Merry Christmas!!

Our Card this year; you may recall this post.

They're Big...

I can't believe it.

When I look up at that header and see those two kids....wow.

And yes, I've become like every other mom in the world watching their babies sprint towards their tweens...sickeningly nastalgic!

Christmas is almost here and it reminds me yet again, how my lack of internet at home keeps me from posting fun kid photos.

The photos are the best part, for sure.

I will play catch up. Promise.

And just in case I don't....Merry Christmas!! :)

We've been busy around here....

I still need to get some beads for the tree....we do a real Fraser Fir.

Smells divine this year. I would actually do an artificial tree, but we don't have the storage...

This one is LOVING the decorations.

We've not had too many negative encounters with the tree, but we do have to watch him quite a bit.

SO, so grateful I purchased non-shattering ornaments years ago.

Love tree bokah.

Blessed

New Tradition

I'm going to try to remind us every Thanksgiving of what we are thankful for.

In blogworld, this is quite a common project, but I think it is so important to serve as a reminder of what thankfulness means to each of us. Big things. Small things. All things.


This is our little Thankful tree. Every day we named things we appreciate. Wrote it down, and hung it on the tree.

(And don't mind that little bead on the table....it is a bead, not a big 'ole crumb from lunch :)!!)

I like the fact that it serves as a larger decoration reminding me of the things we have come up with.

Cute idea, no?

Here are two little munchkins I am thankful for:




And remember, we are even thankful for the small things...

If you can't read my handwriting: "socks to keep us warm (Emmy)"

Well said.

Pretty Little Princess

He would NOT take this off tonight!!

Sorry for the blur...I hate the flash, and the dark house is not conducive to my photography preferences! :)

What I've been reading...

I've recently gone back to work full time and the balance in my world (as if I have balance!!!) has gone out the window.

That being said. I have read some really great bloggers lately regarding staying at home. Some of you that read my blog work, some of you stay at home FT with your kids, and I think maybe one of you is like me that works PT/home the other days.

Here they are in no particular order...

Clover Lane. I think, I think of her as somewhat of my mentor...how weird does that sound!? She has 5 kids (3-17years old) and seems as introspective as I. *This post* and *also this one* are great reminders for me.

Footy Pajamas. This girl is more a peer going through life somewhat like I am...although she has been pregnant 4 time in the past 4 years, I think. Unfortunately, her first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. As she is now pregnant with her third...I am eager to see how it will unfold for her. *This post really rings true for me*.

goings, graces. I went to college with this dear soul and roomed with her my senior year. hard to believe we now have 5 kids between the two of us! *This post* was food for my soul.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday I will try and back post some things....Halloween costumes, apple orchard...stuff like that.

I CANNOT believe we're at the end of November already. And time is NOT slowing down!

Photo Shoot

I have gone back and forth this year about getting professional photos taken for our Christmas card.

I had purchased a Maternity Plus Package for Liam (which means I got maternity, new born, 3 month, 6 month, 9 month and 12 month photos). So needless to say, that ended in July when he turned 1 and I am left with nothing more current than summer photos!

Also, lets just add that I'm too cheap to spend $100+ on a single photography session just so I have some shots for my Christmas card...!

So, without further adieu, I will now unveil my feeble attempt to photograph my kids....myself.

This is just a sneak peek, you'll see more on the Christmas card for sure.

And oh boy, you should have seen us trying to get a family shot....with the self-timer.

Funny stuff people, funny stuff!!

We're so lucky no one was recording us to send to America's Funniest Home Videos--but then again, we could have won that cash prize...

Halloween and Autumn

My girl could be nothing other than a princess of course...(we were at Oma and Opa's church's Fall Festival....hence the coloring.)


While little brother was a hilarious dragon.


Weather has been so nice this autumn....I am scared to think what January/February is going to feel like!!

Apple Orchard

Every year at the end of September/early October we head on over to Emma Krumbee's with the kids and watch them enjoy themselves.

Honeycrisp apples were rampant, however, I was bummed I missed out on the new hybrid, SweeTango (Honeycrisp/Zester).

We started off giving Emmy a pony ride. She was in heaven.

There is a huge hay pile that the kids go crazy on...

There's always a little train running. Emalyn insisted she sit alone.

There weren't many people at the orchard yet, so Emalyn got to ride the train again, without any family accompaniment.

Riding solo is SO not her usual style, but of course, she is growing up and "Miss Independent" is coming out more and more! *sigh*

There was a playground as well with tire swings...


And, of course, PUMPKINS!


We did take home that little one for Liam. Emalyn's was just a tad bit larger. We're not quite into carving them yet, mommy doesn't want to deal with the pumpkin guts until she must! :)

My boy.

