sparkly, and twinkly, and lovely, oh my

As we drove an hour or so up the hill on Sunday, I alternated between feeling happy to be with my family and feeling car sick. I know why mountain roads are so windy, but I still wish they weren't. I also wish windy were spelled differently than windy, because there wasn't a single breeze, and because it just makes reading confusing.

Not long after we began our ascent I noticed my ears plugging up and thought about the two little girls in the backseat. Mia was asleep but Laci was looking out the window and chatting. She was excited to be cutting her first Christmas tree (yes, this is the first tree we've had since she was born).

Me: Laci, do your ears feel funny?
Laci: Yah.
Me: Well, if you open your mouth and yawn a little like this, it will help them feel better.

A few minutes later, she had figured out how to wiggle her ears and shouted, "Hey! My ears are talking!"

Well, yes I guess they are sort of talking. Kids say great things, don't they?

We found a Charlie Brown-ish tree this year. A young tree with floppy branches, but with lights and ornaments it looks fine. And to the girls, I'm sure it looks huge. Laci collected pine cones and needles, which she called her "treasures," and Mia insisted on walking until she fell in the mud. It was chilly but sunny and we only saw a few small patches of snow. It was probably one of our easiest tree expeditions to date (not that we have that many to compare to).

See that cute baby in the background?  She will fall in about 2.2 seconds.

I managed to find enough working light strands to do the job and have adorned the top half with ornaments. I experimented with a few unbreakables on the lower branches, but Mia is obsessed with ripping them off, so everything has been moved upward.

I made this cute tree skirt yesterday loosely following one of a hundred different tutorials on making a ruffle tree skirt. I cringe at these words, but yes, I found it on Pinterest. It's just strips of fabric and burlap, hot glue, and a cheap felt tree skirt as a base. No sewing!  It was a little time consuming, but easy enough. And for once, it turned out exactly how I wanted. I love it, and all the little pieces of burlap it distributed throughout the house.  To make the deal sweeter, I just found an identical skirt for sale on Etsy for $125.  Pretty sure I didn't even pay close to that.

There are snowmen and twinkle lights in the kitchen and living room, and other than some stockings, I'd say we are ready for Christmas around here. Oh, and presents. We need presents. Because I'm a procrastinator and always wait until the last minute.  But oh, how happy all these twinkly, sparkly things make me.

thanksgiving 2012

This is the obligatory Thanksgiving post, where I try to find the right words to describe and retell my favorite holiday and post many pictures, but never too many.

Let's see...what can I say about Thanksgiving? Well, we had dinner at my parents' house as usual. The food never disappoints and the kids spent most of the day outside. They slept well that night.

Aunty Jenny's family was with us, as they are every year, but Aunty Jenny got a toothache which was accompanied by severe pain which peaked during dinner. She was not having fun and spent several hours that evening at the emergency room, which provided enough horrific and amusing stories for another post entirely. I'll spare you the details. Thanksgiving day was a bit quieter than usual because of this.

We shopped the little stores downtown on Friday and ate leftovers. And I'm just gonna go ahead and say it, "I like Thanksgiving leftovers better than the real dinner." I like to make a sandwich with soft white bread, a little mayo, turkey, stuffing, gravy, and some cranberry sauce. It's a messy one, and usually requires a fork, but it's my very favorite sandwich of the whole year.

We had a big family dinner again on Saturday, this time at our house. I served pizza on paper plates because I like to be fancy like that. It was a bit lackluster, but plenty loud, so I'll assume everyone had a good time.

When Sunday arrived, we drove up to the hills to cut down our tree, and brought out the Christmas boxes of decorations. But I have enough pictures of that to qualify for a whole new post. I'll get to that...

I didn't get any pictures of the food or the gathering and eating, but I chased my girls around (as if I don't already have enough pictures of them) and even forced (almost) everyone to take some pictures in the yard. Why didn't I get a big family picture with everyone in it? Because it is almost impossible to orchestrate and it was hard enough getting two people at a time to pose together. Oh well. Maybe next year.

So, yeah, Thanksgiving was good. GOOD.  Relatively quiet, beautiful weather, great company, and altogether satisfying. I'm ready to do it again.

In no particular order, this is my family...some of it.

Dad & Mom

Spoiled babies.  The kids, not my parents.

 Mom & Beth (in terrible kitchen light...sorry)

Myles & Kristina & Baby Harper (who is hiding right now...come out soon)

David & Beth

My cousin Aletha & Beth

My girls are so lucky to have so many special aunties.

Cutie Baby Justin

Cousin "B" who finds himself considerably less bored with the invention of smart phones.

Shark Bait

My big girl, who crashed her left cheek into a metal chair, leaving a big red spot which quickly turned to purple, and is now a fading orange/brown color.

Swinging.  I'm not sure what face she is making here.  I can only guess it is "happy swinging" face.

Oh look, I made it IN a picture!

And another!

Ok...enough proof that I exist now.

And also, let me just be the first to comment on how happy our children look.

Until next year...

happy thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to you from my two little turkeys.

Or, as Laci said yesterday, "Happy Thanks For Giving!"

being thankful

I have quite a bit in my life to be grateful for. My "want" list far exceeds my "need" list which translates to "I live a pretty comfortable life." To list all I am grateful for would probably take days, so I'll just hit the highlights.

I am thankful for Ryan, who provides for us and takes care of us and is a perfect balance to my sometimes erratic emotions and personality.

I am thankful for Laci who challenges me, but who also gives the best hugs and entertains me with the things that come out of her mouth lately.

 I am thankful for a healthy Mia. Sometimes I look at her and wonder what our life would look like without her, if she had not survived. And I think to myself, "Well, that would just suck," knowing that there is probably a more creative word to use, but not a better word.

I am thankful for all the other family and friends I have in my life. I have fewer friends than in my younger years, but my life is fuller with those who are still around. And also, I have the best family, but I've already said that a billion times before.

I am thankful for a house that is warm and energy efficient and a hundred times better than a trailer in a shop. I am thankful that I don't have to think about how I am going to feed my family or if we will stay warm this winter. And that I have the luxury of pursuing things I enjoy, like photography and creating things.

I am thankful for the quiet life we lead right now. We don't have to worry about school schedules and homework and after school activities yet. We just do what we want when want. Sometimes we go out and do things, sometimes we sit in our pajamas until it's time to take a bath and put on a new set of pajamas. It doesn't really matter because I'm just soaking in this time where my babies are little and they appreciate an afternoon chalking up the patio or playing in the dirt. Occasionally, I wish it would stay this way forever.

  

I'm sure there are things I missed, this list isn't even close to everything I am or could be thankful for. But now I have a little one who needs a nap and another one asking for milk, so I'll end with one last thankful: I am thankful for being needed.