Attempt # 1

It's Christmas picture time, again. Time to get the kids all dressed up, head to a location, and have Audrie chase Finn around while I try to get a shot with them together. Audrie's been a breeze to photograph since she was just a wee little girl. She's always been patient, putting in long hours of posing just to humor her mother. Since Finn arrived, though, the photo shoots have become work. Whether I've set up a makeshift studio in the house, or have driven to a beautiful setting, the photo shoots require a lot of chasing, entertaining, and distractions to accommodate the rambunctious toddler that is my son. This year? Well, let's just say that this photo shoot was a practice round. I scheduled the shoot for Monday, which is the day I go to my mom's and grandparent's house for a visit and a trip to the library that's a block away. They live in a charming turn of the century house with a beautiful front porch, perfect for pictures. My kids, however, think the house is better suited for exploring and playing (which it is) rather than posing. Plus with a cold front blowing in and the wind gusts that accompany it, it's kind of hard to have decent shots. Having said all that, I'm posting some pictures, anyway.

This is the only shot of my kids together that doesn't involve closed eyes or blurred images of a certain someone trying to run away.

Audrie and her great-grandpa.

Finn spent the majority of the time hiding in this big drum.

While all of this was going on, the dog, who I had brought to include in the pictures sat on the back of the couch and peered at us through the window, letting out a whimper every once in a while.

Well, I was going to attempt a second photo shoot today, but with another cold front blowing in, and yes, gusty winds, I think I'll put it off until tomorrow. I wish the weather would check my schedule before deciding to change.

Nessa Dee

New Tradition

It started with a trip to a small town 15 minutes away, to join my mom and grandparents at their new house.

A quick chat before we jumped into the cars and headed downtown.

Pit stop along the way....

We parked by the barbershop and walked to the main street to pick out a spot to sit. The corner across from the town square was perfect.

We bundled up, ate our supper, and waited.

And waited...

And waited some more.

Then, it started...a parade of lights.

It wasn't elaborate, and was a little long according to my husband.
For the kids, though, it was magic!

It ended with an appearance from Santa, who rode in on a shiny red tractor. The kids were in awe.

When it was over, we went back to my grandparents' house and watched A Charlie Brown Christmas together. We then loaded up the kids in the car and drove home. They fell asleep on the way.

Counting Down

Every year I make it a point to fill up my to do list with a ridiculous amount of Christmas themed projects with which to "deck the halls." In my mind it will be this time of togetherness with the kids filled with crafting, hot cocoa, and warm fuzzies, completely stress free of course. Handmade presents will be beautifully wrapped, resting under the tree by December 5th, each gift thoughtful and unique to its recipient.

This year was no exception. My to do list included making new stockings, wrapping styrofoam balls with yarn to create ornaments, crafting a homemade snowflake garland, painting a piece of artwork for __________, ___________, and __________, baking cookies for the whole block and making an advent calender for the kids to enjoy.

Well, December snuck up on me yet again. We finally completed our decorating on Sunday so I could remove the boxes that had been sitting our dining room since December 1st. The outside decor consists of a lovely string of lights bordering our flower bed, and a Charlie Brown Christmas tree by the front door. All of the projects on my list have flown out the window (you can laugh now MiMi) because I am still working on projects for others that have nothing to do with my personal list. But, I promised my kids Christmas crafts, and they were going to get Christmas crafts whether they liked it or not! I finally took a break from work to create an advent calender with my daughter.

Felt was used for the pockets, antique lace makes up the angel wings, and yes MiMi, that is hand embroidery on the snowflake (albeit much simpler than the ones I pointed out in the store). Audrie came up with most of the ideas for the pictures, including the use of chenille for the snowman. Black thread was used to sew on each piece not for the look, but due to the fact that I was too lazy to change the thread on my sewing machine.

I finished the calender on December 6th, in the evening while the rest of my family watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas. We stuffed the pockets with candy.

It looks handmade. The pockets are crooked, the stitching isn't the best, but my kids love it. And now I have a daily reminder of the dwindling time left to shop before Christmas. :)

ND

Good Morning

Saturday morning. A brisk 39F, sunlight streaming through the kitchen window. I sit down to a breakfast of homemade whole wheat bread with apricot jelly and my personal coffee. It's quiet. I open my Bible for this morning's read, and bathe in the warmth of the sun. My loyal companion sits at my side, waiting for a crumb to fall on the floor.

It's a good morning.....

My thoughts: "I should take pictures and document this blissful moment! I could right a blog post about how perfect this morning is."

That's when the all too familiar high-pitched shrieking started. "Stop it, Finn!" I heard coming from the other room. Another scream.

Me: "FINN, YOU NEED TO SHARE WITH AUDRIE."

Audrie: "MOM, FINN'S STEALING MY MONEY!"

Me: "FINN, GIVE AUDRIE HER MONEY BACK!"

Jon from the office: "I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT!"

CLANK! THUMP! This time coming from the office. I rounded the corner just in time to see my husband, who had tripped over a cord, falling to the floor, taking his coffee with him. Attention was diverted from the screaming children to the now coffee colored carpet. As my husband and I were on our hands and knees using a half a roll of paper towels to soak up the coffee that had splattered all the way into the dining room, I had to laugh. A lot of times, a situation as such can turn me into a grumpy grump, but given the fact that I had just been contemplating how to write the "perfect morning blog post," it had become quite comical.

So, there I was on my hands and knees alongside my husband, coffee on my pants, soaked paper towels covering the floor when my son strolled into the office and proceeded to climb up on my back for a horsey ride. My husband smiled at me. I smiled back. Although the morning turned out to be far from perfect, it was quite blissful indeed.

I'm going to go finish my breakfast now. :)

ND

IF: Balloon

Don't have time to do a new illustration, so here's an old one.

Have a happy day!

ND

A Month of Gratitude: Day 27

I know, it's December 1st. The month of gratitude should've ended yesterday, but since I missed a few days, I thought I'd extend this little project one extra day.

Jon: Getting to use manly tools at least twice a year.

Ness: God's grace.

Audrie: This rotten dog...

Finn: Chasing the puppy.

Well, this concludes our month of gratitude. There is an overabundance of things to be thankful for in my life. If I continued this project for the rest of my days, I would never run out of things to be grateful for. Granted, I might start to repeat myself after a few years, or maybe a few weeks given my lack of memory these past couple of weeks, but nevertheless, I have so many blessings in my life, so, so much to be thankful for.

A Month of Gratitude: Day 26

I'm thankful for....

Jon: Queso

Ness: Being in need of nothing.

Audrie: Fall color.

Finn: Biting the puppies.