its unoffically official

Images from my "Country Living" Pinterest board.  Follow me at Krista@behindthemoon

So it's finally "kinda-sorta-unofficially" official.  Gotta sign on the dotted line buuutttt....

After 6 awful long months, Hubsy, the rowdies, and I will finally be moving to the country!  I am so completely relieved to get this process over and start a new chapter in our lives.  Back in this post I talked about my frustration with knowing if this was going to be God's plan for us or not.  Well, He's kept us guessing until the very end ;)
Not gonna lie, it was a pretty difficult process and only a few people really know all the twists and turns we had along the way but you want to know the best part?  Not only is God gifting us with this dream come true but He also made my sister an instrumental piece of the puzzle.  How cool is that?!

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Living in the country is something we have always wanted but considered more of a retirement-type of thing until about a year-and-a-half ago.  I think my mid-life crisis actually started at about 35 because what I used to consider "someday" things have turned into "gotta do it now" things.  Right now.  Like now, ya hear.

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The more we thought about it the more we wanted this for our kids so they could have the time to enjoy it before girls friends became more important and their focus shifts to their own budding adulthood. Not to mention, we just need more space.  More space for Hubsy's business equipment, a large garden, and hopefully one day...chickens. Eeek, I love the thought of having chickens!  The whole idea of living a little more self-sufficeintly and naturally really resonates with me. And so while we will be gaining land, we will be downsizing house.  This is a little daunting but also very exciting!  Living with a little less "stuff"....I can almost hear myself taking a nice deep cleansing breathe and feeling the freedom of it :)

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 And so....these are the things I am looking forward to, all of which will be surrounding our new home.

open fields

dirt roads

farms

quiet

livestock

rolling hills

four-wheel riding

wildflowers

barns

playing in the creek

fences

fresh local honey

cleaner air

views upon views upon views

So much to be thankful for.
Wishing you and your families a blessed and very Happy Thanksgiving!

Wish granted

 My youngest recently had his 4th birthday but he gifted us with a precious memory.

After blowing out his candle and making his birthday wish, we asked him what he wished for.

His reply was "I wished for us to be a family forever".

Not for a new toy or video game.

Not for any "thing".

Just to be a family forever.

(Cue Daddy and I as puddles on the floor)

Such sweet and pure moments need to be savored and remembered.

Well wish granted my little man, a family we shall forever be.

The Thanksgiving Post

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving break.  

The only bad part is that Hubsy was sick the whole time but we managed to have some fun anyway.

Turkey

Rest

Movie

Walk

Christmas

Shopping

Decorating

Eating

Eating

Eating

Yep.  We did it all.

The festivities started on Wednesday with a trip to Dirty Ehrma's.

Nope, not a house of ill-repute....just a bar.  

With awesome wings.

We talked and drank and ate for 4 hours y'all.  It is an experience.  It had been about 4 years or so since we were able to go.  I think we made up for it though ;)

Dirty Ehrma's Cornerside Tavern

Love the Dirty Ehrma Sign (Ehrma reminds me of the character Maxine)

I want to waitress here just so I can wear this T-shirt....ha! Love it.

Oh yeah, that happened....more than once ;)

After we ate our fill and slept off our food comas...we woke up Thanksgiving Day to do it all over again.  It was such a beautiful sunny and fairly warm day.  So much to be thankful for.

Baked Onion Dip

My contribution to the meal was this Baked Onion Dip that I served with Ritz Crackers.  I got the recipe from this sweetie.  It was certainly a hit and I'll be making this one again fo' sho'.

We went to my Aunt and Uncle's for our actual feast.  Their house is ah-mazing!  My Aunt's style is so in line with my own.  So open and warm and welcoming.  And let me tell you ALL my aunts can cook.  Like really amazingly make-you-drool cook.  Not only was it an eventful day for my taste-buds but getting to spend time with family (especially when they do not live close by) is always a treat.  The boys had a blast playing with their second cousins.  And we took a family walk around the farm to stretch our legs and relieve the pressure on our stomachs ;)  We normally have to leave early to come back home because we traditionally do the Black Friday gig but we decided not to this year since Hubsy was able to find several deals on-line ahead of time.  I can't tell you how much I enjoyed not having to rush anywhere.  It was an ENTIRE day of relaxation and catching up with family.  I felt so blessed and had so much to be thankful for.

