sparkle

IMG_5304, a photo by sassyladybug on Flickr.

whew, thanksgiving was here and then blink it was Christmas. i just barely made my goals of having the gifts wrapped before Christmas eve - just a few left that didn't keep me up too late. this season is so amazing now, as a parent. watching the delight in my boys' eyes is amazing. baking a cake for Jesus' birthday with Andrew and then talking more about the birth of Christ with him. driving to see lights and stopping at a manger scene. letting my boys pick out gifts and give them to those that they love.

of course there is the flip side, as there always is - ornaments broken by my favorite 2-year-old. the constant mess and clutter that decorations provide. bags and bags of gifts that must be wrapped when all you want to do is relax at the end of the day.

but regardless of the rush, clutter, tiredness - this season inspires people to give and that in itself is inspiring to me.

grateful friday

my sister posted a video on facebook that really made me think. i've been enjoying talking up christmas to the boys, encouraging them to let me know what they'd like to receive and looking at the trees and decorations already out in the stores. but i have not encouraged them in the spirit of giving and being thankful. and so i have made a commitment to being grateful myself, and to share that with my boys this coming week.

calm, a photo by sassyladybug on Flickr.

a quick trip to TJ Maxx this morning and i have a new mug. everything in this picture makes me happy. my yellow walls, the placemat from target, the mug rug from my talented friend kelly...

new mug, a photo by sassyladybug on Flickr.

funny enough, after i took the picture i put water on for a nice cup of tea, enjoying the quiet of my house. and i realized, my favorite tea is called calm - and my new mug says the exact same thing. i suppose that it is the little things for which we should be thankful - because without that gratitude in our hearts for those somewhat everyday things, none of the ordinary would be spectacular.

handy

smore, a photo by sassyladybug on Flickr.

the fabulous cheri made me a cute watermark for my blog photos so i figured that was excuse enough for a post. silly me, i thought my kids would want to eat s'mores this summer. who would have thought that they wouldn't be into the stuff all melted together? they actually asked for each part separately. only my weird kids.

masked

our adventure with no power from the freak October snowstorm started just before halloween. of course i was happy to find a few pictures on my camera that i forgot that i had taken.

heroes, a photo by sassyladybug on Flickr.

the day of the storm we ventured down to a fun halloween parade in a nearby town. all the shops hand out candy and it was really cute to see all the costumes. i like the fact that it is in the morning the best and we'll probably do it again next year so that the kids can hand out candy at home in the evening. i'm really not crazy about walking down streets and knocking on people's doors :)

halloween, a photo by sassyladybug on Flickr.

chris had an intervention with me early in october - no homemade costumes. i knew i had a lot on my plate, but i really wanted to do it. i think i get this from my mom - but i would stay up all night at the last minute just to get something done. so, off to target we went, and we ended up with a super cute dash from the incredibles, and a monster. really super cute, if i do say so myself.

halloween 2011, a photo by sassyladybug on Flickr.

thankfully the boys ended up with just enough treats, but not too much. and since we had no power on the actual holiday, our town cancelled trick or treating, so the candy i had purchased went to my classmates at school during a presentation. i know how to lay it on thick to win extra brownie points.

fall days

the fall has totally blown by us here. i was really looking forward to that in-between time. i love cardigans and long sleeves, light scarves and the occasional gloves. instead we were bombarded with snow at the end of the month and left with no power for 5 days. the snow ushered in cooler weather and now i'm in need of a new winter coat.

right in the midst of october, cheri and i went out and took some maternity pics. i was absolutely terrified because she is an amazing photographer, but i ended up pleased with how they turned out. i am so blessed to have such a good friend in her. i can't wait for that little one to arrive!

IMG_4712, a photo by sassyladybug on Flickr.

IMG_4610, a photo by sassyladybug on Flickr.

IMG_4758, a photo by sassyladybug on Flickr.

IMG_4714, a photo by sassyladybug on Flickr.

catching up.

i have been behind on life lately. i've missed my grateful fridays when they were the only thing i could seem to post. going to grad school and raising a family is really hard work. when i have my free time i'm usually just tired and reading other people's blogs instead of writing my own.

but i'm grateful for the busy-ness and grateful for the people in my life.

me and my boy., a photo by sassyladybug on Flickr.

we've been watching our budget but really? a spontaneous family night out, especially when the kids behave... love it.

kissy, a photo by sassyladybug on Flickr.

love this guy.

first library card, a photo by sassyladybug on Flickr.

i've been slacking in taking the boys to the library and i'm trying to fix that. thankful that my boys love to read!

chubbas, a photo by sassyladybug on Flickr.

random afternoons out with the kids

us at the jets game, a photo by sassyladybug on Flickr.

and a whole day spent away from the kids with just my hubby. i'm actually pretty mortified at the large-ness of my face in this picture, but its the only one of the both of us from the entire day.

other things i'm grateful for:
-good friends
-tall socks (i just love that feeling)
-playing tricks on my hubby
-finishing projects (soon to be revealed)
-warm weather foods

grateful friday

lonely raspberry, a photo by sassyladybug on Flickr.

my grateful friday:
- raspberries finally appearing outside. my mom grabbed three raspberry bushes a few years ago, and after a few rounds of combat with the tree roots in my backyard, we planted them in the ground. one is outgrowing his brothers because we planted him a year earlier than the other two. the appearance of raspberries was highly anticipated and we kept checking. finally, last week.... berries! it was like magic.
- the cooler weather is a big win this week.
- a new duvet and comforter for our bed from ikea. it is making me actually want to make the bed. this is a huge feat.
- cleaning the house with my hubby. makes even the worst tasks a whole lot more enjoyable.
- i bought a whole box of clementines at BJ's this week. they are incredibly juicy and the perfect snack to fight off a sweet craving.