New Page..New Year

I know that I just recently changed the look of my blog, but now it's time for a whole new blog. I have a new blog for you to follow..it's a little on the plain side at the moment, but changes are coming. This is where I will be sharing with you starting on January 1st. I hope you will enjoy the new changes..I am excited to be trying out something new!
Here's the new link : www.sewsimplymade.blogspot.com

A New Look !

It was time to give the blog a facelift. I think it turned out nicely. I was hoping to change the name as well, but I guess I can't do that without creating a new one. (or I just can't seem to figure it out) So for now the changes will do. Possibly more to come..we'll see.

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!

What a wonderful Christmas we have had this year ! It was filled with laughter, loads of pressies, lots of pictures, yummy yummy food, a little more laughter and LOVE. The best part of the entire Christmas weekend has been being with family. We spent Christmas Eve with my parents and enjoyed a lovely day together. (I even managed to sneak in a little nap) It was so great to be able to spend the day with them. Christmas Day we spent with my husband's parents, brothers and Great Grandma. We enjoyed a lovely dinner, pressies and laughter too !
Everywhere we have been we have blessed with good times. I pray you were blessed wherever you were and whomever you were with. What a great time to be surrounded by those you love and cherish. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family and great friends. I wish you all a Happy New Year ! May 2010 be an opportunity for your light to shine and for you to grow individually.

Birthday Skates

Let's just say the skates were a good choice...he puts them on first thing in the morning after he wakes up and only takes them off for a few short periods of time during the day. I am so glad that he LOVES his new skates !

Christmas Crafts

Here are a few of the crafts we made as gifts this year...

Christmas hats for all my preschool kids..each embroidered with their name

Hand print Christmas Trees for the great grandmas

There is one other craft that turned out oh so sweet, but those photos will have to wait until after Christmas. Can't have any wandering eyes seeing their gifts before the 25th...

Better Prepared...

In an effort to be more prepared for 2010 I am doing the following while on Christmas vacation :

1. Creating our January Month Menu (this is already done)
2. Adding reminders to my calendar for birthday shopping...I am adding these in about 2-3 weeks before each birthday or event that I need to have a gift or card for. I am hoping to not be late for any occasion this year.
3. Planning a Date Night for us at least once a month. We didn't have nearly as much quality couple time this past year, so I am aiming for this to be better.
4. Planning Family Fun Night once a month. I thought this would be a fun night to go to the roller rink, have movie night at home or attend a local event as a family. Family Time is just as important as Couple Time.
5. Cleaning Schedule : I am not a woman who enjoys cleaning, so I put it off until I have to do it. I am going to try and make this easier on myself by having 1-2 things to do each day. Maybe this will make the task not as daunting. If anyone has any ideas they want to share to help make this easier, I welcome them.

I already have numbers 1 & 3 done for January so I am off to a good start !

My Favorite Girlfriend & Sister

Of all the girlfriends I have, my favorite is my sister !

I love her dearly and miss her so.

There is nothing like a sister who is a great friend.

Hugs and kisses to you Bekah !

love you...hg1

Here we are when she is first meeting Ryan..

The only shot of us pregnant together with Emma and Matthew !

We LOVE taking these type of photos..

At the top of the Skytower in NZ !

Another one of our famous shots !

Turning 6 !

I can't believe that my little one is going to be 6 years old tomorrow ! Oh how the years have gone so quickly. I can still remember the day we found out we were expecting. I was at work and received the phone call that we were for sure pregnant ! I was so filled with emotion I immediately started to cry. (we had been waiting a LONG time to be prego) The first person I called was my hubby to share the good news. He was overjoyed as well, couldn't believe it was really happening. The next call was to my dear friend Nyla. She and I were going to be sharing this wonderful experience together, she just a month or two ahead of me. I came home to find flowers from my love and we went to dinner to celebrate !

