Thanksgiving and Christmas in February?

I realized I never put up any of our Christmas photos. Get ready for a picture heavy post. 

This is actually from Thanksgiving. Adam is always so nice to stand-out-in-the-cold for half the day and fry a turkey or 3. Fried turkey is so so good.

After dinner my 5-year-old nephew and daughter played a game of chess while the adults relaxed with some smart phone word games and perused the black Friday ad's.

Kiley found a deal on a 12 foot trampoline in one of the BF ad's and so we trekked out to Target for their 12am opening and she bought her trampoline with some of her savings and birthday money. It took us about 3 days to assemble this thing, but it's a lot of fun and all the kids love it.

Every year for Christmas we give each of our girls brand new pajamas. This year though I changed it up on them. I sewed each of them a stocking. They each picked out their own fabric without knowing what I was planning on making for them. I had to sew in my room so they couldn't peek. These were very easy to sew as well. The free pattern and instructions can be found here at Fabric Worm. Traditionally we let the girls open one gift the night before we celebrate our Christmas morning, it's always pajamas. That is what they were expecting. I wrapped all of the stockings in one huge box which made them very confused when we gave them their, night before gift. They were so excited and happy with the stockings. I was relieved. I had wondered if it was the best idea or not. As you can see, I didn't make stockings for Adam or myself, next year hopefully. 

This was the calm before the storm on our Christmas Eve morning. We open gifts with our children on Christmas Eve morning instead of Christmas Day morning. Haley is always with us on the Eve so we push back our celebrations a day earlier. We have a big family dinner with Adam's family and my Mom that evening and then the next day we spend with Dad's family. 

We kept the gifts and spending very simple this year each girl received 2 gifts and a few things in their stockings. Also, each of the girls bought something for the others, so they had a bunch of little dollar items to open. They are so sweet. They each came to me on a separate occasion and asked me to take them shopping for their sisters. 

August has been getting into quilting, so she received a quilting starter kit with a rotary cutter, ruler board and instruction book. 

I wanted to share the basket liner. I was looking everywhere for a basket for her cruiser bike and could only find expensive-cheaply-made ones. I came across this basket on sale at Hobby Lobby for only $6.00, Score! It really needed a basket liner, I searched on you tube and found this excellent video to make one for any size basket. It worked great and looked so cute. 

Haley has been anxious for me to teach her to crochet. She is always using my hooks and yarn to practice, so we got her a crochet starter kit with hooks and the instruction booklet, and of course, yarn too.

Julia loves taking pictures. Up until this, she has had a pretend camera and had been wanting a real camera. She was very excited when she opened her very own "real" digital camera. It's made for a child so it's tough and can stand being dropped, I can attest to that now. haha 

Kiley had been saying she wanted a pocket knife. I'm not sure what sparked that but we decided that a Swiss Army Knife would probably be better for her than just a regular pocket knife. This one is so neat it has 31 different functions and even has a ball point pen. She was pleasantly surprised because Daddy had previously said "no" to the knife idea.

And of course, we can't forget Emily. This child LOVES LOVES LOVES to sing. She loves music and is always wanting to listen to it, louder. This is her gift, a Perry the Platypus cd player with a microphone attached so she can sing to her hearts content. She loves this thing. I can her her hymns cd blasting now in her room when she is up there making her bed in the morning. She's such a sweetie.

We hosted Christmas Eve dinner at our house this year. It was my first time. It was quite a bit of work, but I loved being able to cook for our family. This was the adults table. We had just the right amount of room. I saw some cute table setting ideas about using old clear wine bottles for water on the table, so I tired it out. 

 Our dining room isn't big enough for everyone so the kids table was put out in the living room. They prefer that I think, it gives them the opportunity to be somewhat silly without parents telling them to, knock-it-off.

All of the adults participated in a gift exchange, sort of like the White Elephant game, but we bought new/useful gifts. We've done this before in the past, but this year was by far the most fun. We decided on unlimited steals for each item and only put a steal limit on each person. Each person could only steal a particular gift twice. I really think this made the game so much more fun. 

