Decorating the Tree

Last night, we turned our "Thankful" tree to our Christmas tree. We had talked up putting the ornaments on all day. Dixie was sooo excited and I was a little nervous at how Knox would handle all of these new little "temptations." The kids enjoyed it for about 10 minutes and then got tired of hanging ornaments. Dixie mainly just wanted to hold the ones that she liked the best. Knox did surprisingly well avoiding pulling down everything we put up and as of this morning, the tree and ornaments are still in tact. Whether short lived or not, decorating the tree is always a special memory for us each year as it officially starts Christmas season!

Oh yes...we totally have the fake fireplace playing on the tv:) Even if we had a real one, it is way to warm and muggy down here to have it going right now.

Knox hangs his first ornament. Last Christmas he was only 3 days old...wow how time flies!

That baby is poking way out..only 9 weeks to go. And yes, I am in my pajamas with no make-up on..yikes!

Digging through the ornaments..and wow... look at that hair! Albert Einstein must be in her ancestry somewhere.

 

Daddy Pedi

Usually I paint Dixie's toenails a new color every week. It's kind of a special bonding time for her and I, while Knox takes a nap. Today however, she demanded  requested that Daddy paint her toenails. My feelings were of course a little hurt as I want to claim that as "Mommy/Dixie" time. But, the fact that she loves spending time with her daddy and that he is willing to do things like paint her little piggies, just turns me into moosh. So, today Dixie got a Daddy pedicure. I love catching moments like these:)

Jazzing up a Journal

I LOVE homemade gifts. First of all, they usually cost less than something you buy from the store and second of all, there is time, thought and love put into them. With Christmas around the corner, I wanted to share a quick, easy and super cheap homemade gift that I have given on several occasions...jazzed up journals.

I believe that I have shared before that I journal to my kids. Each one has their own journal that I write little notes in as they grow. Sometimes, it's a long letter about how much I love them, other times it is just a snippet of what they have been up to, or something funny they did. I so look forward to giving them these journals when they are grown. How much fun will it be for them to read what was going on from a time that they cannot remember and how I was relating to them. These journals are super special to me and it's a way to document life. I also think about the fact that if the good Lord ever decided that it was time to take me home, my kids would have a little piece of me and my thoughts left behind in these journals.

I used to stand on the journal aisle at the bookstore for 30 minutes trying to decide what journal to get for each of my kids. I can't lie, I am a sucker for soft leather bound journals with leather ties and thick line free paper. Something about those just feels timeless and that there is a secret inside (so maybe I'm weird). Those journals however, always run about $25-$30. When you live on a budget, that seems INSANE for some paper. So, I decided to start personalizing my own journals. With a little time and a couple bucks, you can make a cute gift or a personal journal. Here's how:

You will need: a composition book (so the paper stays bound), your choice of fabric (enough to cover the journal inside and out, a glue gun, and any embellishments you may want on it.

Now just wrap that journal up in fabric and glue it (cutting to size). Make sure that you don't make your fabric too thick when you fold it over, or your journal will not close. Then add your flair with your glue gun to the front. You could also wrap a pen in matching fabric. Here is how the latest one that I made for my sweet friend Blair (Happy 30th) turned out.

Happy Journaling!!!


I used pleated trim to make the flower on the front. Just roll around and glue as you go.

So much cuter now!

Make sure to cover the inside too! but remember if it is too thick, it won't close very well. You can always add a band and button around the outside if needed. The great thing about composition books, is they last forever and it's really hard to get the pages to fall out.

Just some trim, a rhinestone and glue.

The finished product. 

She thinks we're just fishing

If you remember from my camping post, Evan had bought Dixie her first fishing pole for their camping trip, but they never had the chance to use it due to her complete meltdown at 11 pm. So, this week on Evan's off day, he loaded up the bike with their fishing gear and he and Dixie Jean rode down to the pond at the back of our neighborhood. They had fun together and once again, I am thankful that he takes the individual time out with her to make her feel special. I am even more appreciative that he tries to capture moments like this on video so that I can take a small part in them. I know that she will treasure these little video clips when she is older.

The song below,  played through my head as they were gone. I am totally NOT a Trace Adkins fan, although I do love country music. But, any song about a Daddy and his little girl just gets me. I'm that person who still cries when I hear Bob Carlise's "Butterfly Kisses" (I know most of you are probably gagging right now). I am way sentimental, especially when it comes to my kids and thinking of them growing up. I can't emphasize enough how blessed I am to have a husband who adores his kids and takes time to do things like this with them.

So, take a minute and listen to the song below and get all sappy with me. Then if you care to, you can watch the video clip of Dixie's 1st fishing experience (which by the way, she didn't catch anything, but claims in the video that she caught 3 fish...and the exaggerated stories begin).

October wrap up

Someone please explain to me where October went. I cannot believe it is November! That means Thanksgiving to plan at my house and finishing touches on our Thanksgiving church banquet, Knox's 1st birthday party in early December, not to mention getting started on Christmas. Before I know it, the holidays will be over, Evan will be taking his annual hiking trip on the Appalachian trail and we will be welcoming our new baby into the world. So, lots of exciting  and busy things coming up.

I wanted to post a few pics from the end of October though before the madness begins. October was a wonderful month!

 And here are a few of my fav pics from Trick or Treat:


I LOVE dressing up in costume any chance I get. I was sad that the day before Halloween, I had NOTHING! Finally a creative spark hit me with the Prego shirt and from that, Evan's costume slowly evolved. The total cost of this costume was $4!!!

I loved watching Dixie have such a good time. There is a huge difference from last year to this year. Evan and I got emotional watching Dixie show some independence as she walked up to the doors by herself. Looking forward to next year when both kids can Trick or Treat and #3 is being pushed in the stroller. I wonder if I will be sporting the Prego shirt again then.....you never know! October was a great month and now I look forward to November!