My Baby Turned Eight...

Over the weekend we celebrated our Bean's 8th birthday. It is hard for me to believe that my youngest is now 8 years old. Where did all of that time go?!

Bean is a girl that is full of imagination. She loves bright colors, butterflies and crafting her little heart out. I wanted to capture all of that in her birthday celebration.

I decorated with ribbons, flowers, butterflies and brightly colored candies. The birthday girl and her friends made ribbon hair elastics, tye dye butterflies from coffee filters and pipe cleaners and scratch and design butterfly ornaments.

Bean was in her element and I never saw the smile disappear from her face the entire two hours of the party. It warmed my heart to see that with each gift she opened she took her time to read the card first and then made several comments about the gift before moving on to the next. It warmed my heart even more to see that each gift was so thoughtful and represented all of the things my little girl loves. When I asked the girls if Bean had given them any ideas of what she wanted for her birthday they all told me no and that they just knew her very well.

My favorite part of the party was before we sang Happy Birthday to Bean. I asked each of the girls to share something they liked about Bean or liked doing with Bean. I wanted my girl to know how she makes her friends feel and what they like about her. Her face lit up and she giggled with some of the words they used to describe her and my eyes well up now as I think about them.

When I asked Bean what her favorite thing was from her party, she told me that it was hearing what everyone had to say about her and that her very favorite was what her big sister, Ash, had said about her in front of everyone. (It was pretty amazing. I wish I would've recorded it.)

My Bean is an amazing girl. Yes, she received some awesome presents but she knows what is truly special about birthdays...that they are all about love and friendship.

I count my lucky stars every day that I get to be the one she calls Mommy.

Saturday Morning Cartoons & Cereal...

Most children now have access to cartoons 24 hours a day if they want it. Between the cable channels now dedicated to children shows and On Demand where they can choose from hundreds of episodes...there is no shortage of cartoons.

When I was little though, it was all about Saturday mornings. I would anxiously await for the week to wrap up so I could plop myself down in front of the TV in our family room and watch some of my favorite cartoons.

The cherry on top of Saturday morning cartoons was that I got to eat a bowl filled with sugary, crunchy goodness and milk. Yes, I am talking about cereal...yummy, yummy cereal! I couldn't wait to choose from the boxes of Froot Loops, Lucky Charms, Captain Crunch and Honey Nut Cheerios in our cupboards.

Source: bleubirdvintage.typepad.com via Patricia on Pinterest

I would carry my bowl cautiously from the kitchen to the coffee table in the family room. Then I would sit down with knees swung to the side because we had a coffee table that had open legs but that had a band of wood that went around all four sides. It didn't make for the most comfortable seating but with the first bite of cereal, none of that mattered. I was taken to another place...

A wonderful place with a mouthful of my favorite cereal and my friends Bugs Bunny, Woody Woodpecker, Tom, Jerry, Smurfette, Papa Smurf, Alvin, Simon, Theodore and all of The Super Friends.

I wanted to know what cereals people liked best when they were kids, so I went to Facebook and Twitter. Here are some of the answers...

This Gal's Journey - By far...Peanut Butter Captain Crunch!!!

Momma Made It Look Easy - Fruit Loops.

The Harried Mom - I loved cocoa puffs! Chocolate milk left in the bowl after the cereal, total score.

Illusion of Sanity Oooh, I liked Lucky Charms. :)


Cyndi Z. - Captain Crunch!!!

Fractured Family Tales - Quaker Instant Oatmeal Brown Sugar and Cinnamon

I Delight in You - Peanut Butter Captain Crunch


What was your favorite cereal when you were a kid?

A Game of Pass It On...

Want to play a game of Pass It On?

Part 1. I will answer the following questions from a There's Just One Mommy post, where I was tagged.

Part 2. I will tag a few fellow bloggers in my post AND hope they answer my questions.