The sugar wore off at the end of the evening, and everyone was exhausted!

A friend of mine mailed me this Christmas apron and a matching spatula. It was pretty cute. This is before church on Christmas Day morning. We were all having left over apple pie for breakfast. Yum!

And, finally I have to add this picture because it's so funny. Emily and Julia got these Lalaloopsy wigs from their auntie and cousin. They are so cute.

Thanks for reading. I know that was a lot of pictures, I appreciate you sticking through it all. I am hoping to blog some more tomorrow. I will try my very best. 

Best wishes!

Christmas Countdown

Christmas is coming.....

I made each of the girls an advent calendar this year. These were fun to make, the girls are enjoying them each morning.I filled them with candy, cute ornaments and little prizes like chap stick, Christmas erasers etc. 

Haley's was the first. Hers is made with cardboard favor boxes glued together in a pyramid. I used my large hole punch and some Christmassy scrapbook paper to make the circles and then sticker numbers for the dates. I decided to mix up the dates on the calendars to give he girls a little extra challenge in finding their prize each day. 

 Emily is next. For hers I wrapped two paper grocery bags in Christmas wrapping paper. I glued little red and green paper bags on the front and added velvety red bows from the dollar store. I had to hole punch the top and bottom of each piece and connect them with ribbon. 

For Kiley's I had planned on making paper tree cones and having them sit up with prizes underneath each one. I ended up stringing some twine and using clothespins to string the cones up on our wall instead. I used the pattern from Family Fun Magazine. 

I modified their largest cone and made it bigger. Their large wasn't large enough for me.  Their small ones were also too small for what I needed them for so I didn't use that size. 

Julia's calendar is the only loose laying one. I made hers from toilet paper rolls. I cut scrapbook paper to the size of a toilet paper roll, glued it on and folded in the sides to make pillow boxes. I added a ribbon to tie them shut and of course each has a date so she can find her prize. 

Finally, August. Hers is very simple and not what I was originally intending to do, but it turned out great in spite of that. I added pretty paper to brown lunch bags  and clothes pinned them to ribbon hung on our stairs. 


The house looks really cute with the calendars as extra decorations. I look forward to doing this again for them next year. 


Also on our craft list....


The girls put together a Gingerbread house. We picked one up while shopping at Trader Joe's the other day. I really liked this kit, it didn't have pre-made yucky icing, instead it has you mix your own royal icing. The gingerbread pieces appear to be real and the candies are all dye and chemical free. 

Sorry it's a little blurry, I've been using my phone to take pictures. 

And lastly, I made some ornaments this year. I found this super cute tutorial on a craft blog I was looking at. These glitter mittens were so very easy and turned out so adorable. I used some of my great-grandmothers vintage buttons. 

We have a lot to do still to get ready for Christmas. I'm hosting Christmas Eve at our home this year. I'm both excited and nervous. 

Merry Christmas and God Bless You!

Pillowcases finished

For the last 3 days I've spent a lot of time stuck in my bedroom sewing gifts for my children as well as nieces and nephews.

I am making pillowcases and homemade play dough for my niece and nephews this year. I used a pattern from the One Million Pillowcase challenge - I used this easy roll up pattern.

MIA

Wow! I can't believe how long it's been since I've blogged. I tend to use facebook more since it's faster and easier to upload pictures and say what I want to say. However, facebook seems to be doing some creepy things lately, leading me to want to use my blog for that stuff instead.

Right now I'm in crazy cram mode. I have 5 stockings I'm frantically trying to sew for the girls' as their Christmas Eve gifts, (usually it's jammies). I'm also making some ornaments, and crocheting 2 blankets and some dishcloths. Each day seems to be flowing by like it's on fast forward. I am also hosting Christmas Eve dinner at our new home this year and I've not even begun to think about preparing for that. I've decided to not send out our annual family picture and Christmas card this year, because I have no picture and no cards, and I can't see where I'm going to fit it in.

Kiley, August and Haley are all playing extended season soccer this year and it's keeping us busier than usual for this time of year.

