Christmas Eve 2009.

Every Christmas Eve the children open their "Wear" gift which is always a new pair of pajamas. We then take our annual picture in front of the tree. This is my favorite ever. Oliver has a handful of Owen's hair and the shot came out classic, no?

In other news, we had an especially happy Christmas and hope you did too. I woke this morning to falling snow which I am taking as a signal from the universe to slow down this week and enjoy all of my little chicks being home. We're going to watch movies, play games + get together with friends. I will be doing some thoughtful planning on the coming year. I'm all about lists and new beginnings. I'm looking forward to packing away Christmas (halfway there) and scrubbing down the cozy brick house. And organizing! I can hardly wait to whip this happy home back into shape.

Enjoy today dears.

Ho Ho Ho.

I love this boys imagination.

Birthday GIVEAWAY Winner!

{image}

So sorry this post is late dears. Today has been busy with a capital "B". I've got tons still left to do, so this will be short + sweet.

The random number generator says that "E" who said:

happy happy birthday!!

let's see... making me happy today?
-the smell of my baby right out of the tub this morning.
-the sight of my christmas tree peeking up into our second floor.
-the sound of a happy holiday mix a friend just dropped by.
-the taste of a homemade caramel for breakfast.
-the feeling that it's just going to be a great day.

will be receiving a happy mail package from me. Email me quick "E"! And a huge thanks to each and every one of you. Friday was a lovely day made better by reading your kind comments. I loved hearing about all of the things that are making you happy. If I played the lottery + won tons of cash I would package up something pretty for each of you. Now, I'm off to bake!

Birthday GIVEAWAY!

Me. 29 years today.

In celebration of this day I'm having a little giveaway. Some of my very favorite things packaged up sweetly and sent to one of you dears. Serious happy mail.

My way of saying thank you.

Thank you for the emails letting me know you're reading and crafting and party planning.
Thank you for the kind comments that make my heart swell.
Thank you for the sweet little happy mail packages.
Thank you for visiting this space of mine.
Thank you for the inspiration you bring.
Thank you for making me happy.

Thank you.

Leave me a comment. Tell me what's making you happy today.
Giveaway will close Monday morning.

{photo by You Look Nice Today Photography}

2009 Family Pictures.

Believe it or not, our little family has grown by TWO babes since our last family photo shoot. High time for a session don't you think? Lucky for us, we came across Portland based photographer Ryan Wilcox from You Look Nice Today Photography. His photo journalistic style instantly spoke to me. I loved the ease + simplicity that oozed from his work. Exactly what I wanted hanging on the walls of the cozy brick house. The session was booked, the weather cooperated + Ryan and his lovely wife Tiffany were AMAZING to work with. We couldn't be happier with the results! Ryan shot our session with the most amazing cameras you've ever seen. 100% film. Vintage. Deliciousness. If you're looking for a photographer for your family and you are in the Portland Oregon or Tri-Cities WA areas, you might want to email Ryan quickly. I have a feeling his schedule will be filling up fast. Oh, and if you'd like to see more from our shoot, go here.

Grateful.

(I nearly missed this shot.)

Look at this sweet boy! His happy eyes. That curled tongue. The chubs. All things making me so very happy.

I'm feeling really grateful right now and I wanted to write it all down before I get caught up in the hustle + bustle and forget what really matters this season.

I'm grateful for a husband that does all the the shopping for our ward Christmas party so I can stay home and care for this babe (who is wheezing and coughing as I type this).

I'm grateful for friends that listen and help and inspire.

I'm grateful for sweet children that write kind letters to their great grandmother because they over heard a conversation about her being lonely and sad.

I'm grateful for my faith. For the opportunities I have to serve, to learn and to grow.

But mostly, most of all at this very moment, I am overcome with thankfulness for a Heavenly Father who knows me. Who loves me. Who sent His Son to this earth to set the example for me. I'm thankful for His life and I'm so filled with gratitude for this happy time of year.

Gingerbread House How To.

step 1: buy a gingerbread house kit from costco
step 2: turn on some vintage Christmas music
step 3: start a cozy fire
step 4: brew some hot chocolate
step 5: gather around a table
step 6: start building
step 7: pray for snow
step 8: create memories

Sibling Gift Ideas: Part Two.

for easton,
love abby.

Ryan took the boys to a basketball game on Saturday. While they were away, Abby and I took advantage of our girl time and made some Christmas gifts for her brothers. It was decided that Easton needed a duct tape wallet. Our first attempt was a HUGE failure but once we found a good tutorial, we were much more successful. I was so proud of Abby and her patience. Such a sweet girl.

Reindeer Fun.

Friday night found our family visiting Comet + Cupid for our advent calendar activity.
Easton and Abby liked jumping from hay bale to hay bale.
Audrey wouldn't let me put her down.
Oliver was completely happy + enthralled.
Owen was cold. And tired.

Thank goodness Ryan had his phone so we were able to document the fun.

p.s I used this App to enhance the photos.

Sibling Gift Ideas: Part One.

for abby,
from owen.

{click image to enlarge}

he picked the beads
he decided on the pattern
he made the bracelet
i added the clasp
we had a happy afternoon together.

Advent Calendar Activities.

Remember last year when I made this advent calendar? I know I'm a couple of days late here, but this year Ryan suggested that we add a fun family activity to each stocking along with our traditional piece of candy. Luckily, there have been a few great posts out there regarding this very thing.

I printed the chosen activities on these labels found here. Then I stuck the labels to some paper scraps. I was able to incorporate activities that are more involved for the weekends and simple activities like "drink spiced cider" on a day that I knew would be a bit busier. I also added activities that were already on our calendar like parties, and Easton's choir concert.

Here is our list:
-Make hot chocolate + read your favorite Christmas book
-Go visit the reindeer while they're in town
-Make a gingerbread house
-Watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional
-Wrap the gifts you've made for your siblings
-Salvation Army food box
-Write someone a letter telling them how special they are to you
-Make a popcorn garland
-Ward Christmas Party
-Deliver neighbor gifts
-Visit great grandma
-Bake cookies + deliver them to friends
-Sing Christmas songs
-Drink spiced cider
-Attend Easton's holiday choir concert
-Hang mistletoe
-Progressive dinner with cousins
-Take a drive to see some Christmas lights
-Annual Family Christmas dinner
-Family testimony meeting by the fire
-Watch "It's a Wonderful Life"
-Read the Christmas story from The Bible + The Book of Mormon

Oh, and I forgot to tell you yesterday, Happy December!

Inexpensive Holiday Decor: Stencils.

As Ryan pulled out the tubs of Christmas decor Saturday evening, I knew I wanted to change things up a bit this year. I still love our traditional ornaments but for some reason I'm craving simple. Easy. Relaxed. Unfussy. How was I going to completely change things up without braking the bank? Paper! It's cheap, pretty, versatile. Stencils are readily available at office supply stores, so that's where I started. A "Merry Christmas" banner for the kitchen and personalized gift tags for treat boxes were so easy to create, it should be a crime. I also stuck a few letters on the Christmas tree with clothespins. I love doing things the easy way.

p.s. The stencils I bought are a mottled brown color that reminds me of leather. You can find them here.