Part 3. A list of new questions for my fellow tagged bloggers to PASS IT ON…

Part 1:
1.  What’s on your nightstand? too many hair elastics to count, a phone, a book (currently Night Road by Kristin Hannah), Neutrogena lip balm (I put it on every night before I go to sleep)

2.  Have you ever been embarrassed by a child, either your own or someone else’s?  Share your story. Hmmm...there was this one time when Ash was in Pre-K 3 and we went in for a Mother's Day party. All of the kids answered questions from the teacher and the teacher wrote them down for them. There were about 5 questions each child had to answer. One of them was - What do you parents like to do together? Most children answered with a date night. Ash told her teacher (who then read it out loud to the party) that Chris and I like to snuggle up in our bed together and shut the door. The other moms that attended cracked up while my face went red.

3.  What’s your favorite Disney movie? Really, just one?! I'm giving you two..."Mary Poppins" is my ALL time favorite but "Up" really moved me.

4.  What’s your least favorite chore? Again, just one?! I would say scrubbing the shower and tubs. I never minded it so much when we were on city water but now that we have well water and I am constantly battling well water and rust stains...UGH!!

5.  Describe your favorite thing to cook. Tacos...hands down. It is one thing that I know Ash will eat and will ask for more.

6.  Name one thing you’d change about your house if you could.  What is it with the limit of one?! ;-) I would definitely go with kitchen. It is the heart of the home and ours just doesn't make me happy like the one in our previous home did.

Part 2:
Here are the bloggers I’d like to tag: (They are in random order.)

1.  Fractured Family Tales - SAHM of three that is funny, witty and has a huge heart that is breaking because she is separated by thousands of miles from her husband who had to take a job in another state.
2.  Mayor Gia - Single girl who cracks me up. She draws on her blog almost every day and writes her life like it is. (She can throw out some swear words so don't visit if that offends you.) She isn't hurtful with her swear words...just humorous.
3. Mommy Inconsistent - Mommy to two boys who writes whatever pops into her head and/or heart. She has been incredibly supportive to me since I started blogging.
4. Confessions of a Recovering Supermom - I look forward to this mom's blog showing up as a new post. I feel like I get to know the real woman behind the blog.

Part 3: 
My turn to ask the questions!

1.  What’s the first thing you do when your alarm goes off in the morning?
2.  What does your favorite date night consist of?
3.  What is your favorite comedy movie?
4.  What was your first car and how did you come about ownership?
5.  What is your go to snack while chilling in front of the TV?
6.  Name a famous person in present day that you would like to go shopping with and describe why.


If you were tagged, you can add your answers to a new blog post like I did or as a comment below.
Not tagged?  Pick one question from above and answer it in a comment. It's a great way to get to know all of my readers better.

Also, GREAT BIG THANKS to There's Just One Mommy for including me in this fun blog game. If you haven't checked out her blog, please do. If you have children...she is the go to for fun, EASY crafts. If you don't have children...she has a big heart, great sense of humor and the crafts may be fun for you too ;-)

A Surprise For My Husband...

Last Friday my husband and I celebrated 11 years of marriage in Florida. We had an amazing day and I planned on capping it off with a surprise.

Well, the surprise didn't work because I didn't know that an iPad doesn't really work like a laptop and I made a big old mess out of my blog post where I wanted to show him the surprise.

See, 11 years ago (or I guess a few months before that), we chose a photographer for our wedding that looked good in his portfolio but SUCKED when it came to capturing our big day. He was honestly the only sour point in the entire day and we had torrential downpours, an antique Rolls Royce with a fogged up windshield on the highway, rain turning to sleet and sleet turning to snow!

We have always regretted that we didn't put more effort into making sure we had the best (or at least not the worst) photographer for our wedding. We were very lucky to have family and friends with their cameras who shared their shots with us but it still felt like something was missing.

So...I asked one of my very good friends, Joy (some of you know her as my assistant coach), who is wicked good with a camera, to take photos of me in my gown so I could surprise Chris.

We set a date and made the plans to do the shots at my house and in my yard.