Our little man arrived 10 days late..I was beginning to think he wasn't going to come out ! He arrived on football sunday just before Christmas. (Dad had the 49er game on in the background) Hearing your little cry was the sweetest sound, so soft and precious. You were so small and tiny with the cutest little nose. I couldn't believe you were actually here. We were finally getting to meet you, hold you and kiss you..it was an amazing day !

And now you are having your 6th birthday tomorrow. I am so proud to be your mom. You are so sweet, kind and tender and oh so smart too ! I love you so and always will.

More Girlfriends

This post is dedicated to two very dear friends.We have known for almost 9 years now. I have so many wonderful memories with them both. I love them so, my sisters by heart !

This is us about 6 or 7 years ago !

On our trip to MO ...

Being Silly !

Our last visit togethger.

Merry Christmas Girls.. Love ya !

1 Down 21 To Go !

I am working on my gift for the preschool kids this week, which need to be done by this Thursday. I have 1 done and 21 to go ! I just figured out that 1 takes me about 20 minutes in total to complete, so I have about 7-8 hours of work ahead of me. OH MY ! I guess that's what I get for procrastinating and putting off until just before it needs to be done. I'll be sure and post a pick of the finished gift !

GirlFriends

Being silly at the Wacky Party ..

Staying warm at the Ice Rink..

Enjoying Christmas Cheer !

I am thankful this time of year for my girlfriends. The Lord has blessed me with different friends for different reasons and at different times. I am going to be sharing photos of all "my girls" as I like to call them because they all are so special to me.

A Wacky Birthday Party!

Today we celebrated our son's 6th birthday with a Wacky Party!

Wacky Tacky was the place to be..

He had the best time playing with his friends..

The parents had fun in the foam ball shooting area..

Santa even stopped in to hand out goodies..

So glad he had a fun time!

A Mantle for Christmas

When we moved into our home in 2001, I was so excited to have 2 fireplaces. But there was 1 major detail missing from both of them...a mantle ! Each Christmas we have had to nail our stockings into the wall near the fireplace. (which creates little holes that I don't like)

But this Christmas is different and new. We have a MANTLE up and I am THRILLED beyond measure. I have found myself sitting and just gazing at the mantle with the stockings hung over the fireplace. I absolutely LOVE it ! I couldn't be more pleased. I am so thankful to my wonderful husband for making the room complete.

Ice Skating !

Today was Matthew's preschool field trip to the Ice Skating Rink. We have been looking forward to going all week. And all of us (minus Darren who's away at school) were able to go. Dad took the day off from work and we let Ryan play hookie from Kindergarten. ( it is only Kindergarten after all)

We had so much fun. The smaller kids used these buckets stacked on top of each other to help keep their balance. They were great for helping them to "race" across the ice. I was so proud of Ryan for only needing to use the buckets for the first half hour. After that he was on his own skating the entire rink with his dad. There was also a snow pile that the kids could make snowballs and toss at a target.

All in all it was a great morning of family fun !

The boys trying out the buckets.

Matthew doing some skating.

Ryan skating all on his own..so proud !

We had a great day !

The boys taking a quick photo for mom !

I Sold Items !

I did it..I sold some items that I made !! I was so excited to see people come look and then BUY what I had made ! It was a feeling of relief that someone would want something of mine quickly followed by the excitement of handing them their new merchandise.

It was a long day, but a friend and I shared the booth together which made the day a joy. It was so nice to have company throughout the day. We made each other laugh in the quiet times and helped each other out in the busy times.

Here is our station all set up..

I am so glad I ventured out and tried something new. I think now I am going to try get onto ETSY after the new year. We'll see how it goes..

SNOW !!

I was up at 2am this Monday morning..why you ask? Because the weather channel said it was going to be snowing ! I live in an area where we don't get snow but once in a blue moon, so I wasn't going to miss it. It was so wonderful and magical and exciting !

I walked down our hallway to the front door to find this...

