1st Sewing Project

I had so much fun working on my first sewing project this weekend! I took a "Sewing 101" class at JoAnn's on Saturday afternoon, where we learned the basics about different seams, stiches, and patterns and then created a small tote bag practicing what we had learned. It was a lot of fun to use my machine to create something. When I got home, I decided I was going to try and make Lily a pillowcase dress as my first "on my own" project. We had "King of the Jungle Day" at church this morning for the preschool department so I thought it would be fun for her to have a special dress to go along with the theme. I started around 8:30pm Saturday night when the kids were settled into bed. I'm usually not a night owl at all, but was having so much fun figuring this out that I sewed until I finished at midnight! It's definitely not perfect and I had a lot of trouble figuring out how to hem around the armholes, but it was wearable!

Here's my leopard print sweetieAnd just because he's too cute not to include in a post...

I can't wait to get to try another project soon!

Just what I needed

We had such a fun day today! I was off for the Martin Luther King Holiday and it was so nice to have such a beautiful day to spend with Lily and Bear. We slept in (till 8am - that's late in our house) and went this morning with Casey and Aunt Jessica to see "The Princess and the Frog". This was my first trip taking Lily and Bear to see a movie. Josh took Lily a while back to see "Up", but she didn't make it more than 15 minutes before wanting to leave. We timed it right and got to our seats just as the feature was starting. The kids did better than I really expected. Lily got a bit bored when Tianna was a frog rather than a princess and kept needing to go potty or get a snack. Bear seemed to really like all the music and got very serious and still during the scary scenes.
When we got back home, I couldn't pass up the chance to spend some time enjoying the warm weather and sunshine. We had lunch outside on our picnic bench and then played with the push cars and bicycles in the driveway for a while. It was wonderful and I think I definitely have Spring Fever!
We went inside for Bear's nap and Lily and I played board games and play doh for most of the afternoon. A quick grocery trip and homemade pizza topped off our day! Sadly, Josh had to work today and missed out on our fun, but as we were talking over dinner, I told him that today is just what I needed! I love these fun times with my sweet little ones...we don't have these kinds of days often enough!

Waiting for momma to bring lunch outside

Picnic timePlaying with the push-toyRacing up the drivewayLily "pumping gas" into Bear's push-toy "This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

When Daddy's Away....

we all get to cuddle in Momma and Daddy's bed!

Snow Day

You know you're in the south when you get excited over a dusting of snow! Yesterday, the white fluffy stuff started falling in the early afternoon and continued throughout most of the day. Lily, you were so excited about the prospect of snow. When Daddy was taking you to school on Thursday morning and he told you it would probably snow, you looked up at the sky and said "I think I see white, Daddy." You both were so excited to watch the snow fall from the window while warm inside Mammy's house this afternoon.

Because it has been so cold, and continues to be, the roads were a little treacherous last night and today. We stayed inside and watched Alabama win the National Championship last night and had a "Snow Day" today.

You both wanted to venture out in the snow this morning, so we bundled up and headed to the backyard for a few minutes.

Bear, this was your first time really experiencing snow. It snowed when you were a newborn, but we didn't dare take you out in it. You liked it for a minute, but then your hands got cold and you wanted to go back in.Lily, you loved the "pretty snow" and wanted to play a bit longer. You thought it would be fun to play on your slide, but I certainly didn't agree and talked you out of it!After a few minutes, we retreated back inside to warm up and have breakfast. Nothing like warm cinnamon rolls on a icy/snow day like today!

Dinnertime at Our House

I thought Lily, Bear, and "Big Baby" looked so cute eating our quick dinner tonight. My brother and sister-in-law gave Lily a hook on highchair for her baby dolls as part of her Christmas gift. It doesn't quite fit on to our breakfast room table, so she insisted on eating at the bar so "Big Baby", as she is calling one of her dolls these days, could join her. Bear wouldn't be left alone at the table, so he too wanted to eat at the bar, with his hat on, none the less.

A New Year is Here

I know we are 4 days into the new year, but 2010 felt like it began to me. After most of the last 2 weeks off, I went back to work today and our routine felt like it was settling back into place. I think New Years is always a great time to reflect - on things that we have accomplished and things we would like to accomplish. I'm not one to set resolutions - I've tried before and by February, I always feel like I've failed myself by falling off of the bandwagon. This year, there are things I want to focus on, but I don't think I want to call them resolutions.

1. Spend more quality time with our little family of four. This is sooo important to me, as I realized during my break from work how fast Lily and Bear are growing up. Weeknights are tough with commuting home from work a lot of days, gymnastics, church activities, and household chores all crammed into a few short hours. I want to try and prepare more of our dinners ahead of time, save laundry and other chores for after 8pm, and spend more of that 3-4 hour window with the 3 people I love more than anything!

2. Be more intentional in my relationships with friends. I have a great circle of close friends, but there are a few others that I've gotten to know that I would love to forge a deeper relationship with. I tend to be more of an introvert, waiting for those around me to extend an invitation, make a phone call, or open up as to what's going on in their lives. This year, I want to stretch myself and be the one to invite a new friend for coffee, send a note to let someone know I'm thinking of them, and do acts of service without expecting anything in return.

3. Learn a new hobby...sewing. I wanted something new to challenge myself with, while giving me an outlet for a little bit of "me" time. Josh gave me a sewing machine for Christmas so now, I want to learn to use it. I've played around on it a few times since getting it, making Lily a small pillow for her room. I'm planning to take a sewing class in January to learn some basics skills to get me started.

4. Strengthen my relationship with God. I spend my hour drive into work most days talking with God, praising Him for the blessings He bestows on me and lifting up the my struggles and those of people close to me, but I don't spend enough time in His word and growing with Him. I want to be more focused with my quiet time, read my Bible more, and try to know and hear Him more.

I'm looking forward to 2010 and the memories we will make this year! Happy New Year!