The P.L.A.N.

We have been anticipating our (first) move for almost 6 weeks now and today we began our 1 week countdown. Since the last time I posted about our great big move, a couple things have changed. We are no longer moving to Missouri, but are moving somewhere over the rainbow (a.k.a. Kansas) instead. The reason for this abrupt change is that my Mister was selected to fill a science teaching position at a Catholic(!!!) school and was offered the right salary...how could we resist?

So, here is our plan:

We are moving to Albuquerque, NM in 7 days.

The reason we are moving to ABQ is that my Mister will be taking 3 Summer classes (8 weeks long) at UNM (pre-requisites for his physicians assistant program).

Between now and then, we have to pack up the rest of this house, move what is left to a storage unit, paint our beautiful red living-room white (it's a looong story), deep-clean the apartment (including all of the lovely white walls and trim that my littles have covered with love), shut off the utilities, turn in our change of address to every institution that we owe $$$ and to the post office, close out my Arbonne business orders, help throw a baby shower for a dear friend, and say goodby to our friends.

Once in ABQ we will live in a (semi) spacious extended-stay hotel room (i.e. full kitchen, full bath, bedroom/living room/dining room, fully furnished, utilities included, free wireless internet, free cable, and last but certainly not least, cleaning service!) bringing only 2 suitcases, some dishes, some toys, a stroller, and some educational materials. 

When my Mister is finished with his classes, we will pick up our moving truck (which happens to be the same dimensions as our current storage unit), drive it to our storage unit, pack it up, and drive it to Kansas.

Now, I know that you may be thinking that we are completely out of our minds to move into such a small space, with 3 small children, and almost nothing else...BUT, there are many perks to living in ABQ...I'll have to share them with you another day...right now, I am tired.


G'night.

It's a...

BOY!!!

One Perfect Baby

Two little feet,

so tender and sweet

That have walked with the angels

On heavenly streets

Ten little fingers, and ten little toes,

With every new day continue to grow.

One little mouth that sings to our Lord.

And two little ears to hear His word.

One prefect baby for us to love,

With wisdom and guidance from our Father above.

By K. Maloney

We can't wait to meet you little one!

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I Love Ya, Tomorrow...

Tomorrow is the day that we will find out whether we are to welcome a little boy or a little girl into our hearts and home this September. The littles are all coming with us and we can't wait! Only a day away!!!

C is for Cookie...

Yesterday, I wrote a post regarding our "plan" for the next 2 months of our lives...but alas, it has disappeared into blogland...somewhere out there...So, since I don't have any time to re-write it right now I thought I'd share my newest addiction with you. : )

A few hours ago, my littles and I whipped up a batch of these and (1 dozen cookies later) I have to say that they are the BEST C.C. COOKIES I HAVE EVER TASTED!  They are the perfect marriage of a crunchy outside and an oh so chewy inside....mmmm.


                                

Warning: These cookies are highly addictive.

Bon Appetite!

Note: I used 1/4 C less butter, 3 2/3 C flour, and stirred it all together with a spoon.

Our Baby Girl is ONE!

“What Is A Little Girl!”

She's a bundle of sweetness,
brightness & fun...

 The beauty of springtime,
the warmth of the sun...
  
 

She's Innocence covered with mud,
sand, & soot...

She's Motherhood dragging
a doll by the foot...

She's a composite picture of
giggles & tears...

Of tantrums, excitement,
amusement & fears...

A bundle of mischief
and often a tease...

A creature of moods
not easy to please...

Who'll capture your heart
with her pixie-like grin...

Or chatter and beg till your
patience wears thin...

But obedient, naughty,
mischievous or coy...

She's Mommy's little Darling &
Daddy's Pride & Joy.

Happy Birthday Little Princess. 



We love you so very much.

Pretty Little Tutu Tutorial - No Sewing Involved!

Our little girl is turned 1 this Sunday! I cannot believe how big and beautiful she is! She is such a joy to have in our family and is so happy and good natured. 

I thought and thought of the perfect one-year birthday gift for a little girl and more specifically our little girl.

I don't know if I have ever written about my passion for encouraging "real" play within our home...someday I will. In a nutshell, I believe we live in an overly busy and electronic age and that children don't REALLY play (or even know HOW to play) anymore unless they are encouraged. I have been falling increasingly in love with all things Montessori and have several play "stations" (hee! No pun intended) set up throughout our home. These stations are VERY simple. They consist of baskets/boxes of toys that encourage our children to use their imaginations (For instance we have a dress up box, a play kitchen with a large variety of wooden and cloth food, a basket of play-silks, art supplies, building blocks, Duplos, , etc...).

...Well, as I was thinking about THE perfect gift for our little lady, that would also encourage "real" play, I came up with this..."girly" things to add to our overwhelmingly "boy" dress-up box.

