first things first

It snowed this afternoon.  I was down in the basement for the last four hours working - and when I came upstairs, the world looked like this.  The temperature is hovering around 32, so I am sure it won't last...which is why God invented cameras....and blogs for that matter.

And now, some pictures of the offspring.  Paige Elizabeth first.

The next one is not for the faint of heart.  It's a personal favorite of mine.
This child - Emily Jean - is so dang photogenic.  It's almost annoying....well it would be if I didn't enjoy photography so much.


Have a great week everyone!

so thankful

So many things.  Little things, big things, sweet things, pretty things, cute things....I am thankful for my wonderful family.  For the smiles they give me, and the ones they share.  For the happiness my girls bring me with a drawing, or a kiss, or just being themselves.  For my awesome husband, who always makes me laugh, and makes me realize that I have it so good. For parents who made me the person that I am today. My sisters, cousins, Aunts, Uncles and Grandparents remind me of where I come from, and it is such a wonderful place - full of love and good memories, and good moments yet to come. These are the things that I give thanks to on this Thanksgiving day.

The Thanksgiving group this year.  We have tried to do a different group photo every year, and I think that this is my most favorite.  We also have a somewhat new tradition at dinnertime - "I am most thankful for...".  This year, we DREW what we were most thankful for.  The artists that we have in this family.  So cool.  It made for a lot of laughs.  I love traditions.

A silly one. This is so US.

I love this one too.  Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.  I am EXHAUSTED....and surprisingly, a little bit hungry.  A little turkey sandwich, comfy pj's, and bed are in my near future.

Elfed Again

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

turkey hat

I seriously don't know where this artistic talent has been hiding.  Emily has never really been into coloring or drawing.  She has always colored when requested, but it was never something she really wanted to do.  Granted, she is not the neatest colorer - but the design is pretty good. The turkey hat - who would have thought it?

Guess who wasn't in a good mood this morning?  She's even cute when she's miserable.  I did pick her up right after I snapped the picture - in case you were worried.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

tree lighting

Went to the tree lighting ceremony tonight at Partridge Creek Mall.  It was beautiful.  They do such a gorgeous job with the holiday decorations - specifically tree lights.  They must use millions of LED lights.  On any normal day, or night rather, some of the trees there are all lit up.  But during the Christmas season, every tree, bush, and twig is festooned with lights for a spectacular show.  They have one big Christmas tree - seen above - and then a few more sprinkled throughout the rest of the mall - which is outdoors.  Yes, a mall in Michigan that is outdoors.  It's very interesting shopping there in the very cold months.

 

Eric didn't think that very many people would be there tonight because of the 25 degree temperature.  Boy, was he wrong.  I am pretty sure the whole town showed up.  We forget that everyone around here is used to this cold.  I didn't think it was too bad.  There wasn't a breeze, so there wasn't a windchill.  It was even a little bit warm with all the people.  On the bad side, the line for Santa was WAY too long, and there was no way I was standing out in the cold, even if it wasn't that bad, waiting for over an hour.  Oh well.

I guess Christmas is coming.  I can't believe that next week at this time our tree will be up and we will be having a lighting ceremony of our own.

Happy Holidays!

must have left the pantry door open...

It's a little blurry - but you can see that she has the blueberry apple sauce.  That pink thing in her hand is a plastic play knife.  She was about to open it and go to town.  Luckily, she hasn't figured out that she should hide when she has something she clearly shouldn't.  She has gotten her hands on just about everything this morning....the phone, the dust cloth, my scrapbook supplies, Emily's camera (and she figured out how to delete pictures...oops), dirty tissues in the garbage, empty tissue box, crayons, pen, stuff on Emily's desk....everything.

Trouble.

cold and sunny

I had all intentions of driving Miss Emily to the bus stop this morning - the temperature hadn't even reached 30 degrees at 11:30 - but I took one look at those crystal clear, sunny blue skies, and could not pass up the opportunity to enjoy it.  So, I bundled up both girls and myself, and we enjoyed a nice BRISK walk to the bus stop.  The winter days are usually pretty dreary around these parts, so you have to take what little sun you get and soak it up....even if it's through four layers of clothes.

(and yes, I know it's still technically autumn.....someone forgot to tell Mother Nature)

more snow pics

Just a couple snow pictures in the daylight - the very overcast daylight.

Have a great Monday!

embracing the season

Snow has been in the forecast for a few days now.  This morning there were just a few flakes milling about.  This afternoon, a few more.  This evening, a lot more - and it stuck.  You could almost hear the collective groan from everyone - autumn is almost a distant memory, winter is knocking at our door.  I don't know what it is - you would think after a couple of winters I would join the cynics.....but I haven't.  Snow is magical - to me at least.  I don't like the overcast days, the bitter cold winds, and the slush that gets on the floor of our garage.  But fresh snow, oh, it can do no wrong.  

