Happy Easter!

Artwork by Jude

All Things Valentine's....

Here's a quick rundown of the holiday of love at our house...

School valentine mailboxes ready to go...

Our front door...

How I made it here.

Kindergarten concert...

Best I could do with my camera and an ear infected 11 month old on my lap...

How I know my husband loves me...

Hope your day/weekend was just as sweet!

Tree of Thanks

Last year around this time our pastor gave a talk that has stuck with me.  In it he mentioned that "if you are not teaching your children to be thankful, you are teaching them to ask for more."

So in that spirit and with the upcoming holiday, we made a Thanksgiving tree of sorts over the weekend.  I simply stuck a large tree branch in a pot with rocks and we were good to go.  (Of course Michael has become interested in those rocks...thankfully they are too big to do any damage!)  I printed out tags for everyone to write out what they are thankful for.  Simple.  And the kids are really enjoying it!  And I love seeing what they have come up with over the past few days.

Ellen's grateful heart.  

Funny because we don't own any!

He really does love them!

Let Freedom Ring!

HAPPY 4th!

Flag canvas painted by Clare and Jude.  

Painted canvas idea c/o Ann Marie.  

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Summer!

A Valentine's Day Poem

(BY CLARE)

Happy Valentine's Day!

xoxoxoxoxo

PS - I'm making these cinnamon rolls for breakfast (from a can).  Thank you, Pinterest!  

Homemade for Valentine's Day

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching next week, I thought I would share some of our favorite homemade decorations and goodies from years past!

Valentine's Fortune Cookies

Heart Garland

Tissue Paper Wreath

Cake Balls

This year the farthest I've gotten is hanging the wreath on the front door.  Oh, and buying a bag of Valentine's M&M's.  I have my priorities!  

Christmas Fireplace

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care...

I bought picture frame stocking holders for Clare and Jude's stockings 3 years ago at Target. But was not able to find more in my price range (2 for $15, not $30 each) until Target had them again this year - hooray!  

Each frame holds a picture of the stocking's namesake on their first Christmas.  

I'm also loving the lanterns filled with ornaments on the fireplace hearth.  My mother-in-law gifted them to me (one this summer and one at the office Christmas party - my husband works for the family business).  And I'm very excited that this year Ellen is old enough not to mess with them and has completely ignored them!  Hooray again! 

(Originally found this idea here.)   

And our basket of Christmas books rounds things out.

Have a great weekend!  

Pumpkin Prayer

Jude brought this "pumpkin prayer" home in his backpack last week and I thought I would share:

Dear Jesus,

As I carve my pumpkin, help me pray this prayer:

Open my mind so I can learn about You.  (Cut the top off the pumpkin.)

Take all my sin and forgive the wrong that I do.  (Clean out the inside.)

Open my eye so Your love I will see.  (Cut eyes shaped like hearts.)

I'm sorry for the times I've turned up y nose at what You've given me.  

(Cut a nose in the shape of a cross.) 

Open my ears so Your word I will hear.  (Cut ears shaped like the Bible.)

Open my mouth to tell others You're near.  (Cut the mouth in the shape of a fish.)

Let Your light shine in all I say and do!  (Place a candle inside the pumpkin and light it.)  

Amen.

It's Fall Y'all

I forced myself wait until it was actually October to put out our pumpkins and other fall decor.
(I've been ready for fall for awhile...)  

My two favorites are the felt leaf garland that I made last year for the banister upstairs...  

...and the fall wreath I made for the front door 2 years ago.  

I'm also loving my new Walmart $2.99 festive plate in my plate rack.  

Jude especially likes the acorns this year and has us all repeating after him how to pronounce "acorn:"

"Say 'a.' "  

"Say 'corn.' " 

He's a genius!   

Ellen was v-e-r-y quiet the other day and I went upstairs to find that she had pretty much murdered a scarecrow...  

  

And Clare is happy with her TP pumpkin she made in pre-k.
(Displayed high in her room, refer to scarecrow above for reasoning why.)  

I even stocked up on candy for trick-or-treaters while we were grocery shopping the other day.  Jude, Ellen, and I each enjoyed a piece and then I hid the stash in the basement.  Although I figure the flight of stairs I'm running up and down to fix my afternoon chocolate craving is burning off eating said chocolate, right??    

Happy Labor Day!

Labor Day, 1940, Silverton, CO
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Whose Pumpkin is it?

Last year we grew a huge pumpkin vine from one seed.  (I'm - somewhat unsuccessfully - attempting to grow pachysandra in that space this year, so we skipped out on pumpkins.)  

Right about this time of year last year when the pumpkins were about the size of softballs I took a nail and lightly scratched the kids' names on them.  Just deep enough to gently break the skin.  

Come October when we harvested them, everyone had their very own personalized pumpkin on Halloween!

Linking here:

todayscreativeblog.net

betweennapsontheporch.net

Independence Day

Thankful for our country's past.

Praying for it's future.  

Happy 4th!

Easy Food for the Fourth

I think it's always fun to sport lots of red, white, and blue on Independence Day...including the food you put on the table!  Here are some delicious ideas for your holiday...  

(All c/o pinterest.)

Love the idea of using a star cookie cutter to make this fruit salad.   

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Here's another creative (and easy) way to serve fruit on the 4th.

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Can't forget some patriotic desserts to enjoy before the fireworks.

A festive red, white, and blue cake.  Love this idea!  

(Made the same way I made Clare's rainbow birthday cake.)

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Easy ice cream treats.  

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This dessert that shows up at our family July 4th picnic every year.  A fruit pizza flag.  This recipe makes the sugar cookie from scratch and looks much tastier than just using the tube of dough from the store!

And here's a festive drink that everyone can enjoy!

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Looking forward to eating in patriotic style!

Happy Memorial Day!

And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free.

And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up, next to you and defend her still today.

Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land, 

God bless the USA!

-Lee Greenwood

Happy Easter!

We had a very Happy Easter yesterday!

Clare is always impressed how the Easter Bunny nibbles on the carrots we leave him/her/it.  

(Sidenote: How are you supposed to explain a large rabbit to children??)  

All Ellen wanted was to mush and chew on wrapped candy.  By the end of the day she had succeeded in successfully breaking open the wrapper.  

 

  

         

Someone was very pleased that Finn McMissle and Holly Shiftwell joined our family this weekend!

Easter Breakfast:

Breakfast pizza

Sausage links

Resurrection rolls

Strawberries

After Mass and naps we were off to Grandma and Grandpa's for dinner and an egg hunt!  

Then everyone's sugar high wore off and we all slept happily every after!