Don't Forget!

Wednesday, December 15th

is the last day to place your order at

if you want it delivered by Christmas.

Naughty and Nice

Sometimes I feel like I'm constantly complaining about how naughty my kids are being. They are little and, of course, that means they are naughty quite often. However, I just have to take a second to tell you all how GOOD Tanner has been over the last few weeks! This is probably because Santa is coming soon and our elf, Fritz, has been on the lookout each day for good and bad behavior. But, man, I am sure going to enjoy this while it lasts! Doing what he's told, sharing with his brother, being kind and OBEYING!! I am just bursting with love and pride for him! What do I need to do to ensure this continues??

Landon, on the other hand, has never been so naughty. The terrible twos are definitely upon us! Tanner is convinced that our littlest guy isn't going to get any presents this year. Yes ... he's been that bad. I don't quite know how we'll explain it when Landon still gets some gifts!

The good news is that they're not both being terrible at the same time! God only gives us as much as we can handle, right?

Hope you enjoy this slideshow from our family time at the park last week!

More New Stuff!

New designs are up at Sewing for Lenses!

Think Ruffles ... :)

Here's a peek:

Keep spreading the word ...

Introducing ...

My newest sweetheart.

My little niece.

Lanier Katherine Allman

Born November 27, 2010 at 4:31 pm

8lbs. 15oz.

20.5 inches

I can't believe I have to wait a month to meet this new little bundle! I know I'm totally biased, but I think she's just the most beautiful perfect little baby! Thanking God tonight for her safe delivery and for my little sister, who has just joined "the club."

Sewing for Lenses

Happy Black Friday, everyone! I'm so happy to be shopping here from my computer instead of out fighting crowds and cold weather. :)

Trying to get some early Christmas shopping done? Make sure to check out Sewing for Lenses. I have a few new designs up -- a His and Her Camera Strap, a masculine camera strap, and a few new key chains. Check 'em out!

Thanks to all of you for spreading the word about my new site. It's working! Keep telling your friends!

So Thankful Today ...

For my happy and healthy family.

For the new niece or nephew that I can't wait to meet!

For my faith and my freedom.

For this peaceful house now that all are in bed.

For my hair appointment tomorrow, where I finally get some much-needed highlights and a cut.

Hallelujah!

I'm just saying ...

'Tis the Season

If you were a little mouse living in our walls, you would be hearing a lot of this lately ...

"Tanner, I just hope you know that SANTA is watching!!! ............... errr ... and so is JESUS!!!"

LOL!

Redemption

Just when I thought I was ready to ship my boys off to Grammy's until further notice, I walked out of my laundry room to find this ...






... and I was reminded just how much I love being their mommy.

Sewing for Lenses

Lately, I've been pining away for something I just HAVE to HAVE. You know the feeling ... "If only I had THAT, my life would be so much better/easier/more enjoyable." The truth is, I know deep down what I'm wanting won't REALLY be life-changing ... but I still want it. Want to know what it is?


Just a new lens for my camera (or two!!). See ... nothing life changing. However, it is kind of pricey. And being a stay-at-home mom doesn't quite lend itself to having a large disposable income for funding expensive hobbies. So I'm in a bit of a tough situation. And it's not the first time.

Earlier this year, I saw something ELSE that I desperately needed, but couldn't buy. It was an adorable little camera strap. Not only would it make me look cute and trendy as I snapped photos of my boys at the park, it would also make my camera distinguishable from all those other Nikons that look exactly the same.


I know what you're thinking. "Have you ever really been in a situation where you couldn't tell your camera apart from others?"

Absolutely. Take this summer, for instance, when I picked up an uncle's camera by accident and started snapping pictures. About an hour later, I was reviewing the shots I'd taken and realized that the camera wasn't mine! There were 4 very similar Nikon DSLRs at the party. If ONLY I'd had a unique camera strap -- I could have avoided the entire situation. ;)

So, I made myself this sweet little reversible camera strap slipcover.


It turned out so cute that I had to make one for a friend, too. I've gotten several compliments since then. Strangers have approached me, asking where I got mine, and even asking if they could buy one from me. So I've decided to start making and selling them ... using one hobby to fund another.




They measure approximately 21.5 inches long by 2.75 inches wide and fit over a standard DSLR camera strap. They also have a touch of padding for added comfort.



They even have a cute little pocket to slip your lens cover inside while you're shooting.