The morning of this date, my husband calls to tell me he is sick and is coming home from work. OH NO!!! Time for Plan B. Wait!! I don't have a Plan B!!!

I called Joy and she said, "We can figure this out." and we did! I shoved my dress in the car and headed over to her house and neighborhood (which is on the water) and got super excited that I was about to do this for Chris. Then I started to see flurries coming down. Then the DJ on the radio said it was 30 degrees and with the windchill it was down to 20 degrees.

The good news is...it was freezing cold but Joy and I got it done and we laughed the whole time.

The awesome thing is...after 11 years and 2 kids, I can still fit into my wedding gown!

This last picture may be one of my favorites. Joy wanted me to show Chris that I left my Uggs on because it was sooo cold. (Well, that and I forgot to grab heels as I made a mad dash out of the house.)

Happy Weekend Everyone! Remember to slow down and enjoy the details.

A Rough Road Begins to Smooth Out...

I probably set my oldest daughter, Ash, up for a bit of a rough road. She was my first born and I did most things for her.


Ash at one day old in the NICU

By the time her little sister came around and I had to get three of us out of the house, it was just easier to do everything for her instead of let her do it herself. I tied her shoes, zipped her pants, buttoned her jacket and many other things to get us on our way. As she got older, the things that I did for her changed but I was still doing things that she should've been doing on her own.

She is about to turn 10 in a few months and just over the past two weeks I have noticed a change in her. She is starting to return the favor without me asking.

Last week as we scrambled to get ready for school and catch the bus, Ash disappeared downstairs. To be honest, I thought I would find her doing something totally unrelated to getting ready for school. When I got downstairs, I found her in the kitchen zipping up her sister's lunch box. She said she overheard me say that I forgot to make their lunches so she went down to take care of it for me. She packed each of them an ice pack, drink, apple, cheese & crackers and a cookie for dessert.

Later in the week, she cleaned her room before a play date without the usual threat of - "If you don't clean your room, Friend can't come over!!". She even cleaned it up after her friend left and did an amazing job.

Sunday, after her sister's basketball game, she told me that she would make their lunches. She washed off strawberries and cut them with a butter knife, she made wraps with turkey and colby jack cheese with a fancy toothpick to hold it all together and best of all...she cleaned it all up.

This girl will always be my baby...
no matter how old

I know this may not seem like much to many who read this but to me this is a step in the right direction. It fills my heart with pride that she is making these steps on her own and that she has actually been paying attention to what I have been doing over the last nine years of her life. It also breaks my heart because I know that sooner rather than later she will need me less and less in the everyday aspects of her life. The road is definitely beginning to smooth out.

Once Upon A Time...

When Galit and Alison announced that they would be teaming up yet again for their wonderful project, Captured Memories, and partnering with Picnik, I was more than excited. This was such a fun way to link up and get to know so many bloggers.

The timing of this link up is perfect too because my husband and I are about to celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary this week. I think this is just one more fun way to capture it.

January 20th...several years ago

I'm A Crazy Sports Mom...

Yes, I am one of those moms who yells like a wild and crazy person at my girls' sporting events. Yes, I have a lot of people that stare at me. Do I care? No. Do you know why I don't care? Because I am there for my girls...not for them.

Saturday morning I awoke with a horrible headache. I had a couple cocktails the night before so I thought maybe it was from that. A few hours later, I felt awful and saw floaters come across my line of vision. It wasn't a headache from the fun of the night before. It was a full blown migraine. Ash had a basketball game at 4:30PM. I do not like to miss any of my girls' games. I stepped into action by taking some medicine and a little nap. I woke up and was feeling a bit better but my migraine was still there.

On the drive to Ash's game I told my husband that I would sit still, be quiet and just focus on taking pictures with my new camera. We weren't even two minutes into the game before I started to open my mouth. I seriously tried with all of my might to not say anything. I sure didn't last very long, did I?!