I took a trip to a couple thrift stores in the area and found 2 beautiful (think royal wedding style) hats, 5 pairs of ladies gloves, and some long necklaces. (I know that second-hand hats can be a little frightening, BUT did you know that you can simply slip any "un-washable" item into a zip-lock bag and put it into the freezer for 48 hrs and it will eliminate any bacteria or little pests that might exist on it? Neat huh?)

Next, I set to work making a couple of little things. One of the gifts that I made for my little princess is this pretty little pink tutu...

Today, I have put together a tutorial so that you too can make a tutu! ; ) Just follow the steps below.(It is SO EASY. I promise!)

Note: I realize that some of my photos are sideways or upside down but I just didn't have the time to turn them all the right way. Please forgive me.

You Will Need:

2 spools of ribbon 

(you'll end up using a 1/2 spool of each color so you can make 2 tutus with 2 spools of ribbon)

1.5 Yards of Tulle (sp??)

(I used 1 yard of light pink tulle and 1/2 yard of hot pink tulle in order to give the tutu a two-toned appearance)

Tip: Have the tulle cut in 1/2 yard strips.

Scissors

Step #1

Choose 2 spools of ribbon (one wide and one narrow) and coordinating tulle. Unroll the spool of wide ribbon and cut it in half (approx. 2 yards)

Step #2

Fold each piece of tulle in half and cut it on the fold.

Step #3

Cut each double layer of tulle into 3 equal parts.

Step #4

Cut 10-12 pieces of narrow ribbon the length of one of the pieces of tulle.

Step #5

Fold each piece of tulle in half over the wide piece of ribbon and tie in a knot.

Step #6

Between every few pieces of tulle, fold each piece of narrow ribbon in half and tie in a knot.

I love the way that this turned out.

Our little baby girl just LOVES her pretty new dress up things and wore the little tutu all day long.

Catching Up...

So much is happening/has happened in my life and in my heart lately. Here are some of my recent thoughts...

I love the month of May. I just love it. I love the blossoms on the trees and the flowers that spring forth from the earth. I love the singing of the birds and the sunshine that pours through my windows. I love that it is the month of Mary. I love the Marian hymns at mass and the beautiful tradition of the May crowning...speaking of, I really need to glue our statue of Our Lady back together so that we can have our home May crowning...

Lately I am re-obsessed (it hits me every Spring and Summer) with smoothies. I JUST. CAN'T. GET. ENOUGH!

It is such a blessing to have the opportunity and grace to house another precious child within my womb. I am often overwhelmed with the the beauty of this reality. And, I can't wait to find out if we are to welcome a little boy or a little girl into our hearts and home this September (2 weeks until the ultrasound! eek!).

We are leaving in 2.5 weeks and I will dearly miss our friends...sigh. And, there is still SO much to be done before we go.

My in-laws are coming to our home in 3 days! 

I love my husband more than words can express. He is such a loving, giving, caring man. I have been feeling the blessing of his presence in my life a LOT lately. It is an incredible gift to be married to my best friend.

Speaking of my Mister, he made a toddler bunk bed yesterday! Who does that?! He did such a great job! I can't get over that man. We'll sand and stain it later this week. I can't wait to show you the pictures!

Speaking of yesterday, my baby girl turned 1 (1!!!) I can't believe it! The day was simply lovely.

Library fines can be so EXPENSIVE! That's all I'll say about that!

I found (and bought) this INCREDIBLE  orange necklace at this little boutique I happened to pass through the other day. You may have heard of it...it's called Goodwill. (Pics another day)

Did you know that Tom's of Maine made a toothpaste for kids?! I JUST discovered it this weekend...and promptly escorted it to the checkout and into my home.

I have been listening to the Parent Trap soundtrack on repeat ALL weekend. SO GOOD! I had forgotten how much I love it. And, dance parties with toddlers are truly priceless!

And now, my coffee is beckoning and there are empty boxes waiting to be filled...

More later!

Ciao!

"My Daddy"

...by a young artist.

From the Mouths of Babes...

This morning, as my "2" and "3" were playing with their magnetic trains, I could tell that my "3" was frustrated that the train cars kept coming apart. A few minutes later, I overheard him say shout to his little brother "I can't play with these anymore! They are too delicate for me!"

Delicate. That is the word of the day!

Happy Mother's Day!

 She remained hidden for thirty years at Nazareth with the Savior. There her chief concern was to raise her Divine Son, to merit increasingly the confidence of her husband, and to provide her family with what they needed by working as her strength allowed. - The Imitation of Mary

Today I am thanking God for all of the beautiful mothers in my life (physical and spiritual) who, by their examples, have taught me to be a better and holier mother. My Mary, the Mother of us all, guide each one of us on our journeys toward her Son.