My hubby's truck was covered in snow and it was snowing ! (although this photo doesn't do it justice) I was like a little girl again..it was so exciting to be standing outside and catch the snow on my tongue ! I loved seeing it fall so softly and gently on our lawn. What a wonderful Christmas present this was today !

Nervous

I am a little nervous today. Tomorrow is the first Craft Fair that I am participating in and I have NO idea how it's going to go. From what I understand there is going to be a decent amount of people coming through, so then comes into play..will anyone like what I have made??
I am anxious, nervous & a little giggly (I get that way) about what the day will bring. Have I made enough for the day? Will anything sell? Is the weather going to be nice or too cold? Yes, I have these questions and more running through my mind.
I am praying for a peace to come over me to remind me that this is going to be a fun day no matter what may happen. Praying for a positive attitude. Praying for a good night's sleep.

A New Christmas Tradition

This year we started a new tradition with the boys. We picked up a copy of "The Elf on the Shelf", read the story, listened to the cd and are now enjoying the game of the holiday. If you haven't heard of this before here is a brief rundown.

Your Elf comes to you on at Christmas time..he is Santa's scout elf, here to watch you each day and report back to Santa each night. (whether you were naughty or nice) Each day when he returns from his trip to the North Pole he is in a new hiding spot in the house.

The boys were very excited to read the story of the "Elf" yesterday..we have named our little friend ELFIE...they couldn't wait to find him this morning when they awoke. It is going to be a fun Christmas with Elfie hiding all around the house.

ELFIE

My Week

We are back home from a wonderful vacation week. It was just what the doctor ordered..we had laughs, smiles, giggles, relaxing time, naps, games, movies...It was GREAT !

But now it is time to come back to the daily grind and get ready for the holidays. So here's a glance at the week I have ahead :

Monday : Back to work for me ! (it's been 2 weeks now with being sick and vacation)
Sewing projects for the craft fair on Saturday
Spaghetti & meatballs for dinner

Tuesday: Work
Sewing projects for craft fair
Tri-tip and mashed potatoes for dinner (yum)

Wednesday : OFF WORK ! (this starts my new 3 day work week..so excited !)
Gym in the am (it is so needed)
Sewing again !!
Tacos for dinner

Thursday : Back to Work
Decorating the house for Christmas !
Potato Soup for dinner (my hubby will love this)

Friday : OFF WORK !
Last minute prep for Craft Fair tomorrow
Apricot Glazed Chicken & Rice Pilaf for dinner
More prep for Craft Fair !

Saturday : Craft Fair all day ! (I am a little nervous, so pray for my jitters)
Date Night !

Should be a fun week..wish me luck on the craft fair. I have never done one this big before..I have no idea what to expect, so I am going in with a positive goal of having a good time with my friend while we are there and the hopes of selling a thing or two !

Happy Week to you all !

the NEW year

I have been doing some reflecting and thinking about this year and all that has happened..good, bad and the so-so.
It got me to thinking about 2010 and how it is just around the corner. There are several things I am going to strive to achieve this new year ( I know it's a bit early to be thinking of resolutions already..but here I go anyways)

• organization
  
• workout to shed a few unwanted pounds
• a new business venture
• spend more time with my family
• a little redecorating in the home

This is but a small list of the things I wish to accomplish in the NEW YEAR..for now I am keeping my list handy and in the mean time I'll enjoy the holidays and all the fun spent with family and friends !

Another GiveAway !

There is another fun giveaway happening at my friend's site..thought you might want a chance to win from her goodie blog as well !

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Thanksgiving Blog Candy!!!

http://sweetpiecesbyme.blogspot.com

A Fun GiveAway !

Hi all,

Wanted to share a fun giveaway that is happening..there are so many great goodies to win for all those who love to SCRAP ! Take a look and good luck to all who enter !

http://allscrapbooksteals.blogspot.com

Disneyland

Today we surprised the boys by taking them to DISNEYLAND ! It was a great day !

