Happy 4th Birthday Big C!

Four years ago today, God blessed me with the most perfect little boy ever created.  Today has been one of those bittersweet days...sweet for being blessed with 4 years of a healthy and usually happy Big C, but bitter with how fast the past four years have gone! I mean, I just blinked my eyes  and this little miracle turned from this...

  to a smiley toddler...

then to a smart, articulate, creative, brave, hilarious, and handsome four year old.

Dear Clayton,
    You are my absolute joy.  You have taught me how to be completely selfless and to appreciate not only the big monumental moments of life, but even the small moments that usually get overlooked.  Clayton, you may think that the only person learning in our mother/ son relationship is you; however, you continue to teach me not only how to me a mom, but a better person.  You wear your heart on your sleeve and speak your four year old mind.  I'm learning that even though every time your heart gets a "boo boo" as hard as it is for me, I need to allow you to fix it yourself.  Yes, you have your stubborn moments as well, when you believe you are in the complete right...don't know where you got this from! Your are beginning to 'test the waters' even more as grow, but usually you reserve that for your father and I.  I'm excited to see what the coming year has in store for you and to continue on your journey of learning and growing, just please don't grow up too fast!  You deserve to be a kid, free to try things out and make mistakes, for as long as you can!  Clayton, I'm so very proud of you and will love you forever and always.

Happy 4th Birthday Sweetheart!

Love,
   Your Mommy

Happy Holidays!

May you and your loved ones have a blessed Holiday season!

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DIY: Christmas Wreath and Picture Frame

Yes, another Do It Yourself project idea! This one ...or two or three...only take about 20 minutes to create!  I went to a cookie swap on Monday and we made a  Christmas wreath using ornaments and a wire hanger.  Stretch out the wire hanger, string on your ornaments, tie together at the ends and ...TAADAAA!!!   (I added a ribbon to top it off)

I didn't have an extra wreath hanger, so instead, I am using it as a center piece.  I put it in the middle of our table around a glass vase that holds even more ornaments!

I had a few extra ornaments left over.  I have been looking for a gaudy Christmas picture frame to hold the Big C and Baby C's picture from last Christmas. My goal is to take a picture of them every year in their Christmas PJ's under the tree.  I'm going to put them in Christmas picture frames and use them as decorations for the Christmas season. I thought this was a wonderful way see how they grow each year.  Last year was Baby C's first Christmas...it is hard to believe!  With my extra ornaments, I hot glued them to the picture and voila! Gaudy picture frame it is!

I love DIY projects!

DIY: []]

Books for Stocking Stuffers

Ok, so, as you know, I LOVE to read!  I am ALWAYS looking for a good book to curl up with to read.  I have just finished three books that I think you will love.

The first one BLEW me away!!  It is very similar to The Hunger Games, so if you liked that, you will LOVE this book.  (Shame on you if you haven't read The Hunger Games yet!! You are missing out!)

Divergent is by a young 22 year old author named Veronica Roth.  I like to read authors who are near Indianapolis/ Chicago area...and Veronica Roth is one of those authors. 

 For all of you sorority girls, you will crack up at the next two books.  I follow @SororityProblem on twitter and am always amused by their tweets.  When I saw that they had created not only one book, but two books I dowloaded them as fast as my kindle app would let me!  You will a laugh so hard, you may just wet youself a little!

 Here is the sequel...

I'm currently looking for a new book to read. If you have any suggestions, send them my way!

Goin' to a Cookie Swap...

Tomorrow I'm going to a cookie swap...

What is a cookie swap you might ask, well, it is when a group of people come together and bring 2-3 dozen of  cookies that have made.  Then, you pick and choose which cookies you want...you "swap" cookies with everyone.

What will I be bring?  Pretzels covered in white chocoloate and red and greed sugar along with snowman marshmellows driziled in chocolate to put in a steamy mug of hot cocoa!

I can't wait to see all of the yummy cookies I get to bring home!

DIY: New Obsession #5638247

I love putting Big C and Baby C in matching shirts, but I don't like having to spend time looking for the ones that I want, spending the $$$ and then waiting for them to be delivered.  I decided I would try to make my own shirts.  I wanted shirts for them to wear during the holidays that were cute, but also comfortable.    I first made a "test" shirt for Baby C...a zebra L.

 Since that shirt was successful, on to the Halloween shirts.    Matching pumpkins with zebra bats, along with their initials, of course!

Halloween...SUCCESS! On to Thanksgiving shirts!  I created a Thankful turkey with color feathers and a zebra print pilgrim hat, wich of course, their initials.

For their Christmas shirts, I kept it simple, just ornaments with their initials on them.

Making the shirts have been so cost efficient and fun!  I decided to make Big C's shirt for his 4th ...gulp...birthday.  He choose his own birthday them and colors...here is a hint of his birthday theme!

