We now return to our regularly scheduled programming

I know there's been a gap in posting - I've just been so busy !  We drove home to visit family in Michigan for 10 days around Christmas.  It's been a busy few days recovering from the drive and getting our family up and running again.  Highlights from the break:

-  We drove through the winter storm (known as Blizzard Alvin here in the Dakotas).  It was a very long trip and a couple of more difficult bits, but all and all not a bad drive back from Michigan.

-  We visited twice with my beloved friends Andy and Joanna and their little guy Jordan, and the second time we saw them we also spent the morning with Jo's parents, and one of my best friends, Bill.  It was a blessed time and so wonderful to be with people who know your 'back' story and you don't have to explain everything to.

-  Got to see my beautiful niece Cora several times and be enchanted with her whimsical personality.  She is such a GIRL compared to Eli, I could scarcely believe it.

-  Speaking of my Eli, at my parent's house, he liked to drive their toy size shopping cart around the most. He also enjoyed their child size table that is perfectly set up for coloring.

I need to close this post now, because I could type for hours to detail all the wonderful aspects for spending over a week with family.  I have lots of my current sewing projects to show off tomorrow, including a peak at the giveaway I won during the Sew Mama Sew Dec. 2 giveaway !

Advent

I love the weeks of Advent, leading up to Christmas.  Coming from a family that didn't have many Christmas traditions, Advent was one of a few things that happened every year, whether we celebrated Christmas in any other way.  The Protestant church has such little pagentry compared to the Catholic tradition, and the ritual of lighting one more candle each week of Advent has such a deep meaning to me.  There is something so beautiful in that most churches do relatively the same ceremony, and it gives such a feeling of continuity to my Christmas celebration.

The anticipation that builds up to the celebration of Christ's birth, symbolized by the gradual addition of a candle each week, reminds me of the greater anticipation that His birth began - a longing for His perfect creation.  As my family continues to prepare for Christmas, I hope the Advent season finds you being restored in hope and anticipation for the celebration of Christmas, and the eternal hope that it symbolizes for all those who believe.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see"  Hebrews 11:1

"The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. " Romans 8:19

Helper

Here's a quick shot of my little helper, watching the bread machine make the dough for our pizza.

  We've been doing a tradition since October that every Saturday night (it's just what works in our life, with Ben on night shift during the week) we hang out around our house and we make pizza together.  It's so nice to not worry about what is for dinner once a week - it's an easy meal for mama to make !

Saturday Night Pizza:

3/4 t. salt
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 t. active dry yeast
1 and 3/8 cups water
3 T. olive oil
Optional:  Good shake of garlic powder

1.  Combine all ingredients in bread machine pan and follow machine's directions for dough setting.

2.  After dough is completed, press it out in pizza pans (we make this into a regular crust, regular size pizza, and then make another thick crust one in a 9' cake pan.   There's probably enough dough for 2 full size pizzas).

3.  Prick the surface of the pizza all over with a fork, and brush it with an additional drizzle of olive oil.  Season surface liberally with a pizza or italian seasoning, and another shake of garlic powder (only if you like garlic !)

4.  Add sauce and toppings.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Enjoy !

Yummmm.

Craft Update

Thought I'd spotlight several of the things that have been coming out of my sewing room lately - these are just a few of the things.  I've been sewing frantically, trying to get things wrapped up for Christmas.

A clutch ball for a Christmas present for my niece Grace.

A gift diaper for my beloved friend, Joanna.

It's in one of my favorite fabrics - the "Guess How Much I Love You" print !

A boy and his daddy

We had a rather quiet weekend over here.  The weather has turned bitterly cold and so we're spending many of our hours indoors.  Eli has been quite a rascal lately and makes me want to tear my hair out on occasions.

But, as so frequently happens in all species that don't eat their young, he has moments that just melt your heart, and make you decide not to put him on ebay.