The rest of the weekend was spent cleaning and trying to finish up our Christmas decorating.  Thanks to my Dad I got quite the haul of natural items to use.  I'll show you what I did with them coming up soon!

My loot :) Several kinds of pine, wood, twigs, acorns, and pinecones.

Our "family" tree

Is there anything cuter than little hands decorating the tree?  I think many a mama would agree that watching traditions get passed on to your children tends to make you a sappy fool.  I love watching my little rowdies be all gentle with the ornaments.  And their squeals when they open up the ornaments sound just like mine.
"Mama remember this one!"...Precious.

"My" tree

We ended the weekend with a trip around the neighborhood to look at the lights.  We usually do this about 3 or 4 times a week during the Christmas season!  Wish we could leave them up all winter.

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving and a great kickoff to Christmas!

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well!

Friday Happies

Happy Friday!

I'm feeling sublimely blessed and optimistic today so I thought I'd share some happy 

with you in preparation for the weekend :) 

I want to do all of these this weekend.

Think I'll take a few minutes to raise my face to the sun and do this very thing!

I want to do something fun and fall-ish with the boys this weekend.  Not sure what it'll be yet but I'll be sure to act silly with them while we do it.  What's more fun than goofing off with the kids?  

I think I feel a family dance party coming on!  My boys do some rockin' break dancing.

 Um yeah, let's do this one ALL the time :) 

Whether you're doing something exciting or just kicking back 

make it a great weekend y'all!

Tiny Ripples

Source

"You look nice honey."

That was all that was said, but it had a profound effect on my attitude.
That simple little compliment from Hubsy made me feel so good...
made my outlook for the day a little brighter...
made me want to make someone else feel good too.

That's what compliments are.
Little ripples of love that spread out exponentially.
So often we take for granted how incredibly impactful our words can be.
Even the seemingly small ones.

I urge you to take a moment to compliment someone today.
Whether it be your spouse, your child, a co-worker, or a stranger.  Give them a heartfelt compliment and rest assured knowing that you have made the world a better place.  Truly you have.
In that small act of love, an entire movement of change can take place.
You will positively impact another's life, their mindset, and their actions.
It will only grow and multiply....and YES real change can happen in that way, with seemingly humble beginnings.

Remind you of anyone?
Jesus was born humbly in a stable but He spread love in every way, in every situation, and He has changed not only the world but all existence, for all time. 
Pretty darn awesome.

lowercase letters

A moment like that

Have you ever had a moment when an image or memory just hits you square in the chest?

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Here I sit at my computer with tears stinging my eyes and a lump in my throat.

All from a simple song lyric.

Corn fields swaying, clothes on the line
Tumbleweed is a turnin like the hands of time
"Sugarland" by Sugarland

I don't know why it hit me but it did.

I instantly had a flash of walking under the clothes on our clothesline as a kid and feeling 

the fabrics run gently over my raised arms.  

I could hear the quiet, and the birds.

See the sun in the sky with just a few clouds here and there. 

Feel the gentle breeze and the fabric, and smell the country air.  

It brought such a yearning my heart actually hurts a little bit.

A yearning for my childhood.

The house I grew up in.

Our family unit before my parents got divorced.

Wow, it was powerful.

You see I had a wonderful childhood.  I grew up on a 3-acre spread of land out in the country.  My dad was a banker and my mom was a nurse.  My sister and I attended Catholic school "in town".  I had my own room with shag yellow carpet.  Well it was the '80's after all and yellow was my favorite color :)  

Our summer days were spent playing with our neighbor boys that were near our ages, 

building forts in the woods, fishing in their pond, and petting the horses.  

I may have punched one of them in the gut for trying to kiss my sister but that is beside the point :)

And on the weekends we played all day with our cousins that lived close by.  I'm talking about 11 or more of us total.  Running around outside, playing on the trails,
and swimming in my grandparents pool.  

We had a garden and a German Shepard.  I even got to mow the lawn on the tractor which I thought was fun back then. We always had a real Christmas tree that we would plant in the backyard when Christmas was over.  My sister and I would sit in front of the oven and sing songs while my mom made cookies and pretended our reflection was us on television. 
We rented movies when the VCR first came out.  

We watched Solid Gold (I wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer when I grew up - 

boy what happened to that one?)

We had a boat and went camping and boating and fishing all the time.

