Letting Go

Tuesday morning I woke up and declared it an official getting ready for baby day (and month quite honestly).  I had lists and plans and grand ambitions.  I went to my doctor appointment, came home, made lunch and was just ready to get started when I smelled something.  Something burning.  Sure enough, Ryan ran upstairs and there was a fire in our attic.  The light in our bedroom had burned out of it's socket and was lying on our bed.  Ryan could see flames in the ceiling.  I grabbed the fire extinguisher and handed it off to him.  The fire seemed small and after spraying the hole he felt he might have gotten it out.  But when he went to the attic to check it was full of smoke and didn't look good.  We called 911 and within minutes we had 8 emergency vehicles in our driveway.  While the fire actually was "out" it wasn't safe yet and they had to spray water and cut a huge hole in our ceiling to be sure they got it all. 

To make a long story short, there was no baby nesting that day, or the day after, or any day after that.  Instead we are staying in a hotel while things get cleaned, repaired, and new electrical is put it.

There was a part of me that wanted to resist.  To refuse to accept our circumstances.  After all, baby is due is a matter of weeks.  What if we're still not home. 

But thankfully I came to my senses.  We are all okay, and that of course is all that really matters. 

And really the world is a good place.  People are kind.  Friends, family and neighbors have all offered to help in anyway they can- with our kids, making us dinner, or simply putting a good book in our mailbox.  We found a local restaurant that we love that gives us the "house fire discount". 



And being in a hotel isn't so bad.  There is a cleaning lady after all.  Someone vacuums for me.  I could get use to that.



So I'm not really sure the order of things, but I do know that at some point, I will be back home- with a new (awesome) bed, a clean house, and most importantly a little baby. 

Until then, I will let go and enjoy the moment.

Handmade This Year (Part 1)

I'm not sure if it was because I know next year will be different with a little baby around, or because I'm not working part time, or just because I was really into it this year- but maybe my favorite thing about this Christmas was all the making I did before hand.



I made 7 of these little purse/pouches for some special people.



Since I made them in kind of a production line, they actually came together pretty quick.  Now I just need to make one for myself.



And inside each little pouch was a bar of homemade goats milk, lavender, beeswax soap.  I'm going to do another post soon with the recipe, but it was very easy and fun.  I used a soap base instead of lye (lye scares me) so Grace and Jackson could help too.



We also tried our hands at some homemade lotion but without as much success.  I need to work on this recipe a bit as it was too thick.  Smells delicious though and actually works great, just hard to get out of the jar.  Needless to say these didn't make the cut.



I made this little jingle ball for my dearest little niece that I am in love with.  It was a pattern I used way back here when Jackson was just a baby. 



And finally (inspired from here) I made these gift wrap bags that I am in love with.  I'm really not a big fan of wrapping gifts, well actually I despise it.  But this made it so easy it was actually fun.  Just put gift in and tie a ribbon around.  When finished fold up and save for another gift.  Genius (again not my idea, but a really good one).



There are three more gifts for Grace and Jackson that I need to post about but that will have to wait until I can get some photos.

Christmas at Grandma Sam's

Christmas At Aunt Katie's

(more pictures coming)

Christmas Morning

That Santa, he's such a good guy.  He brought them the trampoline they wanted, a game for us all, a drum for Jackson and some alphabet stamps for Grace. 
Though it is possible that the highlight may have been the candy canes.

Christmas Eve

Highlights
~ Snow!
~ Skating for them, a little walk for me
~ Sun
~ Their joy in opening the gifts we made them
~ Using my new cloth gift wrap bags
~ Putting out cookies for Santa
~ Off to bed really early

Christmas At Grandma Lee's

The Birthday Girl- 6 Officially

Six today.  Grandparents stopped by with birthday gifts.  Friends came over to go skating.  She was a happy girl this six year old of mine.



For my gift I gave her a (goodwill find) baby doll basket that I fixed up.  The quilt I had started and almost finished last spring.



So all I had left to do was add some matching ribbon and make a little pillow.



She really loved it.  And since I'm in the process of creating the same thing for our baby, I know we will have fun toting our babes around come January.

Love, Love, Loving My Week

Christmasing

Today...

I am feeling incredibly grateful for
~ One full week of nothing (no school, no plans, no anything) except relaxing and getting ready for Christmas
~ Ryan being home most of the week
~ Two happy kids (at least at the moment) with a few new and exciting toys to play with
~ Time- time for all of my favorite things, baking, sewing, and creating in anticipation of one of my favorite holidays
~ A clean house
~ Ryan making us dinner tonight
~ Our favorite Christmas station on pandora working again
~ Being totally in the Christmas spirit

Her Party

It was such a special party, with such a wonderfully nice group of friends.  I feel so lucky that Grace already has such kind people in her life.





We decorated cookies, made bird feeders, and of course ate cake and ice cream.



Later we went outside for a little winter gnome treasure hunt and then a game of "Mr. Fox" (great picture of me).



(My 6 year old "Fox".)



Aunt Katie came to help for the day too which was so great.



When I asked her what her favorite part of the party was she said "all of it".  I guess it can't get any better then that right.

But I think my favorite part of Grace's birthday each year happens when she goes to bed.  Every year on her birthday party night she surprises me with some wise words of gratitude.  When she was three on the night of her birthday she told me she "loved and appreciated me".  This year when I went to lie down with her for a few minutes before she drifted off to sleep she couldn't stop talking about the day and how much fun she had.  When I finally insisted that we'd better stop talking so she can get a good night sleep she ended with, "Mom, you made my day so special. I know I don't always realize how lucky I am to have a mom who does so many nice things for me, but I'm really lucky." 

It's funny how some words can carry so much more weight then others.  Those words will somehow have the ability to carry me through all sorts of things- including a lot of not so good words that I'll surely hear again soon- but also new baby moments, sibling arguments, more birthday parties, and whatever else comes my way. 

I'm really lucky too Grace.  Happy Birthday and I love you.