I can't believe how long it has been since I blogged. I don't really know how people find the time for it. I am taking a little break from wrapping presents on one of the rare occasions that Audrey actually asked for a nap. I have been wanting to write in a journal and just never get around to it so I am writing this down so that I don't forget. Yesterday Audrey and I went to the library and then to get an ice cream cone. She calls ice cream "i-fream" it is so cute. Yesterday when I asked her what kind of "i-fream" she wanted, she said, "pink" and smiled. She got a bubble gum ice cream cone and we sat baskin robbins while she ate and then of course she HAD to clean the table. Today when we were out and about I could hear her in her carseat singing to herself, "pink i-fream, pink i-fream" haha! She was not too happy when we got to a store that only sold mom clothes and whined and whined while I tried on clothes only to have everyone gush over what a doll she is. I do agree, she is a sweetheart. Her favorite thing to do right now is to get windex and spray the coffee table. She loves it. It always reminds Dave of "my big fat greek wedding" but I think it just goes to show how often she sees me clean the same surfaces over and over after she gets them sticky/grimy or licks them. She is such a clown. We bought pink ornaments to add to the tree today since it is her favorite. Our tree is decorated in muted colors. Cranberry round ornaments, gold bells, cranberry pics, baby breath, wicker balls, wooden raffia-type stars, cream colored "believe" pillows, etc. it is fun to have a brighter color added and now I want to get a few more pink things. We'll see how Dave feels about it when he gets home. Audrey loves chocolate milk and ranch right now. If i pour ketchup on her plate to dip nuggets in she will tell me no and then ask for "wanch" and smile or whine, depending on her mood. She also loves oranges. I give her cuties all cut up and she asks for them several times a day. She likes to drink through a straw and also likes to pull out the stool, put it together and get things she wants herself. It makes me feel sad though to think of my baby being a little girl. She knows that "sansa" says, "ho, ho, ho" and is going to bring her candy and toys but refuses to sit on his lap. Every morning, first thing, she and i take a walking tour of our house and turn on ALL the Christmas lights (ceramic tree, Christmas tree, forests of lit trees and last but NOT least, her little tree) and she points to all the "sansas" in our house. At least once a day I find our annalee santa mouse moved from the coffee table to her room, usually on her bed with her dolls. It is fun to see her get so excited each night when we read a Christmas book and have candy from the advent calendar. She calls the princess tent that Eliot and Angie gave to her a house and always points out all the "mwenthesses" on it. She loves to give hugs and play with her cousins and I feel so lucky to be her mom. I need to write more so that I don't forget where she is right now. I am trying to soak up as much fun with her as possible because she is growing way too fast.

if you were expecting a more clever post, I am sorry. I spend my free time (the little i have) on different Christmas craft projects and devouring new books but I am going to try to blog a little every week, even if it is just to be able to look back and remember all the memories we are making every day.

hope everyone (even though i am sure not many read this anymore, but in case anyone does) is having a happy holiday season.

fun for a sunday afternoon

overdue update

wow, it has been a busy month...much busier than i had anticipated. thanksgiving went off without a hitch. it was my first year hosting and much more work than i was prepared for, haha. it was fun though. it gave me a good excuse to practice my apple pie baking and it was fun to brine a turkey with dave. the food was delicious and setting the table was my favorite part. i found these perfect leaf place mats and gold chargers and it was very fancy and formal and fun. i have been too busy to blog about everything i have wanted to blog about since i started working. i am cutting back to one day a week.

we did so many fun things while my family was in town. we went to see the elves and gardner village, we toured mrs. cavanaughs chocolates, we went to see new moon, my sisters and i took our kids (except audrey, she is still too young for the movies) to a dollar show.

dave and i have been busy getting the house ready for christmas. we put up the tree and other holiday decorations, we put candy in the advent calendar, we took audrey to go see santa, we decorated a gingerbread house with audrey, went to annual christmas lunch with some friends from high school, and today i tried out a new cookie recipe i found in yesterday's paper. this week's project is gathering addresses to try to get my christmas cards out. i have a few other christmas projects up my sleeve if i can find time to get them started and then time to get them finished, haha.

