our new hobby!

today, gracie and i found our new hobby. grandma taught us how to sew! i wish i'd had the camera when gracie heard that sewing machine start humming. oh, and when grandma said she had pink thread to sew a blanket, you'd have thought we told her we were going to disney world. gracie was giddy! she sat for the longest time and just watched grandma work on some curtains (ok, so i sat there riveted too). we both just stared in awe. i know it seems silly, but it's one of those things i've never learned to do and have wanted to. i have a friend who quilts... that's something i'd love to be able to do! sure, i can sew on a button if needed and i do own a pin cushion (that hasn't seen the light of day since i was in fha in 9th grade).

now, i give you the proof...

grandma had a great idea to give her a needle and thread, i found an old shirt, and gracie spent a while "needling"
(that's sewing in 6 year old terms).

gracie made a ruffle on the bottom of my tank top.

so proud of her work!

then, grandma let me take a spin with her sewing machine...

grandma's idea for me to sew edges on a blanket and then for gracie to cut the fringed edges. gracie was so excited about her blanket, she's going to take it for her special show and tell (she's student of the week!).

ok, so i really enjoyed it. i mean really. grandma told me i needed to practice 'cause the next lesson is cutting patterns. she said we might make some dresses for the girls. yay! oh, the things i could sew... so, i'm thinking a blanket for cale and maybe a pillow case (or two) will be practice. so the little fleece blanket isn't a quilt... one step at a time, right?

homemade buzz

you read the title, and i know what you're thinking... you're wrong.

last night, i was in the kitchen trying to get the plates, silverware, napkins, drinks, rolls, and butter (ahhh, yes... the butter) ready for dinner. kyle fixed linguini and roasted garlic sauce and was hovering over the sauce. as if that wasn't enough going on in our kitchen, gracie pranced through (with cale on her heels) requesting scissors and tape. i glanced over to see that she had several paper sacks in her hands already. you may be thinking, "what could her imagination be cooking up"? not what i was thinking. mine had something to do with dinner being ready and the mess we'd have to clean up. i decided to let this one go. glad i did.

2 paper sacks + scissors + lots of tape + grace and cale's imagination =

buzz lightyear vest and wings!

happy 6th birthday, gracie!

oh, what a day this has been... starting at 5:30! no, i didn't wake her. lily did. and since, it's been full of excitement and sugar... and birthday boots!

• birthday donuts for her class treat.
• lunch with daddy... her choice... chili's.
• family dinner... her choice... mcdonalds (specifically "the big one"). let me pause here and tell you that i offered to take her anywhere** she wanted to go for her birthday dinner. i mean anywhere**. apparently i didn't explain that "anywhere**" means you have to look at the footnotes, and here it means no mcdonalds. next time, i'll be sure to explain the limitations before i make the offer!
• dessert/birthday cake... mama's suprise... cherry berry (yum!) with aunt b and big dad.

we sang "happy birthday" and i'm pretty sure much of cherry berry did, too!

then... it was off to get her a pair of boots. yes, that's what she asked for. my little heart was pitter-pattering when she picked them out. she loves them!

my little cowgirl!

she's adoreable in them.

on the way home from getting her boots, i was telling her about the day she was born. i told her about holding her and staring at her. i told her how in love i've been with her from the first moment. i told her how thankful that i am that God gave her to me. i told her how proud of her i am and how much i enjoy being with her. i paused and then she spoke... "um ok, but... are you done, cause i want your phone"... really? really. someday she'll understand. someday.

gracie's birthday eve

tonight is the night before gracie's 6th birthday. wow. 6 years already! as she was getting ready for bed, we were talking about this being her last night as a 5 year old. about how this was the last time she'd brush her teeth as a 5 year old... and how it was the last time she'd brush her hair as a 5 year old... and so on. so, then i asked her what the best part of being 5 was... she said "being your daughter". that was the best answer ever.

God knew i needed that... and her.

first snow of the season

ahhh... the first snow of the season. remember how exciting it was? i do. started last night at the ranch, and ended this afternoon. unfortunately, there's not much to show for the extended timeline. but to my children it didn't matter. you'd have thought it had snowed 2 feet by their excitement. the entire way home from school, they discussed playing in it. meanwhile, i was trying to talk them out of it. it's really cold, ok? there's not enough there to do anything. but, cale wanted to make a snow angel and gracie wanted to build a snowman. oh, and gracie also wanted to make snow ice cream. um, no gracie. definitely not enough for that! we pulled into the garage, they piled out, and straight to the snow they went.

oh the excitement... giddiness abounds...

what a good big sister... gracie voluntarily showed cale how to make a snowball.

what an arm... can you see that snowball (look closely on the road)... aunt kathy would be so proud.

gracie, ever the sweet big sister, offered to throw one at cale. he tucked and ran.

the entire "first snow of the season" experience lasted about 90 seconds. oh, well. there's always next time.

hot chocolate, anyone?

meet my... new love...

oh ok, i know... i should be blogging about christmas with the kids... or the 2 1/2 weeks we played musical sickies... or that jack (the elf) had to go back to the north pole until next year... or all kinds of other blog-worthy activities that have been keeping busy.

instead, for my blogging return i've chosen to introduce you to...

drum roll please...

yes, folks... that's right... those are my feet in my boots. my new boots. christmas present from the hubby. one present i'll not be returning, thank you. for those of you that know me well, well you know about me returning gifts. maybe my dad should go with him more often. just kidding, honey! (dad... i'm really not kidding.) the boots... well they're cute. really cute. like hot mama cute. he's really proud of himself. he should be.

i'm so excited i may just sleep in them.