,
Singing again and again and again and again and again:

Christmas is a coming and the bells begin to ring,
The holly's in the window and the birds begin to sing.
I don't need to worry, and I don't need to fret,
And the more you give at Christmastime the more you get.
God bless you, gentlemen, God bless you!
The more you give at Christmastime the more you get.

Christmas is a coming, the egg is in the nog.
Please give a friendly man a friendly little dog.
If you haven't got a friendly dog, a friendly cat will do,
If you haven't got a friendly cat may God bless you!
God bless you, gentlemen, God bless you!
If you haven't got a friendly cat may God bless you!

Christmas is a coming, the lights are on the tree.
How about a turkey leg for dear old me?
If you haven't got a turkey leg, a turkey wing will do.
If you haven't got a turkey wing may God bless you!
God bless you, gentlemen, God bless you!
If you haven't got a turkey wing may God bless you!

Christmas is a coming, the cider's in the keg.
If I had a mug of cider I wouldn't have to beg.
If you haven't got a mug of cider, half a mug will do.
If you haven't got half a mug, may God bless you!
God bless you, gentlemen, God bless you!
If you haven't got half a mug, may God bless you!

If you haven't got a thing for me, may God bless you!

Reindeer Munch

  
Materials:

Sugar
Oatmeal
Festive Sprinkles
Glitter
Jar or ziplock baggies
Measuring Cups
Fabric or tissue paper
Ribbon, Yarn, or string

Haley is 2 and there aren't too many Christmas crafts she can completely engage in, so when I saw this recipe for "reindeer food" I was pretty excited. It involves three things Haley loves: playing with her food, transfering objects from bucket to bucket, and "hepping mommy" (helping). I wanted this to be a bit more budget friendly, so I skipped out on the sprinkles, and although we had glitter, I just felt like it's a safer treat for the birds and rabbits this way! :)

She enjoyed it so much that a complete melt-down followed completion of the project as I had to get her and Cameron ready to go to Mema's. She is keeping the girls tonight and tomorrow so I can get all caught up on my Etsy orders and because a demanding two year old and a determined 6 month old don't quite let a momma get much done! Praise God for understanding customers, willing grandparents, and for all the design opportunities he has sent my way.

Sprinkle on the lawn at night
The moon will make it sparkle bright
As Santa's reindeer fly and roam
This will guide them to your home.

Christmas Eve can't come soon enough! ;)

Christmas Tree Pizza

  

Maybe I didn't realize our Christmas tree was lacking a stump until after we stuck it in the oven

...and maybe Haley was more interested in playing with and eating the dough than decorating it with pepperonis and peppers

...and maybe there should be a law against wearing an apple shirt while wearing a cherry apron

...and maybe you're staring at your screen thinking, "that is supposed to resemble a christmas tree?!"

but all maybes aside, christmas tree pizza is absolutely delicious even when thrown together by a less than determined 2 year old and everyone ought to give it a try!

Oh, maybe next year Haley will be more enthralled by the whole pizza making and decorating process, but if not, I can already tell that Cameron is shaping out to be quite the pizza enthusiast...

I can't wait to see their little pizza skills improve from year to year as their pizza eating skills seem to be inherent.



  

A Christmas Preview....

This morning was spent putting up the tree, adorning the mantle, and enjoying the girls' new chalkboard wall while listening to Christmas music and watching football. We still have lots to do, but everything is coming along and I'm starting to think that I wouldn't mind a house festooned in garlands and lights all year round. Isn't Haley quite the skilled tree trimmer? 6 ornaments on one branch has to be some kind of record.

Tonight we are "camping out" in the living room underneath the white lights and reading christmas stories, drinking warm drinks, continuing construction on our paper chain, and getting ourselves covered in a "snow storm" of chalk dust because the weatherman decided to trick us again. I am happy to start a new tradition and have my fingers crossed that when my kids become rotten teenagers they'll still allow it.

Please share your Christmas traditions with me, old and new, I would love to hear them and possibly even adopt some!

Merry December to all, and to all a goodnight... <3

This is the first year I've fixed up a complilation of all my favorite *classic* Christmas tunes to enjoy. It's undeniable... there's a little more christmas magic in the air while making gingerbread houses or trimming the tree with the timeless Frank Sinatra playing in the background and something about the sound of trumpets and bells that can make any person weak in the knees and nostalgic for christmases past. I can only hope that one day when my girls are older and scrambling around a mess of people shopping for christmas gifts, one of these songs will come on, give them a little peace, and take them back to memories of our cozy little home at Christmas no matter where they are <3

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas- Frank Sinatra
Silver Bells- Ray Conniff
My Favorite Things - Herb Alpert
It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas - Bing Crosby
White Christmas - The Drifters
I'll be Home for Christmas - Perry Como
Walking in a Winter Wonderland- Louis Armstrong
and many more...

Our family is a little late this year on starting Christmas, we are not putting up the tree and other decorations until Nick is home this weekend to enjoy the festivities with us. I can't wait to share all our little projects! :)

In other non-related cheer: Cameron's first tooth is coming in!

Bring on the bibs and figgy pudding!

I miss these happy faces...

The past couple of days have been too much for my mommy heart to handle and probably two of the scariest most hardest days of motherhood I have ever faced. I am physically and emotionally exhausted.

Cameron and Haley both have drippy noses, little coughs, and sunken eyes and Nick has managed to catch a bug as well. Every time I think they are getting better, their fevers seem to come back. I was up all night with Cameron Saturday and am trying to push through today with the help of an energy drink that tastes like chalk.

There have been plenty of baby tears and it has taken everything I have not to let out mommy tears. Please say a little prayer for us <3

a girl can dream...

Yesterday, I took a few (read: 84) maternity photos for my best friend Amy. She is a little over 28 weeks right now and her little bun is perfect and round. It still has a lot of growing to do before baby Gracen makes her grand debut in February, but we had to sneak in some pictures anyway. I imagine Gracen to be cute and sassy just like her momma, and fingers-crossed, to have a head full of red hair just like the folks on her daddy's side.

I am obviously not a professional- I have the cheapest camera nick and I could find after Haley took our old one for the ride of it's life, but I also know that having a good camera doesn't gaurantee a good picture... and that was the bit of hope I ran with for this shoot.

  

  





  

  


  

  

I learned a lot of valuable lessons this go around. To be sure to practice the rule of thirds, to never put your subject against a "black" background if she is wearing black, to get more belly than more skin in close up pictures (oooh, I was extra sloppy there), to research more poses so you don't end up with 40 of your subject looking down at her belly (hah), and the most important rule of all- to always pretend to look like you know what you're doing!

Just little things like that are all a part of the learning process and I am grateful for such an experience to figure things out and for some bonding time with my friend. I hope she treasures these with all her heart and I hope Gracen will too.

I am now even MORE determined to save up for my DSLR and make my dreams of becoming a photographer come true. I need a job that is fufilling to me and that allows me to connect with other people in our community. I hope to the tips of my toes that more opportunities arise.

Friends, if you don't see me all winter, just know that I am off rummaging under other people's couches for pennies, nickles and dimes... and hopefully an occasional quarter!