Christmas Break snippets from the iphone

I tried my hand at Subway Art with the Cricut for a gift and I AM A FAN!

On my way to work...is it too fuzzy? What ever happened to "knoweth no man"? (Matthew 24:36 hmmmmm.....
It's gloomy and grey here this week, so of course Lu is dressed for the weather with her new Christmas shades!
And the girls are thoroughly enjoying Grandma's new additions to the costume box (Lu is "bumbelina" -LOVE it!)

Garvan Gardens

On Christmas Eve Eve Eve, we drove down to Hot Springs to Garvan Botanical Gardens.

We were in three cars and our car got lost three times. I was ready to call it a night and be a real Scrooge, but I'm so glad we didn't.

It was worth the drive, the headache, and it came with plenty of Christmas cheer for all of our Scroogy attitudes!

I loved the walkway with these star chandeliers hanging above us!

All of the kids loved walking through the train!
We played I Spy and had a thoroughly wonderful time!
M's favorites were the flowers...of course!
This will definitely be a repeat event! It was wonderful, and now we know how to get there!! :)

The Hit Parade

I love being a mom at Christmas!

It is delightful to watch your kids dreams come true! I don't want to make a laundry list of the many treasures that my babies received- all of their presents were well-loved and they were obviously well loved by everyone to be so blessed. But a few hit the nail on the head with these girls!

Pillow Pets Buzzy and Lavender (renamed Lola) came to live at our house

Lu has been absolutely inseparable from Jessie

oh, and Woody!

...nuff said

A soft plush Tangled doll for M and Tinkerbell for Lu accompanied new Christmas Eve jammies and are now permanent fixtures at bedtime

And yes, M got her Tiana and Tangled barbies that she has been talking about FOREVER!!!

My sweet hubby surprised me with EXACTLY what I was looking for! A pot that is bigger than our sauce pans but smaller than our stock pot. I've never been so excited to make soup!!!

But our most favorite gift will hopefully make its debut soon. Once we finish picking it out, that is!

Nine Years Ago...

I had just applied for grad school. I struck a deal with Heavenly Father (as much as one can, really!)

I told him that I would go out of my comfort zone and move somewhere new if He would help me out a little. I was leaving undergrad with only a handful of dates under my belt, I was NOT a true Aggie, and I was feeling quite the old maid at the ripe old age of 23! All my friends thought I was crazy to move to Minnesota-they were all staying in Logan. But I was leaving Logan, having loved it for four years but feeling very ready to move on. I drove into Minneapolis, rounding the curve on I-35W, at that point where you can see the whole skyline, and burst into tears! What was I doing? My parents knew people here. Not me! I was moving in with an unknown room mate, in an unknown town and starting over.

It's pretty much the most gutsy thing I've ever done!

Two days later, I met a boy.

Two weeks later, we were in the same ward, family home evening group, institute class, and I was slowly but surely learning how to flirt with this quiet, shy boy.

Heavenly Father kept up His part of the bargain.

Eight years ago, we had just had our first date...finally!

And seven years ago, he became my eternal companion.

I love him with all of my heart. Heaven knows, he knows how to drive me crazy! But in the wise words of my visionary grandma Betty, "Oh, he is just what I dreamed him to be!"

Christmas with kids

There is something so magical about being a kid at Christmas.

It's making my four year old sweet girl turn into a weepy, dramatic (more than usual!) , hot mess!

My two year old can't stop carrying around the frosty piano player and lights up every time she sees something that means Christmas!

My four year old can't get the words to any of the songs right and my two year old thinks there are only two words to "Jingle Bells".

I am so excited for this weekend and this time to be with my three favorite people!!!

I love love love bringing Christmas to my kids!

All I Ever Really Need to Know...

The other morning, on my way to work, they were talking on the radio about getting together with family during the holidays. That's the best part of the holidays for me. One DJ was excited because her Dad was going to teach her son to play chess.

I remember learning to play chess from my Dad and thinking I was never going to remember how each piece moved. Then I got to thinking of the other lessons I've learned.

I learned to cross-stitch from my mother.

I learned to crochet from my baby sister.

I learned to quilt from my grandma Betty.

I learned to collect stuff from my grandma Manwaring!

I learned to ride a bike from my brothers.

I learned to swim from my mom's best friend, Sarah.

I learned to kiss from my husband... and Drew Barrymore.

I learned to cheat at cards from my Grandma Manwaring.

I learned that you can make anything out of wood with Grandpa Manwaring.

I learned to play raquetball (not very good though) from my Dad.

I learned to make skirts from blogging.

I learned to tie quilts from my church Young Women's leaders.

I learned to write in the ICU...well, that's not true, but it's what my AP English teacher said must have happened!

I learned to sing from my mom.

I learned goofy songs from my Dad.

I learned to love bears from my third grade teacher, Miss Johnson.

I learned to love to read from my second grade teacher, Miss Toohey.

I learned to swaddle a baby from my mom.

I learned to read my scriptures regularly from my room mate Jenny.

I learned to type from my Dad.

I learned to memorize scriptures from my Dad.

I learned to properly wield a glue gun from my mom.

I learned to love hospitals from my Dad.

I learned to WIN scrabble from my husband.

I learned to swear in Filipino...or was it Indonesian? from my room mate Michelle.

I learned to be a mom from my mom and from my girls.

more holiday iphone snippets

So I downloaded Hipstamatic for my iphone when it was on sale last weekend. However, it's the holiday version so everything is GREEN! The jury's still out on this one-I just adored the previous pic of Lu ala babysitter's Hipstamatic.

