Sunday, December 27, 2015

Gifts finished just in time

So I started these stockings in December of 2013 as Chloe was just an infant.  I didn't finish them then, and we used random stockings that year.  Then 2014 came and went and we used unfinished stockings.  That brings us up to Christmas Eve 2015 I decide it's time to actually finish them.  I went to my mom's house as she's making Christmas Eve dinner (not the best time I know) and beg for help.   She, being the amazing, wonderful, loving person that she is, finished the machine sewing of the cuffs so all I had to do was the hand sewing while they were inside out and then they were done.  Whew!  Next year we'll have one more to add to the mix, but if I wait until the last second it might not get done for a few years :)
 Another project I worked on and finished are these cute aprons for the kids.  I had planned on making two for each of them and have the fabric to do so, but ran out of time and decided one was plenty for now.  They're both reversible, which I love.  I didn't follow a pattern, I halfway used a child's apron from my childhood and one from Home Depot to get the rough idea.  They are in no way perfect, but the kids love them so that's what matters.
I also finished tying knots in a truck blanket for Connor's bed.  I just need to sew the sides and that will be done and I can start working on a blanket for Chloe's big girl bed.

I have Peter home for the week, so we're tackling some of the bigger projects on our to do list.  Mainly turning our pink crafty room into Chloe's new room.   Buying closet organizers and installing in Chloe's new closet and ordering a mattress and box spring for her big girl bed that my mom is sanding and repainting from my childhood.

I have been in a real nesting mood lately as I've cleaned and organized the shelves in the play room closet and have been organizing clothes bins.  I organized my closet and found missing gifts for Peter's dad, father's day gifts we made last year for my dad and Peter, two new church outfits for Connor and some gifts for Peter's brothers.  I either need to stop buying gifts months in advance, or stop hiding them in my closet as I forget about them.  Then on the other hand part of our closet will hold our craft supplies now, so perhaps it'll be harder to hide/lose items now.

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

October and November

So I'm a little behind in updating the blog...
Here's October:
 Showing off our cute jammies.  Connor and Chloe received these same jammies last year from Abbie, but they were too small for this year, so Mommy found them on sale at Carters and bought some more.  The kids were excited to wear them.
 We went to this fun pumpkin patch.  This is a goat maze.
 The kids each got to ride a pony.

 And pick out their own pumpkin

 Connor also went to a pumpkin patch with his class for a field trip.  Mommy got to go along too.
 Connor was proud of his white pumpkin.
 We also went to a Halloween carnival at school.  Connor wanted to be a garbage man for Halloween.  I don't know what garbage men wear, so we gave him a construction hat, vest and a garbage bag and he was happy.
In November:
Connor's school had their annual Walk-a-thon.  Connor enjoyed running all of his laps.

 I think this was the cool down lap

 For Thanksgiving we drove to Utah this year.  We stayed with Emily and Drew again and their two cute kiddos Colby and Abby.  The kids had a blast playing together and Connor keeps asking when are we going to go back to Colby's house.  While there, we were invited to an ice cream party, but then it started to snow.
About an hour or two after the snow started, the front yard looked like this:
Connor was so excited, we went outside and watched the snow fall.  Connor exclaims, "I've never seen snow fall from the sky before."  He's only seen snow already on the ground or manmade snow, so this was pretty exciting.  We skipped out on going to the ice cream party and made snowmen instead.  Emily had kept all of her kids' snow gear, so she was able to find something to fit Connor and Chloe so they could go play in the snow.  We did not pack any snow gear as it has never snowed in the years that we have visited for Thanksgiving.  We were happy to have warm snow gear to borrow for the kids.
After building some pretty cool snowmen, the kids eventually came inside and we all had hot chocolate and then got ready for bed.

On one of the days we went to the Museum of Natural Curiosity with Emily and her kids, and Amy and her kids.  The kids had a blast and didn't want to go home.  On another day we went to the Treehouse were Connor built this cool arch.  We took Colby with us and the boys wandered around for quite some time picking out their favorite places to be.  Colby played in a school house for a long time.  Connor played in a diner and with these blocks.  Chloe went everywhere!  She finally held still playing with a grocery area with foods, in the diner and in this block area were Legos she enjoyed building.
Look who made two arches with Daddy's help...they were pretty tall.
The kids also did a cute craft-they made a pilgrim and Indian.  Connor brought his home and then promptly wrapped them up.  He said they were my Christmas present.

Chloe loved the dinosaur exhibit.  She had to ride them.
I think this was at the Museum of Natural Curiosity.  Chloe loved the climbing areas.
 On one of the days we went and visited Uncle Blaine's cows.  I believe the two on the left are Blaine's cows and the two on the right are uncle Brent's cows.  The smallest calf was born in early November and the momma was very protective.  Blaine was out feeding the cows so they let Peter and the kids watch relatively close. 
 For Thanksgiving we always rent a church gym and get together potluck style with all the families.  This year we were in charge of bringing fruit.  We made two cute turkey fruit platters and a fruit salad.  We found out that cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon are not to be bought in November here.  The watermelon and cantaloupe went straight into the trash.  The honeydew didn't have much taste, but it wasn't bad, so we kept it.
 On the day after Thanksgiving we went to another church and had a big Oktoberfest party.  Connor and Chloe got in on the dancing.

 Connor even tried his hand at hammering a nail into a piece of wood.
We had a great time as we always do, but after a week of hanging out with family it was time to go home.