My New Motto...

My Christmas motto this year is.....drum roll please....... 

"It doesn't have to be perfect." 

And if you know me...at all...you know that's BIG for me! 

So guess what?  This year, when Ella only took a few minutes and then pointed to a tree that was NOT semetrical exclaiming, "I want this one!"  I recited said motto in my head and responded, "It's beautiful!  Let's cut it down!"

I decided to go ahead and let Jason rip out a wall in our living room the day before Thanksgiving.  Knowing full well it would be in mid renovation during the whole Holiday Season.  But instead of keep people out, I recited said motto and have invited girls over for tea, friends over for Ella's birthday, people for game night...oh and BOTH of our families for Christmas Celebrations.  There may very well be exposed studs, gaps in floors and wires hanging from the celing when our families gather here...deep breath...recite motto (Hey I didn't say it was EASY for me :)

Because our house is in mid renovation, I have no disire to clean it until it's all done!  So dust and cobwebs are accumulating as I type!

I did not can a thing this year (remember...I was really pregnant...and then having a baby...and adjusting to life with two) so there are no homemade goodies to do our usual wrap and deliver to neighbors and friends.  They'll get a card....and maybe some cookies...if I whip some up! 

Instead of keep everyone around for agonizing click after click to get a "perfect picture", I had my sister take two shots and said, "One of 'em is bound to be good enough!"  Thus, our Christmas picture has Josiah making a dreadful face and Ella donning a half hearted smile.  Hey, it's a more realistic peek into our life anyway! 

And you know what?  It's all okay, because...say it with me now...It doesn't have to be perfect!

I like this years motto.  In fact, I think I'd like to make it my life motto.  Because the less time and energy I spend on trying to make things "perfect", the more I can spend on being real, and savoring the moments, and concentrating on the important things.  Things like messy baking sessions with my little.  Snuggling and reading Christmas book after Christmas book.  Thanking God and counting our blessings, pinning our leaves on our blessings wreath.  Singing Christmas carols.  Praying for others.  Giving to others.  Spending time with friends and loved ones...the list goes on. 

And really, the most important thing is the One who IS perfect!  God's perfect gift of a Savior born to us.  THAT is what I want to spend time on, what I want my family to ponder, what I want my kids to learn...and by golly, I think it's happening.  Because not only do I have a little one that MAY OR MAY NOT have told pre-school mates that Santa isn't real. (Don't worry, she's a very quiet girl and basically just whispered it when others were saying he was real.  We're not out to ruin anyone's fun and we still partake in Santa fun too.  Afterall, St. Nicholoas was real...and we talk about how Santa is based on him.) But she also makes up impromptu songs that are compilations of the truths about God.  And she's theologically dead on. 

My absolute favorite is this... Whenever she's been playing with her manger scenes...this is how I find them.  "Everyone is worshiping Jesus," she tells me. 

My heart bursts with joy each time I run across one of these.  Not only because I know my little girl's heart is soft to Jesus, and the truths we are asking God to help us teach her are sinking in.   But because it makes me stop...pause...and remember our Savior born in a manger...

and worship Him!

Thankful Tree

A I plucked the colorful construction paper leaves off of the stick branches, I couldn't just throw them away.  We've been doing a thankful tree for a few years now, but this year I decided to record all the thing we're thankful for.  It will be a good tradition.  It will be good to look back on all the blessings and all the things we're thankful for...especially when hard times come...as they always do in life.  It will be good to have these lists!

 

ELLA (her list will be the longest, because every night she would ask for multiple leaves.  And even then she would end up having us write multiple things on each of those multiple leaves.  What a joy it was to see gratefulness so cultivated in her little heart!  We did not prompt ANY of these answers, and wrote them down verbatum.  And I LOVE how many there are about her baby brother.  I have been praying since he was first in my womb for a wonderful sibling relationship.)

