getting ready!

We decorated our tree! (Before you get all fashionably "I hate Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving," let me explain!) My parents will arrive on Thursday morning, and on Friday, we will celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas! My parents, Chris & Elijah & me, Paul & Megan, and Andre & Roxanne will be here for dinner on Friday. A little earlier in the day, we'll exchange gifts. An all-in-one sort of affair. At our house. I've been cleaning like crazy!

Elijah was fairly interested in decorating the tree. He was pretty disappointed that some of the more fragile ornaments were not toys, but there will be toys, toys, toys soon enough!

Above are Andre and Roxanne, who are some of our absolute favorite friends, and amazing card players - we learn a new game every time they come, and it's a blast! Shown with them is my gorgeously blooming Christmas cactus (another good decoration for the party at the end of the week!) - am never just sure how it knows to bloom during Advent every year, but somehow, it does.

Lefse Lesson

Warning: do not make lefse for the first time. It seems like a simple thing, I know: mix dough, chill, roll out, cook on griddle, cool. It's not simple.

First of all, on the day you intend to cook it, you can be sure that the babies will not nap. Ever. The lefse will stick to the board. By the time you scrape it up and roll it into a ball to re-roll, it will be too warm, and you will have to throw that chunk away. (Okay, you won't have to... but you will.) It takes forever. And ever and ever, amen. Think broken knees, broken back. Sitting up, exhausted, to dinner. At least you remembered to put something in the crockpot, so you didn't have to deal with dinner at the same time!

But then, you bite into delicious, buttery, brown-sugary (or whatever your preferences are) lefse... and forget. And think, maybe you'll do this again someday.

Which is probably why you never should have made it in the first place.

Where's my Grandma when I need her? :)

apple hat

1. Took Alexie outside for a few minutes in the Beco yesterday. She was adorable in our little apple hat!
2. Which really fits Elijah, not Alexie. But you can't keep that thing on him for more than 3 seconds, of course!
3. He does, however, know all his letters from A through L, except he stumbles a little on H and K still. Crazy!
4. Been making more covered buttons! They are so fun. I need to order some from Etsy, they are much cheaper than buying them from the stores!
5. Today I will make up chow mein for the crockpot tomorrow, and lefse to chill overnight in the fridge! That is, if Alexie manages to fall asleep while Elijah is napping...

More than just beans...

My dear friend Diana (Henry's Mama) works for an organization called the Women's Bean Project, helping women to break out of poverty and gain the skills they need to become or remain employed. They sell soups, jewelry, and cookie mixes, like this one that Diana brought me last week! I tried it out today and it was fantastic! Check out their website and their cool products...
Love this necklace!!

out my window last week

Candy Cane Christmas

Wouldn't it be so pretty and fun to do a candy cane Christmas? Everything in red and white. I love those two simple colors together, for either Valentine's Day or Christmas!

Pictures found here & here & here & here & here & here & here & here & here.

buttons and things

Two nights ago, we had our Pastor and his wife over for dinner (see below). I absolutely love hosting dinners - love the cooking, love the company & the chatting, love how cleaned up our house becomes in the whole process!

And yesterday, Emily came over for a little playgroup time - Connor + Elijah - and taught me the ridiculously simple and absolutely addicting fun of making fabric covered buttons. Now I just need a million ideas for how to use these! Have one idea already - growing up, I had a cork board bulletin board in my room - and lucky me, when my parents visit in a few weeks, they're going to bring it, and I can make button-tacks (or whatever they're called) to my heart's content!

Quilt a quilt

When I was in 5th grade, I made an entire quilt for my bed (not pictured), and started making quilts for Lutheran World Relief. Although I quit that by the end of middle school, I've always been interested in quilting.

In 10th grade, our geometry teacher assigned each of us the task of designing and making a quilt. While most quilts were small, I decided not to waste my time, and to just make an entire quilt for a bed (see quilt above). A few years later, my grandma Polly helped me turn it into a duvet cover, and I put it in my hope chest for our marriage. We use it every night now!

Since then, though, I haven't made many quilts - just this one (above) for Emily, the little girl I nannied last year. To be honest, the thought of quilting them together is what stops me. Donna at Brynwood Needleworks is advising me on this process, and I am so grateful. Hopefully in the next year, I will be able to show off a couple more quilts that I've designed and made!

This was my day

This was my day today. Three kids under the age of two. Adorable - except the part where {when one starts crying, they all cry hysterically}. They did all manage to sleep at the same time for about 45 minutes or so, and really, all of them were pretty pleasant and calm for most of the day.

This blog has kind of become an Elijah's Adventures blog lately. Sorry! He's been my main focus, I guess. I will continue crafting and posting about, you know, things other than just Elijah.

Things like the Christmas cookies I plan to make; the Thanksgiving dinner I plan to host (for my parents, my bro and sil, and some friends); the Christmas presents I'm giving; and maybe some gifts I receive!; the wintery weather I'm sure is coming; our upcoming trip to silvery snowy Minnesota for a winter wonderland Christmas; the Holiday dinner + dance for the Internal Medicine residents... you see, I do have a life outside of photographing my child!

Promise to make it available soon. :)

our gloriously untamed backyard

Elijah discovered a new love this week - "helping" Mommy rake leaves, and then jumping in the pile. We also lowered the seat on his vintage trike (I'm sure my mom can comment and say how many generations have used it) and it fits perfectly! Just a little more practice needed.

And it's been warm enough again to grill (in the pitch dark with a flashlight, since my husband doesn't want to put in a new light on the back of the house because they keep burning out)... though personally, I'd prefer the snow to this warm weather!

Today I am watching three kids - my own little Elijah, a 15 month (or so) old Henry (whose daycare closes on Veteran's Day), and baby Alexie. Miraculously, they all napped at the same time, so I got to make this blog post and eat some soup!