I'll show you mine if you show me yours...

GARLAND PEOPLE, GARLAND! What do you think that I mean? Over at The Nesting Place, we were asked to share our garland. I typically, don't like to share...I mean, don't touch my friggin' chocolate!!! But...I don't mind sharing my decor. I can't say that my garland is one to be adored by millions, but I like it. I already have an idea of how I am going to "pump it up" next year! Here are some pics...

I may have to take more pics later. It is the middle of the day and you really can't tell how fantabulous it is. Well, maybe that is stretching it...I am afraid to visit the other blogs listed because theirs will blow mine out of the water, but, like I said, we have had the bubonic plaque the past week...we are much better, by the way...thanks for asking!

One of my precious little birdies...aren't they adorable?My dining room chandelier. Very simple, but I love it.

My husband hates this guy. Don't know why, but he claims that it looks like a worship roosters. Whatever, he is fun to dress up & if you can't have fun in your own house, then where can you? Oh, now that I am looking at this picture, I would like to send out a big "Thank You" to my dear husband for getting the newspaper off of the top of the fridge. Seriously...if it is you or the rooster...I am going to have to think really hard about this one...

Addendum to post...My family is doing amazingly well. Thanks so much for all of your prayers. E. and C. are back at school. Yes, E. is in school. No more homeschooling for us. More on that another day. W. is still a little cranky, but definitely on the mend. I'm free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty I am free at last!!!

Blog on speed...

Okay y'all. Yes, it looks as though I have fallen off of the face of the earth, but I am here. Here is my life in a nutshell since, well, Thanksgiving. MY WHOLE HOUSE HAS THE BUBONIC PLAGUE!!! Well, maybe not the actual plague, but it feels that way. Here is the rundown from the eldest to the youngest. The hubby has pink eye, or "conjunctivitis". I like pink eye better. I think it sounds cuter and less gagaphoric (medical term). Conjunctivitis sounds like he has conjuncted something, and that just sounds nasty. Come to think about it, have you ever seen pink eye? It's rather icky. After deliberation, I think conjunctivitis actually fits. The eldest of our brood has bronchitis, our little C has...okay, brace yourself...pneumonia, an ear infection, and pink eye. Bless her heart! She is miserable. Little W man has a double ear infection and bronchitis. That's all. Of course, I am fine and able to play nurse, chef, maid, snot wiper, eye drop giver, vomit cleaner (from all of the phlegm and coughing), medicine administrator, eye goo cleaner, Purell gustapo and, last but certainly not least, the funnel for all whining, wimpering & crying (the hubby included). So, that has been my life for the past 10-ish days. I have officially been on lockdown and held hostage in my own house. HELP!
Seriously, if you are reading this, please, for my sake, for the sake of my dear snotty headed little children and gooey-eyed husband, say a little prayer of healing. I'll be back soon my dear friends...Adieu!

Happy 24 days until Christmas!

So, did you all wear your stretchy pants at Thanksgiving? Darn that Jenny Craig! She wouldn't allow me to gorge myself into a semi food-induced coma like a normal person. I mean, you would think that Ms. Craig herself were stalking me the whole day. I mean, I had some serious restraint going on there! All of this to say that today is weigh-in day and, although I did well with my temptation, I still fear the scale. That horrible white piece of metal evil! I guess we will get a verdict here in about 5 hours...GULP!

Enough about that...lots to cover, so here is the Cliff's Notes version...and don't act like you don't know what Cliff's Notes are or that you didn't use them...I only wish they had them for more helpful things like cleaning, or cooking, or raising children...I digress...

Thanksgiving was great. The food was delish (what I got to eat anyway), our family had a great time, weather was AMAZING! The kids played outside all afternoon and we really enjoyed not having to listed to the moaning and yelling from our "guys" watching the football game with their bloated bellies.

My house is in mid-transformation for the holidays. No, I am not one of those people that throw everything up Thanksgiving night (I wish I were, but I am not). I string it out for at least a few weeks, then take it right down after New Years and wonder why I spend so many precious waking hours decking my halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la la la la la la...It sure is purdy though!

I am still trying to figure out some fun little crafts and goodies to make over the next few weeks with my babies. That is my pre-New Year's resolution. Spend more time with my kids and less time doing everything else that doesn't really matter (see last entry for more on my small epiphany).

Well, when my halls are decked, I will post some pics. I am sure that BH&G will be ringing my doorbell. HA!

