It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

My posts have been sparse lately . . . life just has a way of getting busy.  I wanted to share  some pictures of our Christmas decor.  We will be traveling for Christmas this year so I did not put out too many decorations.

We got a Norway spruce this year with very sharp needles.  It was such a painful endeavor to put the lights on we did not put as many as we planned.  It's still makes the living room look all festive and "Christmasy".  Only 11 more days till Christmas!!  Where did this year go?

I'm linking to Honey We're Home - Christmas Cheer Link Party

She Reads... [A.Lot.]

"I can read in red. I can read in blue.
I can read in pickle color too.

I can read in bed [or in a tree], and in purple, and in brown.
I can read in a circle and upside down. 

I can read with my left eye.
I can read with my right.
I can read Mississippi with my eyes shut tight.

There are so many things you can learn about, but
You’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.

  The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go. 

If you read with your eyes shut, you’re likely to find
That the place where you’re going is far, far behind.

So that’s why I tell you to keep your eyes wide,
Keep them wide open ... at least on one side!"

Credits: Dr. Seuss "I Can Read With My Eyes Shut"

Almost Home

Every day I commute thirty minutes each way between home and work.  After so many years it has gotten to be routine and I normally drive in auto-pilot.  However the last mile and a half of my trip back home always fills me with joy.

I love when I turn into this picturesque street and see the road ahead lined with trees on both sides. 

A little down the road on my left is my “dream home”.  Every time I drive by I fantasize about living there.  It actually has been on the market for the last couple of years but the price tag… only in my dreams could I afford it.

Around the corner to the right is a house with a Lavender Farm where you can pick your own lavender.   In all my years living here I have never stopped in, but every time I drive by I look at the purple mounds and think “one of these days I should go and harvest some lavender”.

Down the road to the left is a charming little chapel that is the site of many weddings around here.  I love its setting and always think of all the great pictures I could take of the girls in this area, but never make the time to do so.

Right after the chapel is this compound of old farm buildings that I also fantasize about owning one day [grin].

Then come the open fields with growing corn in the summer and filled with snow in the winter.  In the late afternoon, early evening there are dozens of deer just roaming around.  It gets a little less idyllic in winter nights when the road is full of snow and you can see the shining eyes of deer just waiting to jump in front of your car and cause you problems.  But I love it during this time of the year.

From this stop sign, I know is only about 20 seconds until I get home.

As I turn into our street, my hand automatically goes up to the garage opener and I start pressing it from the corner.  

During the winter it is very useful to have the garage door opened all the way up by the time I turn into my driveway, because having to stop or slow down might be cause to getting stuck in the snow (our snow removal habits are not the best).

During the summer, the girls stay home and this is my favorite sight of all, my little one running towards me to say hello. 

Finally home!

Missing My Girls

I miss these faces.

It has been ten days since I last saw them.  They are staying with my in-laws in Nebraska for part of their summer vacation. Kaitlin started the tradition when she was eight years old.  This is Natalie's second year.

I do it for their family in Nebraska.  They enjoy having them so much.  However, it is hard on my heart.

I miss my little princess, my shopping buddy, my little snuggle bug.  My days are not dramatic enough without her.  I cannot wait for her to come back.  Just three more days!

I miss this one too!  So much!

For days she has been in one of her "moods".  When I text her or "see" her on Facebook all I get are ":)" or "idk".  She likes to torture her mother [grin].  I have to keep reminding myself this is what fourteen year-olds are supposed to do!

Two more weeks! (I can see her right now rolling her eyes thinking "Psycho Mom").

“Time goes by a lot slower when you miss the one you love”

I can't wait to have them both back with me!  Yesterday I got this card from Natalie.  It totally made my evening!

First and Last Day of 2010-2011

Today was the last day of school for the girls.  Kaitlin's is now officially a high-schooler and my "baby" little girl is going to third grade!

I have been doing a side by side comparisons of Natalie's first and last day of school since she started Kindergarten (You can see here 2008-2009 and 2009-2010) and every time, when summer comes around, I'm still always shocked at how much she has changed.

I love how you can really see how she has grown not only physically (notice the folded pants) but also emotionally.  In the First Day Picture she looks a little shy and hesitant and in the Last Day Picture you can see how much more confidence she is displaying.

Kaitlin also had an amazing year!  She turned into a full fledged teenager seemingly overnight.  

Sometimes I want the train of life to slow down a little and let me enjoy them at each stage a little bit longer.  But there is no stopping them [grin], so there is no choice but to keep moving onto the next adventure.

Fourteen

My firstborn turned 14.

This means several things:

a) I'm getting old

b) The teenage years are definitely here

c) She is noticing boys... Heaven help me.

d) Unlimited texting is the only way to go.

e) Only four more years before the college years.

We had a small celebration at home for family and a few friends the week before.

   

She is a wonderful girl, this girl of mine!

 Here is to many, many more birthdays, and happy moments spent with you!

Catching Up - March

Another long hiatus in my blog world.  Just too many things on my plate.

March started with preparations for my oldest daughter first school banquet.  This is the Christian School equivalent of a School Dance.  I managed to get myself involved in the decorating of the hall for the event.  It was hectic and the school didn’t even give us a budget, but with the help of another mom we were able to pull it off beautifully.

 

Mid-March found us home for most of the girls’ Spring Break, but we took a long weekend and drove to Wisconsin Dells to spend some time at the Great Wolf Lodge.  The girls always enjoy this.  The mom, not so much!  But what can you do?

 All in all a non-remarkable closing to the year's first quarter [grin].

Catching Up - February

It has been a while. It would be great if I had something wonderful or exciting to share, but I don’t. I have just been living life, going through the everyday routines. The days go by in a blur and when I think about blogging I really have nothing to say, so I don’t [grin].

With all the disasters going on in the world, it sometimes seems trivial to sit here and write about my everyday life. But hey, it’s my life, and I want to document a little of it for my girls, since I have given up on scrapbooking and don’t even print pictures anymore, this little blog might be all they get [grin]. So here is a quick recap of the february highlights.

We did not do anything at home to celebrate Valentine’s Day (hubby and I went out to eat the Saturday before) and Natalie was so disappointed we decided to have a belated party for all of her Build-A-Bear animals. She dressed them all up and we made marshmallows dipped in chocolate, cupcakes and chocolate covered strawberries to celebrate.

It was great celebrating after the actual holiday. We got everything 90% off.

We had Adventurer Club meetings. Natalie's class made sock puppets and then put on a cute puppet show about friendship for the rest of the club.

At the end of the month, Natalie’s second grade class put a little program together for their families. She was very excited to show us what they had learned. Everyone did a great job!

The teacher made these cute origami flowers for each kid to give to their family

We baked these cupcakes to take to the potluck. They were a hit with all the kids.

I even squeezed in a little bit of crafting.  Natalie and I made this clipboard for a little friend at church that likes to play doctor.

All in all it was kind of a blah February and now you got to share the "blahness" with me [grin].