I have many other things and pictures to share, and I'll try to get that up as soon as possible.

Merry Christmas.

It's My Birthday!

Today is my 32^nd birthday. While I’m still in shock at being in my 30’s, I am so thankful for all of those years. Each and every day of life is a wonderful gift.  I realize that there are people who don’t get to live to 32. Despite life’s challenges, I love where I am and who I’m with. I hope the Lord allows me another 32 years.

Here are 32 things about me 

1. Each morning when my alarm goes off I think of ways to not have to get up.
2. I love hot chocolate and Shirley Temple movies on a cold rainy day.
3. I don’t like to wear shoes.
4. I love crème brulee and wish I had a kit with the blow torch.
5. I share my birthday with my brother in law and I love that.
6. I despise blue jeans (always have), they have never fit me right, not even when I was skinny. I can happily go the rest of my life without ever having to try another pair on.
7. My life has ended up in a completely different direction than I originally set out for. I’m so happy about that.
8. My parents had to put me into a religious group home when I was a teenager because I was totally out of control. This saved my life.
9. I met my husband (in the group home) when I was 15 and we hated each other. If you would have told me then that one day I’d be married to him, I would have laughed myself silly.
10. I found out I was pregnant with twins a few short months after graduating High School. 
11. I started smoking cigarettes when I was 13 years old, it took me until I was 29 to be able to quit for good. I quit cold turkey March 1, 2009. It’s embarrassing to admit. It’s such a horribly strong addiction and nearly impossible to quit. Without the support and encouragement of my husband, and lots of prayer, I don’t think I ever could have.
12. I have a hard time finishing things that I start. I tend to get really excited about something and then the excitement dies off and it falls by the wayside. For this reason alone, I will never attempt scrapbooking.
13. Sewing and crafting are relaxing to me. 
14. I love loud yelling preaching.
15. I wish I would have played an instrument when I was a child. 
16. I love cooking for my family. My husband and kids are the best people to cook for. Every night at dinner they tell me how good the food is. This makes me want to cook for them again.
17. I never ever thought I was the SAHM type. I set out with a career and thought that is what was best. God had a different plan for me. Being home these last 4 years have been the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.
18. I have great parents. My mom stayed home with us during the day, and worked at night. I never even realized she was a SAHM until I was an adult. My dad, even though he didn’t live with us, still saw us 4 or 5 days a week.
19. I am addicted to reusable shopping bags. I have to refrain from buying them at every store I go to. My favorites are the ones from Trader Joe's with the surf boards on them.
20. I think Rice Crispy Treats are the grossest thing ever made. Just the thought of them makes  gag.
21. My favorite period of adolescence was 7^th and 8^th grade. I’m not sure why, but I can remember that part of childhood better than any other part.
22. There are many things that I’ve done in my life that I hope my children never find out about. I would be devastated if I disappointed them.
23. I am eternally grateful to my friend who led me to the Lord.
24. I act like a big silly dork with my kids. They love it.
25. Disneyland is one of my favorite places. I love how friendly and clean it is. I love it so much I spent my 30^th birthday there with my husband and no kids. ;)
26. Being married is more wonderful and more challenging than I ever would have thought. There are things I’ve learned about humbleness and love that I never could have learned otherwise. I can’t imagine living life without Adam, he is my best friend.
27. I dislike my handwriting and am guilty of trying to change it constantly.
28. I am the queen of biting off more than I can chew.
29. I want so badly to have another child. I love babies, and I wish I could have 10.
30. I don’t have eyebrows. Well, I do have them, but they are so blonde you can’t see them. This makes my forehead huge, so I dye them a light color brown so that they are visible.
31. I have a terrible habit of talking before I think.
32. My favorite dinner is white people tacos; I could eat them every night.

Blessings,

Kimmie

Happy Independence Day

In Congress, July 4 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America 

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.—That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it; and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.—Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their acts of pretended legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the Lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free People.

