enJOYing the little things . . .

Christmas Shares

Anyone else still trying to recover from Christmas?  We had a wonderful time.  Our celebration started on the morning of Christmas Eve.  Cadence was an angel at our church's morning service which was a little musical performed by the younger children.  In the middle of the program, my angel decided to do away with her wings.  And she never smiled once while she was onstage.  Little angel indeed.  Haha.  After church we had lunch and opened presents with my family at my sister's house.  Spent the evevning eating and opening more gifts at my in-laws'.  On Christmas Day we discovered that Santa thought that Cadence, Clark and I were VERY good this year because he left us bunches of board books, toys and a new 85 mm f1.4 lens.  Yeeeeeeeeehaw!!!  Thank you Santa. In the afternoon we headed off to my cousin's house were we celebrated for the rest of the night with my extended family.  More food, more presents, more merry making!

Day after Christmas we went to the Shedd Aquarium in the afternoon with my cousins from out of town.  You'd think that most people would be out shopping the after-Christmas sales, but apparently not because the Shedd was packed.  We had dinner at Gino's East in the city for Chicago style deep dish pizza.  Yum.  Now I'm not one to pass up on the day after Christmas sales, so on the way home from Chicago we stopped by Target.  And I did hit up Kmart (LOVE me Martha Stewart stuff) and Hallmark later in the week.  Ended up with some excellent finds.

A few pictures from Christmas.  The rest can be found HERE in my holiday photo album.

Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours.  Our holiday card.  We started celebrating yesterday with family and  will be celebrating more today.

And before I sign off, just wanted to share the lyrics of a song I heard on the radio last night.  A great reminder of why we're celebrating in the first place.

Happy Birthday Jesus I'm so glad it's Christmas,
All the tinsel and lights and the presents are nice but, the real gift is you,
Happy Birthday Jesus I'm so glad it's Christmas,
All the carols and bells makes the holidays swell, but the real gift is you,
Happy Birthday Jesus, Jesus I Love You

State Street and Daly Plaza

We had great weather today.  Upper thirties.  Perfect for viewing the windows of Marshall Field's along State Street.  Cadence had a great time.  She enjoyed seeing the story of Cinderella in the windows.  However, she liked watching the choo-choos go by overhead on the el (Chicago's elevated train system) even more.  Clark was a trooper, all smiles during our outing.  After viewing the windows, we had a late lunch at Field's.  Then we stopped by Daly Plaza to take pictures in front of the big Christmas tree.  I love Christmas in the city.  Photos of our day are here in our Holiday photo album.  Of all the pictures I took today, these are my favorites.

 

 

Countdown to Christmas

Took these photos of my sister and her family earlier this month for their Christmas card.  Aren't they they cutest little family?

So tomorrow Ronald, the kids and I are planning to go into the city to see the decorated windows of Marshall Field's on State Street.  Field's will change to Macy's in the new year.  This will be our farewell to a store that my family has been shopping at since I was a baby.  Chicago just won't be the same without Marshall Field's.  ,xcjnsbjdb jcgb vujxbj dn fbhjhbgdf54we

(Please excuse the extra "stuff" at the end of my post.  Miss Cadence got to the keyboard and then posted my entry for me while I was away from the computer.  Gotta love the antics of two year olds.  Haha.)

Girls' Night Out

Last night I took my friend Gloria out for a very belated birthday dinner.  We went to California Pizza Kitchen.  Love that place!  I had all my favorites to eat, but the best part of the evening was having girlfriend time, just the two of us.  For two hours we shared stories, experiences on being a mommy (her son AJ and my Cadence are only two weeks apart), a lot of laughter and a Tiramisu.  Gotta love good times with great friends.  Happy belated birthday, Glo!

A layout I made of Gloria and me for The Garden at Two Peas back in July.  Just wanted to share.  :o)

Brrrrrrrrrrrr...

Christmas is in five days and I'm not ready!  As always, so much to do, so little time.  And right now in Chicagoland it is fah-reeeeeezing cold.  Ronald, the kids and I braved the cold to pick up dinner and a last minute gift at a sports store.  The van was registering that it was only six degrees outside.  SIX.  I don't even want to know what the wind chill was.  Can you say brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr? 

Here's a photo to just to show you how cold it is.  Icicles hanging from my sister's house.  The longest probably measured more than fifteen inches.  Took this last week.  I reminded Aimee that we used to call icicles popsicles.  She didn't remember.  But that's okay.  She remembers things that I don't and vice-versa.  That's what's nice about having a sister.  To help you remember when half your brain is gone.

New Garden

Mid-month Garden is up at Two Peas.  I know that not all the layouts are up yet, but I just had to say how much I adore this layout by Lisa McG.  Also want to share my favorite layout that I did for this Garden.  I took the photo of the Clarkie & Jake two weeks ago during their first visit with Santa.

Here are two others I did of the boys.  Just wanted to share since these layouts put me in a Christmasy mood.  :o)

Happy Thursday!

ETA - The Santa Baby layout of Jakey is a lift of Elizabeth Lee who was my User Inspiration this month.

New Holiday Tradition

Ronald, Cadence, Clark and I have so much to be grateful for.  A roof over our heads, food to eat, clothes, health, a means of getting from one place to another, toys (including the ones for mommy and daddy of the technological nature), and most importantly each other.  We have been so blessed, I think that it's only right for us to share our blessings.  I want our kids to learn that it is a very good thing to do what we can to help others who are in need.  There can never be too much kindness in the world.  Every Christmas we will give a gift (you can choose gifts to give from $1 to thousands of dollars) to each of these relief organizations:

ADRA - Adventist Development & Relief Agency International

Samaritan's Purse International Relief

This is our new holiday tradition.  What are some of your holiday traditions?  And I'm seriously asking because Ronald and I would like to start some new ones with the kids that are fun and meaningful.  :o)  I've already gotten some good ideas from Becky and Gretchen.

My Chubby Bub

Had a little photo session at my sister's house yesterday so that I could take photos of her new little family of three for their Christmas card.  Snuck in these pictures of my chubby bub.  Will share some pics of Cadence and Jakey later.

One of my favorite poems...

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

Excerpted from the book CHIDLREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE
©1998 by Dorothy Law Nolte and Rachel Harris
The poem "Children Learn What They Live"
©Dorothy Law Nolte
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Anyone else trying to raise happy and healthy kids?  If so, I highly recommend Nolte's book, Children Learn What They Live.  I purchased this book at my university's bookstore where I was enrolled as an elementary education major.  It was an inspiring book that served as an excellent resource while I was a teacher.  My job title has changed to full-time mama, but the book is still a gem.  One of the best ten bucks I've ever spent.  I know this book won't help make me a perfect parent or help me raise perfect kids.  That's not my goal.  All I really want is to do the best job I can, and hopefully in doing so I will raise my kids to be good people.