Dear December,

well, december you are well on your way. you keep us busy and it takes real focus to make sure our priorities are in order. i love our family outings and activities, but sometimes i need the company of "just the girls". do you understand? this weekend will get me my fix, so to speak. hanging out with lindsey and then my ome sisters will do me wonders i think. things just get rolling so fast, that i really do feel stuck in one role of my life....and i have to recognize when that's happening so i can regroup.

tim's birthday is next week, and he doesn't want a cake! what's wrong with him? lol everyone wants a cake, but i do know what he wants for his birthday dinner. little mike's queso chicken- like from our dates at jail house cafe! so it will be a special meal :) i don't even remember what we did last year for his birthday...is that sad that they all kinda run together after so many years?

christmas cards are just about addressed and finished. i have a list of baking to do, new recipes to try, gifts to buy, class parties to attend, ornaments to finish, holiday movies to watch with the kids, songs to sing, cups of hot chocolate to sip, books to read, thanks to give and hugs to share.

hope you are have a wonderful wednesday friend. enjoy it- there are only 3 left till 2010.

Dear December,

today, i'm staying home and cleaning. the boys' rooms look like tornadoes hit and everywhere else could use some help too. what would i rather be doing??? sitting in starbucks with a cheesey twilight magazine sipping an eggnog latte, but that's not on the agenda today. i'll really work it this morning, so i can have the time when adam's in school to work on some ornament orders. they'll be so cool when i'm done. this time last year, i had just finished the twilight series, but no one i knew around here had read them. what a difference a year makes! it's nice to have something to feel silly & excited about. today i'm praying for very special people- that god would make his plan known and give direction. i feel so helpless sometimes to help others-praying for god to give me some insight to what i can do.

Dear December,

you are back again. what a difference 12 months can make. last year, we were preparing for a christmas week away vising family in florida. this year, we are looking forward to a cozy holiday at home. lots of parties, birthdays and gatherings to keep us all busy! december, right now i'm focused on prayer and the hard fact that i can't be everywhere at once. let's just get through day one and see how we go from here.

btw, happy 21st birthday to my little brother aj. love you!!!

sarah

Happy Homemaker Monday

thanks sandra at diary of a sahm for hosting each monday!
join in and link up to her blog for more monday posts.

The weather in my neck of the woods:
cool, cloudy & rainy

One of my simple pleasures:
evening coffee at the kitchen table with my dad

On my bedside table:
back to "the host"

On my tv:
adam's fave show "dinosaur train"!

On the menu for tonight:
i'm roasting our turkey today! lol, now don't think i'm crazy friends. i love thanksgiving foods!

On my To Do List:
the list is so long. there's always so much to do when ya get home from a vacation.

In the craft basket:
more twilight ornaments :)

Looking forward to:
wow- there's so many wonderful happenings in december. i'm super excited about the ome christmas party!

Homemaking Tip for this week:
i'm a blank for this one today!

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
didn't do any blog reading last week-

Favorite photo from last week: this pretty much sums up the time at the deer lease last week. it was such a blessed time with my hubby & kids.


Lesson learned the past few days:
just be thankful. no one is guaranteed anything in this life and when you feel out of control- step back and pray.

On my Prayer List:
my dad's in the hospital with infection and other complications. he's been in since friday morning. please keep him in prayers.

Well, Who Knew...

having cookies after school on fridays is pretty much a given around here :) tim bought me these fun fall cookie cutters, so i thought i'd give them a whirl. i made a ton of sugar cookies and i think i have a couple hidden away just for my coffee break today. they went fast! didn't even have time to decorate them- no one complained!



our leaves & acorns!

then, tim said the weirdest thing saturday evening. " can you make a funnel cake?" i was kinda shocked and cayley was so excited at the possibility of eating carnival food at home. away i went to find a recipe and a quick trip to walmart for powdered sugar. (where i ran into buffy! sorry buffy, i was a mess and had been cleaning all day, lol- isn't that how it goes, when you run into someone ya know at the store, lol)

this was a little messy, but so very worth it!!!

well, who knew i could make this!?

i guess tim never doubted :)

Spotlight Wednesday

this is one of my favorite movies.

the choice between what might have been and making your own reality....

making a conscious choice to really embrace the life you could be living

and what ultimately makes you happy...

i choose us...

yes, i get wrapped up in trying to get everything done- most days only 1/3 of it does-but it's so nice to be reminded of choosing to be who i am. i am a wife, mom, daughter, sister, auntie, friend. it's impossible to have everything, but living this blessed life is more than i could ask for.

no where near perfect, but mine.

i just love how this scene plays out in the movie...

and if you haven't seen "the family man" go get it. you'll love it!

Recovering from October- Excited about November!

wow! october flew by! so here's a recap of happenings through pictures :) cayley received 3 awards at school this month! it was so great to be there and clap as she walked up and got her certificates :) i'm one proud mommy to all three!





dad and linda came up one weekend before halloween to visit. the weather was so perfect!!!






i ran around friday before halloween going to the boys' class parties and the night before was reading night at cayley's school.
it was really fun though- trav's class got cake balls, and so did the family. trav was thing 2 for his school party, then a jedi for trick or treating. adam was venom from spiderman. while cayley was a cutie witch for halloween night. mom and richard came up for halloween along with amanda, stella & raylee! it was nice to have them here for some fun too.

adam pinning the tail on the black cat.

Trav found a "rat tail" in the shaving cream game at his class party.

Making a candy skull necklace

Adam bowling with a little pumpkin.
Cayley's reading night at school- dressed up as "Thing 1"

Drawing by Cayley after watching "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown".