Love has no season....

I was going through Christmas pictures...and found a picture of moms table this year before the food was laid out.  It was even prettier once the food was brought out.  But her table is always nice even if it is just a common Sunday lunch.  Sandwiches taste better at moms...probably because it is served on a real plate with a napkin.

White Christmas 2010

 Coming up my driveway...this is a lovely spot even with out snow.

 Maybe this will be the year we landscape...

I know our neighbors hope so :-)  but for now...our yard looks just as nice as theirs.

The snow on their yard is a cold surrender to the chemical warfare which they rage with the insect kingdom all summer long.  We love these folks...actually we do!  We welcome the bugs and beautiful dandelions to our yard...and our neighbors too :-)

Ahhhhh the only place that I can come and talk on the phone with out the kids!

Somedays I just want to lock everyone in the house and live here.

I would have only bought one piece of furniture...but my girlfriends are welcome for coffee

tea and chatting :-)

The farm next door that we wish we could afford.{sigh}

How did I miss Verona?!

I just watched Letters To Juliet. I don't know how I ever missed Verona...I must look at a map and see if I even passed through. I can't vouch for Verona...but I do know that Venice is much more romantic than Rome. My glass pen from Lyra is still stained with gold ink. sigh

These are the best mornings

These are the best mornings...and my heart knows they will soon be gone.


Nothing is sweeter than waking to your child climbing in bed with you.  He is just two and  I still count his toes,  smell his hair, and study his eyes.  When he grows up and is on his own I want all of those things etched deeply in my heart.

Pancake Sheep

Being iced in can drive one crazy :-P

remember....

Always keep your head warm and the rest of you will stay warm!

Somebody Is Turning 8

I remember the day she was born.
I missed her kindergarten graduation.
And her baptism.
I don't want to miss another important event.
Or moment.
And since she doesn't read her Aunties blog here is her present :)

The Wreath Story

Okay so this is totally true!  It was 47 hours until my Christmas party.  And we had an emergency an half hour before---totally another whole story in itself.  My dear husband sent me to town total carte blanche  to find something to put back up over our mantel.  It is really too big of a space to leave empty.  So I go to Micheals and find --the LAST -- 60 inch wreath.  Next what to do to it?  But luckily I meet the sweetest angel whose husband had just got stationed at Ft.Knox and she had studied floral design. {Actually if she had studied tropical fish I would have taken the help}  So after she finally realized that I absolutely am not into the stranded cranberry look we moved onto red and burgundy poinsettias with a lovely woodland angel.--Perfect for me since I love simple and elegant.  Now you must know that I am 5'4" and this wreath is 5 foot.  So I am carrying it and the bags of stuff to go on it through a dark, crowded parking lot to the van.  I reach the van, click my key fob, open the back...and start complaining about all of the junk in the back.  I start moving around all the junk and I hear a small voice say :

"Daddy, aren't you going to get her?"

I glance up and see a child and a man--neither are mine.

My van is three spaces away.

Totally a true story!  Now I am safe at home on this snowy Sunday morning...wishing I was snuggled up to this good-looking guy....

But these dudes have been downstairs  playing Xbox since daylight....on a snowy Sunday morn?!

So I am off to bake and finish decorating for the party--hopefully the weather gets better!!

My Big Surprise

So Bryan calls me last week and tells me to get a sitter for Saturday and we would have date night.  I wasn't curious...that was normal.  On Saturday he rushes me up to get ready--that is normal.  Then I ask where we are going...he says it is a secret.  That must mean Chinese and he doesn't want to argue.  So we drop off the kids and head out.  But not toward town.  But west on a country road.  So I play along and ask no questions...thinking this is going to be some kind of a joke.  Before I knew it we are almost to my brothers house.  And now I am dumbfounded....so I am like why are we going to Kennys'?  And he ask why not.  Well...why not--but why get a sitter?!  We get there and it is dark all around his house and only a light shining in the living room.  So I walk up to the door...Angie answers it and the house is full of people.  Oh great... Bryan forgot to tell me Kenny invited him to their Christmas party and I am not dressed festive.  So I walk in determined to have a great time anyway when everyone starts singing "Happy Birthday".

Oh yeah...next week is my birthday!  But I totally wasn't even thinking about it!

I was so shocked!

I still am!

And Angie even made me the most beautiful cake (and yummiest too!)

But that is not all!

I got a themed plethora of gifts!

Christmas tree ornaments!

So I am off to put up my tree!

For the last time before I turn the big 4-0

{{sigh}}

Thanks guys...I love you all.

Another Sir Ken

I love to listen to Sir. Ken...but really I wish I could pick his brain on issues that we dont agree on.

First Grade Science

Right now in Bens science we are studying plants.  I decided to do a unit study to add along with the text...I guess I will save it for the spring...but do my research all winter.    I want to focus on our little family garden and preserving the fruits.  Last summer our garden was washed away in the spring rains.So I did not get to do my usual gardening and canning.  As my own vegetable supply has began to wither away I am planning for next years garden.  What a perfect opportunity for my children.  Not only to raise their own food but the knowledge of how to do so.  Our classroom will be moving out the garden for some of our learning. Come soon spring!!

