snow flakes and shopping

Daddy and Me, December 2010

Today, I did some early Christmas shopping.

In trying to be reasonable, I bought our eight month old ONE thing. That is right! If you want to congratulate me on my restraint, feel free! I bought her a stuffed llama. She is going to be the coolest kid ever.

I bought my neice and my sister this beautiful horse music box. Since my parents started a non-profit youth ranch, all of us kids, and all our kids, have been totally into all things horse! I also bought my younger neice a cute plush horse set that you can find here. We got our son a couple of Thomas the Train puzzles, a wooden train whistle, and a cool science project.


I believe strongly that Christmas is not about gifts. Although, it is quite fun to enjoy a season of giving while celebrating the REAL reason for the season which is...of course...my main man and Savior and Creator and King, Jesus Christ.


((On a totally unrelated note, to you readers who also blog...THANK YOU! I have been so encouraged by the words of wisdom and the words of funny-ness that you all share. What a cool and random community we have here in Blogland. So, keep on keepin' on.))

Today, post-Christmas shopping, I went to run some errands and  it started to snow! What a beautiful sight! I was seriously rejuvinated by those big, beautiful flakes. I hope we get enough that I can celebrate my birthday (November 23rd) with some snow on the ground. I will use any reason to wear a great sweater, and there are few better excuses than snow!

"babies are always more trouble than you thought- and more wonderful"

(Title quote by Charles Osgood)

When I found out that I was pregnant, I had high hopes and big plans. I planned to breastfeed till Adalia was at least one, use cloth diapers, make my own baby food, get her sleeping through the night by three months, use only natural soaps, and never let any food coloring or preservatives touch my precious babies lips.

Now, almost nine months later, Adalia is in generic Target brand diapers, drinking formula, just licked her first Dorito, still not sleeping through the night, and getting soaped up with any baby soap that I can reach at the time.

And, guess what? I DON'T MIND! Haha.

My big, bold baby plans were smashed to bits when this sweet bundle was set on my chest after twenty short minutes of pushing her out of the safest home she will ever know.

She is currently teething, has fallen off a full size (full height) bed, falls down regularly and often finds the corner of something on the way down. She screams so loud it legitimately hurts my ears, making them ring for a few minutes after her most peircing shreiks.

But you can't stay mad at a face like this :)

And just to clarify, my views on how important breastfeeding is or how much healthier cloth diapers are haven't changed...My milk dried up around six months, despite nursing often, pumping, staying hydrated and eating healthy! We switched to disposable diapers because we had to move out of our home into an apartment that doesn't have a good enough washing machine to get them clean. And she eats organic baby food, even though I buy most of it. She grabbed a dorito from her brother while I was washing dishes and by the time my hands were dry, she had already licked it.

My post was mostly just about how I had to die to some expectations. God is still good and my kids are still healthy even though its not the perfect scene I had imagined! Sometimes we have to die to our expectations of perfection, and that is what I had to do! I love my kiddos so much and always only want what is best for them!

pancakes with my punky pie!

After Adalia was asleep last night, Hunter and I got some sweet time together. We were waiting for daddy and cousin Charlie to get back from deer hunting, so we decided to make them some pancakes.

Hunter did all the stirring by himself, cause he is a big boy now!

Smooches for my sweet silly salamander.

Making pancakes is serious business...especially for a boy in a pink apron!

craft fair goooodies

Went to the Perham Craft Fair today with my fabulous sister Sara...and we had some GREAT finds!

From store Jezebel in Perham, MN

Oversized blocks for baby girl

Ridiculously soft hooded towel for baby girl

Headband/flower for baby girl, so that when she wears brown, she still looks like a girl :)

From Jezebel, 'Simpler Thyme' is the greatest smelling candle I have ever smelt!

Soft sweater for me!

I also got a wooden train with an engine, three cars that carry animals, and a caboose for the little man, but he is currently taking a nap WITH his train, so I have no picture yet!

OK...snuck a picture of the train...

"don't expect anything original from an echo"

(Title quote by unknown author)

Deer hunting starts tomorrow.

Busy next nine days! We are planning to be here at my in-laws till Sunday, then head back to Moorhead to get our house ready to put on the market. I am excited to get that project off our list and just have our house for sale and let God run the market...hopefully it sells quickly, but we shall see!

Tom and I got to have a break from the kids today because my fabulous sister-in-law offered to babysit for us! It was a great time to relax. Adalia is more than a handful sometimes!

FINALLY, a perm picture.

I promise to do better at planning out things to talk about on this blog, but today I am uncreative, unthoughtful, and unimaginative.

I will post some more craft projects, horse info, recipes, and general fun ideas over the next week or two!

Hopefully tomorrow will be full of inspiration as Sara and I take off for the Perham Craft Fair! I am so excited!!

Till tomorrow, I sign off...

to kill a woodpecker

Everyone should be kissed, often and well, by someone who loves them.

Everyone should be kissed the way my husband kissed me at the end of the day yesterday. After some daytime drama, a few disagreements, and a major baby breakdown, Tom kissed me like it was our first kiss. He kissed me in such a sweet, gentle way the I felt all his love for me in that one moment.

And that is just one of the million reasons that I love my man.



AND, more happy-ness! Things are coming together beautifully for Tom's new job that starts next month! It is such a weight off our shoulders to have some of the unknowns figured out! Woo!

a quiet fix

Last week I entered into a battle.

My heart decided that it wanted to do somthing different. I was instantly discontent with playing with the children, submitting to my husband, and sitting still. I suddenly wanted to argue, to travel, to do SOMETHING besides bathe the kids, cook dinner, clean up toys in the living room. And every time one of the kids cried or I was frustrated in any way, I felt totally justified in my discontentment.

I knew that I needed to seek the Lord, I knew that I needed to pray, I knew that my attitude was wrong. I knew that my feelings of anger toward everyone and everything was totally unfair.

So, I plowed through the week, barely maintaining sanity. The weekend sure wasn't any better. Then, yesterday, when Tom and I were at our house (just picking up a few things as we are house/business-sitting for my in-laws) I picked up a devotion book. It is called 'Quiet Places' by Jane Rubietta. It is about finding time to let God be your peace. It is about taking those five or ten minutes before the kids are up, or while they nap, or after they are in bed to retreat. To pray, to read scripture, to meditate, to sit silently in front of the Lord and let Him work on your heart.

I suggest you read it. I suggest you soak it in. And I suggest you live it.

(I even woke up early today to lead by example! And early for me, means earlier than 6:30 am when my munchkin daughter wakes up!)