And The Tree is Up!

Last evening we were the seekers of that HAPPY I was talking about. We strung lights and ribbon on the tree, listened to Christmas and country songs on the television and we decorated. We decorated till we wore ourselves out. And then we sat back. Sat and enjoyed the beauty of it all {the beauty of all the simple things we often take for granted}. We took pictures and enjoyed each others company. It was stress free. It was FUN. And it was just what we were looking for!

        

     

A Heavy Heart

My heart is heavy.

My mind running circles.

This blog has been neglected.

At least for a little while.

We are seeking some HAPPY in our lives.

We will begin Christmas decorating.

We will smile, have FUN, live carefree, dance, sing and cherish all who we LOVE.

Continually counting our blessings and being SO very grateful for all that we have.

{Almost} Wordless Wednesday

Because today, today I am really lacking in the words department. My girls, are such a joy in my life! Counting my blessings...

Even Nella Digs The Dancin’ Santa!

Our family friend (and when I say family friend, she is but more like a best friend of my Grandmother) Betty, came by yesterday and brought us an old dancing Santa that my Grandmother had bought for her when her Grandson was born 10 years ago. Now that her Grandson is 10 she thought she would like to pass it on to some littler people who might enjoy it. Well, THANK YOU Betty, so very much for thinking of us! Even Nella digs that dancin’ Santa!

Nella digs that Dancin’ Santa too!

Shop the Most Wonderful Cards of the Year at Shutterfly!

There is such an awesome and wide variety of cards at Shutterfly. From invites, birth announcements, thank you cards and my favourite, Christmas cards! Check them out HERE. What I simply love about shutterfly is all of their cool card design choices that you can customize with your own pictures and words to make the card your very own. Right now when you order $30.00 of product or more and enter the code SHIP30 you receive FREE shipping! How cool is that?!

I don’t know about you, but I find it SO hard to find the time to sit and write personal messages to all of our family and friends at Christmas time {my four children may have something to do with that}. Shutterfly makes card giving SO simple. And the card with your very own picture makes it so very personal. I also have a feeling that your greeting card quickly becomes a keepsake to anyone who receives it. How could anyone throw out a picture of your beautiful family? Pictures are worth a thousand words so spread the love people! You can also find personal labels at Shutterfly too. Pick your card and get matching return address labels for your envelopes.

Here are some of my favourites from the Christmas collection {click on the images to be taken directly to Shutterfly to create your own!}. I seriously don’t know how I will ever decide which card to choose!

      

 

Which card will YOU choose?

My First Edit in PSE8

Three Little Cutie Pies Sittin' in a Row

AND smiling for the camera! Very rare in this house. Couldn't resist sharing :)

Sorry for the lack of words and blog posts lately. We have been BUSY (Mommy with her new part time job and training and Daddy just returned from five days of deer hunting) but, I might pull my camera back out again and get into my photographer role again.

Seriously?

Melt my heart! Nella leaned onto Tessa all on her own. Wanted to get close to her big sissy for some snuggles!

Operation -- Christmas Lights

While Daddy is away... Grandpa comes to play!

Thanks again for coming and putting our lights up!

Wow! A BUSY Day!

We had a busy day today, just me and my girls. We all got ready this morning and after dropping Lilly off at school I headed out grocery shopping with my three littlest littles :) It was fine and everyone was well behaved, but it was almost impossible to get everything I wanted into the cart with two kids in it. I could have gone to one of those stores that have the double carts so that two kids can sit in the front. Unfortunately the groceries at those stores cost twice as much! SO, we settled for Walmart!

Nella had a doctors appointment today (her six month appointment at seven months). Somewhere along the way we lost some time while she was sick and had her four month needles bumped until she was feeling better at about 5 months. Anyways, lucky girl got them today. She cried a little, but not too much and I am surprised from all the lack of sleep she didn't have a complete melt down. She missed her morning nap this morning! Anyways we ran a few more errands with sleeping baby, toddler and pre-schooler asleep in the car (some candle deliveries) and then headed home so they could all nap in their own beds. Nella slept until almost 7pm! She woke up happy as anything though, so she must be feeling good. And how could she not at a whopping and healthy 20 lbs! Baby is getting BIG and continues to be the content little babe she has been since the start. I LOVE her so much for that and am thankful for a fourth child you almost parents herself :) I mean not really, but you get the idea!

My Part Time Job

I am kind of a candle FREAK! I LOVE candles and burn them all the time and when I burned a Gold Canyon candle for the first time, I was seriously in love. I decided I wanted to venture into my own business and sell them. So far it has been fun! I am still burning a ton of new scents in my home and enjoying that aspect as well as the waiting for mail and fun of sorting through and smelling everyone else's things that come in. I have many parties booked in the weeks to come before Christmas and am kinda excited about venturing out, meeting and socializing with new people. Wish me luck!

Cheesy Grin

Can you hear her? LOL

Wish I had More of These!

I go through pumpkin seed with drawl after getting a taste of them and eating them all after only a couple days. Store bought ones aren't even close to the same. I don't think they even cook them. Oh Pumpkin seeds, I love you! Until next year.

Abby's Porter Family Portrait

I told you I would share with you all Abby's art work. She is getting really great at drawing people now. Here is our family! There are indeed 6 figures there and some of us are even standing on our heads! We are one talented family for sure. Love that we all have smiling faces!

Great job Abigail! Mommy is very proud of you!!

So We Don't Forget...

So we don't forget that it snowed on Halloween day 2010. It won't be the first time, and I am quite certain it will not be the last either! Here are the big girls having a little fun in the first snow of the season!

(the little girls were sleeping)

Halloween Night Re-Cap

So we had our little cupcake (who I didn't get the greatest pictures of -- her costume kinda rode up on her. Had she stood it would have been much cuter), Our 'devil'ed egg, Our bucket of popcorn and Our scuba diver! They were all adorable and all so content to have their homemade costumes on, and that made Mommy so very proud. I think we may need to get creative like this every year! It was SO much fun!!

We started out our night by visiting Great Gramma's building. All the residents gather in their apartment building lobby with tables of candy and the kiddies come in to see them. Since Gram has lived there it has sort have been tradition and even though Gram decided to come and spend the rest of her Halloween night with us, we still had to show up so she could show off her great grand babies!

After that, we headed for home where the kids got bundled up and went door to door. Tessa only hit up three houses, because it was much too cold outside for her, but Daddy took the big girls down the road a bit. They didn't go too far either before heading home. But, they are at the age it doesn't much matter, because the amount of candy they brought home will take weeks to consume anyways (after only a few houses)!

So the most fun of the evening for them would have to be handing out the candy to the kids who came after they were home. They LOVED doing that! I did learn my lesson though and I will not be quite so generous with the treats next year, because I sure ran out of candy early and had to venture outside to blow out the candle lit pumpkins and turn the lights out around 8pm. We still got a couple kids ringing the doorbell (obviously they don't know the no lights, no candy rule)! I just kindly told them we were out of candy and that that was why the lights were out. The sighed and turned away sadly.

My girls were far from sad though, and Tessa we realized is the most candy crazed child I know. I had to move the candy yesterday because she kept moving a chair to the island in the kitchen and would climb up and grab something every 5 minutes! Honestly, I will not be sad when the candy is gone from the house. It is kinda making Mommy crazed too. Luckily I already ate all of the peanut butter cups (there are none left) because clearly those are my biggest weakness! The rest of the candy is easier to avoid!