It was simple.  It was joyful.  It was mine.

And God do I miss it sometimes :)

Like weeds

My boys are growing like weeds.

It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day.  

Me Hubsy and I are always talking about those days where all the sudden one 

of them seems to have aged a year all the sudden.  

You start to realize a little more roundness is gone from their face.  

They've mastered a new skill.

They all the sudden do something you've been begging them to do forever, 

but this time they do it without you even asking.

Gone are the Backyardigans, Little Einsteins, and Diego....

they've moved on to alien fighting teenagers and superheroes.  Sigh.  

I will miss those Backyardigans for sure.  Such good music ;)

But that's all part of the plan right?  

This moving on.  

To the next stage of life.

Why can't it go a little slower?  

Why can't I have more hours in the day to soak up their littleness?

My heart breaks at how much they've grown up and yet I am immensely proud of them.  

The little men they are becoming.

I'm so blessed to be their mother.  

I could not have asked for two cooler kids to raise.

They were handpicked for me and Hubsy ;)

But with this new stage comes a lot of fun.  

We get to be goofy with them and shout out songs at the top of our lungs in the car.

We can even go sans nap on occasion.

It's a good time to be their mom.
A good time to share with them and teach them the next steps in becoming themselves.
They are such special little men.

And they have my heart forever.

A little pampering does a mama good

We all know that as moms that we spend so much time being there for our husbands and children but that we really need to spend a little of that TLC on ourselves too.
This is so much easier said than done.  So many of us still let ourselves fall by the wayside.
But I'm slowly finding a way to pamper me a bit too.

I haven't spent much money or time on beauty for the majority of my life but in the past year I've become much more aware of putting a little effort into it.  To me when I feel pretty, it overflows into other areas of my life and my entire mood is just a bit more pleasant.  I find it easier to put on that smile and take the world head-on with a positive attitude.

And who couldn't use a little bit more of that huh?

So on my quest to actually put a little effort into myself,
I have found several blog resources that are extremely helpful. 
Unfortunately even with all this new found knowledge and inspiration, I still don't have much moolah

to devote to the cause.   But I'll take it one baby step at a time.
A new shirt here, a new hair tool there....

My favorite blog for hair inspiration
Miss Kate over at The Small Things blog

My favorite blog for fashion/style
Miss Anna at In Honor of Design

And of course Pinterest is a never-ending source of info for beauty tips.
Follow me here. 

And now I finally have somewhere 
to go for some make-up help.

About a month ago I attended my first organized "vendor sale"
and during that evening I had the pleasure to meet Melissa....a mother and entrepreneur,
a girl after my own heart if you will.  Well a few days later I received an email from her that I had won her giveaway that I entered.  I was thinking it may be a bottle of lotion or something when lo' and behold I won a hand treatment, spring makeover, and a $20 gift certificate!
I was completely floored!  

I needed a little pampering....like BAD.  

So Hubsy offered to occupy the boys so I could get my "girl" on.
I was afraid Melissa might be a little turned off because I wanted to
post about the makeover but she was totally cool about letting me take a few pictures,
even if I was struggling with the self timer ;)

Meet Melissa, my new Independent Beauty Consultant with Mary Kay!

Setting up

I got a fantastic hand treatment that left my hands feeling so smooth but not greasy at all.

I got to try the entire Mary Kay TimeWise skin care system.  It's time to face it girls, I'm at "THAT" age where I really need to be taking care of my skin.  And can I just say my face felt FAB-U-LOUS!  What a difference it made, I can only imagine what it will feel like after weeks of using it.  

My beauty routine is so basic it's almost comical.  Not that this system is complicated in any way, 

the coolest part is that each step is made to build upon the others.  

No washing in between.  Talk about quick!

Feeling cheesy in front of the camera

She also helped me branch out into some other colors of eye-liner, blush and lip gloss.  And one of my favorite items was the Cream Eye Color which Melissa said is like a primer for 

your eye make-up but can also be worn alone.  

Versatility? Yes please.

Matching my skin tone

It was so much fun to actually have someone knowledgeable to talk to one-on-one about my skin and make-up routine.  And Melissa was so patient and helpful with all my questions.

Needless to say, I'm realizing that you get what you pay for and my usual regime is pretty crappy.  

Why not invest in my face?  After all,  it's the only one I'm going to have.