Ash after a practice shot

I can't help but yell, cheer, instruct. These are my girlies and I am so proud of them. I can't believe the athletes they are. I can't believe how much they love every sport. I can't believe
we didn't have to push them to sign up for a single sport they play. My husband and I waited until we thought they were ready and then asked them what they wanted to play. We even asked at the end of each season if they wanted to play again, try something new or not play anything at all. These girls WANT to play! They love sports!

Bean racing down to defend

Today was Bean's very first basketball game ever. She was nervous because she was going up against a team that had two of her closest friends on it. Last night she told me she didn't even want to play against them. I didn't want to push so I told her to sleep on it. I reminded her that she had played against other friends in field hockey too. I reminded her that it was just a game and they would all still be friends at the end of it.

She woke up this morning and was ready to play. She was excited to put her team shirt on. She even wanted to borrow Ash's ribbon with basketballs on it to tie around her ponytail.

We got to the game and I warned everyone about how loud I would be cheering Bean on. My friends laughed and in the corner I overheard Ash talking to one of her besties. She said, "Oh, she really is loud and crazy. She's not exaggerating AT ALL! I love it though. Just don't tell her."

So I took my seat and I did what I love to do...I cheered my little blondie on!

Are you a crazy sports fan? Do you jump up and down? Do you yell at the TV for pro sports?

A Surprise Run in With Santa...

We went to the 8:00 mass at our church on Sunday. Yes, it was early. Yes, the girls looked like zombies walking out to the car. Yes, we told them that if they could pull it off without complaining and fully participated in mass then we would take them out for breakfast afterwards.

Little did we know that Santa was still making visits to one of our favorite breakfast spots. We walked in, placed our order and began our search for a table. That is when we spotted the jolly man in the red suit and hat with rosy cheeks.

After we claimed our table, we got in line with the girls to visit Santa. They weren't bouncing off the walls excited like they did when they were younger. They were calm, like they were in line to visit an old friend.

When it was their turn they approached Santa with warm smiles that made a smile instantly appear on my face. Santa welcomed them with a friendly Ho Ho Ho and asked them how they were doing. Then he asked if they had been getting along as sisters.

Santa directing his conversation
toward Ash

He turned to Ash on this as if it was on his list of things to ask her about before putting her on the nice or naughty list. As much as Ash loves Bean, she can sometimes be the bossy, big sister. She can also snap at Bean sometimes and not even realize she is doing it. Bean tends to take it with ease most times because she knows that Ash loves her and isn't like that 97% of the time. Ash admitted to Santa that she isn't always the best big sister and said she would try harder.

Santa turned his attention to Bean

Bean said that she would be a good sister too. With that Santa moved them to the nice list and ask what they wanted for Christmas. My girls always see things they like but when it comes time for anyone to ask them what they want...they can barely name a thing. This happens every year! I guess it is a good thing though. It means they really don't "need" anything and that they are happy with whatever they get and aren't greedy children.

Ash, Bean & Santa

Santa wished them a Merry Christmas and politely reminded them to get along before asking the girls to leave him a cookie and a glass of milk.

As we left the restaurant, not only was my stomach full but my heart was left full with the memory of my two beautiful, honest girls with the magic of Christmas sparkling in their eyes.

The Little Black Dress...

Well, I did it!!! I can't thank all of you enough for your support on my last minute, mad dash to the mall to find an outfit to wear on Friday evening's cocktail party. My husband thanks you too! HE LOVED IT!!!

As I was racing through the mall from store to store among the mass of holiday shoppers, trying on tons of clothes (which I despise...the lighting is horrible, mirrors angled three ways are an awful thing to do to anyone and the sales people tell you lies to get a sale) and feeling defeated, I would hear my phone alert me of a new email. Those emails were all of your comments with support and advice and it gave me the strength (along with my Coke Zero) to keep going and find something that was not only very pretty but super comfy!!

