a little glitter goes a long way!

Some very special people will have a handmade card coming there way in the next week or so.

The girls and I started working on our Christmas present thank you cards. I am not sure if other parents still have their kids send thank you cards but I grew up doing them and think it is an important lesson for my kiddos. So, we got to work making some cute, crafty thank you notes to send to family and friends.

We started by making snow flakes.

Then glued the snowflakes onto a piece of folded over construction paper. We mixed glue and glitter together and "painted" the snowflakes with the glitter/glue mixture. This was definitely the girls favorite part.

They loved the finished covers. Now I just have to sit down with them and get them (I say them but really Sam will have to do all the writing!) to write the little thank you note on the inside. Not sure they will be as excited about this part!

Do you have your kids do thank you notes? Or is this completely old fashioned?

The Pieces of our Christmas

As always there are pieces missing because I am not always great about remembering the camera. So not pictured are our wonderful Christmas celebration with Nana and Grandpa (hoping Grandpa will share his photos!!), a full family picture all dressed up for Christmas Eve, pictures of our great night out looking at Christmas lights in St. Louis and pictures of the girls delivering cookies to our new neighbors.  But here are the pieces of our Christmas that I did capture.

Our Tree

 Christmas cookie making. Sam was actually a big help this year!

Hanging with the cousins.

 A snowflake project that became great decorations for Grandma's door.

 Eve eve with LOTS of extended family!

 Christmas morning. Santa did not disappoint! Doll wardrobe for Sam and a shopping cart for Avery.

 Then Christmas morning with the cousins, Pawpaw and Grandma.

 Pawpaw got a guitar!

We are settling back at home with all the new toys. We had a busy and fun holiday season! Hope you all did too. And be on the look out for our "Christmas Card" coming to your house sometime in January!!

some fun recent photos

settled?

People keep asking if we are settled yet or settled into the new house yet. But honestly...I am not sure how to answer that. I love our new house. Our stuff is mostly unpacked. A few of my things are hung on walls and the girls are having a great time rediscovering their toys. The neighborhood seems filled with young kids and young families. But is all that what it takes to feel settled? When all of your things are in order and unpacked have you created a home?

I just don't think so. I think I need friends. A church. Friends for my kids. And a community that I know my way around. It's all that stuff that fills my heart with love and makes a new place feel like home. We had that in Stevens Point and more quickly than I ever expected we had all of that in Waunakee. I know I will find it again in Peoria but it takes time.

So, I guess to answer the question "are we settled in yet?" I would say "I am working on it and probably will be for quite some time".


If you are totally lost with what I am talking about (since I have not been on here since September!) let me fill you in a bit!

July - Chris took a new job in Peoria, IL
August - Chris left WI and during the week lived out of his parents house commuting to work an hour each way to Peoria, IL. The girls and I stayed in WI to sell our home.
September - Girls went to school, Chris worked and our house didn't sell.
October - Girls went to school, Chris worked and our house didn't sell.
November - Girls went to school, Chris worked, OUR HOUSE SOLD, we became homeless, found a new home and took a vacation to Cabo.
December - We moved into our new home in Dunlap, IL.

Now you are all caught up! Enough for today but I have decided to be back at this space a bit more regularly. So hopefully I will have recent photos and updates coming soon.

first day of school

Sam started 4K (which is four year old kindergarten) today and Avery started preschool today! Both girls are in school!!! Woohoo!

Sam will be in school everyday in the mornings and Avery will go two mornings a week. I will have six hours a week with no kids! That is amazing.

Anyway, wanted to show off the girls this morning.

First day of school breakfast. 

 Avery did not want to open her eyes.

 And my choice in spot to take the photo was not so great because of the shadows, bummer. 

 Outside their school, ready to go!

My girls are at school right now and hopefully doing great! Can't wait to hear all the stories about their first day.