eleven years

We celebrated our 11th anniversary yesterday
with dinner in the backyard
after tucking the kids into bed for the night.

It's the little things, year after year that make life so sweet.
This year I'll remember...

a pretty table for 2

flowers from the garden

a yummy dinner

bluegrass music,
bare feet and candlelight
on a breezy, summer evening.

the farm chicks show

Another great year at The Farm Chicks Show! I felt like I was better prepared this year, knowing what to expect when I walked through the door. Last year I was completely overwhelmed by all of the beautiful displays and the amount of crafty goodness! This year, my friend and I decided that we would just take it all in, not get stressed out and know that we would leave there with the things God would want us to have to enjoy in our homes. That took a huge weight off my mind. Last year I felt like I was in a race with the other shoppers to see who could find all the cutest stuff first.

This year I went at a much slower pace and spent lots of time browsing in the booths. The vendors put lots of time and effort into planning their booths. Many were works of art! This year I was able to appreciate the beauty of the booths themselves, not just the items for sale inside of them.

Here are the things I purchased this year...

Last year I was on the look-out for a red tray that I could convert into a magnet board for my kitchen. I found these two polka dot t.v. trays at this friend's booth, along with these old milk bottle cap magnets. My husband is going to hang both of them on the wall next to our computer in the kitchen. I can't wait!

I also found these adorable vintage paper dolls. I plan to make magnets with them.

These vintage flashcards were too cute to pass up!

I also found this "Great Grandma necklace." Made of plastic beads, it reminds me of something from my Great Grandma's jewelry box.

Here's a sweet surprise from this friend...she knew I loved this pillow and bought it for me when I was wasn't watching. My girls have been playing with it all weekend.

And of course I was completely giddy when Serena said hello to me!!! I guess she remembered me from last year's cookbook signing--probably because I made a fool of myself with my expert-giddiness. :)

life around these parts

Last night we enjoyed our first s'mores of the season

complete with a bit of singing 'round the fire.

Our strawberry patch is looking quite promising!

It looks like we're ready for June around here.


And just this morning, one our painted ladies emerged from her chrysalis.

The kids are watching intently to see the amazing changes that are taking place within our live butterfly garden.

dinner with friends

I just found this picture and realized that I meant to post it months ago!

A few months ago, our family hosted an Italian dinner night with dear friends.

Each of us contributed something...

antipasto salad

bread sticks

spaghetti

tiramisu (my ultimate weakness)

sparkling Italian soda

and drippy candles.

stuffed french toast

This recipe for stuffed French toast (sent to me by the same friend who makes yummy pound cake) is oh-so-good!

I made up several little French toast "sandwiches," put them in the freezer over night, and then baked them on a well-buttered cookie sheet for about 30 minutes the next day.

a happy little party

Several months ago, I spotted tissue paper pom-pom kits in the craft section at Wal-Mart.

I wanted to make a few to decorate for a birthday party, but our Wal-Mart has scaled down its craft section and, sadly, they were all gone.

I searched online and found these super easy instructions to make them.

Seeing them suspended from my kitchen ceiling still makes me happy!

This also makes me happy...

A dear friend brought all of the ingredients to make yummy strawberry trifle.

The pound cake was made from scratch.

And it was real pound cake--she used a whole pound of butter. :)

des moines and back

white chocolate raspberry, mint chocolate and German chocolate cheesecake bites

Last month I was able to fly out to Des Moines, Iowa, to visit a friend from college.

Eating, shopping, napping, talking with an old friend--what could be better?

One day we stopped by her cousin's fabulous restaurant called flarah's.


I enjoyed quiche and a wonderful chocolate blueberry salad for lunch--it was amazing!

If you're ever in the Des Moines area you must stop by for a delicious bite to eat.

hidden in my heart

I've been enjoying this beautiful lullaby CD.

I've learned that mommies need lullabies just as much as our babies do.

And lullabies aren't just for bedtime...

Sometimes my heart needs a good calming at the kitchen sink,

or in the schoolroom,

or beside the bathtub as I'm trying in vain to bathe squirmy children.

If I could, I'd purchase a copy for each of my friends!

easter blessings

Happy Easter!
Our family enjoyed a blessed day.
Amid the excitement of tearing open Easter baskets
and searching for eggs in the backyard,
I'm going to treasure this sweet prayer offered at bedtime by my little one in pink jammies, hands folded...

"Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross and forgiving me"

I love that she didn't miss Him today among all of the eggs and the candy.
It makes me smile.

"Christ is risen
and my soul knows
sweet salvation!"

excuses. excuses.

It seems lots of us are apologizing for our lack of blogging lately.
Is it the change in the weather?
Here's one of my excuses, and I promise it's a good one!

I was able to spend last week in Oklahoma visiting my little sister and her sweet-as-can-be, brand new baby boy.

I had the hardest time saying goodbye.
I found myself swaying back and forth in the airport as I waited to board my flight.

Probably from doing lots of this all week...

And then I came home to this...

O.k., make that two good excuses!

hints of spring

I'm not sure what happened, but we've had the most uneventful winter this year.