I ended up finding a dress in Lord & Taylor that was made out of that comfy, bouncy yet silky material (my fashion knowledge is obviously lacking). It was black (score! black looks good on everyone!), they had my size and it was on sale. It wasn't just on sale...it was on sale, marked down again and then another 40% off of that price. I ended up getting a dress that was originally $158.00 for $40.00 (I rounded...there was some change but it was minimal). YIPPEE SKIPPEE!!!

This dress even made me happy in the fitting room with white tube socks on! (A girl has to wear sneakers when she is on a mission like I was!)

So, I headed home and got myself ready and this is what I ended up looking like as I headed out for an evening filled with friends, a lot of fun & a husband who complimented me all night long...

Notice the comfy elastic waist

A BIG smile because I found something
I not only loved for the cocktail party
but can wear again & again

Now, if only I could take you all with me the next time I head out shopping for myself! Thanks again, everyone!

Amazing Photography by Olympus PEN® E-PM1...

My husband and I have had the same camera for 12 years. It has served us well but with all of the new advancements in cameras...I am getting the itch for a new one.

After visiting the site for The PEN Ready Project from Olympus, I am putting the PEN® E-PM1 on my Christmas list. It is small, light and is ready to go whenever I am. As a parent who doesn't want to miss anything, that sounds just dreamy! It has 6 built in Art Filters, a 3D Shooting Feature and it can record up to 29 minutes of HD video & stereo sound. (I know, awesome right?!)

Olympus gave away 1,000 Olympus PEN® E-PM1 to 1,000 people to show everyone how simple it is to take the most breathtaking shots. It's all part of The PEN Ready Project. They were handed out in over 6 different cities.  To see what they shot, go to http://penready.com/. Trust me, you won't want to miss it! I am still in awe of the photos that have been uploaded!


This post is sponsored by Olympus.

Holiday Magic...

I'll admit it...this time of year tends to make me emotional. I can hear a Christmas song on the radio and feel the hair on my arms stand up. I can glimpse a commercial about a family being apart over the holidays and I feel a lump in my throat. I can watch "Yes, Virginia" with my girls and bawl my eyes out.

This time of year makes my heart grow three sizes just like it did to the Grinch when he heard the Whos singing Christmas morning, hand in hand, even after their presents and decorations had been stolen. This time of year is when I look for the good in people and let go of the bad.

I've always enjoyed the holidays as an adult but they have truly come to life again since the birth of my daughters. Seeing things through their eyes brings back the magic and wonder.

Christmas lights decorating houses were just something that I drove by and gave a hurried glance to before my girls. Now I slow and point out the detail and ask them their favorite house on the particular street we are on. Now I go the "long way" to/from our destination so they can see as many lights as possible before all of the houses go dark again for a year.

The tree and reindeer in our
front yard

Putting the ornaments some years seemed a chore for me. I loved the finished product but I didn't want to take the time to unwrap the ornaments and hang them all. Now my girls sit with me and get excited with each ornament that unveils itself from behind the tissue paper or bubble wrap. We go over the history of it and then search for the best place for it to go on our tree.

Some of the ornaments on
our Christmas tree

Starting new traditions, like the Advent Ornament Tower, that my MIL sent to my girls brings even more warmth and excitement. They wake each morning asking the date, rush to their own small tree to open the box in the tower, find their new ornament and decorate their tree day by day. It is a wonderful way to share in the fun of counting down the days until Christmas with them.

Ash & Bean decorating their
own tree with the Advent Tower
ornaments

The Christmas surprise of searching and finding Candy Cane, our Elf on the Shelf, has become a lot of fun. I love to hear them laugh about what he is doing when they find him and their thoughts about what he did and said at his report to Santa the night before.

Candy Cane on one of my
favorite Christmas
decorations

Just as I have been trying to slow down and enjoy the minutes of our every day, I am trying to do the same during the holiday. I don't want my girls to miss a thing. I don't want to miss a thing. It is easy to get caught up in the rushing around with all that has to be done and all that is on our calendars but we are making an effort. We are sitting down to dinner at our table (even if it is with Chickfila), lighting our Advent wreath and saying our prayers as a family.

