ok, so as you may have noticed, I haven't sewn in a long time. A few projects have really cured me of any desire to sew. Now I'm having a girl. I hear my old self looking at fabrics and projects saying "if only i had a girl!" but now I can't motivate myself. Do y'all have some simple-get-your-groove-back ideas for a girl? links to pictures but especially tutorials are very much appreciated. i'd like to have a project to start after christmas. i'd also love to learn how to knit/crochet/something that i can do on the couch downstairs with brent. how did y'all learn?

I might be bragging....

I hesitantly say, I think I'm ready for Christmas. I'm sure I'll go back to the stores. I'll do more cooking. But for the most part, I'm not stressed and I still have 15? days to go (if we're up to date on our Christmas countdown). Here's my proof.
Christmas at Chilhowie park. We go every year but I really don't know why. They have free hot chocolate, marshmellow roasting, pictures with Santa, carriage rides, balloon animals etc. Well, its free if you don't mine waiting with children in a 20min.-1.5 hour line! Jackson loves it. Last night we waited in the hot chocolate line until we realized they were out. He didn't care. He just moved to the end of the balloon line without ever complaining. He was thrilled the whole time he waited and honestly, I was proud, or rather grateful, for him. I found myself thinking good things come to those who wait and he just seems to know that. (He's been saving his money for Disneyworld for at least 6 months even though I told him we'll go when he's 8.)
Christmas goodies for friends and neighbors.

Christmas cinnamon rolls for the families Brent and I home/visit teach.

I know this just looks like a plate of cookies. It is so much more. I've made the same recipe for my whole marriage. It's awesome. It's my mother-in-laws and deserves a post of its own. Starting in July every time I made them they went totally flat and crumbly. It was so hard going from memorized, easy, always amazing cookies, to flat, crumbly, stressful cookies. I seriously made a dozen recipes of bad cookies and couldn't figure out what was wrong. Last night, I don't know if it was a Christmas miracle or new shortening but they were the beautiful cookies I love. I sang for their beauty and deliciousness but too bad for you, didn't record our festivities.

Well, this is the best Santa picture this year. oh well. nobody's life is perfect. :)

i just have a lot of new things to think about

sometimes typing my thoughts clears my head

let's see. my random thoughts from today.

I've never been that into fashion. like real fashion. So if you are, keep your laughing to a minimum. I love love it when for some unknown reason fashion and comfort collide into something amazing. Take uggs. Last year I bought the knock-offs, but if it is socially acceptable for me to leave the house while my feet still feel like they're in slippers heck-yea I'm on board with that! This year, its maternity leggings. really, even if i wasn't pregnant i would probably feel the same way, but pregnancy is what made me cough up $25. (also evidence is my cheapness because that was difficult.) maternity jeans keep sliding down and then my elastic top tears due to my constant yanking. leggings stay put. i wear a non-maternity empire waste dress and I'm set. Its as comfortable as wearing jammies all day. love it! thanks for the gift fashion-conscious people.

I asked Jackson what we should get for papa for christmas. he told me a toy kid so that papa could pretend like he had a real kid. ha!

I cannot make rational decisions when i have fudge in the house. I even botched my recipe so its more like super thick frosting but there's still enough sugar in there for me to enjoy. Its the point where its too good to just throw in the trash but i feel too guilty actually giving it to somebody else. I decided to experiment with it. i froze it then i was going to see how soft it got to determine if I could safely give it to my neighbors. I pulled out like 10 pieces then ate 3 of those in less than 1 minute!! really!!

rain makes my house messy. i'm sticking to that. it's not me, its the rain. or the fudge.

i'm game on for christmas. i wanted to buy and put up my tree today but didn't want to face errands in the rain with 2 kids.

sam has learned the phrase "awww man!" it is the cutest and funniest thing ever. he says it when he's playfully dropping things or building duplo towers that fall down. good good stuff.

i think i'm homesick because i've called my mom probably twice a day for several days now. i'm always bummed when she can't talk longer, and then I send emails to the family. I just seriously can't wait to see everybody. to relax. to go walk on campus. go to lake lurleen. sit on the back deck and talk. talk about babies and what we might name those babies and how big our babies are. to walk/ride bikes on the levy. to talk about this season (anybody from alabama knows that refers to alabama's football season).

i'm so grateful for my protected little life. i know that i have this innocent, happy little life. i hear about the trials others face and my heart mourns for them. i want to take away pain in these people's life but feel so inadequate to do so. i also know that the savior is the only person who can put their arms around that person and say he knows what they went through and can heal their hearts and minds and bodies. i'm so incredibly grateful to know that.

phew....lots of thoughts. maybe i can get something done now.

Ideas please

What ward or relief society service projects have y'all done in your different wards? I'm trying to think of something for a Relief Society Meeting but it doesn't have to all fit in that night. Before we've done most of the work that night then sent home parts of it to finish. I just want some ideas.

Breakfast fun

Feeding the man on his shirt. notice the cheerio on the surfer's head....
copying everything his brother does. down to feeding popeye his cheerios.

He's tough

This is the story I was told this morning.

Apparently Sam was about a third of the way up our stairs. Brent said he saw him stand up and turn around but wasn't really sure what was going on. Then he tried to jump. He tumbled down the stairs, completely bewildered as to what went wrong. Are you surprised Brent? It was Sunday when you pushed his loving mothers arm out of the way so that he could try to jump from your parents fireplace. You let him jump 4 times before you told him to stop.