Little green shoots are already poking their heads up all around the yard.

And recently I've smelled that hint of spring in the air.

Thoughts of spring now occupy my mind--kids playing out back, Easter dresses, working in the garden, and Cadbury Mini Eggs (yum!).

a bit of advice

"Mothers from miles around worried about Zuckerman's swing. They feared some child would fall off. But no child ever did. Children almost always hang onto things tighter than their parents think they will."

--E.B. White, Charlotte's Web

Isn't that the truth?

Sometimes good parenting advice pops up where I least expected it--

such a good reminder to let my kids be kids.

fondue

I'm so excited to have a couple of dear friends over tomorrow night for fondue and Emma.

On the menu:

dark chocolate sauce

strawberries

bananas

cheesecake

pound cake

pretzels

marshmallows

dried cherries

Do you fondue?

Do you prefer dark chocolate, white chocolate, cheese?

What do you like to dip?

letters

not Dear Jenny, but Jenny Dear...I love this!

Are letters a thing of the past?

I love getting email from friends, but letters--there's just something about receiving a letter in the mail. Agreed?

Back in the day, I remember how much I enjoyed writing to the friends I met at summer camp--even more, I enjoyed receiving letters from these friends.

I met one particular friend about 20 years ago when I was in high school. We exchanged letters for years. I can still picture her handwriting. I don't think I would have this connection with her if we had emailed each other. Sadly, she passed away about 10 years ago. She died of Leukemia at the age of 30, leaving behind her young husband and a sweet baby boy. It literally broke my heart, but I love that I have sweet memories of exchanging letters with her.

One of my goals for this year is to be more intentional about letter writing. It's been on my mind for a few weeks.

Have I written any yet?

No.

But guess what I got in the mail today?

A sweet, two-page letter from a friend. It truly was the sweetest letter ever. It made me smile.

But I was smiling even before I opened the letter.

That's how happy letters make me.

keepsakes

A family friend crocheted beautiful dresses, bonnets and baby booties for our girls when they were born.

They looked like dolls when I dressed them up in these sweet little outfits.

four days old, November 2005

While browsing around Tuesday Morning with the family today, I spotted these keepsake collector boxes for $3.99.

Perfect! I thought of these crocheted sets immediately!

I just can't help myself

Now that you all know I smell dryer sheets, I might as well tell you that I smell ballet slippers, too.

Actually, those of you who know me well enough know that I smell practically everything!

I've noticed that one of my daughters is already taking after me in this quirky area.

I'm not sure if it's in the genes or if she's learned it by watching me put everything up to my nose.

It's one thing I simply can't resist.

Ballet slippers.

And they have to be pink.

oh, january

I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.

January...it's such a drab month.

I looked out my kitchen window this afternoon and saw rain dripping from the pergola.

"Oh, January," I said with a sigh.

Then I noticed the cute red and white checked ribbons tying back my kitchen curtains.

I hardly notice these during the summer months, because we spend so much time outside.

And as I look around the house, I notice other things about January that aren't so bad...

piles of books all over the house

and brand new calendars!

Now I'm on the lookout...

what else do I over look as I glance out my window and see a dreary, gray sky?

laundry day

A friend of mine gave me a box of Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day dryer sheets. Here's the new laundry routine around here...

1. Place wet clothes into dryer

2. Grab dryer sheet from box

3. Smell dryer sheet

4. Separate dryer sheet along perforated line

5. Smell dryer sheet

6. Place dryer sheet into machine

7. Smell the scent on my hands

8. Close dryer door and press start

9. Look down at the box and smile

vintage books: eloise wilkin

Eloise Wilkin is my favorite children's book illustrator. Yesterday I found We Like Kindergarten in a local thrift store and bought it for 49 cents. In my humble opinion, it's one of the sweetest picture books ever written.

I wanted to be in Miss Hall's Kindergarten class. Who wouldn't want to spend morning after morning in a cheerful classroom singing, feeding turtles, painting, playing the triangle and napping on a colorful mat?

My favorite picture in this story--I remember wanting a blue sailor dress like Karen's

Other favorites by Ms. Wilkin...

Baby Dear
We Help Mommy
We Help Daddy
Where Did the Baby Go?
Baby's Birthday

and I would like to find a copy of The Twins. I didn't know this title existed, and I would love to read it to my own twin daughters!

*EDIT*

A friend of mine sent me this Etsy link and, I'm happy to say, the book is on its way!!!

I want to remember...

We were blessed to be able to drive down to California to visit family this year for Christmas. The trip takes about 18 hours with kids :)

Here are a few things I want to remember...

the anticipation of going "home" for Christmas
a cozy little log cabin to stay in along the way
waking up to snow
the kids singing in the car
first hugs after being away for awhile
coffee with my mom
the safe feeling of being with family
how much I love candlelight
laughing with my sister
how much my kids love being with their cousins
good peppermint bark
Christmas cards
warm kitchens
driving in the country at night
stars...lots of them!
tears at goodbye...not so fun, but it means we're loved