Our family made Advent wreath

We will not let the holiday magic slip away and we will welcome every holiday surprise! I wish for all of you to enjoy this holiday magic and that you hold it close to your heart! The holiday spirit is there if you let it in!




This post is sponsored by T-Mobile

Dasher & Dancer & The Preppy Girl in Pink...

I know, the song does not name The Preppy Girl in Pink as one of the reindeer that help guide Santa's sleigh throughout Christmas Eve delivering presents to all of the boys and girls but I am leading to something fun.

I am linking up with KLZ at Taming Insanity for her "Antler Up" link up. She wanted to bring the fun into the holiday and I liked the idea so much that I decided to join in. All you have to do is link up with a picture of you or something (anything really...as long as it is G-rated) in a pair of antlers.

So, here I am with my antlers...

The Preppy Girl in Pink Reindeer
Christmas season of 2007

My husband took this picture of me in 2007 as we were on a tree farm with my brothers as they searched for their trees. I found this branch and immediately put it to my head as antlers. I totally cracked myself up too! (I tend to do that...a lot, even when no one else finds it funny!)

Here's to enjoying some good ol' holiday fun!!

I Love My Girls' Bus Stop...

For the first two years in our "new to us" home, I wasn't able to enjoy the bus stop. The first year I didn't want to pull my girls out of their school 3 months into the year so I did drop off and pick up on my way to/from work. The second year I had to rush to/from the bus stop or rely on my parents to take care of getting the girls on/off the bus to meet my work hour requirements. I was friendly with the parents at the bus stop but I didn't really have the time to develop the relationships I wanted with them.

This is the first year at the bus stop as a SAHM and I am loving it! We have lost one of the moms (who can get you as green as you want to be) as her daughter went off to middle school (it broke my girls' hearts...they loved this girl and having her on the bus) but we have also added a wonderful new mom that moved into the neighborhood.

Yes, there are still days when all of us are a bit rushed but it is a great way to see the faces of my neighbors, get to know them and their kids better and feel a part of the community.

I can seriously go out to the bus stop in my pjs, hair a complete mess, no make-up, in a good mood, bad mood and/or sad mood. I am that comfortable with everyone at the bus stop.

I know that they aren't judging me for how pretty I can look that early in the morning or how put together my mind is before I have had enough caffeine from my Coke Zero.

I know that I can walk out in tears from a rough morning and that they will care enough to hug me, offer help and/or turn my frown upside down.

I know that I can count on everyone of them to make sure my girls are safe and aren't running into the road in front of traffic.

I know that they would be there to welcome my girls home if I couldn't get there in time.

I know that they would take care of my girls if there was an emergency.

I know that having this bus stop gives me peace of mind, security and bonds that I may not find anywhere else.

I am incredibly grateful for my girls' bus stop. I am incredibly grateful that my girls know that this type of bus stop can exist.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Our New Advent Tradition...

About two weeks ago my mother in law called me with a surprise she had for the girls. It sounded like a wonderful idea over the phone. It was even better when I saw it in person.

Our Advent tower

There are 24 little drawers on this Advent tower. They have to turn the tower to find what day of December we are on and in each drawer my mother in law made an ornament for each of my girls. (I only peeked at one drawer and it happened to be the one that had ornaments that were our girls favorite animals.)

My girls have a 4 foot Christmas tree that stands at the top of the stairway in our hallway upstairs near their bedrooms. Last year was the first year for this. The girls made their own paper cut decorations for it without even asking me if I had ornaments for it. (I had a few but I was going to look for more "kid-friendly" ones without hooks and that weren't breakable.)

The girls' bare tree waiting for a
new ornament to be added each
day as they countdown to Christmas!

This year they will be decorating their tree with an ornament each day as we count our way down to Christmas with our Advent tower. They are still sleeping as I write this but they are extremely excited to start this new tradition this morning.