audrey is growing up so fast. she is repeating most of what we say and can climb stairs and up onto furniture with great speed. she is not very skilled though at going down the stairs or down from furniture so she keeps me on my toes. she doesn't like to hold still even for a moment. she is so busy exploring and discovering the world around her. she brings us so much joy. her favorite thing right now (besides climbing the stairs) is the christmas tree. she will kneel and reach up as high as she can and pull the ornaments and berries off and then turn to us and tell us things (we don't understand much of what she says but she says "pretty" a lot, haha) while using grand hand gestures, haha. i love watching her and am happy that she already feels the wonder of the season while tearing apart the tree several times a day. she cruises around furniture so fast that i don't think walking is too far off. she loves to be chased and squeals with delight when dave and i are "chasing" her around her playroom.

hope you all are having a happy holiday season.

thirty days of thanks #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15 and #16

i have not been blogging each day like i had planned on. It is much more difficult to balance my time with my family and my "me" time since I have started working. Most of the time I don't really want to spend my time on the computer when I am at home with my family.

10. I am thankful for my schedule at work that allows for my family to eat dinner together at night even on the nights that dave or I have to go to work.

11. I am thankful for music. I have always loved music. It has always been such a powerful influence in my life.

12. I am thankful for books. I love reading to my daughter and I hope that I am able to instill in her a great love of books and learning. I love how books can take you to another place and give you a new perspective on something already familiar to you.

13. I am thankful for my body. I struggle with my weight and often with my health but I am so thankful that I have the use of my limbs and that when the house is dirty, I can scrub it. I can pick up my daughter and run and play with her. I know that I am prone to be negative about my body but I am so thankful for all that it enables me to do.

14. I am thankful for family traditions that create strong loving bonds and memories that last forever.

15. I am thankful for holiday (and other home) decor. I love the permanence of it. As a mom most of what I do is temporary or gets undone: cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, picking things up, putting things away, setting the table, etc. I know that when I buy (or make) something for the house that it will not get undone (most of the time, with a fifteen month old all bets are off, haha) and will become part of our home or part of our holiday not just this year but each year and that is something I love. I feel like it is something I do for my family that it permanent and adds to our home.

16. I am thankful for clean water. This is also something I take for granted too much of the time.

thirty days of thanks #6, #7, #8 and #9

i have not written for five days. i have felt really down. it has been a heartbreaking week for my family and i haven't felt much like blogging. our thoughts and prayers have been with my brother and his wife and children. we love them so much and wish we could be there to encircle them in our arms. i know that i have many things to be thankful for but it has been a very sad few days for my extended family and my brother's family in particular.

#6. i'm thankful for my siblings. i love them so much and i feel their love for me. i grew up with my siblings as my friends and our vacations now are all visits to see family.

#7. i'm thankful for my parents. i love them and appreciate everything they do for us. it was so good to see them and spend some time with them this last week.

#8. i'm thankful for this season. it is a great opportunity for me to appreciate all that i have even when i am feeling down.

#9. i'm thankful to be in our own place. we have been blessed by the generosity of family this year that have opened their home to us for months at a time and i am thankful for that, it is also nice to be able to have a place of our own to create a home for our little family.

thirty days of thanks #4 and #5

#4. thankful for friends. it has been so much fun to reconnect and meet up with old friends and remember fun times and make new memories.

#5. thankful for a husband that will stay up with me after i get home from work and watch the office with me even though i know he is tired.

thirty days of thanks #3

i'm thankful for a car that works and takes us where we need to go. it is so nice to be able to go on outings each day with audrey. she loves to get out and look around and explore. my car is something i am thankful for each and every day.



this picture was taken after it died in the middle of nowhere somewhere in wyoming.

as i was making my bed this morning, i found myself singing, "when you're tired and you can't sleep, just count your blessings instead of sheep and you'll fall asleep counting your blessings" from "white christmas" and i don't know if it popped into my head because i am trying to have a thankful heart or because halloween is over and it is time to usher in all things christmas (at least in stores, i personally don't think thanksgiving gets enough play) but either way i'm glad to be singing while cleaning...