Having fun at a friend's birthday party.

Church Picnic

I am pretty sure the church picnic was in September or October. And the weather was gross.

But Emmy had fun....waiting for the little kids pinata smashing to start.

Emmy took a swing or two...and cracked it pretty good!

And of course this was afterward with her spoil. Oh, the bliss!

Differences in my kids...

He loves the goats. L O V E S.



She on the other hand....would prefer to pose, than touch any living thing larger than her body size.

I thought a photo of her looking happy would be better than a photo of her contorted face screaming bloody murder because we accidentally got her to go into the goat barn. Oy.

And you should hear what she sounds like when she goes in the cow barn...Lord, have mercy.

So...

Where have we been?

Yeah, basically we decided that we are going to take it seriously to pay off one of our car loans. We also just refinanced our house (not becuase we are staying, but because it needed to be done) so since we are saving on our monthly payment there, we will take that savings and add it to what we are saving from getting rid of out internet and land line.

Did you read that right?

No internet. Who cares about the phone, but the connection or lifeline to the outside world.

Yes, it is gone.

Yes, it has been an adjustment.

It is VERY good in some ways. And VERY annoying in other ways.

Thankfully, the yellow pages just put a book outside our door the other day. We've needed it!

But when we think about it, we are taking what's left of a four year loan and having it hopefully paid off by november next year. Not too shabby if you ask me!

So, needless to say, when I post, I am sitting in a coffee shop, using free wi-fi. Or the posts will be scheduled.

We'll see. Now that summer is coming down to an end, I will have more inside time to write the posts then just have to cut and paste...maybe that is how most people do it anyway.

Here's to staying connected...while sipping my hot chai! Yum!

Sticky Fingers

Do my windows look like this?


Why, yes, all...the...time.

And yet, my life would be so boring without the extra window washing. :)

End of Summer

WAY WAY WAY overdue...



At the Zoo visiting the rabbits.


Emmy was "hiding" becuase she didn't want to be in the photo and I made her...creative way to hide. I must try it sometime! :)



Back out on the much loved screened in patio. Liam's smiling eyes are my favorite.

I have one of these now....

Angelina Ballerina camp.
She was in heaven.
We won't be going back until Jan/Feb since she needs to mature just a little bit more...

Church Camp

We were out the last week in July, and went a little north to church camp.

Our first attempt at really taking a "vacation" with only our immediate family.

I have to say, the star of the show was Emalyn. She tried more things for the first time this last week than any other time in her life. So unbelievable...here's a list:

went tubing

rode a pony

went down a huge slide (the ones you use with burlap sacks...remember?)

stood onstage and sang into a microphone in front of at least 150 people

waited in line by herself and took a crack at a pinata

Liam did great too; Cameron and I got to go to almost every morning and evening session while he napped, or just went to bed for the night. He is a 7:00pm kid. No joke about it.

It was really a great time. Lots of relaxing. Lots of fun. And we were tired and ready to be home at the end of the week. That's the way to do it!

Without further adieu, the photos:

Pirate Theme

LJW's First Birthday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG BOY!!

I am about a 2 months overdue in posting this (...unbelievable that so much time has flown by!)

I will catch you all up on what has been going on, but this one, its for Liam. :)
****
We had a circus theme for Liam's party. Clowns, balloon animals, corn dogs, and cotton candy were just some of the yummy fun!

Aside from the weather being hot and humid, we had a great time and everything turned out well.

I still have to scan in the invites, so that will come...

Here's some shots of the tables....

The dining room table had a backdrop of "admit one" raffle tickets. I made them look like a curtain, and then put up blue table cloths to fill in the sides...it added a lot to the wall. And this wall ended up being my favorite part of the party (besides Liam of course!)

I made cake pops from the Pioneer Woman's Bakerella recipe. Fabulous. SO good. Decorated some styrofoam cubes, then stuck those babies in. Turned out pretty cute if I say so myself.

I wanted to make balloon animals for the table centerpieces, however, I ran out of time. And, thankfully, it turned out to be A LOT of fun to have the guests take a stab at it. We came up with some silly looking balloons, but had a lot of fun.

Its hard to believe he's really one. A while year has passed since that day at the hospital. And boy, what a difference he is from him sister...I mean, duh. But you think all babies are alike, right? So not the case.

She LOVED having Liam's party. She was really good at making it about him and understanding that this was for just him. Of course, she helped open presents and was a BIG part of everything, but she just did so well.

It's hard for me to understand that she actually understands what is going on with doing things for Liam, or another person. I am just so impressed by her "maturity." Perhaps her maturity will come to bite me in the petunia one day, but for right now, she rocks in this department.