Tea time

So this is what happens when I have one of those nights where sleep does not come easily. Making something really helped. Working with my hands and having to put all my attention into the details helped relax me, and by the time I was finished, I was exhausted and my mind was ready for sleep.

I know these are a little rough and amateur, but I am proud of them! And the most important thing is that Becca LOVES these! That made my morning.

It is a rainbow tea set made from FIMO clay. The cups are supposed to be rainbow petal cups. Hard when it is so small!

I love the tea pot! I know Becca is hoping I have many more sleepless nights! Wonder what I can come up with next time I get creative. Open to any suggestions (but it needs to be small). Have a wonderful day full of  color and imagination!

Eggs

Day #11

Today I am thankful for farm fresh eggs. It is so amazing how different farm fresh eggs are than store bought ones. The taste, the color. They are beautiful, and so delicious. I will be honest, when we can't get our hands on some, I am a little sad. I am hooked, and really don't enjoy store bought eggs as much as I used to. Hopefully someday we will have our own, but for now I am thankful for the few times we luck out and snag a carton. Yummmm!

In the kitchen

Today is a kitchen day. I just got done with a double batch of chocolate raspberry coffee creamer, and am currently making a chocolate cream pie (my husbands favorite). On the menu tonight are my green chili chicken enchiladas. So amazing! Maybe I will share the recipe later..... Now, I don't know any other way to make chocolate cream without Dream Whip and Jell-O pudding (if you have a scratch recipe----PLEASE SHARE!), but the crust and whipped cream are made from scratch. As are the enchiladas!

So, needless to say, I am in the kitchen for a good part of today. Which I do not mind a bit. Except for cleaning up. Nobody likes that part. I have my playlist on random, the husband is napping, the girls are keeping themselves happy, and mama is happily baking away. What a great way to spend a Sunday.

You know those songs? You know, the ones that just make you want to dance no matter where you are? Here are a few playing in my kitchen today making my feet tap:

"We Didn't Start The Fire" by Billy Joel

"Accidentally in Love" by the Counting Crows

"Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen

"I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas

"The Impression That I Get" by the Mighty Might Bosstones

"Pride and Joy" by Stevie Ray Vaughan

I am dancing away while rolling out pie crust and I don't care who can see! Glorious to be alive! Maybe tonight I will turn on some Christmas music and have a cup of coffee with my creamer, and snuggle with my hubby. Mmmmmmm.....perfect rainy Sunday.......

Warmth

Day #10

Today I am thankful I have a warm, dry, safe place to sleep. Still so many devastating stories from the aftermath of hurricane Sandy. People packed into tents with no heat, thousands without homes and winter on its way. I hope that relief comes soon to those suffering, and may they have a restful sleep. I am blessed to be able to give these things to my family. I look in and see my girls sleeping peacefully and warm in their beds, and I am so grateful.

Two for one (again!)

Wow, I am just on a roll of not posting daily! I really have no reason this time. Wasn't really busy yesterday, I just forgot. So here is another two for one!

Day #8

I am thankful for nostalgia and being able to share the things I loved as a kid with my kid. I decided it was time to have Rebecca see the Wizard of Oz. It has always been a favorite of mine, and I couldn't wait any longer to show it to her. She has never watched an entire movie from start to finish. Usually during slow parts, she will play or color. Or when it gets scary or sad, she just doesn't want to watch anymore. I was a little worried about the Wizard of Oz, because it can get pretty scary. I was just hoping she would at least see a few parts that I know she would love.

Well, she loved it! Glued to it until the end. She cried so hard when Toto was taken away in the beginning  but shouted for joy when he escaped! She loved each of the fellows who joined Dorothy on her journey, but LOVED Glenda and Dorothy. But I have to say what she loved most was the horse of a different color. Aww, just like her mama!

So I sat there with Becca in my lap (when she wasn't jumping for joy!) and saw the magic of that movie through her eyes. It made me think about when I was her age. I wonder if she will think about this when she see's this movie years from now. *Sigh*  Time does go by too quickly...


Day #9

Today I am thankful for the chance to go shopping.........alone. Sometimes it is just nice to stroll slowly down each isle, looking at each product, seeing so much that is usually a blur on any regular shopping trip. You hear a kid asking his mom for cookies, and another complaining about her feet hurting. It takes a second, but you remember their not yours! You lift your head and smile, humming inside as you realize you are only responsible for you at this moment. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I truly enjoy myself. And to top it off, there was not a problem one while I was gone, Becca was so happy to see me and made me a card, and I got treated to a yummy dinner. It may not be much, but I am very grateful.

Two for one

I admit, I got so caught up in the election last night and I completely forgot to write on here. So I will do two in one!

Day #6

I am thankful the elections are over! Maybe a little too easy, but I am serious! I have watched dear friends get very hostile with each other and others about their political beliefs. Now, I am thankful for Freedom of Speech, but it gets ugly sometimes. I love that my friends and family are so strong in their beliefs, I am just glad I do not have to see anything else about these two candidates! Now we can focus on putting the pressure on the president and fixing this great country. Oh, and getting our friends back! =)

Day #7

Today, I am thankful for my girls. Even though one is only mine through marriage, they both make my heart full. Yes, at times they try my patience and push me to the edge. And of course, sometimes I have gone over that edge, too. But each day I have them is truly a blessing. I don't want to live a single day without either of them. Maddie is so smart and beautiful, and is finding herself a little more each day. She has a lot on her mind and heart lately, but she is trying her best to move forward and stay positive. She is excelling in school and on her flute, and we couldn't be prouder. Rebecca is my beautiful, smart, precious princess. She can make you laugh and smile when you are in the worst mood. She is trying to find her place, which can be trying on the patience at times, but she has the kindest, most giving heart! She is so full of life and so creative, and makes me smile everyday.  I love my girls, through the good and bad, and am thankful that I am lucky enough to be a part of their lives.