After a day just FULL of naughtiness, Eli was an absolute doll during the time right before bedtime, and I let him stay up super late just because I was so craving his hugs and kisses after all the crud we'd done all day.  I don't think he's been feeling well, and he's been spitting out his juice all over and trying to turn over furniture - just being a boy.  I think he's starting to get a little too pent up in here, and I have to try better to remember that just because Ben and I enjoy staying indoors, nice and snuggly, all winter long, that little boys don't necessarily feel the same.  I need to try to get him to burn off more energy.

I had a cookie exchange with my MOPS group tonight, and so Eli and daddy got to spend some time together.  Ben was running late at work, and I needed to go by work on the way to the exchange, and so I bundled E up and brought him to Ben's job and we exchanged E.  Then the boys went out to Burger King for a special treat, and then went and played in the mall play place.  It sounds like they both had a great time, and Ben appreciates all the cookies I brought home !

And then, as Ben was tucking him in at night, he apparently said quite clearly "Night night " !!  This is very exciting to me - E isn't a huge talker, even with words that he already has said, and a new word is a big deal here... especially a sweet little phrase like "night night".  He has been melting me and saying "Mama, mama !" more often now.  

I wish I were a better photographer.  I was trying to take some artsy photographs of my Christmas decorations tonight, and they stink.  I wish I had an eye like my sister-in-law Casey does.

Oh well.  I've been trying to think of a cute name for having a regular weekly update on my sewing projects, and I'm trying to come up with some time to create my header for this blog.... maybe after Christmas !

~ Libby

A chocolate milk story: by Eli

Mama and I went to McDonald's for a special lunch today.  I got nuggets and dipped them in ketchup. I took my chocolate milk home to finish.

I loooove a chocolate milk.

At first I sipped it like a good boy, but then I started to get goofy with that big bottle

So mama substituted in a straw - which worked really well for a while. . 

Then - the inevitable

I spilled the milk !

So I grabbed a towel and wiped up my mess, all by myself.

The end !  ~ Eli

One more sleep

We're getting excited around here  - Ben has his annual holiday party tomorrow night.  We're looking forward to the door prizes.  I think that officially makes us boring - most people who are 25 would be looking forward to the open bar, but nah.... Target gift cards sound AMAZING to us.

I'm thinking of posting weekly a picture of crafting/sewing that I'm working on - I'm trying to think of which day in my life I"m most likely to carry through on that. It would be good for me to communicate what I kind of have going on in my craft room. 

Managed to divert disaster in fabric-world lately.  I was prewashing my flannels that I'd bought on Black Friday, and the one I liked the least bled all over on the one that I absolutely loved (isn't it always that way !?).  Well, after several different remedies and another washing... I've restored the loved flannel to its previous glory.

We have our tree up and fully trimmed.  I'll try to take a picture tomorrow.  When we went to Menard's yesterday, Eli decided he needed an Elmo and a Big  Bird ornament.  Ben wanted him to decide between them, and of course I'm a sucker and my heart melted.  He adores them and wants to carry them around most of the day.  We also have a big stack of already wrapped presents under the tree.  Whenever we get a present in for any of Eli's cousins or I finish a project that is a present, I just wrap it and get it under the tree.  Eli has no interest in them once they're wrapped.  I realize that this is probably the only year I can ever get away with this strategy.

Tomorrow I need to go to the DMV and get a new driver's license.   For some bizarre reason, I had taken mine out of my wallet and (of course) forgot to put it back in, and instead just put it in the pocket of my hoodie.  Well, now I can't find the hoodie.  I'm pretty bummed out about it actually too because I really liked the hoodie - it was pretty much brand new.  I know that I'll go get a new license, and that'll be the day that I find the hoodie.

Tweakin'

I think I'll continue to tweak and add features over the next few days, but I'm much happier with the look we're going with right now.  Here's a newish photo of Eli, taken by a lovely lady from our church:

Don't you want to be my friend ?

Starting afresh

I've been thinking of revamping this blog and posting regularly again. If there is anyone in the world who reads this, stay tuned for possible large changes !