PAX, b

Our Resurrection Cross - A New Easter Tradition

A few days ago I started showing you some of the changes that we have made in our home for the Easter season. Today I'd like to share one more with you.

This year my husband made a large wooden cross with the boys during the season of Lent.

On Good Friday he talked to them about how Jesus was nailed to the cross and about His immense love for us. He took out 3 nails, let the boys look at them and hold them, and gave them a little poke on each of their hands and feet (don't worry...it was just a small poke) so that they would understand that it HURT Jesus. Then, they nailed 3 nails into the cross.

On Holy Saturday, we placed a cloth on the cross.

And on Easter Sunday, we began to decorate the cross with beautiful signs of life (i.e. paper flowers, butterflies, ladybugs, bees, etc) to celebrate Jesus' Resurrection.

It is now our Resurrection Cross and we have placed it in a prominent place in our living room, to remind us of Christ's love for us, and His victory over sin and death.

It is such a joy to listen to the boys as they tell everyone who comes to visit about their "Easter/Resurrection cross". They'll say things like,"Jesus is not dead anymore","Jesus got on the cross because He loves us so, so much", and "Jesus is risen and His boo boos don't hurt Him anymore". Precious.

Here are a few pictures...

Good Friday Cross

Holy Saturday Cross

Easter Sunday!!! - Resurrection Cross

 

Note: I have to give partial credit to Kimberlee and Dana for the inspiration behind this project (...the rest was Divinely inspired). Thank you for your beautiful ideas!

Lift High The Cross

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim,
Till all the world adore His sacred Name.

Led on their way by this triumphant sign,
The hosts of God in conquering ranks combine.

Each newborn servant of the Crucified
Bears on the brow the seal of Him Who died.

O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,
As Thou hast promised, draw the world to Thee.

So shall our song of triumph ever be:
Praise to the Crucified for victory.

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim,
Till all the world adore His sacred Name.

Words: George W. Kitch­in; mod­i­fied by Mi­chael R. New­bolt in 1916.

Music: Crucifer, Syd­ney H. Ni­chol­son, 1916

Mother's Day Gift Idea #1 - Bath Salts/Potpourri Sachet Tutorial

This Saturday I am going out with several other young mothers for an early Mother's Day luncheon. I wanted to make some sort of appreciation gift for each mother and came up with this...

It is a handmade sachet filled with bath salts (after all, we could all use a nice, relaxing, hot bath every once in awhile).

Note: You could use potpourri rather than bath salts if you wish for an equally nice gift.

I will attach a little card to each sachet with this picture on the front:

 ...a short personal note of appreciation and this quote on the inside:  
"A mother is the most important person on earth. She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent than any Cathedral -- a dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby's body." -- Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty 

...and directions for use on the back.

The inspiration for the little pouch came from this Brighton Jewelery pouch that I had laying around...

In order to make one of these little pouches,

you will need:

4 & 3/4 in. x 14 & 1/4 in. Piece of Fabric

2 x 20 in. Pieces of Ribbon

Thread (matching)

Needle/Sewing Machine

Safety Pin

Strait Pins

Scissors

Note: 1/2 yd. of fabric makes 10-11 pouches

Step#1

Cut the fabric and  ribbons to the correct size/length.

Note: I made 11 pouches so I cut all of my fabric and ribbons right away.

Step #2

Measure 2.5 in. down the length of the fabric on the top and the bottom (i.e. down from the top and up from the bottom at all four corners), mark with a pencil, and snip 1/4 inch in.

Step #3

Fold the side of fabric over, then down, and pin.

Fold it down 1/4 inch past the slit.

Step #4

Using a small stitch (I use "2" on my machine) sew over the flap using a 1/2 inch seam allowance.

Step#5

Sew over the flap again using a 1 inch seam allowance (or 1/2 inch in from the last line of stitching).

Step #6 

Sew both sides of the pouch using a 1/4 inch seam allowance and turn the pouch right-side out.

Step #7

Take a piece of ribbon, fold it back an inch or so, and put a safety pin through it. Now, slide it through the hole on one side of the fabric then turn it around and slide it through the hole on the other side of the fabric.

Step #8

Using the second strand of ribbon, repeat Step 7 from the opposite end.

FYI...

Since you're all dying to know...my nail color is "cute as a button" by essie ; )

Step #9

Measure 1/2-1 cup bath salt into a baggie/individual baggies.

Don't say a word! I am well aware that this looks highly illegal...but it is bath salt...I promise.

Step #10

Place the baggie(s) into the pouch(s), pull ribbons, and tie them in a bow!

So, would you like to know how much this project cost?

The fabric was $1.16, the ribbon was 45 cents/spool, and I already had the bath salts on hand (bath salts vary in cost...some are very inexpensive while others cost $$$) . The entire cost came to $2.06 + tax...which is approximately 20 cents per sachet!

Have a lovely Mother's Day!!!