the new normal (for now)

well, i am now officially 35 weeks pregnant.

the pregnancy has flown by and dragged

all at the same time.

it has been quite a journey,

with a number of life circumstances 

changing unexpectedly during this time.

i haven't managed to blog...at all.

or to keep up with the blogs i follow.

because life is full and busy

and much too important to miss.

but now as the before baby 

"to do" list is shrinking,

i thought it was time for a little sharing.

i am often told i look great.

and i probably do from the outside.

but inside most of the time 

i feel like it's a different story.

i am adjusting to a new normal 

of feeling very tired 

(i only had a few weeks during the 

entire pregnancy when i did not feel this way),

a little spacey 

(most of the time i feel

 a day late and dollar short),

and, at times,

a little frustrated that i can DO 

everything that i want to do.

oh yeah, and now the hormones have set in.

hello moody mommy!

i'm kinda clumsy

(this is "do i have anything on my shirt?).

 and i have to remind myself (often)

 that what might seem like interruptions to me

are really the most important

moments in life.

(can i be in the picture, Mama?)

 life is not about my agenda.

it's about slowing down

 in the midst of  (somewhat organized) chaos.

blooming where you are planted.

trusting His plan.

letting go.

and when you're a mommy...

lots of hugs and kisses,

lots of grace,

lots of patience.

and if the "to do" list doesn't get done

that's just too darn bad.

right now, i am preparing my heart

for the arrival of this little miracle

and nurturing my family.

so blessed.

something to say

this says it all...

christmas greeting

this year in lieu of sending out Christmas cards, 

we are going the stress-free route.  

posting it!

enjoy our Christmas greeting to you!

Merry Christmas from us to you!

It has been an amazing year, 

full of blessings.  

We now have a 2nd grader, 

a Kindergartener and 

a curious preschooler.  

We are so thankful for all God has given us.  

Be blessed this holiday season!  

With much love.

Photo collage made with Smilebox

the feeling

how are you feeling these days?

does it feel like Christmas is coming?

are you caught up in the festivities?

or just floating along?

i was on board for halloween and thanksgiving,

but somehow it just doesn't FEEL like Christmas yet.

you know?

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

the wreath is hung (thanks dad!)...

tree coming this weekend.

what is the feeling exactly?
and why does it matter if i have it?

maybe it's not about the feeling?

ah well, we will keep doing Christmasy things

and eventually i'm sure the feeling will take route as well.

merry, merry!

pj pants

so i was reading lately about chemicals in kids pajamas.

you know, the ones that make them flame-resistant?

the ones that have been linked to cancer, 

nervous and reproductive system damage 

and impaired thyroid function?

yeah, those ones.

and although i had read about them before,

i had that moment.

you know the moment i mean, right?

when all of a sudden the true significance

of what i was reading hit me.

somehow i had the misunderstanding

that if i bought the clothes second hand

and/or washed them a whole bunch,

the chemicals would dissipate.

not necessarily.

all synthetic fiber sleepwear contain flame retardants.

either they are added (those MAY be washed away)

or the chemicals are bonded to the fiber

(those will NOT wash away).

i immediately began to go through my kids pajamas

and was dismayed to find the vast 

(and i mean VAST) majority of their pajamas

were indeed flame resistant.

so out they went.

i scoured consignment and second hand stores

for non-flame-resistant pjs,

but came up kind of short.

the girls have just enough jammies,

but the boy-boy ended up 

with only two pairs of pj pants!

thank goodness i sew! 

using some flannel i already had on hand
(purchased on sale last spring and
"not intended for sleepwear"),
i whipped up some

cute flannel pj bottoms for the boy!

pretty cute, eh?

i have some more in the works...

thanksgiving runner

halloween is over,

november is here.

and that calls for a new table runner!

this one is for thanksgiving 

and i found the most adorable 

vintage thanksgiving card fabric!

it's accented with sparkly fall leaves,

and i love the way it turned out!

and, of course, it's reversible!

side one:

side two:

there's something about homemade decorations 

that make the season feel so much more festive!

beautiful

the other morning

my sweet little moo surprised me

by making my bed.

now is that beautiful or what?

it melts my heart to see generosity

 and thoughtfulness developing

 in my sweet baby girl.

color me blessed.