DIY: Christmas Card Holder

Each year, we seem to get more and more holiday cards and I love it...you know my slightly odd obsession with getting mail.  I always feel bad because I haven't had a good way to display the cards without spending a lot of money.  I decided, this was the year! I'm displaying my holiday cards and I'm not going to break the bank to do it!  After some google searches of Christmas cards, I pieced together a few ideas and to the Dollar Store I went!    I came back with 3 items costing, you guessed, it $3!  All I bought was: festive ribbon, snowflake ornaments (3 for $1), and a box of paper clips.

I got out my trusty hot glue gun...

I cut the ribbon into 3 strips and folded one end which I then put a dot of glue on...

The snowflake was added..

Then I sorted out my paper clips to the ones that matched and slid them on the ribbon.

And...TAAADAAA!   I had an extra ribbon that I used to hang it with on the back of our front door, that way when ever anyone enters or exits our house, they are greeted not only by me, but all of our our family and friends!

Ok, so ...I have faith that these Christmas card holders won't be bare for long!

Sorry Mr. Postman...

It's that time of year...time to send out our annual Christmas cards! 

(This was just the first set of cards we sent out!  YIKES!)

Its beginning to SMELL alot like Christmas!

Big C and I (along with minimal help from Baby C)  made Christmas ornaments this year for our family and friends.  The ornaments are not only easy to make and kid friendly, but they smell amazing!    All you need is:


   3 cups of cinnamon                               and                     3 cups of applesauce

**Check out those eyelashes!**

Mix together into a dough-like-substance and roll out.  We used cookie cutters to create our ornaments into shapes of objects you would typically see during the holiday season: candy canes, gingerbread men (and women), stockings, bells, and stars.  We laid them out on  a cookie sheet and poked a hole in each.

Once they were mostly dried,  Big C choose a colored ribbon for each to be able to hang from their tree.

They did take a couple of day to dry all the way, but ever since making them out house smells like cinnamon...delicious!!

 Big C can't wait to pass out his ornaments to all of our family and friends...if only we can keep Baby C from wanting to eat them!

The Hunger Games Movie Trailer

Have you seen it?! Have you seen it?! Have you seen it?!  The Hunger Games movie trailer?!  Here it is!



*SIGH*....March is such a long time away!

Cutest Invite Ever!

I LOVE getting 'snail' mail!!  In the world of technology, when ever I get something in the mailbox, I just feel so special that sometime took time and some money to send something to me.  It is so bad, that my husband will not get the mail because he knows that it is something that I look forward to every day.  This week has been a great week for mail. Not only did we get our first Christmas card of the seasoon...Thanks Sis!...I also received the CUTEST invitation ever! 

The invite is for a cookie exchange and a holiday craft and I couldn't be more excited!   It came from my former partner teacher, Bethany.  Bethany and I taugt together for 3-4 years...when you take out maternity leaves that we both had.  Have you ever had the privilage to meet a total stranger and have your personalities instantly click?  You know that quote about best friends, how you don't have to talk to them every day, but when you do talk to them, even if it is after a long period of time, its like you just talked to them yesterday?  Bethany is not only an amazing teacher, but her parenting, creativity, and devotion to her faith is a constant inspiration.  She is someone who is a role model to me in so many ways and I feel very blessed to have her as a friend.  I am so excited to be able to spend some time with her and meet more of her family and friends!  I can't wait for our Holiday exchange and craft!  Now, its to the recipe book to find some amazing cookies to bake!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!

While most people were out shopping on Black Friday, I (along with Big C and Baby C) spent the day decorating! I just love the feel of the house when it is all decorated for Christmas...it feels warm, cozy, and so joyful!

This is my homemade yule log that I made for $1!  The wood came from my dad's cabin, I nailed three nails into the center and stuck 3 candles on top.  I love the simplicity of not only the assembly, but the look... A rustic Christmas feel!  

Cookies for Santa....along with a mug of milk..maybe a carrot or 2 for the reindeer.

Even the banister got spruced up for the holiday season.  Baby C isn't sure how to hold onto the railing with the garland, but she'll figure it out!

  
My refurbished buffet table from my grandparents' house is ready for the stockings to be filled with Christmas goodies.  I brought out the picture of Big C and Baby C from last year at Christmas time and my how they have grown and changed!

 Big C and Baby C were a huge help in decorating their own trees and our big family tree.  This was the first year that they both actually wanted to help and put the ornaments on the trees.  I will always remember this holiday season because of the family time we have spend just decorating and listening to Christmas music.

So warm and inviting...

 Ohh...the Christmas Tree....enough said...

The holiday season...just a magical time of year and it is just now getting started! YAY!!