1. Our family, pets, food, baby brother, rocks, leaves, sun catchers, bicycle and tricycle.
2. That I can plan on the new grass.
3. A nice yard to play with the ball.
4. That I have a new bouncy ball.  And babies.
5. These nature collages.  And my blanket.
6. My salamanders, my fishies and my caterpillars.
7. for lots of sunny days.
8. For my glitter lip gloss and these chocolates.
9. Friends (Claira, Lauren, Emma, Maggie)
10. That the tank that my fishies are in is pretty.
11. For nice weather.
12. That we have such a pretty house.
13. For my kitchen set.
14. I am thankful that I have such a lovely baby brother.
15. I love baby Josiah.
16. For baby Josiah.
17. I love baby Josiah because he plays with me, sleeps very much and doesn't cry very much.
18. For baby Josiah and that he sleeps better in his crib and doesn't cry when he goes to sleep.
19. That baby Josiah is fun to play with.
20. That we got to paint with apples and paint on the windows.
21. That we have a pretty house to play in with a lot a lot of stuff.For my body.  And stickers.
22. That I'm going to get a bug eyed fish!
23. For snow, a good swingset, and that I can climb up the slides.
24. That I get to play with my friends.
25. For the gift I am giving Nanny and that I can give it to her.
26. For Nanny and Grampy coming over.
27. For our fish.
28. Mom and dad because they play with me.
29. My school.  Our woodstove and a nice warm house.
30. That we are going to have lots of space to play in.  And warm hot cocoa.
31. A big open house to ride my tricycle in.

 

SARAH

1. Rain and sun helping our new lawn grow.
2. Snow on 11-8-12
3. Games
4. Two healthy children
5. That people think to ask us when they are raising support.
6. Miss D. and a great library
7. Ella's awesome preschool and two great teachers!
8. A wonderful time at church this morning.
9. An amazing, helpful husband.  xoxo
10. A wonderful husband and daughter who like to suprise me.
11. For electricity and running water that so many others in the world don't have.
12. For our home.
13. A God who loves me no matter what.
14. Reconnecting with Stef. K and also for her heart for fostercare and children.
15. Warm fire, awesome hubby and a great deal on a W/D for mom!
16. A visit from Krissy.
17. For soldiers and freedom and days off and sunshine.

 

JASON

1. For good family time at the park.
2. For a car that gets me where I need to go.
3. for my family.
4. good coworkers
5. for other people's generosity.
6. our friends
7. our good health.
8. for a nice home where we can have company stay and visit.
9. for a big yard to run around in.
10. having good friends!
11. for a warm, dry home during "hurricane" Sandy
12. for a good job.
13. beautiful fall days.
14. For time to spend with my family.

 

GUESTS
Baby smiles, ella playing, feeling better, sewing machines.
for this family
for two healthy grandchildren and one more on the way.
many beautiful birds outside my window. ~Grandma

for the outside ~Claira

Having good friends who feed me dinner ~Krissy

Can't Leave Well Enough Alone!

My mom would say we can't leave well enough alone.  I would say we have vision and are go getters dedicated to making our home the best it can be!  But really, we can't just move into a home a leave it be.  Nope, we change things.  I'm not just talking paint colors and decor...I'm talking ripping out  cabinets, building closets, and most recently....knocking down walls and rearranging floor plans. 

The kids and I headed North with my mom a day earlier than Jason.  I left him home alone to do some major demo on our house.  What was once a long, skinny, odd, not so usable and definitely not fitting living room for our large house....is now a big beautiful open concept.  Yes...it's still rough...but you get the picture!

Please excuse the condition of the house.  VERY unlike me, but I did NOpicking up before I snapped the picture.  The wires are still hanging, the paint doesnt match, and the sheet rock dust is still settling but I couldn't wait to share!  :)  I LOVE IT!!!

BEFORE
Knocking down the wall means getting rid of the master bedroom downstairs.  No fear...we have 5 more bedrooms upstairs.  And we like being on the same floor as our children MUCH better!

AFTER
AMAZING I know!  Look at the space...look at the sunlight!

BEFORE
View from the inside of the former master br.  I almost forgot to take a picture!

AFTER
So wonderful!  Now the woodstove won't sweat us out of the smaller living room space!

BEFORE
View from dining room entrance into living room.

AFTER
I am IN LOVE!!!

Where DOES Time Go!?

HOW is it MID November ALREADY!?

Every single bit of my Christmas shopping is DONE.  And that's late for me.  But NOW I can sit back and SAVOR the SAVIOR, which is what this season is all about.  I can play my Christmas tune, bake with my little, craft to my hearts content and focus on what Christmas is all about!  Oh how I love it!

I've celebrated another year of life and I feel fabulous.  I have a whole blog post about that in my head but it'll have to wait.

