Getting our Valentine love flowing!

So, for Valentine's Day, I finally got in the right mood to "get my craft on"!

I started off making the candy treats to give to the teachers. With the basic ingredients of pretzels, Hershey kisses and M&M's...you end up with these yummy bite size morsels!

I put them in these cute little crocks that I bought on the post-Christmas sales rack for 50 cents!

And Voila....


**The "Valentine Tree" was purchased at the post-Valentine sale last year for $1.80 and stored in my "gift closet" for just the right opportunity! And this was it!

I so love that the kids are still in those precious ages of decorating shoe boxes and sharing valentine treats with their classmates! And when I saw these on the internet last year, I knew that I just HAD TO make them! I think they turned out precious and the kids were so excited to hand them out!



Seriously, how could you NOT be their valentine after receiving these?!?!

I'm theirs~
Laurie

Some 'ing's....

Reading, dancing and hiking....that's what we've been up to!

Wanna see something that I love to see?

My kids reading!

Sam has been an avid reader since first grade; every night he reads for about 15 - 30 minutes and is always bringing new books home from the media center. Now, I'm so glad to see Lily following in his footsteps! She may not be able to read every word, but she sits on the sofa and tries her darndest to sound out the whole thing. Love it!!!

This past Friday was the school's Sock Hop! This is one of the events that the kids start counting down to when school starts in August. It's loud, it's crazy, but it is oh so fun watching all of the students dance! Here are my two "jitterbugs"!


Here's Lily with the Principal! They're close like that!

And Miss Lil rockin' it out! (Sam was here...and danced so good that he was awarded the first "Free Homework Pass" -- but of course, I wasn't in the room!)

Lastly, we headed to the mountains on Sat., to take a van full of furniture. We expected a rain-filled weekend,but to our surprise, when we woke up today...the sun was shining and the clouds had moved along their merry way. So, we headed out into the woods and hiked in search of Dick's Creek Falls. When we found them, we were very pleased!



God's beauty never ceases to amaze me! These pictures DO NOT do it justice! (I failed to bring my good camera and these were from John's iPhone.) It was incredible! We were the only ones on the trail and the view, the sound of the rushing water and the smell of the woods just about brought tears to my eyes! Needless to say, we hung out for a long time!

Happy~
Laurie

Well, hellooo sunshine!

Yesterday and today were definitely filled with what we all needed! Vitamin D, God's Glow, Sunshine!!! I can handle some cold and I can handle some rain; but a week-plus of cold rain?!?!? I'm done!


(See what I mean? This has been my view for a week.)

So when the sun peeked out behind the clouds on Tuesday and stayed out until after dinner today, I was re-energized! (Not to mention that the kids and the dog were able to go out and stretch their legs!)

On Sunday, I was greeted by these friendly faces...
Hmmm, what am I to make of this? Do I get my hopes up? Should I start worrying about my pale legs, because the shorts will be coming out of the closet? Naw, I just jumped out of my "mini" and snatched those suckers out of the ground! They were about to head inside to brighten up the house.

And here they are!


They make me smile! Did you know that flowers symbolize various events and feelings? Well, they do, and I'm intrigued by their meanings. So, I "Googled" away and found this:

THE MEANING & SYMBOLISM OF daffodil

Symbolizing rebirth and new beginnings, the daffodil is virtually synonymous with spring. Though their botanic name is narcissus, daffodils are sometimes called jonquils, and in England, because of their long association with Lent, they’re known as the “Lent Lily.” Lore connecting the daffodil to not only a sign of winter’s end but a lucky emblem of future prosperity is found throughout the world. In Wales, it’s said if you spot the first daffodil of the season, your next 12 months will be filled with wealth, and Chinese legend has it that if a daffodil bulb is forced to bloom during the New Year, it will bring good luck to your home.

But always remember to present daffodils in a bunch – the same legends that associate this cheerful flower with good fortune warn us that when given as a single bloom, a daffodil can foretell misfortune. ~Teleflora

Wow, good thing I didn't pick just one! :-)

No, I don't really think that Spring is here (and thank goodness, because my legs are pasty and need to be shaved), but I love the golden glow these beauties add to my kitchen!

So, what's been going on since I last updated?

Well, Lily would like to announce that she got her ears pierced!! She's been asking to have this done for a long time, so this was one of her gifts for Christmas. She and her friend, Molly, journeyed to Claire's jewelry (seriously, is there anywhere else that pierces ears?) and supported each other through this "rite of passage".


(Sam stepped in as assistant photo journalist.)

Such a brave girl! No tears, just smiles! Aren't they pretty?!?! (I'm talking about the earrings, not the teeth...even though they are pretty....and big!) Ha!

One thing the rain has brought out is my need to make things. I've been watching Food Network --more specifically, The Pioneer Woman -- and it got my creative juices flowing. So, on Monday, I made some Berry Butter and canned some strawberry, strawberry-balsamic and blueberry jams!




Well, I guess if being cooped up in the house for days on end can make me this productive -- more power to me! Let's see what this next round of storms brings!

