Christmas Traditions...

 (random photos from our Holiday home! - be prepared for picture overload!)

Buddy, our kitty has decided her loves to snooze under the trees...

He's all like, hey thanks for putting this blanket and water bowl here just for me! :-)

 What Christmas would be complete without Charlie Brown and his gang???

Doesn't the Charlie Brown Christmas song just make you smile?

 If you asked my girls their favorite traditions,

they would probably tell you they love our Holiday crafting and present making,

and most of all our annual Christmas cookie baking day!
It is so fun to get them involved in the giving.
I love to see them concerned about the spirit of giving, instead of focusing on what Santa will be
bringing only themselves!

 This is one of my favorite ornaments...

my teapot. I got her when I was 14 from my Mama!

Isn't she sweet?

 No fake trees for this family...

We like to go out and cut our tree(s) - maybe we love it so much because it's just another special tradition?!;-)

Now that the girls are getting a bit older,

this year more than any other, we are really diving into the 

real reason we celebrate, and what it really means!

Don't get me wrong, we have always talked about,

and celebrated Jesus' birth, however, now that the girls are 8 and almost 5,

we can really begin to go deeper!

 another something fun...

Elf on a Shelf

Have you heard about this???

It's really fun!!!

 Every year, since Bella was wee, I have given a tree that the kid's get to decorate.

This year, since we have so many ornaments, due to our ornament exchanging,

and crafting we got a BIG tree for the girls to decorate, all for their very own.

They did such a great job! 

Matt and I put the lights on, and then they went for it!

They did great!

 Lola and Buddy found a place on the tree!

Lola is quite intrigued by this whole Christmas business since it's her very first Christmas with her real family!

Just a few more days to go...

are you soaking up the fun?

It's almost Christmas time!!!

Have fun making memories, traditions mean so much!

grateful...

I am so thankful for all of the blessings in my life. My cup truly does run over! I have happy healthy kids, and a great husband. Together we make a family. When I was a little girl, I dreamed of the day I could have my own family. No where in my dreams did I imagine all the blessings that God would provide me. Life is definitely not perfect. But, in the moments when I feel like life is unraveling a bit, I think of those who have real problems. People that don't know where their next meal will come from. People that spend more time in the cold than in warmth. Those who don't have clean water to drink. When I look at life from this perspective, I know how blessed I truly am. It is with a thankful heart today that I will celebrate this Thanksgiving. Happy to have family and friends, good food, and a warm home to celebrate with and in.

My prayer is where ever you are today, that you too have blessing that are great. Happy Thanksgiving! Have a wonderful day full of love, and laughter, and lots of good foods to eat!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween

from Harry Potter (herself) and Hedwig his (her) owl!

my fourth and final trip...

 Last Thursday, I had the great pleasure to go on my fourth, an final First Christian Pre-primary, annual pumpkin patch field trip! It was a bittersweet day, because I knew I would never again be a mom to a preschooler, and go on one of these fabulous fall outings!

 First off the kids got to play for a bit on the hay fort...

 Then off to line up wash hands, and get ready for a snack!

 This is Meritt's little friend Elsa. She is 3 days younger than Meritt. (although she was supposed to be a month older ;)) They were in the hospital nursery together - now look at them all big and four!

 I am AMAZED how well the teacher get these 16 spirited little individuals to behave. They lined up nicely for a class photo!

 Of course the kids want to see what the picture looks like!

 Then finally snack time - homemade cider donuts and fresh pressed cider... YUM! I got a snack too!

 Off on the wagon we went to hunt for the perfect pumpkin!

Friends gathered together in the front of the wagon, to ride back to the farm, and say 'see ya later alligator!'
It was the most perfect weather I have ever had on one of these trips... it was great!

hello October... oh and goodbye...

Wow, October has come and almost gone...
I haven't even posted pictures of the girls starting school, or of our yearly pumpkin patch trip. So, this is the post folks to play catch up in photos... Here it goes:


Starting School...

 Fall blew in like a breeze (hurricane) that I wasn't expecting and blew me right on over... September began the school year. Here is Miss Bella starting her 3rd grade year of school. I was allowed one photo (no more) it happens to be blurry, but I was also reminded that we get what we get and we don't get upset... (so there ya have it!)

 Unlike her sister, Meritt Rose was more than happy to ham it up for the camera! Starting your second year of preschool is BIG business don't you know.

 What a cheese ball... take another picture Mama. I'm going to soak that up as long as I get it! Because apparently in 4 more years you will be too cool for me! :)

 Meritt is indeed having roaring fun in the 4 day 4's. She is doing so well. If you would have told me a year ago, what a year could bring, I would have told you that you were CrAzY! She is making friends, she is excited each and every day about school, and she loves both of her new teachers...

 Seriously, look at that smile - could she be any more excited? This was her first official day without mom (the first day is a short meet and greet with Mama's by their sides!)

 She requested I take her in, and we got there, and I got a --- bye mom, see ya later...
(a bit different than a year ago...!)

 Each day I pick her up, I love hearing all the stories. What fun to be four years old!



The Pumpkin Patch...

 Something we do every year, is go out to the pumpkin patch...

This year I put my big girl (mama) panties on and took the kiddos by myself out to my hometown, for some good old fashioned fall fun!

There were piggies to pet (okay watch sleep)

 Goats to feed...

 Meritt loved this part a lot... she made friends with the boys (as she called them)!

 We took a hay wagon (tractor) ride through the corn to the pumpkin patch...

 What a beautiful day we got. What a lovely place.... sometimes I miss the country and itty bitty city I came from!

 tromped through the field to check things out...

 Smiles were all around...

 I said hello to the egg laying chickies...

Then we found a Daddy pumpkin, a Mama pumpkin, a Bella pumpkin, a Meritt pumpkin, and 4 small animal pumpkins... our porch is filled!

Can you believe September and October have come and almost gone already??? I'm in a bit of disbelief!