around our house.

an undone christmas project.

hopefully it will get done!!!!!!

and........ cinnamon rolls!!! 

if you decide to take these on - which i HIGHLY recommend - after your kiddos go to sleep of course - just beware. i only used HALF of my dough yesterday. 

and i got SIX pans. SIX. 

so - be prepared to give some away. i'm delivering two of my pans today. give me a shout if you want one!! they're frozen so they'll keep for a long time... but we already ate one pan this morning. and they're kinda like pringles.... once you pop you can't stop.

friends.

as i mentioned earlier this week, i had the privelage of taking family pictures for some sweet friends of ours.

b and their little girl, riley were in the same class last year at MDO. 

 

 

everyday when b. got home he would tell me that he played with riley at school. then follow it up with, "i love riley, mommy." so precious.

so i just HAD to get to know this riley girl's momma.

and i did. and i LOVE her. 

we don't get together near enough but we, apparently, go way back. to elementary school. when i lived in MARYLAND! can you believe it? 

anyway. these pics are too cute not to share.

   

 

she's surprising her parents with these. i can't wait to hear how they react!

small world.

pinterest.

do you LOVE pinterest like i do?

do you find that not only does it suck hours out of your day {as in, where did that entire naptime go?} but it also leaves you overwhelmed with inspiration? where do i even start?

i cannot tell you how many trips i make to hobby lobby that i leave empty handed. not being able to decide on which project to do first. which one will be the cheapest. most doable in the alloted time. most useful. most loved.

many of you know that i'm obsessed with a certain blogger out there. love her.

and last year around christmas - before pinterest was even created - she made an ornament wreath. beautiflul, right?

well - this year they are ALL over pinterest.

and i made one.

and get this - for FREE!!!!

i had a wreath form that i had bought this summer for some other project - i can't even remember which one. i had muslin from making c's bedding. and i had ornaments from previous christmas trees - and i just didn't use as many on my tree this year.

so i went to town with my gluegun.

i was NOT methodical like some of those tutorials tell you to be.

i just started gluing. sections at a time.

 and there you have it.

thirty before thirty update. part one.

for the 2010 new year, i did my resolutions a bit differently.

i had seen this idea before so many places, i can't remember exactly which one sparked my interest so greatly, but nevertheless, i made my list.

thirty things to do before i turn thirty.

well. i think about this list often.

and i don't think about it often.

it's funny. i have some of the bigger things in my mind on a constant basis. on the lookout for an opportunity to cross things off my list in the next few months.

and then some things i've totally forgotten that i put on my list. it's not like i have it constantly out and think "what's next?" it was made with a lot of thought - and interestingly enough a LOT of things have gotten 'crossed off' without even intentionally doing it!

what brought all of this up in the first place? well. i was RUDELY reminded on sunday during our sunday school bible fellowship class that i only have a few short months left and was asked how my list was doing.

so i took a look. during sunday school. {sorry justin, but it's your fault!}

and i thought i'd give a little update.

so - here's an update on the first half:

1. run a 1/2 marathon. done.

2. date night with the Hubbs once a month. 

what was i thinking??? this is nearly impossible if you want to call a date a date. we almost always have a babysitter once a month - but it's mostly for birthday parties, political events, or something like that. not necessarily a date date.

we're good at at-home dates though. especially friday nights. dinner after the littles go to bed. renting a movie. etc. can i count that? hmm. it's my list.

i think i will.

3. read more than i watch t.v.

umm. nope. not done. by far. 

wait - unless you count US weekly? nope. i don't count that.

{see, i'm at least fair, right?}

4. ride a horse. NOT done. 

{where did this come from? i wanted to be a barrel racer growing up. before high school boy-crazy hormones and moodiness kicked in.}

5. learn to sew. done. and done.

{although i haven't done it since we moved. no 'workspace'. that's on my christmas list!}

6. take an art class. 

i totally forgot this one was on my list. but i have had my eye on these classes. i've been waiting for an extra $50 to spend on an 'art class'.... but i think i might just have found a solution!

7. memorize scripture.

okay - this one is kind of vague. and i haven't 'intentionally' memorized scriputre. but i have read certain scriptures over and over to the point of memorization. i think this one will be a long time lifelong goal that will never be 'reached' necessarily. hmm.... i'll have to remember that for my next list.

8. share my faith with a stranger.

i'd say yes, i've done this. more over the last three months than ever in my life. sharing what i think, what i believe and why. sharing my convictions with people who have no idea who i am or where i come from. it's been exhillarating. challenging. exhausting.

9. reconnect with old friends.

i was doing really well on this one last year. not so much in the recent months. but part of me thinks that relationships need to be reciprocal. why continue to pursue relationships that are conitnually rejected? i know i'm flaky too. don't get me wrong. and i seriously don't mean to be, my mind is just elsewhere. a lot. i just feel like i should call myself blessed as it is in my friendships instead of trying to get as many friends as i can. quantity vs. quality. i don't know. it's something i'm wrestling with.

one of my favorite reconnections though is this lovely lady.  we chat often. she's my favorite. 

10. have a second child. done. {well done, if i do say so myself!}

11. develop relationships with neighbors.

hmmmmm. this is difficult since we just moved. must work on this one over the next few months.