Ash is going to open the boxes marked with the odd days (she will start the fun since she is the oldest...see that, there is an advantage to be the oldest!). Bean will take the even days. The Advent tower stops with day 24 so my mother in law gave each of them a special ornament to open the morning of Christmas before we head down to open their presents from Santa.

Each morning, I will take a picture of the girls opening their box and putting their new ornament on their tree. I will be posting them to my Twitter account at @KristenPGIP. I think this will be a fun way to keep track of the countdown.

Happy December everyone!!!

I'm sharing our new Advent countdown with everyone at Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop. Stop by and check it out! It's a lot of fun and may just put you in the holiday mood you have been waiting for :-)

Our Family Made Advent Wreath...

It feels good to be back on my blog for the first time in a week. So much happened over the Thanksgiving holiday but I will leave that to memory (or block some of it from memory) and move forward with the excitement that fills me right now and that is getting ready for Christmas!!

On Saturday, we went to our church and made our first Advent wreath as a family. I don't know why we waited so long to do this. We walked into the social hall and the smell and music of Christmas was in the air. I could feel the change in my mood. I went from turkey, pumpkin and brown leaves overload to fresh pine, holly and sugar cookie joy!

I love the symbolism of the Advent wreath. The circle shape has always been symbolic of eternity and the evergreens represent life and hope. There are three purple candles and one pink candle. The candles are the first light of this joyous season. You light a purple candle each week until you progress to the final week of Advent season where you light the pink candle. The pink candle is a symbol for the rejoicing to be had around the world.

If you would like to make your own Advent wreath you will need:

• Oasis wreath form (wet floral foam)
• Candle holders designed for floral foam
• 3 purple taper candles
• 1 pink taper candle
• Assorted evergreens such as pine, holly, boxwood and if you would like...some special touches such as sage, rosemary and/or lavender





Our beautiful smelling greens



The family working out the plan for
our wreath design



Candle holders placed at 12, 3, 6 & 9

Ash & Bean following the circular
pattern of inserting the greens
so they will lay nicely

Almost done! I wish you could smell
this thing!!



Holly is going in near the candle holders
for that "special" touch



The girls putting the candles into
the wreath

Ash & Bean with the finished
Advent wreath
Note - sugar cookies in their hands :-)

I think this will become a new tradition in our home. It was so much fun, so simple and the girls couldn't wait to light the first candle at dinner last night. It also reminds us that Christmas isn't just about packages with pretty wrapping and bows. It reminds us that Christmas is the celebration of the life that has been given to us. A life we should cherish and be thankful for!

Now, if we can only remember to water it every 4-5 days...

Do you have a holiday tradition (no matter what holiday you celebrate) in your family to start the season off on a meaningful note?



I Am Thankful For Time...

It's that time of year where people are sifting through their minds and hearts for all that they are thankful for. This year there is one word that sums it all up for me. That word is "time".

Time

Time used to be something I only noticed on my watch

I would wish for the minutes to fly by

One day my heart reminded me to look up and

 I shuttered at what was right before my eye

My children that once needed me for everything

didn't need me so much

They had grown bigger and more confident and

didn't need me to hold their hands and such

My children that used to fall asleep so comfortably

with their head upon my chest

now look for their own bed and pillow

for a good night's rest

I missed so many details and moments

by rushing through my days lightning fast

I never took the time to stop and realize

 how quickly it would all fall to my past

With my heart's gentle reminder to slow down

and savor each flavorful day

I promise to no longer take time for granted

nor allow it to stray

Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope you and your family slow down and enjoy yourselves. Time goes by too quickly if we allow it.

I'm taking the rest of the week off from my blog. I'll be on Twitter (KristenPGIP) or on The Preppy Girl in Pink's Facebook page here and there but I am going to take this week to soak up the time with my family. See you all next Monday!!

A Sick Day for Bean...

I was awoken several times last night with what I thought was a seal in our house. I know, most people do not usually have seals in their homes but when you are deep in slumber and the noise you hear sounds like a seal...you look for a seal.