Blessings my peeps!

P.S. We all sat last night and watched this flick. Wouldn't you give anything to be a kid again...well, for one night anyway...

I'm here...really....I haven't left you, nor forsaken you...

Hello fellow bloggers! No, I have not been whisked away to a far off tropical place, nor have I been taken hostage by my children, well, in a way, I guess they kind of do that don't they, but I have just been busy as a little bee.

I had a sort of epiphany. In trying to educate my eldest little birdie, I came to the realization that I was semi-neglecting my 2 younger babies. By semi-neglect, I mean that all of their basic needs were being met (such as food, milk, juice, cleaning behind the ears, fashionable hairdos and outfits, medications, etc.) but that I wasn't holding them, or playing with them, or reading to them enough. So, I decided to take a few days and just be a kid with them. Of course, the motherly and wifely duties still had to be addressed, but I wanted to take lots of time to just love on them and let them know that they are important and precious. We have had so much fun. We have crafted (well, yes, they are MY children...so we must craft...), colored, played on the swingset and just sat and played with their toys more in the last week than in the last several months.

Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed, strung out, stressed and flat-out flustered at the end of the day and feel like you have nothing to show for it, much less have anything crossed off of your "to-do" list? When you get to the end of said day, sit and think,"Does anything that I have done today matter to anyone but me? Does is please the Lord? Does is matter to my children? Does it make my life and my family's life better?" I only say this because at the end of a typical day for me, I don't ask these questions, but I should.

My kids won't grow up remembering that they had a clean house (well, because it isn't, but if it was, they wouldn't), or great looking house, or a nice lawn, or the cutest birthday invitations, or their mother had a great blog.

What do you remember about your childhood? I remember sitting with my Memom on my bed just talking. I remember making cornbread with my mom in the same yellow plastic bowl for years, and years and years. I think she still has it too! I remember my dad taking me hunting and fishing. I remember my mom taking me to the bookstore over and over because I was convinced that I had to read every Beverly Cleary book in the free world. I remember my Memom and mom teaching me how to sew. I remember my Memom letting me cook in her kitchen and she never worried that I made a mess. I remember my mom and I listening to records (okay kids, records are like much larger CDs that sounded kinda crackly when you play them...they are GREAT!!!) and dancing around and playing out the lyrics as we giggled until we collapsed on the floor. These are the things that I want my kids to remember. I don't want them to remember their mom always running around like a maniac cleaning, or mumbling under her breath about how the house is always a constant disaster, or sitting in front of this darn computer, or her being so focused on her next project that she doesn't have time to color a picture of Dora or play Kinex or just sit and tickle each other. I have a long way to go, but I think that I am on the right track.

I know, you are just waiting to finish this post so that you can go hug your kids...well...don't just sit there, DO IT!!!

Many blessings this Thanksgiving.....remember what you are thankful for tomorrow...and remember to tell them everyday how much you love them...

Blessing #1

Blessing #2

Blessing #3

My name is Big Ma'...and I am a craftaholic

Lookie what Big Ma's been up to!

Okay, can you say "obsessed with crafts"? No matter where I am, I seem to find something else to make. It is truly an addiction. I need help. Is there a CA (Crafters Anonymous) that I can join? If there is...sign me up. Well, this fun little thing started out as an unfinished wooden plaque with beveled edges, a piece of scrapbook paper & a large unfinished clothespin. I sanded the plaque with a little 220 grit sandpaper, wiped it down, then spray painted the plaque with some dark brown paint. It was just some random paint that I had sitting around. Then, I took some gorgeous scrapbook paper (12 x 12) and adhered it with Modge Podge (my favorite crafting stuff of all time...this stuff is like water and oxygen... I MUST have it at all times!), inked the edges, applied another layer of Modge Podge, let it dry and hot glued the clothespin on. I did the same thing with the clothespin as I did with the plaque (minus the sanding)...paint, MP paper, ink, MP the top, then added the cute irridescent ribbon and a precious picture of a very adorable baby. I mean, could the kid get any cuter? (Wink, wink...that's my little "W", 15 months ago...tear, tear, sniffle, snort, tear, sob...)

So, off my little "baby" goes to my etsy shop. Okay, wait a minute, not my baby "W", my baby, the plaque...I don't want CPS to be calling...just had to clarify.

Have a fantabulous weekend my peeps!