This is December's PreK homework. M picked out the hair, paper, and buttons. But let's face it, this was definitely a parental hands on project!
Last weeks' Christmas party. M's big question was how they allowed Santa to leave the mall to come to our church party!
Luckily, she also asked for the same thing that she's mentioned to me all along. Phew!
ps-No, Lu wanted nothing to do with Santa beyond staring at him from afar!

PreK Gift Exchange

I am totally re-writing this post.

It started out as a rant about how a $10 gift exchange is excessive. However, I just got back from the party, and M is very very blessed to be in such a generous classroom. I'll leave it at that.

Hopefully her classmate liked what we made him!

I finally made a crayon roll! I have always made fun of them being pointless but heck, they really aren't pointless, it was super easy, and it's dang cute!
Especially when you have "cute boy dragon fabric"! :) Right?
I kept thinking, what would I make for Jonas (my nephew of a similar age)
And I think he'd like this, so even though the boy we got is a bit of a football fan, hopefully he'll still enjoy his crayon roll, crayons and coloring book! ...and I won't go broke in the process!

from the mouths of my babes

M's favorite Christmas song right now:

Police Namidad

Lu's favorite song right now:

QRS QRS QRS QRS QRS QRS QRS mine ABC's, next time sing wif MEEEEEEE!

holiday snippets from the iphone

We're starting with an oldie.

We saw Tangled in 3D when Grace and Jason were in town for Thanksgiving.

I am in love with strong female Disney princesses!

This is M's first "nativity" drawing. I love it. I love the star, Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, and the stable, complete with ladder.
This is the cleanest you'll ever see my house. I rearranged it to make room for a Christmas tree and book club. It's not going back. I love having the big living room! Of course, next to the white chair is now a tree and where I'm standing taking the photograph is now my messy kitchen table, covered in fabric and sewing machines!
I took this picture at a (private Christian) school where I see a kid for therapy. It intrigues me. Only in the south!
Other than that, I'm making presents, mailing presents, and trying to stop coughing and sniffling!!!

A Bit of Christmas Cheer

Something to brighten your weekend.

I love my girl's class and especially her teachers.

Me too, Lu

photo courtesy her sweet babysitter

Hallelujah!

I enjoyed the flash mob video that has been spreading across the net singing the Hallelujah Chorus.

However, this is how I like my Handel.

Enjoy!

ps-at 0:09, second row from the top, fourth from the left, you see my uncle. :)

accessories make the outfit

I just found these.

I think the sunglasses and the bandaid are a MUST!
I think it's time for another edition of funny fotos.

almost done

W has finals this week and next.
He stays away from us and we stay away from him. It's better that way.
Say a prayer we all survive so we can enjoy the rest of December... after the 13th. :)

A little more time, a little more money...

These girls showed up in my blog feed tonight. I am in love.

I wish I could make some of them or one of their babushka dolls! I had stuffed strawberry shortcake pillows as a girl. I would love to make these friends for my girls.

Alas, the artist is located in Australia. I have a feeling that Australian shipping and money conversions would not fit into the remains of my Christmas budget. But I can drool...

Tell me what girl wouldn't want to snuggle these?

photos courtesy the red thread

christmas card 2010

i know i'm ruining the surprise...but you might be getting one of these in the mail soon....

Initially Yours Green Christmas Card

Get custom photo Christmas cards online at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

My Honest Citizen

M was chosen at this month's character kid from her class.

Each month there is a character word and she was chosen for Honesty.

I'm so thankful that she was recognized for this valiant trait.

I hope it's always something she strives for.

She was so surprised that I came to share this with her. I love my girl.
This is M and her classmate Nicholas with their principal.

My Decorating Style

Am I the only one who woke up one day and realized that I had no personal decorating style???

That the only room that looks like ME is my cherry kitchen?

That when I registered as a twitterpated engaged girl that I was clueless?

That the lovely green towels for my bathroom would soon turn into a drab grey?

Or that all the sentimental hand-me-down decorations would always make me smile, but wouldn't exactly make my heart sing?

I hope I'm not the only one.

I think I'm finally starting to find my groove though.

I like BRIGHT! (sorry hubby)

We made vinyl blocks at church a few weeks ago and I went BRIGHT and I LOVE it!

The backside of the blocks has a year-round message.

I discovered what I wanted for my living room three years ago at an Ikea in Utah.

It came to me in the form of a pillow embroidered in rich reds and blues.

(ignore my 80's floral couch that will one day finally leave!!!)

So, I wanted the same rich red and blue for these blocks.
One day, the drab towels will be gone.

The couch will finally die!!!

And I will slowly continue to find what I like.

I got out my Christmas decorations tonight. They all made me smile. And some of them will only grace us with their presence one more year.

Until I can scour the after-Christmas sales!!! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Grandma Mardie: (singing) Sometimes you feel like a nut...

Miss M: Sometimes you feel like an acorn!

Do you see what M is thankful for?

love it!

I love the "mountain" by my parents' house! It is alive with red, orange and yellow right now and so beautiful!

Christmas is coming!!!!!!!

Fall Nesting

I love a good holiday project!

I am loving the free downloads from Moselle! And this one, I had fun with lace and doilies too!!

I hope a Christmas one comes out too!!
We are hoping to assemble a few quilts this week too! We'll see how far we get!
Next on the list...pies!

Harry Potter 7, Part 1!!!!!!

Yes!

I went to another midnight showing!!

After a fun, crafty Enrichment (I'll show you soon the cute thing I made! :), Moonpie, Jennifer and I had a tasty Greek dinner and went to the theater!!

It was a great movie! I was disappointed in one scene, but I was pleased with how well it followed the story overall! It is not for kids. But for me, it was awesome! (And I can't wait to see it again, Grace and W!)

Moonpie and I are having fun with our new friend!
We were in the Platform 9 3/4 theater, across the hall from the Hogwarts Express theater. Love that they have fun with it!