Feeling a bit sassy after my makeover :)

If you would like to talk to Melissa about any of the wonderful Mary Kay products or 

about how she can help you too, please contact her below.  She can help you no matter where you live.  And if you happen to be in the Pittsburgh area, she can schedule a one-on-one with you too :)

Check out her website!
Melissa Rorabaugh
mrorabaugh@marykay.com

Her website is awesome, there's even a virtual makeover tool, lots of tips, and of course info about all their amazing products.

Thanks Melissa for introducing me to Mary Kay products but also for treating me
to such a wonderful and much needed makeover!

And now I encourage you to take a little time to pamper yourself....

even if its in baby steps like me :)

Don't let all the "stuff" of life drain you.  
As women we tend to take care of everyone else first.   
When you take care of yourself, it's so much easier to take care of everyone else.

Please make sure you are taking some time for yourself, you'll be so glad you did.

Call me Blessed 

Simple and Sweet Mother's Day

We've been so busy lately that a simple and sweet 

Mother's Day was just what I needed.

Friday started it off perfectly with a Mother's Day Tea at my son's kindergarten class.  Songs and poems and cards and sweet kid voices....what more could you ask for?  The absolute best part was having L say "I love you Mom" and "I'm so glad you're here" about 20 times while I was there.  

MELT. MY. HEART.

I recently won a Mary Kay makeover (more on that later) and was treated to some good old girlie fun on Friday night trying all sorts of wonderful beauty products.  Man it really makes my cheapie stuff seem well, kinda crappy.  I little pampering sure did this tired mama some good!

Saturday evening I got to spend some time with my awesome Mom just relaxing on the porch and we may or may not have gone out for ice cream ;)  I can't believe I didn't take any pictures!  My bad. 

I guess I was just too busy enjoying my time with my mom.

Sunday I was greeted by two adorable boys yelling Happy Mother's Day!  Then my sick Hubsy proceeded to make us all a scrumptious breakfast of homemade waffles.  What a man!

I got these lovely gifts from the kiddos.

After spending some time with my lovely MIL, Hubsy took us out for Chinese.  One of my favorites.  

I just can't get enough General Tso's :)  And the boys weirdly love Chinese even though they are generally picky eaters so the fact that everyone is happy and we don't have to "work" 

to get a meal in is such a treat.

Felt taco

We went home for a family nap (aka food coma) then I enjoyed some crafting with the boys.  We made some felt play food.  It was so nice to just stop and do something simple and fun with them.  After that it was business as usual.  Laundry, cleaning, packing school bags and lunches but little did I know Hubsy had one more trick up his sleeve....

Such a sweetheart.  

And what do I do?  Yell at him for spending so much money.

After he reminded me that gifts are to be accepted graciously, 

I straightened up and thanked him properly.  He thanked me for being such a good mom and picking up the household slack while he has been working such crazy hours lately.  

Nothing could have meant more.

Isn't that what Mother's Day is about anyway, letting all moms know how appreciated there efforts are?

 the laundry

 the nose wiping

 the listening

 the boo boo kissing

the hugs

the meal preparation

just being there

Big or small...

it ALL means so much.  

We should be proud of the job we do.

I hope all you moms out there were made to feel appreciated and loved this Mother's Day!

We're so blessed to have been given this title of  

Mother.

Sometimes they just need a Mama

Me: "Please try to stop crying"

E: *sniff* *sniff* "o-tay"  *sniff* *moan* *sob*

Me: "It's ok sweetpea, mama's here"

My little man woke last night crying.  

This is not necessarily unusual.

He's a lot like me, we don't do well when awoken from sleep.

I went to his room, told him everything was ok, tucked him back in and 

left the room expecting the crying to stop.  

Because usually that's enough to do it.  

But not last night.  

He kept crying. 

I started to get frustrated because I didn't want him to wake L up (who's been having sleeping issue of his own lately).  I went back in and told E to settle down, there was nothing wrong.

We try to encourage self-sufficiency in our kids where sleeping is concerned.  Not that we will never lay with them but once you do it (like when they're sick or what have you), they wake every night wanting you to come lay with them.  This may sound harsh but we just can't co-sleep all the time, then me Hubsy and I end up not sleeping and things can get pretty cranky around my house in a hurry.