And if you don't have an SLR camera, but still want to support my little photography habit, you can check out my fabric key chains. This was something else I saw and immediately wanted, so I went ahead and made one. I absolutely love mine because I can wear it around my wrist when I'm running around with the kids. I never have to dig into my purse to find my keys, and I no longer have to set them on the little counter in the checkout lane at Target, where I might just lose them and be stranded for an hour with two crying children ... I'm just saying ...



So, are you ready to see what I've got for you (or your mom/daughter/sister/friend/babysitter/teacher/etc. -- it IS almost Christmas!) Just click on the picture on my sidebar, and head on over to my new online store ... Sewing for Lenses, where I'm attempting to support one hobby with another!

Stay Tuned

I have something special coming tomorrow. You'll just have to wait and see what it is.

Don't get too excited ... it's not a baby announcement!

Just be sure to check back! :)

A Dragon and a Dinosaur

Where in the world did Sept/Oct go? How can it be November already? Not only does this mean Thanksgiving is right around the corner, it also means my little sister will be having the newest member of our family in less than three weeks! I can't wait to meet my sweet little niece/nephew -- mostly, though, I can't wait to journey through motherhood with one of my sisters! Now, if I can only talk her into setting up a little mommy blog!! :)

We have been so busy around here. (I feel like I say that every post ;) I am thoroughly enjoying my gym membership. Two hours of child care everyday means a workout and a shower complete with blow-dry. You better believe we're there most mornings! It's the BEST thing I've done for myself in a long time. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love love love it. I literally want to kiss the childcare workers every time I pick up my smiling children. I don't think they have a clue just how much I appreciate them ... even though I try to tell them often!

Jon has also been a busy bee. (Which makes me even more thankful for that 2 hour break each day!) He works so hard all day and then comes home (the nights he doesn't have school) and works on school all night. Thank goodness he just hung up his last hobby for the year ... hunting. That man has more hobbies ... I swear! On the positive side -- he graduates this coming March and we're taking the kiddos to DISNEY to celebrate! So. Excited.

Tanner is really enjoying preschool and Landon is really enjoying Tanner. :) However, I'm not sure the feeling is mutual anymore. I asked Tanner tonight who his best buddy was and his answer was "Brennan, Braxton, Buckeye, Colton, and Mrs. Blind." I asked him why Landon wasn't his best buddy anymore. He said it's because Landon hits him and pulls his hair. Fair enough.

Tanner spent the entire last month breaking into Halloween songs from his preschool. I would catch bits and pieces all day, but couldn't really put everything together. Good thing his teachers organized a Halloween sing-along and party at his school last week. It was so dang cute. Jon even skipped part of the workday to come. When Tanner first saw us, he was SO EMBARRASSED and covered his face and tried to hide under his little mat. This went on for 2-3 minutes and then he finally got really into the songs and by the end he was singing the LOUDEST. I was so proud, I felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest. I hope he wasn't embarrassed all over again by all the hugs and kisses I was showering him with afterwards ... I have to get them all in before Junior High when he'll act like he doesn't know me!




This last week was also Jon's birthday. And the 14-year anniversary of our first date. It's so hard to believe we've been together almost half our our lives! We went to visit his mom and dad for the weekend so that Jon could hunt and we could go out on a date. We had the BEST time together. One of our best dates ever, I'd say ... which says a lot considering how long ago our first date was!


The boys, of course, had a BLAST with two of their favorite people. They get SO excited every time we go and always have the hardest time falling asleep the first night we're there because they're just so glad to be there. Please notice that Landon is still very reliant on his pacifier. I just can't bear to take it from him, even though he's only saying like 2 words at 19 months. One of these days I'm literally going to have to pull the plug but I just can't seem to bring myself to do it yet. He just loves it so ... any suggestions?



We returned from Michigan on Sunday afternoon and immediately started preparing for trick-or-treating. Jon and the boys carved a pumpkin. (Yes, that's singular). I asked him why we weren't carving two pumpkins since we have two kids. He said they didn't have a long enough attention span. Again -- fair enough.




After carving, it was time to put our costumes on. This year, we had a triceratops and a dragon. Oh yeah ... and a Scooby. :)





Landon surprised us all by really getting into character. I was sure he'd only last 2 minutes in the headpiece, and 4 minutes in the rest of the costume. Heck no! He was roaring up a storm and be-bopping from house to house. Waving goodbye to everyone after getting his candy. He was hilarious.







Tanner insisted on riding his bike from house to house, which was kind of a production. But seriously, could he BE any more adorable?

