This and That

Dont cha just wanna squeeze this chubby cheeked, squinty eyed baby?? He has been thrilling us with smiles these days... so fun to watch him grow.

This is TUG... she is our Christmas MIRACLE this year... she had been missing since September... we were convinced she had been eaten by a coyote this fall... and POOF... she shows up at our door the other day! I was SPEECHLESS when my husband walked in the door with her! Gives me hope for the other missing kitties of years past! :)

AWWW.... So its IMPOSSIBLE to get a decent picture of 2 boys under age 2! I cannot get them to smile and hold still simultaneously... so I decided if I cant do it... neither can a photographer and Im not gonna waste $$ on watching one try! I got some really good ones of them SEPARATELY instead... but Im too lazy to upload them right now! :) So this is what you get off my Iphone for now :)

How nice is it that its in the 50's in IOWA right now? feels like SPRING... not Christmas! its just crazy. I found this bench at a local flea market . LOVED IT... and bought it up....added a" handmade by me" snowman.. and my handmade NOEL sign to welcome my guests. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER putting that cute snowman outside... the DUMB DOG mauled him within 24 hours..... oh poor frosty. I DID manange to sew him back together again... but he smells like DOG SLOBBER. gag.

Well NOW WHAT? all the partying for Christmas is over! It took us 3 days to get all our gifts open...it was THAT over the top of a Christmas. The inlaws came form Georgia for a week and SPOILED our boys rotten. Yet... I caught Isaiah playing with the trashcan today....SERIOUSLY???? Go play with a NORMAL toy! Now all he needs is a toybox to put them all in so mom and dad stop tripping over it all :)

For Christmas hubby gave me some new UGG boots which I LOVE.... but needed skinny jeans for. I have met a new LOW... I found and bought a pair from the GW!!! (Limited brand) but STILL... my 130$ shoes with 4 dollar GW jeans! haha! But hey... I still have baby weight to loose and am NOT spending $$ on new jeans now. I also got a primitive/ colonial table runner and a primitive thermostat cover, a subscription to The Simple Life magazine, and some cash! I will try to post pics later.

 I did regret not getting THE NATIVITY movie viewed with the family.... so easy to get caught up in the superficial nonsense and not spend near as much time focusing on the birth of our Lord and Saviour. We DID have a LOVELY Christmas eve service and Sunday morning service on Christ as our PRINCE OF PEACE !

Hope your Christmas's were wonderful! ~Elisha

Greens, kiddos, and crafts, and a laugh

I am loving the simplicity of just GREENS this year... and I love that all I have to pay for them is the price of going out in the cold and trimming them off our trees! I really love the blue berry spruce.... and Im even watering them to avoid dried needles on my floor! Thats ALOT for this mommy with 2 kids under 2! A funny for you.... so the sign is barnwood... I found it out by the dog pen... he had been chewing on it for awhile... or should I say he "distressed" it for me??? anyways I loved the rustic texture... so I added some NOEL :) what a dork am I?

More greens in our back entry way.. and my homemade star jingle ornament :)

Micah.... no this isnt his first bath... ( Im not THAT bad of a mom!) ... however now 5 weeks old... I realized I never took a baby bath picture of him! AND BONUS... got a bit of a baby grin! We are REALLY enjoying some smiles from him these days... makes a mommy's heart melt.

Isaiah holding Micah... and the darn cat stole the spotlight... its about impossible to get a decent picture around here without a distraction.

WAIT... whats THIS?? a semi decent picture? WITH MOM?? that is so rare!! :) Notice the blue bracelet Im wearing?( This is what lack of sleep resorts to for this mom)..... I must wear it to remind me of what breast I last nursed on so I can feed my child! ha! It says LEFT... and RIGHT on it.... I just flip it over... when I can remember to do that! If I forget this complex step... I am totally in trouble... because then I must THINK and try to REMEMBER. If all else fails... its the boobie test... the largest one wins the baby! LOL.... TMI? I believe all my readers are women?? Sorry if thats too much... but something we moms find hilarious these days amongst the diapers and spit up :)

My saturday night craft! Ok... he is missing his soon to be "stick arms"... but I had so much fun sewing his little hat and scarf up and jingle buttons. I even BAKED his nose :) I love him.... I think I need to make another to put on my prim bench outside with some more GREENS :) And maybe another " dog distressed" sign to sit by him to say "let it snow" ?

Got the crafting bug and some decor to share!

I have the crafting bug big time! I think its the hormone switch from after having a baby bc my energy is coming back! I got this little mouse pattern from a tutorial off of "a simpler time" blog and have been making these little mice for Christmas gifts... some in stockings and some in mittens and some in mini baskets :) I think I will paint this basket however???

My Christmas centerpiece this year for the farm table

The lighting in this pic is horrible... but I am LOVING The SIMPLICITY of just fresh cut greens this year... have them all over the house in crocks... it smells so good!

Another homemade lil mouse in a mitten (recycled sweater) I made

My newborn has a cold (ALREADY!) and I was up with him til midnight last night... but managed to stitch up this little stitchery/ applique pic (recycled frame of course... and leftover scrap fabric... FREE!)

the entry way table decor... of course my little rice lights dont show up! (boo) .

Anyways thats some of my Christmas fun.... it is SO COLD and windy here today. I tried to take Isaiah out to play for a little bit and managed to cut down some more greenery for some outdoor displays... but we didnt last long.... BITTER cold! Been wanting to head out back of the property and cut down some "charlie brown" "weed" type pine trees from the fence line... but I might wait on that! BRRRRRR! Well thats all for now! Hope you are staying warm~ ~ Elisha