Nor have We been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.—

WE, THEREFORE, the REPRESENTATIVES of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do.—And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Signed by ORDER and in BEHALF of the CONGRESS,
JOHN HANCOCK, PRESIDENT.
ATTEST.
CHARLES THOMSON, SECRETARY.PHILADELPHIA: PRINTED BY JOHN DUNLAP.The 56 signatures on the Declaration appear in the positions indicated:

Column 1
Georgia:
   Button Gwinnett
   Lyman Hall
   George Walton

Column 2
North Carolina:
   William Hooper
   Joseph Hewes
   John Penn
South Carolina:
   Edward Rutledge
   Thomas Heyward, Jr.
   Thomas Lynch, Jr.
   Arthur Middleton

Column 3
Massachusetts:
John Hancock
Maryland:
Samuel Chase
William Paca
Thomas Stone
Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe
Richard Henry Lee
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Harrison
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Carter Braxton

Column 4
Pennsylvania:
   Robert Morris
   Benjamin Rush
   Benjamin Franklin
   John Morton
   George Clymer
   James Smith
   George Taylor
   James Wilson
   George Ross
Delaware:
   Caesar Rodney
   George Read
   Thomas McKean

Column 5
New York:
   William Floyd
   Philip Livingston
   Francis Lewis
   Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
   Richard Stockton
   John Witherspoon
   Francis Hopkinson
   John Hart
   Abraham Clark

Column 6
New Hampshire:
   Josiah Bartlett
   William Whipple
Massachusetts:
   Samuel Adams
   John Adams
   Robert Treat Paine
   Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
   Stephen Hopkins
   William Ellery
Connecticut:
   Roger Sherman
   Samuel Huntington
   William Williams
   Oliver Wolcott
New Hampshire:
   Matthew Thornton

Text found here

Musings

It's been busy around here. We are wrapping up our school year and getting ready for our crazy summer to begin.  7 of our friends had babies last year, so we are up to our ears in 1st birthday parties,  youth conference, kids' sports, swim lessons,  and a couple of camping trips. Our Anniversary this year falls on the same weekend that my husband's brother is graduating from college, so we probably won't be doing anything special.

I'm looking forward to the break from school, so we can relax a bit. Next year is going to be a lot busier. Emily and Julia will be starting Kindergarten, and I'll be teaching arts and crafts classes, working on the community service and skit committees for our 4H group. I'm incredibly excited about being  a project leader in 4H next year. Kiley and August are getting all of their entries ready for the county fair this year. Last year KIley won the Judges Favorite for her bird painting. They have a chance to win better awards if they enter more items.

Emily and Julia are such smart little cookies. I don't think Kindergarten will be a problem for them. They have already grasped math concepts and can add really well. They seem to "get" math, but not letters so much. I'm just going to take the reading a little slower. They are looking forward to being able to read on their own.

Kiley and August are going to be entering their last year of middle school. They are doing pre-algebra and US history. If any of you mommies have any US history curriculum that is less secular based, I'd be happy to receive comments on what would be good. We will be going from the Revolution through WWI. Science is going to include  a lot of hands on experiments. This should be fun. And they will be continuing in their violin lessons along with teaching their younger sisters how to play, and getting paid for it. I'm also planning on having them teach me the proper use of commas, since I am obviously comma impaired. However, thanks for continuing to read anyway.

I had my share of interesting blog comments this week. It's funny that my blog view numbers go up daily, but people only comment on abortion posts or posts about reprobate weirdos. *shrugging shoulders*

I have a couple of comments that I need to approve, but I'd actually like to reply to them, so hopefully I'll get to that tomorrow.

I need to finish making my Mother's Day gifts for this year; I hand made cards too. I've never made cards before. They turned out cute. I'll post pictures of the creations after the fact. I'm excited about Mother's Day this year. I'm spending it with only my hubby and kids. We rarely get outside time for just us as a family, and since our anniversary is booked, this will be like the make up for that.

Kiley and August had their second cake decorating class and they are doing quite well. The cakes are yummy but never good when you're trying to lose some poundage.

I have more to write about, but I'm tired. Aha, this will keep you in suspense, and you will have to return to find out what else happened. *grin*

Betcha didn't know I could be funny. Good night and God bless you.