12. volunteer in our youth group.

i love our youth group. we hosted a freedom house last year. {aka disciple now for those old school baptists out there}. loved it. the hubbs and i were praying this summer about leading small groups in the youth this year - and then the campaign came up and we decided that was going to need to be where our energy was. 

but i love them. i love high school students. and i feel for them. i can't imagine the temptations and complications they are facing today. i love their hearts. they are a blessing to me. we were poured into as youth in the youth group... and we desperately want to pour out to them now. paying it forward. it made such a huge difference in our lives. as i'm sure it did in some of your lives!

13. try new recipes. done and done and done!

i've made this kind of a habit lately. {well - not if you count since the move and all that...}

guess who helped? the pioneer woman of course.

i've cooked her cookbook back and forth. fried chicken, chicken fried steak, enchiladas, pico de gallo, biscuits {yuck!}, jalapeno poppers. everything.

and pinterest helps with this. a LOT.

and next year i think i'll be trying something different. more on that soon.

14. join a book club. done.

although sometimes it's more of a girls' night out than book club. 

we started off with PW's new book. which i LOVED. easy peasy read.

then we read water for elephants. it's okay. :)

i can't remember what we're supposed to be reading now. hmm.... maybe i should get on that?

15. go on a mission trip.

well. i was really hoping to do this one. but i don't think it's going to happen. i had told the hubbs that i would count the campaign as my mission trip... but i can't. you'll see why in part two!!!!

and there you have it. the update. part one.

blessing.

i feel like i've mentioned it before, but back in july one of my parents' neighbors at the lake gave all of us girls the book "jesus calling" by sarah young.

it's an everyday devotional of sorts. really quick. short, even. 

it should be easy, right?

it's not!

it's so challenging. uplifting. conficting. 

it's such a blessing.

in every way. i could go on and on and on about this book. if you don't have a devotional for the new year - get this one.

i have loved it so much - every single day i feel like it's written just for me. for my season. for this moment. that's why i love it. it's full of scripture. it's written as if it were Jesus talking to you. it's SO cool.

and this morning, this week leading up to christmas, it was perfect. one of those - it's written for me - days. and i wanted to share.

"do not be weighed down by the clutter in your life: lots of little chores to do sometime, in no particular order. if you focus too much on these petty tasks, trying to get them all out of the way, you will discover that they are endless. they can eat up as much time as you devote to them.

instead of trying to do all your chores at once, choose the ones that need to be done today. let the rest slip into the background of your mind, so i can be in the forefront of your awareness. remember that your ultimate goal is living close to Me, being responsive to My initiatives. i can communicate with you most readily when your mind is uncluttered and turned toward Me. seek My face continually throughout this day. let My presence bring order to your thoughts, infusing Peace into your entire being."

isn't that beautiful??? 

what's on your 'chore list' today? 

i've decided the only thing on my list is going to be laundry. and unloading the dishwasher. the rest is going to be soaking up this relaxing week with the littles... the new year is going to bring a bit of craziness into our lives.

i pray that you find His Peace today.

full.

happy sunday.

did you have a good weekend?

we did. it was full, and i'm exhausted, but it was good.

thank you for all your encouragement about the bug. :) he's been doing much better the past two days. i was on my knees every morning before the Lord. saturday we had a great day and i made sure to tell him many times how proud i was of the choices he was making.

those days make my heart happy.

i did, in fact, finish my christmas shopping on thursday. yay!

not without a trip to northpark in the CRAZINESS of christmas shoppers. ugh. ugh. ugh.

but these cute little shoes i found in my console kept me happy. lil' miss can't even wear them any more her feet are so pudgy. love.

{p.s. do you drink coffee in the car? do you have a travel mug? i LOVE coffee cups. and i always end up with 5 in my car before i frantically throw them all in the sink before the hubbs drives my car somewhere! ;) am i alone??}

PLUS - everything is - get this - WRAPPED. already! can you believe it?!

daddy even has a present from eddie. :) to open on christmas eve, of course.

i bet you can't guess what it is!

and there's still a WHOLE week to enjoy before Christmas!

i plan to do a ton of baking. and relaxing in jammies. and polar express watching. and christmas crafts. and on and on.

oh - and eddie has big plans this week.

do you have an elf at your house? he's a HUGE hit this year with the bug. every morning he MUST look for eddie. and after he finds him he runs into the kitchen and says "mommy come see what eddie's doing. but DON'T touch him!"

this afternoon i spent some time with this sweet family.

riley's in the bug's class at school. so sweet. he LOVES her. like, really loves her.

so i was super excited to take some surprise pictures for their parents' christmas present. 

hope they turn out great.

happy christmas week!!!!

y'all.

i am about to lose my mind.

with a DEFIANT three year old.

what happens on really bad days at your house?

i struggle to stay patient.

i struggle to stay calm.

i struggle to not call the hubbs every hour or so to update him on what HIS child is doing.

do you struggle?

today was a bad day. so i made a trip to sonic. with both kids. for MYSELF. yes.

and i don't even LOVE cherry limeade. i just felt like i needed it. you feel me?

i can't believe that christmas is coming up on us so fast.

i plan on finishing my christmas shopping tomorrow. i have to. for my sanity.

i WILL be done. i WILL. i WILL.

will you?

i've got my dinner crocking in the crock pot. and it smells great.

and every time i take a deep breath {which has been a TON today} i remember i'm ahead of the game today.

i tell you what, the crock pot is a saving grace, ain't it???