ATTENTION! ATTENTION!

ATTENTION!

ATTENTION!

we like to announce that on Saturday the Twentieth day of April, 

in the year of Two Thousand and Thirteen,

we have finally taken down our christmas lights.

{hold your applause please. but not your apple sauce. please drop off your applesauce.}

despite the temptation to just leave them up,

seeing as it will be time again to put them up in a mere 7 months,

we could not put our pride aside.

TEMPTING.

sooooo tempting.

the star on top

 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

Luke 2:7-16

..........

last night for family home evening we taught the kids about what the star on the tree means.

max and brennan were more interested in looking at their books,

and chase was gnawing on a plastic letter envelope from his mailbox that sings.

at the very end i thought for sure no one had been listening.

but then brennan finished every sentence i was asked him about jesus, the star, and the Shepherds.

so proud:)

and then he said something about alien sheep or something. 

then sean went out into the garage for the ladder,

and he put the star up on our beautiful christmas tree.

after three tries,

we finally cut a second branch down and put the star on two branches to get it to stand up straight.

brennan whined and cried the entire time for his bow {no arrow} that sean was using to pull the top of the tree toward him without knocking the entire thing over.

and then we had chocolate peanut butter ice cream cones.

i loved all of it. even the whining.

b/c watching brennan jump up and down next to the ladder for that bow was so funny.

little boy, jumping for his bow.

cute cute cute.

my little baby brennan is a boy.

i want to drink in every minute until he is a man.

a blessed, blessed life we lead. 

twinkling {the glow}

my house is beginning to twinkle!

............

max said "WOOOOW" when i plugged the lights in yesterday.

eyes looking straight up to the top.

like she was standing at the bottom of mt. everest.

magic.

for me too.

i've been advised to hold off on purchasing our real tree for the big room.

to avoid having to get a second real tree if the first one dies to early.

i told sean i want a big tall one,

nice and full.

fat, i dare say.

and so this year i will proudly display three trees in all.

a fact which brennan said, "not true!!!"

and i said, "yes true!"

and he said, "i WUV that idea."

b/c i just love the glow of lights on a christmas tree.

especially when the their dimming is the only light to fill the room.

it is my favorite christmas decoration.

no ornaments necessary on these two.

just standing in their twinkling glowing glory is enough for me.

glory be!

i can't wait to put up tree #3.

:):):)

the diaper fairy {under my pillow}

when i went to make my bed this morning i found chase's wet diaper slightly under my pillow.

i slept with that beauty all night long.

yep, that's the type of super glamorous life i lead.

it must have been good luck too, 

b/c chase slept a lovely long stretch that has me in the best of moods this morning.

max and i put our corn stalks on the porch,

all tied up like a christmas package in september.

we planted 'em,

grew 'em,

ate 'em,

and now decorate with 'em.

oh how i love growing corn.

may your day be one of diaper fairy magic.

i know mine will.
hooray!

:):):)

decked.

max doesn't like hats.

and i wanted a santa hat picture.

so i grabbed her and held her down.

shoving the santa hat on her.

she was not pleased.

but i got my picture.

glutton for punishment.

my belly grew.

like TODAY.

comparisons to come.

shocking. 

and i'm still in love with my ornaments.

especially the little hands. 

mrs. claus's head falls off if you touch her at all.

it's disturbing.

and charming.

all at once.

a student made me this pillow.

when i was teaching 3rd grade.

SO GABE.

that was the student that made it for me.

and now i think,

SO BRENNAN:)

my childhood trolls.

the ice skater is my favorite.

i just love her little skates.

my sister and i made the troll baby diaper.

we made clothes for our trolls.

and taped them together.

the baby troll diaper is the only one that still exists.

as far as homemade troll clothes go that is.

grandma max's homemade stockings.

complete with grandma max's own stocking,

passed down to baby max.

i get emotional hanging it up.

my most treasured christmas decor.

the weather outside was frightful today.

i had to bring the abominable snowman out to wear over my head.

max was alarmed.

you can see why.

but we're decked,

merry & bright.

and the house is all a'glow.

with christmas lights warming our rooms and porch.

...

 happy christmas:)

greta.

i have 2 thanksgiving decorations.
i can only find one.
this one.
isn't she cute?
i love her.
she was my mom's.
now she's mine.
i found her at my mom's garage sale when she moved to the land of aloha.
i feel like she needs a name.
greta.
right now, i'm feeling greta.
anyone have any other ideas?
my house is still feeling festive, despite my lacking decor.
i just remembered i have 4 gourds and a pumpkin spice candle.
those count for sure.
see, my house is festive.
goble, goble.
...
in other news...
brennan has been sneezing.
i've been sleeping great.
a feat i thought was impossible during pregnancy.
the scout master has been looking extra attractive.
mama C arrives from the land of aloha in one week.
i learned how to make homemade bread last night.
apparently, i've been adding WAY too much flour.
moisture people, moisture.
it's all about the moisture.
it's supposed to be tacky.
my dough has never been tacky.
snow is on the weather bug for tomorrow and thursday.
cows and elephants are brennan's favorite animals.
oh, and a "kitty" named sox.
too bad greta doesn't have sox.
we could name her sox.