There was just something about the way E was acting that I knew the usual process wasn't going to work.  So I scooped him up in my arms and rocked him a bit.  And as I did so I kept thinking "Thank you God for giving me this one more time".  My frustration at his crying vanished and I was suddenly so thankful that this little man, who is growing up all to quickly, was content to be rocked again.  

It was such a blessing for me.

I caressed his sweet head and after a moment he told me he was settled.

The sobbing stopped.

His little eyes closed.

And he whispered "I love you".

Often I get so caught up in teaching them something...patience, self-sufficiency, etc...

that I forget that sometimes they just need me to be their Mama.

Just be with them.

There in that moment.

Sharing whatever they are going through so they know that they are not alone.

Sometimes that is more powerful than actually fixing whatever is going on.

After all how many times do I still want my own Mom?

Not to necessarily fix my problem, I'm too old for that, just to simply be with me, 

so I know that no matter what I'm not alone.

Deep thoughts and rocks

The other evening I spent some time with my boys outside and we 

found ourselves having some deep conversation.

I asked them when or how they feel God.   Their answers were so precious and simplistic.  It reminded me that yes indeed He is in the simple things and too often we overlook that.

L said he feels Him when he is swinging, that he can feel Him moving past him as he flies through the air.

E said he feels Him when he sees a beautiful cloud that God made.

It's in these tiny moments that we can feel Him in our everyday lives.  Amongst all the running around and multitasking that is the norm these days, it's good to roll the windows down and feel the air on your face, stop to admire how delicately the flowers are made, belt out your favorite song as if no one was listening.  There is so very much to be thankful for.  Let's recognize the remarkable blessing we have simply in experiencing 

all these small facets of life.  Don't let them go by in a blur.

Then my little men and I started 'treasure hunting' for rocks in our landscape.  Both would squeal and get excited over what they found.  "Mom, look at this one!"  There were stripey ones, sparkly ones, rough ones, fossily ones, smooth ones, and spotted ones.  Each one had something unique about it.  How quick we are to look and dismiss something as just a pile of rocks.  

Oh what we are missing when we fail to take a closer look!  

Beauty abounds in the details my friends, 

we need only to stop and look.

These small lessons from my kids are helping me to find peace, grace, and faith.  

I can only hope that I am teaching them as much as they are teaching me!

Linking up with Rachel of course ;)

Angels

pinterest

This was written by a Metro Denver Hospice Physician:

I was driving home from a meeting this evening about 5, stuck in traffic on Colorado Blvd., and the car started to choke and splutter and die - I barely managed to coast , cursing, into a gas station, glad only that I would not be blocking traffic and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck. It wouldn't even turn over. Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of the quickie mart building, and it looked like she slipped on some ice and fell into a gas pump, so I got out to see if she was okay.  When I got there, it looked more like she had been overcome by sobs than that she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked really haggard with dark circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I helped her up, and I picked it up to give it to her. It was a nickel.

At that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the ancient Suburban crammed full of stuff with 3 kids in the back (1 in a car seat), and the gas pump reading $4.95.

I asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying 'I don't want my kids to see me crying! ,' so we stood on the other side of the pump from her car. She said she was driving to California and that things were very hard for her right now. So I asked, 'And

you were praying?' That made her back away from me a little, but I assured her I was not a crazy person and said, 'He heard you, and He sent me.'

I took out my card and swiped it through the card reader on the pump so she could fill up her car completely, and while it was fueling, walked to the next door McDonald's and bought 2 big bags of food, some gift certificates for more, and a big cup of coffee. She gave the food to the

kids in the car, who attacked it like wolves, and we stood by the pump eating fries and talking a little.

She told me her name, and that she lived in Kansas City . Her boyfriend left 2 months ago and she had not been able to make ends meet. She knew she wouldn't have money to pay rent Jan. 1, and finally, in desperation, had called her parents, with whom she had not spoken in about 5 years. They lived in California and said she could come live with them and try to get on her feet there.

So she packed up everything she owned in the car. She told the kids they were going to California for Christmas, but not that they were going to live there. I gave her my gloves, a little hug and said a quick prayer with her for safety on the road. As I was walking over to my car, she said, 'So, are you like an angel or something?'

This definitely made me cry. I said, 'Sweetie, at this time of year angels are really busy, so sometimes God uses regular people.'