My love

Day #5

Today I am thankful for my awesome husband. We celebrate eight years of marriage in December, and I love him more today than ever. It has been a rough ride at times. We have overcome obstacles that should have broken us, but together we have weathered it all and come out stronger. I am thankful that he loves me, is the father of our girls, and shares my dreams. I am a better person because of his perspective, thoughts, and love. I am thankful that no matter what trial I may face, I will not do it alone. I love you, Allen. Thank you for loving me!

It's so bright it hurts my eyes

Day #4

Today I am thankful for random sunshine. Living on the Oregon coast during fall/winter can get dreary at times. Now, I LOVE coastal, rainy days. But what I love more is that random break in the weather when it has been raining and drizzling for a couple of weeks, then you wake up and the sun is out and the sky is blue. My husband and I have learned that on days like these, unless we already have plans, we get to the ocean, and quick.

Off we went today and explored farther south than we have been before. What a beautiful, sunny drive with the salt air in the breeze. The kind of day you wish you had a convertible. We saw some beautiful coastline and walked barefoot in the sand.

My beautiful girls!                            

As soon as we headed for home, we watched the grey clouds and fog roll in off the ocean. The rain is back. But that is okay, I enjoy the way it smells here in the morning after a rain. Boy, that sunshine felt good!

A gray day

Day #3

Today I am grateful for gray hair. Yup, that's right. As I was getting ready this morning, I found it.................

(oh, the horror!!)

my first.

gray.

hair.

Right there. On the top of my head, clear as can be. Really? This is truly hard for me to admit. Man, I thought I was ready for this. Okay, it is just one, right? But I pulled it out. Uh-oh, now three will come back in its place! I sulked a little to Allen, and he just smiled and kissed my forehead. I made him promise not to tell anyone.

And to make things better, while I was shopping at the grocery store, I bought some wine. Why is that a problem? Well, the cashier didn't card me. Not even a hesitation. Do I look 35?

While driving home, listening to my step-daughter ramble on about all the things that 13 year old girls think are "oober" cool, it dawned on me. Yes, I have (well, had) a gray hair, but what does that really mean? It means I have made it far enough to get a gray hair. I have survived this game called life for 29 years. I will accept every gray hair, every wrinkle, because it means I am truly blessed. I deserve those gray hairs, damnit. So today I am thankful for my gray hair, and the fact that I am still around to joke about it.

Kind of wished I hadn't pulled it out.......

Day #2

Day #2

Today I am thankful for surprises. I planned, with my sister and mom, to meet today at Chuck E. Cheese in Springfield. We will be in California for Thanksgiving, and we will probably stay coastal for Christmas, so we wanted to see each other for a quick visit. Well, Allen and I decided not to tell the girls. We told them we had to go inland to do some errands, which is not uncommon since we do not have many stores out here. Well, we pulled up in front of the mall, and there were grandma, grandpa, Aunt Ashley and Noah! The girls had no idea, it was great. They seemed a little confused, but had such a fun time. I even got me a little Noah time. He is so cute! It was a nice little change in scenery, and really good to see my family. Surprises keep life interesting! Thanks to my family for a wonderful visit!

Let's do a challenge

I see a lot of people posting some sort of "What I am thankful for" challenge for the month of November. I think that is a neat idea. However, I don't think I will bombard my friends on there with the daily posts....they are all probably getting tired of hearing about all the food Allen is making me! So, I know it is late, but we will count this one as Day 1, and I will do it again later today.

Day #1

Today I am thankful for old friends. Over the years, I have had many friends. Now, the ones who stayed only for a short time are important, too. They always leave memories and lessons learned. Then there are the ones who never really go away. It may be years until we talk, but they are always there. Even with miles between them and me, I know I can always turn to them if I am in need. I am thankful for their understanding, tolerance, and forgiveness, because I know I can fail to be the greatest friend at times. Thank you, old friends.

Under the weather

Okay, I am making myself do a quick post. Been busy here, and now I am sick. Did not do much yesterday except rest, so I could take the girls out for Halloween. I didn't even exercise! I felt guilty all day, even though I could hardly breathe and my head pounded with every step. I am still feeling pretty bad today, but a little better. I think I may try and exercise today. We have a busy weekend and I don't want to miss too many days. Ugh....I just want to go back to bed!

So, some good news. My step-daughter, Maddie, tried out and got accepted into honor band! She has only been playing the flute for 2 months! She is very excited, and we are very proud of her. She has been practicing everyday, and her hard work payed off! She sees this, and it is a wonderful lesson for her. And a first, as well. Lets hope this positive behavior catches!

  Becca was a rainbow fairy princess riding a flying unicorn!

Maddie was a masquerade witchy ballerina 

So cute and pretty!

And of course last night was Halloween! I love the day after, seeing all the pictures of friends kids all dressed up! So fun! My girls were cute and got a TON of candy! Really I don't know how, we only went down a few streets because we were trick-or-treating between rain spurts, but they still got a ton! I even woke up to a sweet thank you letter from Maddie! Even with not feeling well, it was a GREAT Halloween!!

I hope it was a fun and safe evening for all of you, friends! Now to get ready for an awesome Thanksgiving trip!