Could THEY be any more adorable?

Holding hands on the way home ... SIGH.

Counting my blessings tonight ...

I'm Gonna Miss This

The 2 hours between naptime and dinner when both boys are hanging on my legs, screaming at me for more snacks, and crying all at the same time? Well, maybe not that ... at least I don't think so.

But, I know for sure that I'll definitely miss this:

Tonight at bedtime, in between stories ...

"Mommy, I'm COLD for you! Snuggle me!"

Oh, my sweet boy, I love you ...

BFF

Mommy: Tanner, who's your best friend?

Tanner: Him

Mommy: Who is Landon's best friend?

Tanner: Me

Well, I guess that's settled, then. ;)

Quote for the Day

A few Christmases ago, my grandmother gave me a little flip calendar -- "Words to Warm a Mother's Heart." I love it and have faithfully flipped the pages each day, restarting it each year ... until this past February. On the 25th of that month, I came across a page that I just couldn't bear to turn, it rings so true to me and never fails to make me smile. I thought I'd share today in hopes of making you smile, too.

"The joy of motherhood: What a woman experiences when all the children are finally in bed." -- Barbara Johnson

Can I get an AMEN??

I think I even told Tanner today that I couldn't wait to put him to bed. In my defense, he was a total crankster all day. Still, it wasn't one of my finer moments. Enjoy these few pics of some of our better moments these past few days.

Hilton Head 2010

It's hard to believe that 2 weeks ago we were in the car driving to South Carolina! The time has flown! Grandma and Grandpa Hall treated the whole family to a week's vacation on Hilton Head Island. We'd been planning the trip since before Landon was born, and we were finally able to go!

I have to be honest and say that I was a little nervous to go on "vacation" with my boys. I was so afraid that they wouldn't behave, that nobody would get any sleep, and that we would all just be stressed out. But, I couldn't have been more wrong. The week was so relaxing and Jon and I had so much FUN with our boys! It really was incredible.

The entire family stayed in a big house that had a pool and a hot tub in the backyard. The truth is that we could've just played in the pool all day everyday and been perfectly content. But, mix in a few other outings like a girls only trip to Savannah, a boat trip to watch dolphins, and a few trips to the beach, and we were in heaven! The week went by so fast and before we knew it, we were already on our way back home. I'm thoroughly convinced that staying in a house with a pool has got to be THE BEST way to travel with little ones!

Here are some pictures from the week. Enjoy!

Progress Report

Hmmm ...

I wouldn't quite say we're in a routine just yet, but we're definitely plodding along through our week, trying to adjust back to life in the real world.

The big man started preschool yesterday. We made a huge deal out of it and celebrated the night before by going out for ice cream. I think I was just as excited (if not more) for the big day as Tanner was! I set out his outfit the night before, and had his backpack and school supplies all ready to go (I adore buying school supplies), but we were still racing out the door trying to get to school on time. We might have to start some sort of reward system for getting dressed/brushing teeth in the morning. Then there was all the talk about "fawting" before we left. "I fawted, Mom," etc. I'll spare you. Let's just say that he's obsessed with talking about "fawts" and "boobies" right now. So then, I start getting worried that he's going to start talking about THOSE things at school. I would just DIE if I heard that either of those words came out of his mouth at school. JUST. DIE.




Anyways, we made it to school. Tanner was excited to walk in and put his backpack in his locker. Then, as we were heading into the classroom, he froze. "Carry me, Mommy!!" So I did. I carried him over the threshold, where his sweet sweet teacher promptly took his hand and led him over to some toys to play with. No tears, not even a goodbye. Ahhhh ... the boy is going to LOVE school, just like his mama!




He was very happy and excited when I picked him up. I couldn't wait to get in the car and look at all of the papers he brought home to show me. That's when I saw this:

Notice anything a little off? Jon and I had a nice little laugh. That one's a keeper for sure. :)

We're BAAAAACK!!!

From our long-awaited, week-long vacation to Hilton Head, South Carolina. What a trip!! I can't wait to tell you all about it and show you all of our pictures. Let me just say that it was more relaxing and enjoyable than I ever thought possible with two little ones in tow. Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa Hall for an amazing week!