How much can we actually get from our small garden area?
Watch!

Special Needs Mother

Some days I dont know where I fall.  I dont consider my Aspie "special needs".  He can take care of most personal needs--even though that has been long in the making.  He can communicate.  Which has been an awesome event to watch unfold.  Everyday I realize just how blessed I am that he has came so far!  I remember the days of wondering around in a fog trying to figure out how to mother this child and now life has became so much easier.  And I am so thankful.  Finally, I dont have to shower several times a day to find a place to cry. Most of the time nowadays we are a "normal" family.  I still get sick to my stomach when I think back to the times of waiting for tests and therapies.  Back when the doctor told me that chances were my little boy would be on the severe end of the spectrum.  I am so glad that I changed doctors.  I remember finally telling God that I accepted being this mother--now help me!  Life is so much better now.

Then just when I think everything is fine.  It pops up.  Something triggers.  And I become hopeless.  Life events that are so simple for other mothers become a ballet on chards of glass for me.

This week will end.
This month will pass.
I want to go back home to normal.

For Anna

Here is the sink we pulled out of mom and dads basement.  The sink is still beautiful but the base needs sanded and painted.  Actually we took it off of the base but that we still have both.  If this is what you are looking for call me.  She would like $150.  If you dont want it it is going to a local antique store that deals in that stuff--I am sure it will be more there :) LOL

Bread Anyone?

I started my baking early this morning....and I have extra bread...two loaves...they will be ready around one o'clock.

So the first two people that call me...you can have the extra loaves. Except you...

because I will be bringing two loaves to moms in the morning :)
Why the extra energy? I cant figure it out either unless it is because I got a really cool knitting bag last night and I am stoked!

In fact now it is my inspiration to knit.

Mortician

Soft focus...but such a funny story.....
Mine and Nates conversation yester day:
Nate: Look at me mom I am a mortician!
Me: A what?!
Nate: A mortician!
Me: What are you doing that makes you a mortician?
Nate: Magic tricks.

Changing Up My Mantel Art!

This has been over my mantel for about a year and a half in a 20x30.

Soon to be replaced by this!

Not the best composure-I know.

I should have found their other shoes-I know.

No one is looking at the camera-I know.

They are not behaving-duh!

But I love it.

And it is my life.

And I would never trade it.

Opera Company of Philadelphia "Hallelujah!" Random Act of Culture

I learned to make a new hat!

Okay...maybe it could have been pink and green and on a little girl....but Eli is just loving his little hat!  I got him a wool fisherman coat for winter and so this little navy elf hat is going to be the perfect addition.  Stand back everyone...remember a few years ago when I learned to make a baby blanket and so I made like every baby I knew a blanket?!  I feel a bunch of little hats coming on!  I am going to have to check out Luna natural fiber yarns at Blueball Mountain Spindleneedleworks Shop.

I am linking up to these blog parties!




Linking up to

Mom Cave Makeover Contest!

Susan from Between Naps On the Porch is hosting a Mom Cave blog party for her Metamorphosis Monday.  One lucky winner will get a $250 gift certificate to Home Goods to use on her MOM CAVE.  Plus three other women will win $50 gift certificates.  I could use either amount :)


Okay so shamefully I am going to show you my "Mom Cave".  This is an 82 square foot L-shaped walk-in closet off of a fourth bedroom that we are using for our schoolroom/playroom.

Presently I am trying to clean out the closet and store my scrap booking supplies

and our ever growing homeschooling supplies.

If I win I would love to get a chair for my desk,

and some pretty storage units like the ones here that I found on their site

and maybe these lovely birds to keep up with my ribbons

as well as some lovely girly storage!!

Pick me please!!!

***Hopefully I will be posting new pix of my remodeled cave soon!!

DIY Library Stage 1

It started with a corner of our basement that was filled with "one-day-I-will-find-a-place-for-this" stuff.  I have always dreamed of having a house with a library--but have never had a "having-a-library" type house.  We have a very 1982 home...everything that was cool in 1982 was put into our home--not all bad {mamouth closets :)}  But we have tons of light honey wood-light honey paneling, baseboards, steps, and doors.  And so in this corner that I wanted to use for my library had lots of these light honey wooden affects.  Plus I have a matching hopechest that my dad made...and I needed to leave it in this space as well.  My dear friend was getting rid of a dark wood shelf and I had an extra whitish wood shelf---but to use all of that was going to be a disaster!  So I painted the shelves black to make them more "matchy" and to break up all of the wood.  The red rug was one once used in the boys room.  So in total I now have $18 vested in my new library--the black paint!

For stage two of the library I am looking for a comfy black chair, some Mark Hambys Rare reproduced Lamplighter books, a black coushion for the hopechest and maybe another shelf for the other wall.

This area is being used for the kids reading area and their books.

This week I am linking up to these blog parties: