What I need to be doing and what we are doing...

#1 Need to be doing laundry(and put it away...the hardest part!)

but would rather watch my little chicka sit at her table and eat lunch. What a big girl (and minimal mess to clean up on the carpet afterwards.)
#2 I need to be going through these closets and packing up what doesn't fit anymore. Yes, these are JUST Avery's clothes (and she has an armoire full of dresses, blankets, and SHOES!) A girl has got to have different options!


but we are playing dress up in a scarf and thinking about going outside soon to play in the snow. Avery hasn't been out in the snow yet and I'm sure she is going to LOVE it!

and a rare picture...both of my kiddos smiling at the same time and not HITTING one another! We are in this stage right now. They are having their sibling rivalry already! Dear God be with me for the next 15+ years!

Happy snow day! Enjoy it.

Aunt Roxie's gifts

but first....here's Avery "drying" her hair after her bath! Silly girly. She will kill me one day, but isn't that booty just too cute not to squeeze????!!!

For some reason my children never like to get dressed right after a bath. Sometimes I think the water is a hyperactive drug that makes them run around the house naked for 15 min.
Here's Avery showing off her new personalized stool from her Aunt Roxie. By the look on her face I think she likes it. And she knows that she will be able to climb and get into things.

And Hudson is in action using his stool and reading his new dinosaur book from Aunt Roxie. She always buys them books, which I love!

And drum roll please............

My very first diaper cake! Not too shabby huh? I thought it turned out pretty darn cute! And yes, I had to make bows for the cake topper! Thanks Heather for the help!

Off to get the "to-do" list done! :)

Our girl's weekend outing...

halfway to Chi-town~ Tuscola! What a fun little town. The only thing I thought of when I heard the town Tuscola was the OUTLET MALL! But they have a really cute old downtown with shops and this cool "Candy Kitchen" restaurant. I should have taken pics of the inside, but I didn't want to look too touristy! HA! They had AWESOME food and icecream (all homemade I will add!) My favorite. Across the street was this courtyard with a gazebo. Roxie had a brilliant idea that she called me with on the way home about maybe having her wedding there. I thought it was an excellent idea! Well that lasted about an hour and then she text back and said they still wanted tropical.

Here's Rox showing off her gifts. I made all of hers. We decided before Christmas that we would try to do homemade gifts for a change. And we are both crafty and love crafty things it was a perfect idea! Here's her push-pin board made from an old vintage frame and some fabric.
Matching keychain wristlet (not that it had to match, but I like the fabric and had plenty of it.)


and her travel mug and coffee cozy. You can't see the embroidery, but it is personalized with her name. I think she liked it, because the next morning she used it. I know that she stops at Dunkin' Donuts from time to time for some jump juice and I thought the personalized coffee cozy would be perfect.

Next post I will reveal my gifts. I have to take some pics of the kiddos with theirs and do some minor assembly of mine. Not to mention hang up a bunch of new clothes. Gotta love that outlet mall!

Recent craft projects

This is what happens when you don't get your way! She wanted to pick out her own shoes...yes folks, she picks out her own. She wanted to wear these Hello Kitty rainboots. Well she got her way, or atleast mommy gave in so I could have my happy baby back.

Isn't this the cutest! This fabric necklace is for my cousin (more like sister), Roxie. I can't wait to get it to her.

I made this for a girlfriend to give for a baby shower gift. It's a Carterville Lions burp cloth and basketball pacifier keeper. It works out great...she watched Avery for me for a couple of hours and I made this for her to give as a gift. I like situations like that.

Avie Lu's new outfit! It's a pink ballerina outfit with ruffle pants. There is also a matching ballet slippers clippie.

And for little Hannah banana...some o' so cute bows.

Off to meet Roxie halfway to Chi-town. See you all later!

Goals for 2010

Each year we right down what are goals are for that particular new year in our Sunday school class. I thought I would share mine with you all (and maybe look back at this from time to time to remember if I'm accomplishing them!)

They are divided into a few groups.

#1 SPIRITUAL:

I want to engage myself more in church and help/volunteer more.

#2 PERSONAL:

I vow to use more of my craft/sewing items before buying more. It's becoming a little overwhelming for my husband (ok and myself!) The time I take out for shopping could be used in being creative with what I've got.
I also want to get involved with a couple of local charities/ministries. One being called the "Gumdrop ministries". They help children in our town that don't have the food at home during the weekends or days off from school. I think that it's a clever idea that I would like to help with.

Another local charity is the "Poshard Foundation for Abused Children". Glenn Poshard and his wife started this to help local kids that have been abused or neglected. I feel very strong about helping our local children because my mom has been a foster parent for the past 10 years.

#3 SPOUSE:

Spend more alone time together. We are planning on going to Tunica, MS (the next best thing to Vegas.) here shortly.

#4 FAMILY:

I want to finish house projects that have been on the "to-do-list" F-O-R-E-V-E-R!

And last but not least, I want to keep out nightly routine for the kids going without breaking habit. We have never been a family with a routine and it has helped sooooo much to get the kiddos to bed. Pray that we will not break habit, because it's so hard to get things back in order after you have.

Did you notice that I did not put dieting or quit drinking my all time fav~COCA COLA? I knew I would break those resolutions within the first days...and I didn't want to set myself up for failure!

Baby, it's cold outside...

REALLY COLD! It snowed a few days ago and it hasn't gone anywhere! Which is unusual for where we live. Usually it snows and melts within a day or two, but not this time! The temperature has been in the single digits for the past few days. Hopefully by next week it will warm up because...

this little chicka wants to go outside and it's WAY too cold for her. But she loved watching her brubbie and daddy shovel snow.
and so then she entertained me by acting like a baby on her babies' changing table/cradle. hmmm...I think that baby is too big for it!

But she has decided to be a little monkey the past few days and climb on everything. She has climbed on the barstools onto the counter and out of her highchair(Houdini act) onto the counter. She even uses the extra diaper packs to climb and get into her closet and manage to pull out all of her hats and bibs! I'm telling you- I CAN NOT take my eyes off this little girl for 1 second!

GIRL'S ONLY WEEKEND...

mommy + avie lu= girl's weekend!

so super duper excited to spend some gal time together. the boys are off hunting and visiting grandma & grandpa!

What I've been up to...

Alot of snuggling with these two little peeps.

and actually alot of different crafty things (I know, I know...can't even believe it myself!) My mom bought this for me a couple of years ago at a yard sale and I never had a place for it until now. *BEFORE
*AFTER. You can't really see that I changed the fabric to a pink toile and added aqua and pink ribbon, but I did. I should have taken a pic before the bows were added. And the funny thing is that isn't even ALL of them!

I also made Avery a cradle pad and blanket for her babies. Hudson is showing her how to lay the baby down to sleep.

Does anyone else's house look like this? Or is anyone else ashame to admit that their house looks like this? I blame it on the cold weather and being stuck inside. :)

I'm still thinking of my New Year's resolutions. I will post next about them. We have a project at church I will let you in on.

We had the happiest New Year already...

Yes, Avery is STILL wearing big hairbows...

Hudson STILL loves making cookies...
and she LOVES ham and beans! (crazy huh?)
Hudson, Avery, & Darien eating popcorn and watching "UP" on New Year's.
It doesn't get any better than this!