monday

monday's here again...

tomorrow is december 1.

when did this happen?

where did the time go?

today will be filled with putting the house back together after

our very long Thanksgiving weekend...

more laundry than i even knew we had...

dishes from turkey dinner still waiting to be put away in their place...

ribbon shopping at the craft store for christmas wrappings...

a trip to the home improvement store for more twinkly christmas lights per request by the handsome mr c...

there is a full pot of coffee to help me through today and plenty of creamer in the fridge...

i'm excited about the holidays

ready to celebrate the entire month

baking

decorating

painting ornaments with little ones

school programs

traditions

christmas songs

and celebrating the meaning of this special time of year

but...

for today

before the hustle and bustle of what december brings

i will focus on winding down november

taking a day to organize and prepare...

put the house back after company...

watch monday night football with the mister

and conquer a to do list longer than my arm!

what about you...

what's in store for you today?

are you ready to tackle another week?

this girl...

...this girl was itching to create all day...

...she needed her hands to be busy...

...i know what that feels like...

...the need to make something...

...the feeling of needing to create what's been fluttering inside...

"...mom, can i make one too?..."

she wanted to make a ragamuffin garland like i made last week

only, hers was gonna be PinK!...

so...she gathered her scraps of fabric and ribbons in shades of pink...

she began cutting her strips of fabric

she was amazed by how much she needed

the table was covered in pInK!

then, she started tying the fabric and ribbons onto her garland strand...

one by one...

she could see it coming along after a bit...

then there was more cutting and more tying...

*******

about an hour later...she was done!

so proud of what she made with her own hands...
this girl was satisfied...
...i know that feeling too...
completely fulfilled because you just listened to your spirit and created...
you used your hands to make something wonderful...




so we headed to morgan's room to find the perfect spot for her garland
she draped it across her bed so she could slumber right under it at night

morgan

...i hope you always listen to your fingers when they are itching to create...

...creating is what makes us unique and individual...

...be inspired daily...

...share with us the gifts that make up you...

i love you!

Today

Right now...the children are watching the Macy's Thanksgiving day Parade. Morgan loves the mini musicals. I am getting ready to prepare my very first Thanksgiving turkey! I am a wee bit nervous. My mother always made the turkey, but she's living in Las Vegas now. {happy turkey day mom, i love you!} The house smells of cinnamon spice and with an expected 81 degrees today, the windows are open and welcoming the November air.

Right now, I am thankful for many of the blessings in my life...most of which center around my family, friends, a healthy mind, body and spirit. There is so much more to list but not enough time left in today.

Right now, I am wishing my sister, Deanna in Wisconsin, a very Happy Birthday! Maybe one of these days we can celebrate a birthday together D. I hope you are spoiled and smiling all day. I love you.

Right now, I am headed off to my kitchen where I plan to spend the better part of the day...hosting my favorite people and soaking up all of what today means. I am truly in my element.

Right now, I am making plans to celebrate Mr C's 40th birthday tomorrow. More on that later.

Be back soon! Hope you have a wonderful day of celebrating.

Happy Thanksgiving.

confession # 47

Last night I faked real bad girly cramps so that I would not have to give Mr C the 1 hour back tickle I promised him the eve before. {after the 1 hour back tickle he gave to me} I even brought out the heating pad and moaned a few times to sell him on my pain. Remember, you must commit yourself to make the sell. Woke up today felling really bad about that. Well, mostly bad.

Have decided that if I am asked to tickle the back of my beloved tonight, I will do just that. However, if I am not directly asked by Mr C...chances are I wont bring it up on my own either.

getting ready

Right now, our home smells like fall. Between my morning coffee and the Christmas Traditions candle I picked up from the party I hosted last weekend, it smells like fall all around. I've even told myself to ignore the impending 80 degree temps outside this afternoon.

Our home has also been smelling like banana bread! I love to make this and smother some butter on it for breakfast, or snack time and it's good for dessert also. As easy as this is to bake and as much as my family loves to nibble on it, I seem to only make it during the fall. Needless to say, our freezer is well stocked with ripe bananas and we will have no shortage of bread for nibbling during our Arizona Fall!


The little ones and I have also been putting out some of our Christmas trimmings. We are hosting Thanksgiving again this year and I really want our guests to feel the spirit of the holidays when they are over. {I don't think I had one piece of Christmas out last year.} We have decided to simplify the entire season this year. I guess realizing the importance of the holidays and toning down the "commercialism" has become our overall family theme. I consider the state of the economy and seeing struggles of some of our friends and family a blessing more than an hardship. We have learned to simplify and be grateful for much more. We have come together more than ever and that has tightened the threading between us. Mr C and I have discussions often about how we have changed was is important for us. We are blessed beyond what we deserve.

I saw this 'ragamuffin garland over at Life In Grace a few weeks ago. It was made with one article of clothing from each member of our family and then fabric scraps, ribbon, and whatever else that I took a pair of scissors to. I was pleased with how it turned out. for the holiday, I added a noel banner made from the pages of an old book and just used clothes pins to attach them to the fabric. I think that I mostly like the fact that there is a little bit of my family in this garland. The kids love to "inspect" it to see where their article of clothing is tied in.

We've begun tying red ribbons onto almost anything that will stand still. Remember, I said we're simplifying this year. I am resisting any and all urges to go and buy new. I have also leaned toward a more natural looking decor. Lots of leaves and pine cones this year. Natural burlap ribbons and twine.

