The orchard

I almost never do two page layouts anymore--I guess it's because with a digital camera I usually only print the "best" pictures. However, on this day at the orchard, every picture seemed to sort of capture the feeling of the day. I have been waiting to use this cute paper and I'm pretty happy with the results. I'm wanting to do Christmas pages while I still have that lingering Christmas feeling!

Got any big New Year's plans? We have invited the Mose's over but our evening usually ends before 9:00 which is fine by me! If you know me, you know I'm not much of a partier--never have been. In fact, I can't remember ever being to a real New Year's Eve party--ever. How lame am I!!!???

A scrapbook page---finally!

I think it's been over a month since I scrapbooked just for myself. I had a lot of orders for Christmas books and gifts so I didn't have time to do anything just for fun. Actually I still have a few orders to fill. However, I have been itching to do a page and I finally took the time to do it. Now that's all I want to do! Maybe a few more pages and then back to work.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL..........

We celebrated Christmas with Tracy, Ryan and Stella yesterday. Tonight we will go to church with my parents and then come home and eat dinner and unwrap gifts with them. Then, tomorrow morning the boys will open gifts from Santa and the Foreman clan will come over for Christmas here. Busy, busy, busy. I love the hustle and bustle, but I always end up feeling like I didn't have time to really ENJOY the holiday because I was so caught up in all the work that goes along with it. I've really been trying to talk to Parker and Jack about the real reason for Christmas. I hope they understand. Parker is so sweet, he really loves the slow Christmas songs like Away in the Manger and Silent Night. He has such a soft heart. Jack was adorable last night. My parents gave us a framed picture of themselves and unbeknowst to us, Jack took it and put it on a shelf in his room, then took it down and slept with it. Love it!

Well, I must get back to work--Merry, merry Christmas to anyone who reads this!

THIS makes me HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY

My friend Heather has a bag very, very similar to this and I completely fell in love with it. I wanted one sooooo much. My totally awesome and thoughtful sister Tracy finally found one for me (and herself!) I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. You know how sometimes something silly like an article of clothing or a food or some other simple thing can just put a smile on your face? That's what this purse does for me. I didn't think I would ever get one which makes it all the sweeter.
I feel the same way about my Christmas tree. It just makes me happy to look at it. I love the non-traditional colors and how shimmery and sparkly it is. The boys love it too because although it has pink ornaments, it is also loaded down with trucks and dogs and batman and other manly things. A happy compromise I suppose.

Christmas Card

Just in case anyone is reading my blog who doesn't receive a Christmas card from us, this is this year's card. The picture of Parker and Jack is good, but not at all what I was wanting. I was hoping to show how different these two look but you can't really see that's Jack's hair is white. They actually almost look like brothers in this picture!
Parker is upstairs making a dinosaur nest complete with eggs right now. He is using my scrapbook supplies. This is a little scary, but I am happy to let him go for it when he is feeling artsy (which is rare.) My parents always let us use their stuff to create and it is one of my fondest memories of growing up. Yesterday Parker planned out how next year for Halloween, he wants to have a mini haunted house in our garage. He was planning out every little detail. The great thing about this is that Tracy and I did that one year in our garage. I think we got as far as hanging green yarn from the garage door tracks and then realized that it wasn't going to come off like we planned. Oh well, I love hearing him plan and organize. Gosh, I wonder where he got that?!

Professional Bowling Tour

My niece Macie had her 3rd birthday party on Saturday at the bowling alley. Jack jumped right in but Parker waited until the last 15 minutes we were there to give it a try. (Typical Parker.) They both had a blast and Parker is convinced he is a great bowler now. We haven't let him know that you don't always get to use bumpers! The troubling thing about Macie's birthday is that it means that Jack will be THREE in exactly 2 months. How did that happen!? I've got to get that kid potty trained before his birthday!

Sometimes..................

Sometimes they can be so sweet.
Sometimes they work and play together peacefully.
Sometimes they behave.
Sometimes they are loving.
Sometimes they listen.
Sometimes they obey.
Sometimes they are just precious.
And other times, I want to strangle them.
Today is one of those other times.
How many times have I prayed the serentity prayer today? More than I can count.
Ahhhhh, the joys of motherhood!

My two little elves

This picture of Jack just makes me laugh. He is wearing our decorative Christmas stockings. He got them down and put them on and then was just walking around like it was perfectly normal. He also had a Santa hat on for a while but chucked it off when I pulled out the camera. Sometimes he can be so funny and charming but most of the time he's just impossible. Still love him like crazy though! He definitely has Christmas spirit. He walks around singing and just gets so excited about decorations and lights. He wants a "tar and a tassle." That would be a guitar and a castle for those of you who don't speak toddler. I know for sure that Santa will be happy to oblige. Parker kind of keeps changing his mind. However, Santa already knows what he's getting and it isn't likely to change at this point!

Christmas Countdown

This is the Christmas Countdown calendar that I made for the boys. Each little pocket holds a card that reads things like: put a puzzle together with mommy and daddy, make red and green Christmas jello, go to McDonald's, eat doughnuts for breakfast, etc. Just fun little things that my kids enjoy. They are really having fun with it--and so am I. I saw this in a magazine but I changed it quite a bit for my purposes. It really is easier than it appears!