Right Now*

Red embers are glowing in the fireplace. The Christmas tree is twinkling in the corner. A humble, lovely, and uniquely wrapped stack of packages is nestled beneath. A mixture of kraft paper, twine, wooden tags, and white marker, plain white paper decorated wth red marker or bright orange duct-tape, and a little bit of silver and gold mixed in. The most perfect pile of gifts I've seen. Three woolen stockings hang on the wall. Various handmade gift projects are scattered around the room, still in progress. The water is trickling in the bathroom, to keep pipes from freezing here in the mountains. Doggies are sleeping on the floor. A fuzzy headed, not-so-little girl is cuddled cozily on my lap, in her red pink and green Christmas jammies. I'm feelin good.

Christmas? That comes every 2 years, right?

You should see my house right now. I would take a picture...but that means I would have to find the camera, and be lucky enough to find a sd card inside it, and a charged battery. I have had one of those weeks. I feel like I have cleaned. Cleaned hard. I feel like I have done dishes, and laundry....but I must not have. I haven't even made food. Like a real meal. I've been living off granola bars, and sweets, and whatever mike makes for me. the complete lack of nutrition explains how down and stressed I'm feeling. I have found myself dehydrated, with a raging headache, scrambling to get Christmas projects finished...I mean started. And my skin? What a disaster. My scalp, and the backs of my knees, and the insides of my elbows are dry as a bone and they hurt. I would moisturize them....if I had a spare second, but even then they would just be dry tomorrow. I am struggling. I was going really good for a few weeks there, I made Mike lunches and made good dinners, and drew up meal plans and only shopped once a week and I even put myself on a diet that is supposed to help with skin problems.This last week has been a complete fail, and I can see that this week will be too. Everything is a great big mess, in my home, and in my head. I am not even close to being ready for this holiday weekend. Excuse me if I just write off Christmas 2011 completely. I promise I will make up for it next year. Thanks.

Kaelee

ouch

you know the moment when you're feeding your baby and she's happily nursing, la de dah de dah, and then she starts humming, and then kind of stops nursing and is blowing bubbles out of her mouth and you think "hmm, is she done?" and you decide to see if she'll latch back on for good measure, and then CLAMP she bites down hard with those piranha teeth and you CAN'T GET HER TO LET GO!?!?!

Well I do
and it's not cool my friends.
Not cool.

2011

Mike and I have been talking about some Goals and ideas for the new year that is rapidly approaching. It got me thinking about this last year, and what I have accomplished. I could only think of one thing. I'm sure you can guess what it is.


I had a baby.

But there must be more than that. I kept thinking. What did I do? An entire year, and the only thing that comes to mind is that one, albeit astronomical event. I logged onto my computer, located my pictures file, and began sorting through photos beginning in January. Mike opening birthday gifts, all of which were for this future baby girl. Me, with a barely-showing pregnant potbelly. February. Mike painting the bedroom the second shade of blue that I chose. Working on baby's little nook. March. Snowshoeing at the cabin. A day with mike at his job, driving the snow-cat. all documented with ridiculous pictures of my tummy. April. A pretty bulbous belly now, a painted room, with wall hangings hung, bed sheets sewn, and a momma-made flower mobile suspended over a little papa-made crib. Perfect. Ready. May. A baby. Lots and lots of pictures of a baby! June-baby, July-baby...... Of course there are pictures of us at concerts, our weekend in Colorado, Holidays, and so forth, but what is any of that in comparison to the mind-blowing, heart wrenching experience of having a child, when you had never had one before? So I suppose when I look back at the year 2011, the most profound and life-changing year in my short lifetime, all I will be able to say about it is one thing. I became a mother. My child was born.

Because You can't stop christmas shopping...and wishing

first and foremost, i found the link to those moccasins boots I posted on my gift guide: HERE

One.  Two. 

Three.  Four.

Five.  Six.

Seven.  Eight.

Nine.   Ten.

Eleven. 

Twelve.

The Holiday Wishlist

Thanksgiving @ the Everett's

 

 We had a little Thanksgiving get together the Monday after thanksgiving with my mom, her boyfriend Joel, my brothers, and sister. Unfortunately Brant couldn't make it. It's so fun to see these two little babies growing together. They are just a few days apart, and its fun to see the similarities in their development.

I'm making some progress on this advent calendar of ours. Maybe we will get to use it next year

My baby is getting so big!

The Holiday Wishlist

When it comes to toys for Hazel, I'm sure you guessed that we are leaning more towards wooden, natural products. They really are some really great companies out there making wonderful, natural, simple toys that encourage imagination (the simpler the toy, the more things they can imagine it to be) as well as focus.

I'm also trying to focus more on buying either local or second-hand, and that goes for Christmas as well.

Clothing-wise, she needs warm wintery clothes in sizes 6-12, and some spring/summer clothes in 12+. We are loving knit tights around here, and definitely don't have enough. I love throwing those on under her pants, an extra layer, and I don't have to worry about her socks falling off all day! Another great, easy gift would be books. What was your favorite childhood storybook?

The Holiday Wishlist

Let's face it. No one around here deserves to enjoy the holidays more than Mike. No one works harder, or sacrifices more, and  no one has spent as many holidays wishing for a family to share them with. The thing is, it's not just Christmas that comes around this time each year. It's Mike's birthday as well. January 3rd. So, in case anyone needs ideas, here are a few.