I feel like I'm hitting my stride in this mother of two game...ya know...sorta...for now...until things change...which they always do with littles.  But really, we're doing well, and I'm doing well, and I do plan to share more about this journey...but again it'll have to wait.

And my BABY boy is 4 months old!  He's still a mello jello, lazy little love.  He still hates tummy time, but will oblige me and pick his head up off the mat for a few seconds.  He has found his tosies and loves to grab them.  He grabs at toys with vigor, and while his coordination is still not the best, he manages to get them clumsily to his mouth and hang onto them for a bit.  He gets quite excited when he succeeds and kicks and flails his arms...which makes him lose the toy he was just celebrating obtaining :)  it's cute.  He occasionally will roll onto his side, but not much really.  Unlike Ella, he shoves everything into his mouth, and drools a good bit.  I realize this is normal, but Ella was unusual.  She did not drool much at all and almost never put things in her mouth.  He's a little fussier these days.... probably because he's backslid on the sleeping...not going for as long of stretches.  That is NOT to my liking.  But he's still quite a happy little guy.  And I thank God for this happy, healthy little love and I will choose to be grateful to have him to wake up to in the night and nurse and snuggle.

HE IS the MOST amazingly handsome little man EVER if I do say so myself! Check him out!

Happy Halloween!

This is not just an obligatory Halloween post.

I don't remember thinking Halloween was anything special when I was growing up.

But I have to admit...I kind of love Halloween now that I have kiddos.

Forget the spooky, leave the loud.   No thanks crowds and good-by gore.

 I couldn't dislike those things more!

But chubby little munchkins all dressed up in cute, cozy costumes?
Yes Please!

Preschool parades and goodies gifted?

Makes me smile.

Pink dino tail bobbing as she walks?

You betcha.

Tiny little voices timidly saying trick or treat and thank-you?

So sweet.

Good friends, hand in little hand, trapsing about a friendly neighborgood?

Makes my heart happy.

Adorable little pumpkin all bundled and smiley?

Who wouldn't love that!

Little toddler fingers sorting through tasty treasures saying with such innocent and genuine appreciation, "Look Mom!  Look what I got!"

 Yup.  Can't get enough of that!

Nothing Better Than Baby Laughter!

It's so hard to capture the good stuff on film.  I swear babies have a radar that detects all filming devices and cues them to shut off whatever behavior  it was that was attempting to be captured :)  Jason stood back a ways so as to try to go undetected by said baby radar.  It's still not his all out giggles, and the light and sound might not be the best, but I still double dog dare you to watch this and NOT crack a smile!  There's nothing better than baby laughter!  Josiah, 3mo old!

And here he is a month ago, at 2mo old, when he REALLY started responding to things with sweet gaping smiles.

Hurricane Preparedness

In case you've been hiding in a hole somewhere and don't know...we've got a Hurricane a comin' our way!  As responsible parents and adults, we've been spending our time dutifully preparing for said storm putting up a GIGANTIC swing set that we bought on craigslist!!!

 We've been looking for a long time knowing we wanted to get one for Ella for Bday/Christmas this year, and late fall seems to be the season where used swingsets drastically drop in price! We got this ginormous, 4 swing, monkey-bars across the top, dual slide, multi-level clubhouse, rugged thing for quite a deal!  Do you see my child up there in the clubhouse?  She is dwarfed by this baby.  (For all of friends that know the condition of our little metal swingset...your children will no longer put their lives in jeopardy when swinging at our house :)  YEARS and YEARS of fun to come!



Here she is christening the slide...

But never fear...right after we put this all together we totally started preparing for the storm went to an rockin' birthday party for one of Ella's new friends from preschool and had an awesome time! 

But really, don't fret...after we put the kiddos to bed we definitely buckled down and took stock of what we needed for the incoming storm ran out and got a redbox and had a little date night in.

So today, Sunday, the storm is supposed to roll into town late night or tomorrow morning and we really did get ready.  Yard is free from anything that could fly away like dorothy and toto.  Wood racks are chock full.  5 gallon buckets sit in tub filled to the brim with water.  Non-perishables are stocked up.  Propane has been bought.  We're good on batteries.  Candles, lighters, headlamps and flashlights sit at the ready.  We're ready.  But please be kind to us Miss Sandy :)  Praying for all those in her path.  Stay safe all!