Christmastime...

The homemade advent calendar...

The boys are busy helping their mama get ready for Christmas!

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Turn up your volume... here is a quick little Christmas Carol from Caillou!

Our Thanksgiving...

A couple of pictures from a past Thanksgiving when my only child had fur and a tail!

Thanksgiving turned out quite well. The evening before Caillou helped with some of the cooking. He really enjoyed making deviled eggs, there weren't many left by the next day! He ate them as fast as we could make them! Caillou was completely in charge of mashmallow placement on the candied yams, there were many many marshmallows. Thanksgiving dinner was served at noon, my favorite was the mashed potatoes and gravy, sooooo sooooo buttery! Jasper loved the cresent rolls and stuffing and homemade cranberry sauce. And Caillou of course was happy with eating nothing but deviled eggs! Neither of the boys cared for the turkey too much, just like mama... turkey never has been my favorite! The boys enjoyed toasting with sparkiling apple cider... and mama had some laughs from the loud toddler burping that followed! We had some free movie passes and went to see The Fantastic Mr. Fox! We loved it!!!! Very cute! During the end scene, some lively music came on, and Caillou jumped out of his seat and began dancing down the aisle of the movie theater!!! We came home, and the kids ate some more leftovers and we brought out the pumpkin whoopie pies... these for sure will be a new Thanksgiving tradition for us! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Thankful....

I am thankful for little boys that love their mama's baked goods...

and for healthy happy children.
I am thankful for being a stay at home mama, being able to enjoy simple happy moments.
Even if it does involve half dressed little men playing architect on my dining table...

I am thankful for the yard my children have to play in...

And for their new little baby brother or sister that is on the way!

I am thankful that I was at home, where a mother needs to be, and that I was able to witness the miracle of my children taking their first steps.

I am thankful for the beauty of God's creation.

And for special outings, and snuggly blankets.

I am thankful for my children's shining happy faces. For the sound of their laughter and their noisy footsteps running throughout the house.

I am thankful for my home. For the homemade goodness that fills our home, and the sunshine and joy my children fill these four walls with

Tomorrow evening I will begin preparing for our Thanksgiving festivities. I am going to do as much of the cooking as I can after the boys are in bed, so that I can spend Thanksgiving morning playing and loving them. At first I thought perhaps I would cook something unconventional for Thanksgiving, but in the end I decided to share with my boys a traditional Thanksgiving feast. This will be Jasper's first year actually partaking in Thanksgiving dinner, last year he did get to try rice cereal for the first time though! On the menu... A turkey breast with gravy, homemade mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes with ever so many marshmallows, a few deviled eggs, cranberry sauce, stuffing, southern creamed corn casserole, sauteed zuchinni and sqaush, cresent rolls, crumb top apple pie, and pumpkin whoopie pies. It will be quite the spread for just little ole me and the boys, but I want them to remember holidays and have wonderful memories and love them and cherish these special days. Now if the morning sickness does become extreme, and heavens forbid I throw up on the turkey, KFC will be open until 4pm! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone...

In the hallway....

Allright, so this is my little space in which I create things. In my hallway, wedged in between our dooway and the china cabinet. It is a bit messy, but it is hard to contain my crafty supplies in such small quarters. Our hallway is a bit wider than some, but I am worried, that as my stomach grows, I may not fit in my sewing room any longer!!! It is already a tight squeeze! But for now, while I still fit, this is where I sew. In the day time, the boys crawl under my chair, over the treadle, unplug my machine, unwind ribbon and wrap it round and round the chair legs, hop over me to get to the kitchen or potty, and then crawl under me to get back to the living room. It is a wild adventure to sew with them. In the evening, I am sandwiched smack dab in between two sleeping boys, with only a thin wall in front of me and behind me to keep them from waking, and if I wind a bobbin to fast, they do wake up!!! They have become accustomed though to the sounds of Mama's sewing machine, and for the most part, don't mind my night sewing. Occasionally, Caillou will come to his doorway and ask me what I am making, and then goes back to bed. I love my dollhouse full of my favorite fabrics, and my treadle table that serves as my sewing desk, there is a treadle machine inside, but being cramped on space, I had to pick one machine to sew with, and the one with a zig zag stitch and electronic features won! So there it is, my little sewing room, messy and tiny, but I thought I would show y'all anyway!

Yesterday...

Creative Days...

I have been quite busy with projects, too many going at once. Working on a quilt for Caillou, making a Christmas countdown calendar and matching garland, adding a few rows here and their to a crochet project... I finally finshed Jasper's crochet blanket! And made the boys two warm and cozy little hats. I am working hard to get ready for the holidays, sewing as often as I can!

About a week ago, Caillou asked me if he could paint. I got all his supplies out for him, and this is what he created! I was so impressed, this really was his first true picture, or at least the first one that Mommy was able to recognize something in the picture, not just scribbles and dots!

Have a happy day!