So, I look forward to many flakes.  May they stick around until March - when I will ever so politely, willingly trade them for some spring blossoms.

Emily catching some flakes on her tongue

The sweetest child - my Emily.  Her classmate had a birthday on Friday.  He brought each child in the class a couple of chocolate chip cookies.  Emily, knowing that her Daddy LOVES chocolate chip cookies, only ate one of her cookies, and brought the other one home for her Dad.  So thoughtful.  I got a little teary.

Hopefully I will have some better snow pictures tomorrow - it didn't really start any sort of accumulation until 5 pm, and by then it was too dark to get a really good picture.

(oh, and I changed my blog format - the old one was not colorful enough for me...hope you like it)

friday cuties in pjs

  

Just some pictures from this morning.  Have a good Friday.

another one bites the dust

Emily's second tooth fell out today on the way home from school - not on the bus, but when she climbed on Eric's back for a piggy-back ride home.  She was not all that excited about it.  I think she was WAY more excited about the Chuck E. Cheese sticker she had on her shirt.  Tonight is their fundraiser for her school, and they get 10 FREE TOKENS for showing up.  Guess who isn't going?  I know, mean Mommy.  But, I am sick with a head cold, and I think that is the LAST place on earth that I would want to be.  Sorry sweetie.  The tooth fairy will just have to do.

a glimpse

I don't know what it is, but I just cannot get enough of these pear trees this year.  They have never really dazzled me before, but this year - WOW.  Were they this vibrant last fall?  Because if they were, then I must have been in some sort of coma to not remember their beauty.

Enough of that.  It will be a distant memory soon enough, and a year from now I will again be remarking on their beauty and not remembering this year.  And so it goes.....

I wanted to share a couple photos of my new and improved scrap space.  This is mostly for Terry, but the rest of you can enjoy as well.  I moved myself out of the basement, and into our old office upstairs.  The improved part is that is has a wonderful window, with a spectacular view of the street in front of our house.  I miss nothing that goes on now.  The new are those wonderful green drawers a la IKEA.  They are supposed to be for a kid room  - but I thought they would work well for my scrap supplies.  I don't want to bore you with the long and involved story of our trip to IKEA, and how they didn't have the desk, or shelves I wanted.  But it all worked out in the end.  I ended up re-purposing the white shelves that I have always had - I didn't think they would fit, and they do.  Hooray for me.  And, I am just going to use the table that I already have instead of a desk.  Maybe at another time I will go back and get the desk...or maybe not.  If you are wondering where the rest of my stuff is - it's in the closet.  I am using the closet to house stuff I don't use all that often, and that has been working out very well.

This morning it snowed a little - not enough for a picture, but the girls and I enjoyed watching it from the front door.  It is getting very cold here.  Temps are around forty today.  Brrrrrr.

Paige has been told NO so many times, that she now walks by things that she knows she not supposed to have and just yells, "NO".  It's hilarious.  Poor Emily.  I don't know what's worse - having to constantly tell your little sister NO all the time, or to have your little sister just stand there and yell NO at herself while you are trying to work.  Oh, and she bangs her hand on the table as well.

Eric's new name for Paige is - Trouble Button Pusher.  I don't want to say it's her fault - but yesterday morning, while the girls and I were watching Noggin, the TV died.  Paige was nearby. I really thought she just turned it off - and if she did, she used some switch that turns it off forever.  Oh, but she's so CUTE.

Where's Winter?

The weather this past week has been wonderful and much warmer than you would expect for Michigan in the Fall. We actually had a couple of days of t-shirt weather in November! The warm weather has been a gift we did not take for granted because we know that wintry weather is on its way. You can see the ominous clouds in the photo; those are genuine Winter clouds that we import from Canada. We are listed for possible snow on Sunday, the first of the season. Our maple in the front yard is nearly bare now, but some of the other varieties of local trees drop their leaves later and they are just now bursting with color. It's like a final show of defiance before surrendering to hibernation. I have now made my peace with the fact that Winter is coming. The snow thrower is gassed up and ready to go.

a beautiful day

The day could not have been more perfect.  Blue skies, sunshine, quiet, still air, and a high of seventy degrees.  Emily came home from school and stayed outside until it was time for dinner. Paige woke from her nap and did the same.  It was like spring in November.  It was a gift - and we tried to soak up every bit of it.  There's talk of forty degrees this weekend...uuuggghhh. Let's not talk about it.  Just enjoy.  We have one more day.

 

This one is from yesterday's photo shoot.  Paigey loves her babies.  They are actually Emily's baby dolls, but they sit, unloved in Emily's room.  So, Paige has become their Mommy.  She gives them kisses and hugs - and even tries to feed them.  It's very cute.  I think their names are Buttercup and Suzie-Q - names that Emily gave them from a book we like to read.

Go Vote!!

We did.  

Happy Election Day everyone!

(Daddy made the stickers - apparently, they don't give them out around here.  Waaa!)