• we rode the train around the park
• we went on all the rides in Tomorrowland
• we used the Fast Pass whenever we could
• we saw the Holiday Parade
• we saw Pluto, Goofy, Donald, Minnie, Mickey, the Madd Hatter and Cinderella's Fairy Godmother
• we enjoyed smiles, laughs, giggles, hugs and kisses

Here are a few photos from a highlight of the day

Vacation Time !!!

We are so excited to be taking the boys on a SURPRISE trip to DISNEYLAND & LEGOLAND this week !! Ryan was only 18months old the first time we went to DLand..so really this will be a first memory trip for him. Matthew has never been so this is all a first for him. I can't wait for them to wake up tomorrow and find out where we are going. They are going to be so excited and bouncing out of their beds I'm sure. What a great way to spend a week of fun family time together.
I'll be sure and share all the fun with you..maybe as the week goes on..if not tomorrow, when we return !

Thinking of a New Name

I am considering changing the name of my blog. I'd like to have it be a little more focused on my love of sewing and scrapbooking. If you have any thoughts please do share them. I am hoping to be new in 2010 !

In Memory...

...of our sweet BEAR !

Bear was our family pet for the last 81/2 years. He was the BEST dog that a family with boys could ask for. He loved them so..would let them climb on him, pull on his tail, wrestle, play ball, bark to be included & so much more. Every night he would push the boys door open with his nose and go and lay down with them. It became so much of a routine that the boys would ask for him to come and be with them even before they were asleep. He was their protector and friend.

We welcomed Bear with open arms into our family when we were a much smaller family. Just the 3 of us..Mike, Darren and I. We had just moved into our new home and what does a new home need...a puppy of course ! We went to the SPCA and there was the cutest litter of pups we ever saw. He was there with all his brothers and sisters, all curled up next to each other, they were the cutest site to see. When Mike picked up Bear he began licking at us all right away. That was it..we were hooked. He was ours for keeps!

He became sick last week rather suddenly with a terrible disease known as IMHA. It was a shock to all of us and he seemed just fine. We are dealing with life without our loved one and it's taking the boys a little longer to understand why he had to go to heaven last week. So we focus on the fun memories and good times we had with him. We all LOVE you BDog and you will be with us always !

For Thought

Lord, I pray that You would enable my child to live in ongoing forgiveness. Teach him the depth of Your forgiveness toward him so that he can be freely forgiving towards others.

I Won !

A friend of mine has a scrapbook site where she makes cute cards, does challenges and has a deal a day to buy. (her blinkie is off to the side) Recently she had a blog candy give-away of an assortment of scrapbook supplies. I left a comment and guess what...I WON ! Take a look at all the goodies I'll be using soon..and take a look at her site as well..it's worth a peak !

( I borrowed this photo from her site of what I won )
Thanks Charlene...I love it all !

Ahh Fall !

I am so happy that fall seems to have FINALLY arrived ! The weather is cooler now, the breeze is blowing & we are raking up the leaves. Not that raking leaves is my favorite part but it does represent that Fall is here. I must say that the boys love when we rake them into a great big pile and they can jump right in ! Just another reason to love this season.

Sewing Projects

This week I am working on finishing up some craft projects for a craft faire. I am working on potholders tonight, purses tomorrow & hopefully a Christmas Calendar Stocking. I am excited to be making some items to sell..if all goes well I am thinking of going on ETSY. This is the first test to see if my crafts are wanted items. Wish me Luck !!

Our Group & the Loot

All ready for Trick or Treating

And here is the Loot after only 1 hour !!

(this is only what our guys got !)

Halloween Carnival

Friday night we went to the Astronomy Night at Ryan's school. Kids came dressed up in so many cute costumes. It was our first event to attend this year and I think the boys had a fun time !

There were games

Optimus & the Clone Trooper with the scarecrows

Still showing off their red hair for crazy hair day

This was a fun way to kick off the fun for the weekend !