Back in the swing of things~
Laurie

Farewell 2011....

This was my view as 2011 faded away....

Beautiful!


We brought in the new year at the lake -- just the four of us. And it was nice! We have been been going non-stop since Dec. 1st, so this was a perfect way to end the month. As we sat around the dinner table, we discussed what our resolutions are for 2012. Here is what we came up with:

Sam will appreciate what he has and try not to ask for new things a lot.

Lily will help others by donating her toys and clothes and if anyone needs help crossing the street, she will be there to help them!

John wants to "live in the moment" more and not worry about things so much. (Personally, I think he is already good at both of these, but who am I to change his resolution.) Me? Well, I want to do better with eating in and cooking healthy/creatively. Wish me luck!

While we all have little quirks about ourselves that we want to improve for the new year, I think ultimately, the best thing we can hope for is to make a change in ourselves that can help others make a change in themselves and so on and so on...

A neighbor shared the following story with me and I want to share it with you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A man decided that he would change the world.
But, he wasn’t successful.
So he decided to change the country.
But, he wasn’t successful.
So he decided to change his community.
But, he wasn’t successful.
So he decided to change his street.
But, be wasn’t successful.
So he decided to change his family.
But, he wasn’t successful.
So he decided to change himself.
AND HE WAS SUCCESSFUL.
AND HIS FAMILY CHANGED AND THEY AFFECTED THEIR STREET.
AND THE PEOPLE ON THE STREET AFFECTED THEIR COMMUNITY.
AND THE PEOPLE OF THE COMMUNITY AFFECTED THEIR COUNTRY.
AND THE PEOPLE OF THE COUNTRY AFFECTED THE WORLD.

Hoping to affect others~
Laurie

December Fun!

My goodness, December has been non-stop! Not just non-stop fun....but non-stop errands, parties, eating, shopping...you get the idea. But, even though I may complain a bit (yes, just a little), I do love it all!

So, here's a little glimpse of what our December has held! It all kicked off with my hairdresser, who now lives in Canada, coming to our house for a night of primping! Amanda got married this Fall and has since moved to Canada; but she was home for Thanksgiving and was able to take care of her two FAVORITE clients!

1st place for beautiful bride goes to...Amanda!

So, maybe I clean dishes in this sink, but it also works well for shampoo and conditioner!

Beauty comes at a price!
(P.S. Her 2nd favorite client -HA- is my forever friend, Nicole! Don't you know that John and Sam loved this evening of girls and hair cuts and colors and eyebrow waxing...?!?)

Next, John's mom came for a quick visit and we journeyed into downtown for a new adventure. We went to the Shakespeare Tavern for their opening night of "A Christmas Carol". We could all use a bit of the "classics" every now and then, right? Well, this was awesome!

We had a great dinner of traditional English pub fare and then watched a wonderful production! Sam and Grandma were even asked to say a brief line in the play! "Merry Christmas, sir!" They did great!




This was the beautiful sight when we left the theater!
And this was the sight as we pulled into the neighborhood. Precious!

Our latest fun was an impromptu visit to the local skating rink! Let's see, we've lived here 9 years and haven't visited this place. So, to kick off the kids Christmas break, we gave it a try !



Oh my gosh, it was soooo fun! And the kids did sooo good! We will definitely have to repeat this adventure!

So, at this point, I'll probably leave you until after Christmas or maybe even New Year's. We have lots of family fun planned and I want to soak up every minute of it! I wish blessings to everyone and a 2012 full of happiness!

Good Tidings~
Laurie

Miracles

Isn't this the perfect time to talk about miracles?!?! We will celebrate the ultimate miracle in a little over a week -- the birth of Jesus!

Well, last week, was Sam's chorus concert and they sang one of my favorite songs of all time: Sarah McLachlan's "Ordinary Miracle". This song points out the everyday marvels that we take for granted...ordinary miracles. ie: the sky knowing how to snow, no need to teach a seed to grow, the sun coming out and shining bright and disappearing every night. Oh, those ordinary miracles are amazing!

What other miracles have we seen in our own lives? Me? I have two precious miracles that call me "Mom". I soak up the miracle of the seasonal changes...spring to summer to fall to winter and then it starts all over! And who knows the miracles of everyone we pass on the street -- surviving cancer, being adopted into a loving family, delivering a very premature or very sick baby who lives a happy, normal life.

Miracles are all around! Listen to these precious voices explain the ordinary ones!




Teary~
Laurie

Full of thanks!

See what happens when you finish your Christmas cards and complete 75% of your shopping list?!?!? You get to blog! Yay!

So, we took our thankfulness into Alabama for Thanksgiving and joined the rest of the family at my sister's home. In addition to the turkey, dressing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, seven different desserts -- and the list goes on and on -- we:

Played some basketball:

Shot some guns:

Made some wishes:

Did I mention that we ate?:

(Complete with a "Red Solo Cup" with names written in Sharpie!)

We also did a little shopping, played lots of games and had lots of laughs! I am thankful for these special people in my life!

Full heart and belly~
Laurie