lately ...

I'm thinking about my elderly neighbors and what I could do for them this holiday season.

I'm reading the Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes.

I'm doing laundry that I've avoided all week.



I'm making candy cane peppermint cookies just for fun.

I'm watching the delight in my girls faces as we start the countdown to Christmas today.

I'm working on Christmas gifts.

I'm contemplating a big change in our everyday life.

I'm ecstatic my gratitude journals sold out. :)

I'm hoping to go on a date tonight.

I'm missing my sister and her family.



I'm loving going to sleep and waking up to Christmas lights.

I'm grateful for my life. I am tremendously blessed.

I'm waiting for the snow.

I need to clean my studio, again. Sad thing is I just cleaned it last Saturday.

I'm trying not to let my tired get the better of me.

I'm debating whether u should worry that my back still hurts after falling down the stairs over a month ago.



I'm looking forward to my Google hang out this weekend.

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

a tree decorated by the girls


a visit from santa


meandering through the lights


early family gatherings


friend and family greetings lining the walls of our family room


sugary holiday goodness


first gifts under the tree


more magical lights

quiet sunday

We came home in this last night, the winter storm we had been waiting for for weeks finally arrived. Winter took it's time getting here this year and can't say I'm let down by it. With an excellent fall behind me and Christmas on the way it feels like the perfect time, a quiet Sunday, to wake up to 10 inches of snow. And what a quiet Sunday it has been...I'm not sure whether or not it was the snow that caused church to be canceled, but apparently the meeting house power wasn't working...no power, no lights, no heat so they canceled.

So we all came home, got in our pjs again, and this is what we've been doing...some good old togetherness.


Adam read a short story to the girls. He's so great about sharing what he loves with them and I love to see, not only them together, but the girls soaking in all the goodness he shares with them.


With snow currently coming down with abandon, a fire going, and a quiet Sunday ahead of us we decided why not start decorating, especially since we're going to be gone for Thanksgiving and we usually do it the day after. We had some crazy moments of lights not working, TVs almost falling, & cords ripping (don't ask), but ever since we moved passed the crazy moments we've all been enjoying the warmth of the twinkling of the lights, me especially...it's one of my favorite parts of the holiday. I even put some up in my studio I don't think I'll never take down. There's just something about the lights that add to a home.

I hope it's been an equally fabulous day for you!

xoxo
amy

**so when are you decorating?

four for friday

We are Christmasy around here and have been since Sunday evening. We pulled out all the decorations from the attic, fixed some lights that I knew had died on the tree last year, and search one by one through the boxes for Christmas treasures. It's always so enjoyable discovering what it is we have and seeing which decoration the kids are draw to and have memories about from the previous year. Always make for good story telling during the decorating.



Last night I went with Hannah, Shelley, and Jenica to the Beehive Bazaar. I have never been before and unless Hannah encouraged me to go out last night I probably still wouldn't. It was a lot like a boutique, everything hand crafted, but on a larger scale. I was hoping there would be a lot more variety, but it seemed like there were tons of hair accessories. Of course there were companies like Isabell's Umbrella whose simplicity and cleanness I couldn't help be drawn to. I was also really fond of candacejean.com art, particularly this one. I also was fond of these.


[ps meg took this]

I started the crochet hat pattern I bought last night and finished it up this morning. After knitting for so many years I'm always amazed at how much faster crocheting is for me. Of course it doesn't hurt that I was using a size K hook and a worsted weight yarn. Anyway, i think the pattern is cute and easy to follow, but the size 3-8 years old, which I made, as you can see fits me not Megan. It was way too big, but I knew it would be after the 5th round. I'm going to try the smaller size to see if I have any more luck with it.

If you can tell from the photo above of me that I've been battling cold sores since last Saturday. I woke up with about 5 or 6 on both my top and bottom lip and after a few days it went inside my mouth. It was pretty bad and since I wasn't home, out of town for thanksgiving, I didn't have my medication so I had a dentist friend call some in and it cost me $130 for ointment and pills. I was bummed, but you know when you're in a lot of pain and you don't really care you just want the relief...that's how I was feeling. I cried a few days after that thinking of all the gifts I could have bought with that money.

Gratitude Week: Monday

I definitely want to play along with Rebecca and do a week devoted to being grateful.



So grateful to be their mother, for the opportunity to watch them grow up, and share with them the magic of living.

Yes, that photo is from this year. They just couldn't wait any longer. Yesterday we decked the house.