Upon returning yesterday, we were greeted with cold, dreary fall weather -- YUCK! I'm already longing for the warm southern sunshine that we were spoiled with all week! Tomorrow we jump right in to our fall routine. On the docket for this week:

1) Tanner's first day of preschool
2) Re-Activating the gym membership I put on hold when I delivered Landon (18 months ago!!!)
3) Back to School for Jon
4) Attempting to get my house back in order

It's going to be a busy week. I'm already feeling overwhelmed, but I'm sure getting back into a routine will be good for all of us! Stay tuned for some vacation pics!

Yes, Sir! No, Sir! No Excuse, Sir!

Today, I am under strict orders from my little brother, the West Pointer, to UPDATE MY BLOG!!! And so, here goes -- for Uncle Eric ...

First of all, I'm feeling very bothered because two women came to my door today (for the second time) to talk to me about "Jehovah." I've tried to convey to them both times that I am a Christian, I study the Bible, I love Jesus, etc. They are very nice and I, in turn, am very nice to them. As they left a few minutes ago, they said they would be returning again sometime. UGGH! How can I kindly tell these women that I don't share their Jehovah's Witness beliefs and would rather them not return?! I just hate making people feel bad and I'm trying to figure out how to be a good Christian about this! Any suggestions?

I know I haven't been good about updating lately. There are a few reasons for this. First of all, I'm trying to keep the computer turned OFF during the day. I find our days go much better when I'm not constantly tempted to check the internet for this or that. I tend to get sucked in easily.

Secondly, I've been spending a LOT of time making these Roman Shades for my playroom. I love how they turned out, but will be glad when they're ALL finished (I have one more left to do!). Then, I can move on to some more fun sewing projects. Curtains and such are kind of stressful to make because the fabric is such a big investment and also because you have to look at the finished project EVERY DAY. I know, Eric, I know ... my life is so very interesting, isn't it?





Want to know what else I've been doing? I couldn't be watching television, right? I mean NOTHING is on right now. And I especially wouldn't be caught dead watching that trashy show Bachelor Pad, right?? ;) How would I explain THAT to the women at the door? Okay, okay ... I confess ... I've suffered through 3 episodes of it. And I'm not going to watch it ANY MORE. It's total trash. But, I AM going to keep watching Brothers & Sisters, which I've been getting on Netflix. Talk about addicting -- my goodness -- I cannot stop. I practically sprint to the mailbox every three days when the next installment arrives! I'm working on Season 3 right now. So. Good. Don't watch it. Your productivity levels will take a serious nosedive. I'm not kidding.

Hmmm ... what else. I know there has to be something else occupying my time. What could it BE? Certainly not THESE little buggers:

We've actually been slowing down a bit here lately, spending a lot more time at home instead of constantly on the go. It's been really nice. I'm so thankful that my boys have gotten along so well up to this point. They definitely have their moments, but for the most part, they really enjoy each other.

Tanner is pretty much an awesome big brother to Landon.

And Landon is determined to follow Tanner around everywhere.

So for right now, at least, they're buddies, and we couldn't be happier about that.

Jon and I just commented today on how Tanner has been super-fun lately. He's not ALWAYS obedient or compliant, but when he is, he's such a joy to be around! He really has such a sweet heart. He loves to snuggle and I honestly think that if they made a Baby Bjorn (baby carrier) big enough, he would love to ride around in it all day. I'm constantly shocked at how good his memory is and how much he notices around him. Some of the things he says are so hilarious. Yesterday, he randomly came up to me in the kitchen, held his fist out, and said "Pound the Rock, Mom." So, I gave him a little fist-bump and he said "Boo-Ya!!" I almost died. Such a character ...







And then there's Landon. Oh, Landon. We are trying to do away with the pacifier unless he's in bed or in the car, but it's not going so well. He gets so MAD!! He throws himself on the floor several times a day in a tantrum and he's perfected the fake-cry. This type of behavior always stressed me out when Tanner was a toddler, but I find it all kind of hilarious with Landon. It's much easier to ignore than it was with my first. When he's not throwing a fit, he's very laid back and happy. He has quite a sense of humor and loves to make me laugh. His only word is "Uh-Oh," which we hear about 100 times a day. I can't wait until he really starts talking and I can find out what's going through his mind. I look at him everyday and still remember the moment they handed him to me in the hospital -- wasn't that just yesterday?? I can't believe how fast the time is going with him!







Well, now that it's almost 10:30, I have to get to bed! Yes, it's Saturday night and I can barely keep my eyes open past 10. I would love to blame it on parenthood, but my college roommate would totally call me out on that and remind me that this has always been the case (And she's right!) Goodnight, everyone!