Howdy Partner

   We are taking off for a long weekend on a family adventure ~ a western murder mystery!  I can't wait!  My sister-in-law has the whole weekend packed full of fun things to do including, an Amish farm visit (friends we cannot wait to see!), a Little House on the Prairie museum, sledding, & a murder mystery at a Bed & Breakfast hotel.  So...I am gonna take this little cowboy & round up some outlaws (with the in-laws).

Sure hope I am not the murderer...I am just not the type :)
See ya'll when I get back!       

Why, Thank You!

Who needs New Years Resolutions?  You just need some new Post-it notes like these I received from my cousin Angie:

Why, thank you!

Wait until you see what she got me for Christmas :)

(Next Week's Love It)

Thanks Angie!

Pretty Party Drinks for the Whole Family

I never met a Shirley Temple I didn't like :)

Just Sprite, grenadine & a cherry or two...delicious!

You can get these glasses at Target.

Of course she is my favorite Shirley Temple!

I also LOVE coffee & it looks so cute in these little glasses I found at Marshall's.  Starbuck's Frappuccinos that you can just buy in the grocery store would be so pretty poured over ice...& the teenagers would love them!

What are you drinking on New Year's Eve?

Missing Danny

   This year on June 24th my husband's brother Danny died after heart failure due to complications of his diabetes.  He was 34 years old. 
   It was very obvious that Danny was missing this year, we all missed him & there was more than one time when we all had tears in our eyes.

Kelly & Danny at our wedding in 1998.

 

   Little Annie was particularily missing Danny. Many times in the week leading up to Christmas I caught her quietly crying because she was missing him.  He was the Uncle who would even play Polly Pockets :)

   This Christmas I was blessed to be able to be able to give a special gift.  A very simple gift of pillows, but these pillows were made from Danny's old shirts.  Shirts we all remember him wearing, shirts he practically wore out.  The wear & tear made them only more special. 

   They were not perfect.  I am still learning to sew, but they were made with love.

   The pillow Annie received is a pillow that I bonded with while sewing.  The day I made it was a day when Annie was stuggling with missing him.  I started thinking of that & I cried almost the whole time I was sewing.  I knew it would be Annie's pillow.

   When I gave Annie her pillow Christmas Night she curled up in a ball hugging it tight with tears in her eyes. 
 
   How thankful we are that we can cling to Jesus as our hearts are hurting from missing him.  Thankfully, Danny loved Jesus too & enjoyed Christmas in heaven.
 

Merry Christmas

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

Libbie, Kelly, Annie, Bo, & Rocco

Away in a Manger

Thank you Lord, for sending us your Son.

To read a Christmas story about my nephew, the wiseman up there, that MIGHT make you cry (made me) click here.

The Christmas Dress

When Annie slipped into her Christmas Dress for church this morning Bo took one look at her & said, "Dance with me Ann."

She happily took his outstretched hands & they twirled & whirled around the room. Once I got my camera the magic had worn off a bit. Annie started telling Bo how to dance, and Bo got distracted by his tools. But for just those few moments...they just danced & it was a few moments that I will hold in my heart & I hope I will never forget them.

At church my friend Deneena said as Annie went by, "She just reminds me of a Christmas berry." I liked that!

Annie felt beautiful this morning...I could just tell. We were walking through the church holding hands & she saw an older couple sitting on a bench, she tipped her face up to me & said, "Mom, I want to go wish them a Merry Christmas." I said go ahead & she did...so confident, so joyful, so sweet.

After church we go to Nanna's house every Sunday for a family dinner. Annie loved helping Dad & Boppa shovel & it just looked so cute in that big fluffy dress.

Where is the pause button? I needed one today. 5 years old is such a magical age. I love that girl, my Christmas berry.

Santa Time!

I have a dear dear friend that I have never met, Cindi.  I often laugh when people ask me how I know her & I say, "I met this girl on the computer..."   You guys understand :) 

Last week, I received a package in the mail from Cindi.  It was so sweet that I want to share it with you!
Just look!

She made them herself!

I love them!  Cindi uses them to hang Christmas cards.  I plan to use them as placecard holders on Christmas morning!  I can't wait!  Thank you Cindi!!!! 

Now, I am sure you have all heard of this but if you haven't then you HAVE to do it for your little ones.  Send them this personal message from Santa!  It takes a minute to set up & I would reccomend putting in a picture because your child will appear in his magical NICE book :)  But, Annie is 5 & oh, she believed!!!  Thanks Carrie for sending me the link!

Reindeer Noses

These are just WAY too cute! 

My mom gave this little bag of reindeer noses to her prayer pal...so I didn't taste them...but if you want to make some, I think whoppers would work.   Then just add a cherry bomb for Rudy.  Adorable!

That's the Spirit!

Near my home there is a whole block of homes decked out like this:

And this year, in between this home:

And this home:

Is this home:

This is a close up of the sign above their garage:

:)

Love It 6

Has your tree lost its fresh smell? 

Bath & Body Wallflowers can give it back!

I am not usually a room scent girl but when my friend Sarah told me about the tree scent I had to try them out!

Sure enough ~  It smells fabulous!  Like a real tree! 

   I thought they made pretty fun gifts for Sunday School teachers too.  One wallflower & their choice of scent.  No complaints yet!  (& a sweet note from Miss Marcia:)

   I am thinking of busting out the FIRESIDE scent next...you know to make my house smell like smoke.  (Who knows why I bought that one ~ it did have the cutest box).

Love Your Lights!

I LOVE a good Christmas light display.  We always pull over & the kids tell us excitedly what they see.  Once we find good houses our car seems to drive by the good houses over & over again. 

Last year, we started a tradition of sending an anonymous THANK YOU note to a house that we loved (pictured above).  This year we have the card all ready to go & we are HUNTING for the perfect house to send it to. 

 

We have two favorites this year so I think we will just have to send two!

Family Project

My daughter brought this little Christmas tree home from school with the directions:  Have the members of your family work together to decorate the tree.  They will be displyed in the halls at our school.

We all set to work.  Even 6 month old Rocco

added a dab of glue & glitter.

Yes, that is a gift bag on Bo's head.  No need to adjust your glasses.  That is just how he rolls.

Not the cutest thing ever but it was pretty fun to see the kids working together. 

If you have a bunch of kids, even teenagers, coming over for Christmas it might be fun to have some trees printed off with a bucket of goodies to decorate with.  Sure beats seeing them sit around texting with their ipods jammed in their ears :)  & I am sure that even the big kids would enjoy making a project of their own. 

To see some really cute art work you should head over to He & Me + 3.  Now those cute kids can create!