Unfortunately, it was Bean. She had this awful cough when I went in to check on her. By this morning, she had a fever as well. So, she stayed home with me today while her big sis, Ash, went off to school.

Within two hours, Bean was already asking what time Ash would be home. Within three hours, Bean was asking what I thought Ash was doing at school at that very moment. Within four hours, she was constantly looking at the clock and asking me what time I head to the bus stop. After five hours, Bean was constantly looking out the window for any sign of a bus with Ash on it.

In the 6th hour, she happened to catch sight of the middle school bus and I saw her face light up with excitement. She started to squeal, "Ash's home! Ash's home!". I think I broke a small piece of her heart by telling her it was the wrong bus. She looked like she lost all of her Littlest Pet Shop toys.

Finally, she heard the "beep, beep, beep" of a bus backing up and she knew it was the right bus. She looked at me and said, "Mommy, she's really home this time. I missed her so much today. May I PLEEEEAAAAASSSSSEEEE go open the door for her?"

So, even though it was colder than a popsicle outside, I let her go downstairs and open the door to greet her big sister with a smile. They have been side by side ever since Ash walked through the door.

Ash & Bean

I love these two girlies!!!

A Love Letter to Coke Zero...

Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop has challenged us bloggers once again with some great writing prompts. The very last prompt on the list was to write a love letter to an inanimate object. I think I've got this one covered...



My dearest Coke Zero,

I never believed in love at first taste until I met you. At the first feel of your icy, cold can in my hand I had goosebumps from the anticipation (and partly from you being an icy, cold can). As I lifted your metal tab top and heard the rush of carbonation mixed with the pop of the metal, I felt dizzy.

As I brought you up to my mouth, I giggled from your little carbonated bubbles tickling my nose. With just a tilt of the can, I knew you would be all mine and no one else's (mostly because I am not good at sharing and well, it is only 12 ounces and I have no problem drinking that down!). The rush that came with that first taste...it was one of confusion, a new found love and soda goodness all wrapped into one.

I felt like I was drinking my x-soda, Coke, but I knew in my heart you were different somehow. I knew you weren't going to weigh me down like Coke did. He was so full of sweet talk (yes, I'm talking about the sugar)! I just couldn't handle it anymore. Over the years, as much as I loved him, I knew it wouldn't last. I knew I could never stay with someone that couldn't bring me the satisfaction without bringing all the extra stuff that I didn't want or need with it (like calories).

With you, I have all the taste I desire and none of the baggage (zero calories, people! this stuff is amazing!) that has come with my past relationships with soda. You are a fresh start. You are my new love. Some may even say my addiction (mainly my husband & close friends).

I can tell you this, Coke Zero, we will be together forever. I have a need for you like I have never had for another soda before (I'm pretty sure I have a caffeine problem). This relationship was built to last. I thank the Coca-Cola Gods for you every day. Please don't ever leave my fridge or my heart empty!

I love you like crazy!

I Finally Feel at Home...

It's hard to make friends in a new town. It's even harder to make friends in a new town when you work full time. As of this month, we have been in our home for three years.

View from our front walkway

For the last six months...

• I have had the privilege of being a stay at home
• I have been able to be more involved at my girls' school
• I have been able to RSVP yes instead of no
• I have been able to hang out at the bus stop before and after the bus arrives

A view from our front porch

In the last six months...

• I have had the time to be an assistant coach for my youngest daughter's lacrosse team
• I have had the time to not only head coach my oldest daughter's field hockey team but assist the head coach of my youngest daughter's field hockey team
• I have had the time to help other parents by covering things for their children while they have work commitments

A view from our backyard after a snowfall

I have made some wonderful friendships with amazing people. I have come to adore the girls on all of the teams I have supported. I feel that my friends that are working know that I understand that things get crazy at times and that I am happy to help them in any way that I can. I believe that I can count on people to help me or my family and I believe they feel the same way about me.

Today...

• My heart feels full and happy
• I finally feel at home
• I know I wouldn't want to live anywhere else but here