have a great weekend filled with lots of joy!

Found out my husband gets to take a business trip to N. California next month.  Green with envy.  Spent all day yesterday telling him I want a trip- that maybe we should go to Hawaii with the baby this summer- only to have to listen to his million and three reasons why we can’t go.  Decided maybe I just need a weekend in San Fransisco…without Mr. Stick-In-The-Mud…any travel companions out there?

Hope your friday proves to be more exciting than mine!

psst!- check out this sweet birthday banner I had the privilege of making for Ms. Jane Nielson!!

i stumbled upon this today….and oh my goodness did I need it.  Been feeling really out of my element with this whole mommy thing lately, if I were the crying type, this might have brought me to tears, that’s how much I needed it today.

Why didn’t I hear about the event before?  Maybe in 2010.

There is not enough…

• patience
• hours in the day
• sleep at night
• chocolate in the house
• clean underwear
• short and long term memory

But, there is this….which makes up for all of it

noticing that when I feel out of control I clean.  I guess it makes me feel like I have control over something; except I think I am spending way to much energy thinking out about the lack of order in the pantry and some cupboards.  I mean really, I just had a baby, I’ve got to force myself to relax and let go or I think I’d be scrubbing the baseboards with a tooth brush!

Planning to not leave the house tomorrow…will stay in sweats all day…may have to make a chocolate run though…hooked on these.

To make you want to dance around!  I know I’ll be dancing in my new kicks as soon as they arrive (can’t beat that deal!).  Want a cool new T-shirt?  You can dance about the fact that your are helping your fellow man when you purchase it….

I got more sleep last night, and a nap yesterday afternoon…makes a world of difference!  I rented Pollyanna to watch while I bind a quilt this afternoon…post pics soon!

p.s. thanks to Auntie Sarah for the new clothes!

December 25th we celebrated my 32nd birthday, with family, sparklers, and a sour cream chocolate-raspberry cake (email me if you want the recipe)!

A few weeks ago, Santa asked me to swing by Smeeks to pick up some Block candy for the children’s stockings; while there I saw number sparklers.  I told Jaylee, if anyone asked I so wanted those on my cake this year, not candles!

My sweet friend, who I should mention is currently on crutches, sent her husband (Clint, you rock too!!) down to Smeeks minutes before they closed on the 24th to snag these sparklers for me!  She also had him grab an extra set for next year too.  Then, on Christmas afternoon she hobbled all the way to my house to deliver them to me!  Thank you Jaylee for thinking of me, and remembering, and thank you Smeeks staff for staying open an extra few minutes so my birthday cake would sparkle!

I love when the afternoon sun casts long shadows on the living room floor.  Even more I love to sit on the couch and read with my feet in the sun…

I’ve been afraid to leave the house today, I was having lots of contractions last night and some this morning.  At this mornings Dr’s appt I was almost at a 3 and 80%, my Dr thinks I could go any day now.  I needed to run to Costco, but part of me is a little worried about standing in the long Costco lines and having my water break.

So after spending all morning at home we ventured out to get a redbox for the kids, Goodwill was right there so we stopped and had a look around.  I found 3 bags of Little People (furniture, farm animals, boats and people) for a grand total of $6, well worth the trip!  I love watching my daughter (and now my son has joined in) use her imagination and play with them all.

My husband promises to accompany me to Costco this evening, or else we won’t have salad and corn for Christmas dinner (to go with the yummy prime rib my brother in law is preparing!!).

• today I finished the last of my christmas prep.  last min gifts made and purchased, everything is now wrapped and ready!

• feeling so grateful for all the gifts under our tree.  i truly feel so blessed by the kindness of our extended family.  it really gets me every year, our families spoil our kids (and us).  i feel so fortunate and grateful.

• found The Christmas Chronicles (8 part story of how Santa came to be, fantastic tale for young and old!) through NPR and am loving them!  Perfect to listen to while you wrap gifts or bake.

(felt hair clips made using this pattern and this technique)

I feel a bit like I’ve been run over by a Mack Truck, I’m so tired.  I was out last night until past midnight with my 2 girlfriends Sara & Jenny.  Every year for the last 5 years we go out for a holiday dinner just the 3 of us.  Last night we tried LGO, since I had heard so much about it.

We had the mushroom party pizza, YUM, it really was so good!  There menu is small and the prices are high, but it was a fun splurge and we had such a good time.  Next door was a gelato place, so of course after dinner we stopped for dessert.

We always have such a good time together and we run the gamut of conversation, every year I look forward to our dinners….it’s the recovery that’s hard!  My husband was up at 5:30am today for work and I couldn’t fall back to sleep after he left.  I’m debating between a nap this afternoon or taking my daughter to the Princess & the Frog…..

Writing of my daughter, I just love this picture she drew this morning, I labled it so everyone could appreciate it’s Christmas goodness!

In the last 24 hours I have painted all of the window mouldings in the whole house (my husband is hanging new blinds as I type!!!), and primed and painted the first coat of paint on the nursery bookshelf.

The bookshelf was built by my grandfather back in the 60’s.  It is pretty beat up and some of the “gingerbread” is broken.  I’m thinking maybe some fun contact paper, or wrapping paper to put against the back of the shelves?  My mother used it as a child and then my sister and I used it as children.  I found the phrase “Johnny Depp is Fine” written in chalk on the back, I’m embarrassed to admit that it was probably me who wrote that!  I took the Irmi lamp from frances to Lowe’s yesterday and had them color match the pink.  I’m really pleased with it, I just need to paint another coat this afternoon.

I sorted through some of the baby clothes (there is still more in the garage) and started putting them away, ready for baby’s everyday use.  I’m also freaking out about getting all of the last minute Christmas things squared away.  As much as I want this baby to come NOW, I would feel so bad for the kids if Christmas is thrown together because mom was still recovering….

So, I also worked on teacher gifts last night.  I made 2 lanyards for my son’s teacher.  All the teachers have to wear them with their name badges on them, so I thought why not something a little more fun than a black shoe string?!

I thought about putting together a tutorial for them, but people they are so simple.  All I did was make binding out of fabric and sew it together, add a key ring, small jump ring and a lanyard hook.   Next up, cookies for the preschool teachers!

…and scrubbing the bathroom, washing the laundry, taking a shower today, grocery shopping so we can eat….lots to do today!