Sick, sick, sick

So at my house we have ear infection, sinus infection, strep throat and chest X-rays for suspected pneumonia. And guess who has these things? ME!! Bed for me for a few days.

Christmas Crafting

About this time of year (one week until Christmas) I begin to panic. My to do list seems too large and my fears of my own crafting inadequacy raise their ugly head. So, instead of dwelling on the impossible (getting everything done, and indeed, doing it perfectly) I share with you some things that have been crossed off the Christmas crafting list.

1. Christmas cards to go with cookies for the girls' teachers. I had Violet paint with water colors and then we punched out snowflakes and reindeer, glued onto card stock and sprinkled liberally with glitter.

2. Christmas Houses - Lucy's teachers got these. She directed the color choices and painted. The little people (vaguely) resemble her two wonderful teachers. (photo taken in the morning rush out the door..I see milk left on the counter....who did that?)

Here's to all of you making presents this season. May you find enough time to stitch and paint, may your scissors always be where you left them, and may your gift be opened with enthusiastic oohhhs and aahhhs.

Happy Anniversary!

Tomorrow, Tim and I celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary. This is the collage he made me to celebrate. The canvas includes wonderful photos of my family, some of the things I have made this year, and Proverbs 31. It is one of the most amazing presents ever.

Could a girl ask for anything more from her husband? Not only does he work so hard juggling the house, the girls, his own business, laundry, school schedules, getting up earlier so that I don't have to take the kids to school before racing off to work, cooking, travelling and fixing blown fuses, but he encourages me to work hard at my career, gives me time at home to create things for the girls and only occassionally rolls his eyes at my fabric collection. Then he makes me a handmade, from the heart gift, to celebrate our marriage. It is a blessing to have made it this far. Some days I know both of us would have walked away, but what we have now is a testament to the fact that we stayed, we worked it out, we decided to choose love. He is an amazing example to me every day of selflessness, of love in action. I hope that our girls see their Daddy as the kind of man they want to marry. They can't go wrong with that as their goal.

Advent Stocking Girls

One of the little pressies in the advent stockings were these little girls inspired by these. The girls love their little look alikes and Lucy has requested a Mummy and Daddy one too. I have planned to do something like this fun collection for each of them in a little carry box.

I have also been trying out this fun freebie. No time for hand emboidery so I am trying out machine stitching it.

The girls are getting into the handmade fun this year. Hannah has drawn and is embroidering a unicorn for Violet (that is what she asked Santa for this morning) and Lucy is working on a book for one of the family. It is lots of fun to help them and see them enjoy the process of thinking of something each person would like, and making it happen.

Not enough sleeps until Christmas to get everything I want to done - will have to cull the mammoth "to do" list!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas

Funny things happen when you decorate a Christmas Tree with three children. They put all the Australian animal ornaments together so that "they can talk Australian to each other", and all the white dove ornaments are huddled together on one branch "except this one, he's my pet". The majority of the ornaments are on the lower half of the tree. A few favored ones were placed by special request by Daddy on the uppermost branches "because that's so precious". Apparently decorating a tree is excrutiatingly exhausting and one can only be revived by the first hot chocolate of the season, and maybe a cookie or two.

We also have a new Advent Calendar for the big countdown to Christmas. Our last advent calendar - a snowman with little drawers was a bit wee for use, now we are three, so at the last minute I decided to have a new one. I found 24 little stockings and filled them with tiny treats, a few candies and special activities to do together. As they are already asking "how many days until Christmas?", they should enjoy it. My treats were a little heavy and so I have just lined all the stockings up across our buffet.

I hope you are enjoying getting ready for Christmas as much as we are!

Happy Birthday to you!

My wonderful hubby moved from his mid to late thirties today. He was treated to a Blu Ray player, a card with pictures drawn by his girls, and possibly the worst looking birthday cake ever. Happy Birthday Tim!

Christmas Cookie Extravaganza