There is so much to be grateful for this year. I am ready to start celebrating and spend more time with loved ones. This afternoon however, I will be spending time in the kitchen cleaning and testing a new cranberry recipe, time in the laundry room laundering, and time with my littles being grateful while collecting pine cones at the park!

Happy Monday!

in stitches

Today while Morgan and I were together and chatting in the car, she asked me if I had ever laughed so hard that it made me cry.

I answered her and told her that I had just cried the night before from laughing so hard with Mr C.

She asked what we were laughing at and I told her. I told her that Mr C was doing some of his crazy voices again and I was trying to follow suit. He's great at voices. Really great. Me, not so much. Mr C brought out his John Wayne impersonation and his Alf...he sampled some of his Scooby Doo and a few others that are family favorites. After he delivered his line with the corresponding impersonation, I followed his lead and gave my version. Mine were all horrible, but fantastically hilarious in their own right. We laughed and cried at each one of my attempts to sound like John Wayne or Scooby Doo. We ended our night with the best laughing tears.

When I was asked this question by my little this morning, it made me think about my laughing with my dear Mr C. We laugh endlessly. Endlessly, I tell you. It is, without doubt, one of my very favorite things to share with my love. I must tell that man about 47 times a day how funny he is. Really, I wish you could meet him. He would have you dabbing your running mascara while you would be asking him to stop so you could catch your breath.

For me, having a partner in life that can make me laugh and see the lighter side of things is just as important as the rest of the 'relationship' attributes. It is as important as faith in my spouse, communication with my partner and respect for the man that I chose to share my life with. I can say this because I once had the partner who did not know the value of daily chuckles and wiping the tears left over from laughing. I don't ever want to know that again. I feel I appreciate this even more. It is one of the strongest threads that make up what we have. It is us. We are always laughing. Ask our friends. Ask my sister. Mr C is most often grinning from ear to ear because I am right next to him laughing and telling him for the 47th time that day, just how funny he is.

Thanks for keeping me in stitches my love.

I hope your weekend finds you laughing until you're crying.

right now...

...the dryer is tumbling and I have just finished baking chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. My children know that when I bake for them ...it's an 'i love you' from me. Mr C knows this as well. My feet are tired from working on them, non stop around our home all day. They have asked for a much needed break only, I cannot reward them with 'time off' for at least another 3 hours.

Right now, I am packing up my little three hearts and sending them off to sister's for the night. {thank you, jess} Mr C started a new job 2 weeks ago and we have missed each other much. He is away from our home too much for my little spirit. We are grateful for the change in his path;it comes with great opportunities to offset the sacrifice of the long hours.

So tonight, the children will be away, the house will be quiet, and Mr C and I will share dinner, hand holding and some laughs. I love that man.

Now...what to wear to WOW that Mr C.

recap

Greetings!

This Halloween had to be one of the most fun yet. I think we owe the greatness of this year to the simplicity that it shared. There was no fuss, no muss and best of all, no stress. We made paper decorations and even carved our pumpkins days early. { I don't even think that we got around to carving our pumpkins last year. } The children were most creative with their costumes and we spent a minimal amount on them. Funny enough, they were the best Halloween costumes to date.

Here's Landon. I have to admit, when I took this photo and looked at it on the screen of my camera, I couldn't believe that this was my sweet boy. He looks so mean and like the little Dracula that he dressed as. My mother was kind enough to make all 3 of my kids these vampire capes a few years ago. This is the second time that Landon has worn his for Halloween. All that we bought for his costume was some white face paint for $1 and some vampire teeth for $1 also. Landon was the most excited for Halloween. I think he had the best time.

Morgan decided early on that she wanted to be a granny and I loved her idea. She had visualized her costume from early on. We spent a lot of time in thrift stores, auntie's closet and mine to piece together what she wore. Her dress was thrifted for $2.99 and we sprayed her hair gray for $1. She used my old reading glasses, and sweater while carrying Auntie Jessie's vintage bag and jewelry. We fixed a pillow onto her bum and she appropriately walked with a limp while holding her side. She was funny. I think our neighbors and friends got a kick out of granny. Her big bum made us all laugh until we cried.

Mikey actually said early on in October that he was too old to dress up and go trick-or-treating. I kinda feared he would say this, but Mr C and I talked about it and thought that Mikey would do whatever made him feel comfortable. If he wanted to forgo the Halloween gig and stay home to pass out candy, that would be fine with me. About a week before the big day, he changed his mind and decided that he wanted to join in on the fun one last year. I was delighted. He asked to be a zombie and I gave him full reign of his attire. He shredded some old clothes and sprayed 'blood' on them and then let me paint his face green. His costume cost us $2. He had such a good time and was glad that he chose to join us.

I have to say that I am so grateful to be a mother to these 3. It is hard to express the emotion that runs through my body just spending my days with these guys. I realize more and more what precious and delicate spirits they are and how they have been placed with me to prepare them for this world. I am blessed beyond what I deserve.

With that, Halloween has been placed back in it's box and my mind is already turned toward Thanksgiving. I have started working on my menu and am going to begin testing out a few new recipes this week. I was at Potterybarn last week 'studying' their Thanksgiving table scapes and am headed back there this week with sister and camera.

I love this time of year. I only wish the temperatures would go down again. We are warm at 88 degrees today.

Cheers!