It was so incredible to be a part of someone else's miracle. And of course, you guessed it, when I got in my car it started right away and got me home with no problem. I'll put it in the shop tomorrow to check, but I suspect the mechanic won't find anything wrong.

There are many times I'll get behind a really slow car and I will at least recognize that this may be my "angel" saving me from some terrible mishap up ahead, but I can't say I've ever been the angel.  Maybe I have but didn't know it :)

Have you recognized a time when you are the "angel"?  I would love to head about it!

Role Models

I recently heard that Rihanna received some criticism for being a poor role model to which her response was...

"See, people ... they want me to be a role model just because of the life I lead. But no, I just want to make music. That's it."

I thought this response was rather disappointing.  We are all role models.  We are all examples of how life can be lived.  Now whether we are good examples or not can be argued.  But like it or not you are a role model simply by your very existence.  I often consider what kind of role model I am for my kids but don't often think about how I may effect others.  I was blessed to receive the following note from a friend and former colleague a while ago after a brief visit.

"Sooo glad I got to see you! Your hair is so long! I love it! I just wanted to tell you real quick that you are such a great person! Your so loving, caring, and friendly and I really look up to you! You are just the perfect role model to me of what kind of wife, mother, and friend I want to be!! You are beautiful inside and out! I cant believe how much I miss talking to you everyday and sharing our life stories and problems LOL! Well just wanted to tell you how I felt since I don't see you everyday anymore!"

I was totally humbled and floored at the same time when I received this.  Yes, there were some tears involved...I'm a crier what can I say?  I have NEVER received something so nice and will forever treasure this note and my sweet friend Kelly who wrote it ;) 

It was so cool that I received this note on the same day that I received a lovely one from someone I consider to be one of my role models....Miss Kelley from Kelley's Kids & etc.  Since meeting Kelley in blog world, she has quickly become a friend and someone I admire greatly.  She approaches life with humor, grace, and a whole lot of faith.  I love reading her posts.  She has also shared with me through emails and reached out to me in support of my desire to grow my faith. 

She gifted me with this lovely Bible and I can't tell you how much that show of support and all her prayers for me have impacted my life.  To reach out like that to someone you don't even "know"....that is the kind of giving heart I want to have.  She is such an encouragement to me as a mother, friend, and daughter of Christ.  She is a truly remarkable woman whom I hope to know for a long time to come :)

What role models do you admire in your life?

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Happy New Year everyone!!!

I had a crazy December (like pretty much everyone else)!

It was SOOO busy but it was followed by a wonderful 11 day break.  Me Hubsy and kiddos are always off for about a week and a half at the holidays and I am blessed to be able to take off that time as well.  It is such a wonderful time of year to be restful and spend time with family.

Really recharges the 'ol batteries :)

We watched movies.

You'll notice these are all kids movies and I'm not afraid to admit I love 'em :)

We ate tons of sweets.

Um yep, I pretty much polished this baby off all by myself  *shame*

We crafted and played.

I used to LOVE these weaving looms when I was little.

We took advantage of some great local attractions.

Like the Carnegie Science Center. 

They had an unbelievable model train display.  To say my boys were big fans is an understatement.  My little E can't get enough of trains.  They had all of the seasons incorporated into the display and they even had the lights changing from day to night

And the National Aviary.

We even got to feed them fish and worms directly from our hands.  Well, not the eagles of course....scary.

We managed to take some time to revamp a few 
rooms in our house too.

Our bedroom

Vera Wang bedding from Kohl's...click here

I absolutely LOVE it!  I used to make fun of people that have "sitting" areas in their bedroom (all you do is sleep in there anyway right?) but now I have one and since the room is so pretty now I just want to spend all my time in there!

L's bedroom

I'll be doing a separate post for this one ;)

Our Basement

This one's far from complete but we recently added a projector and movie screen down there for the kids to watch movies and play XBox.   I avoided the whole gaming system for 6 years but knew it was only a matter of time and this year me Hubsy was able to score one at no cost!  So I guess I really couldn't argue.  Well you can hardly watch movies and play games without somewhere to sit...hello Goodwill!!  We scored a loveseat and chair with ottoman for cheap.  Watch out creepy spiderwebs, you're the next things to go!

Partying with the family can't be beat.
Getting to spend all that time together as a family is so rewarding.  

I look forward to it every year and I KNOW it means the world to my boys.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well!