A Glimpse at my Christmas decorating...

I was able to get some of my Christmas decorating done yesterday. We still have to put our tree up, and I also need to put up my small tree in our entryway. Other than that, I'm done.

Here are some glimpses of our holiday home...

More to come!

Blessings to all!

Needing a little warmth...

I just purchased new bedding for our master bedroom in August. It was nice and light and airy for summer, but now in November, it's been feeling too cool and unsubstantial.

(Please excuse the picture. It was taken late at night and the lighting is awful!)

So, I got out one of my old quilt sets and a couple of pillows I had previously purchased from IKEA and "warmed" our bed up a little. It feels much better for this snowy time of year.

I have as of yet to hang window treatments in the room. We bought an iron curtain rod and didn't realize that we needed to purchase the brackets separately. So, we need to make another trip to IKEA (which is over an hour away) before I can hang those.

I also have an old, chippy white window pane that I plan on using to display some family photos and hang above our bed. I just need to get the pictures printed.

Well, I'm off to clean bathrooms and start our schooling. If that all goes well, I'm hoping to start Christmas decorating this afternoon. Yay!

A challenge...

I found this video on another blog, and thought it spoke a million words. We, as Americans, are so quick to buy into the consumerism of Christmas. In fact, to opt out would probably be considered abnormal and strange. Watch the video. Be convicted. Make a decision.



I'm not saying we shouldn't buy gifts for our loved ones this year. What I am saying, and what I think this video is portraying, is that we should be more conscious as to how many gifts and the meaning behind the gifts. Are we buying just for the sake of buying? Are we buying just because we previously decided to spend a certain amount?

At our home this year, we're making an effort to give gifts with meaning and intention. We're also looking at ways to give to others who are in need. We're striving to put Christ at the center of our Christmas and focus less on material gifts.

Blessings,
Amber

A Weekend Getaway...

Brad and I had the wonderful opportunity to attend Family Life Today's Weekend to Remember Conference this past weekend. My parents kept the kids and we had the whole weekend to spend together.

The conference was EXCEPTIONAL. I can honestly say that there is not one negative thing I can say about it. I HIGHLY recommend this conference to any couple, regardless of how long you've been married.

This is us as we made our getaway...

Brad talking to the kids at bedtime our first night away...

A late night run for this...

Us...

Us again...

Our friends Rodney and Annette who also attended the conference...

Because it's okay to dance...

Have you ever just let loose and had a family jam session? You should.

For the Love of Productivity.

I must take one selfish moment to pat myself on the back. Okay. There. Done.

Last night I spent several hours tracing and cutting my sweet little squares that I will be using in Lily's doll quilt. You see, this girl here (moi) does not have a lovely self-healing quilting mat and a rotary cutter. No, I have a good old paper template that I made myself and my fabric scissors. Hey, I figure that if that's how they did it a hundred years ago, there's no reason I can't do it that way now.

So, here is how I arranged my quilt. I may add a border around this as well. That will depend on how small this becomes after I actually stitch it together and my seam allowances go "bye-bye!"

Oh, and I also spent last night felting wool.

Felting wool? Well for those of you who have no idea what in the world I'm talking about, I'll give a quick explanation.

Basically, when you felt wool, you change the way the wool fibers lay. You do this by exposing the wool to hot and cold temperatures (hot and cold in your washing machine and then hot again in your dryer.) Once the wool is felted it becomes soft and fuzzy and can be used for all sorts of crafty projects such as appliques, ornaments, pillows, table runners, penny-rug garlands, etc.

Fun stuff, huh? This is only 1/3 of all the wool I have that needs felted. I've decided I need to work on this project in increments so as not to completely overwhelm my already overloaded brain.

Oh, and here's to productiveness! (Insert image: This is where you imagine me doing a celebratory toast with a nice glass of iced tea.)

What's been on my head...

My next project. Must. start. now. A baby doll quilt for Lily. Christmas gift. My first attempt at quilting. A bit ambitious time frame for a first-time quilter? You betcha. Wish me luck.

What about the children?

This week, November 17th - November 21st, Focus on the Family, Family Life, and Shaohannah's Hope is holding the Cry of the Orphan Campaign. Cry of the Orphan was started to raise awareness of the more than one hundred million children living as orphans across our country as well as the world.

Maybe you're not being called to adopt an orphaned child. Maybe you are. There are so many ways you can intercede for these children. Prayers. Financial support. Community awareness. Short-term missions trips. Visit Cry of the Orphan to see how you and your family can help care for orphaned children.

And, please, take a short moment out of your day to view this video. When you look into the faces of these children, you'll be looking into the faces of children who desperately need someone to love and care for them. I pray that your heart would be pierced with the desire to do your part in the care of an orphan.

A Day Out and a Great Giveaway...

My mom, my sister April, myself, and our kids went shopping in Amish Country yesterday. This was one of Ian's first trips to this area so he naturally had questions regarding the Amish and their way of living. He couldn't believe that they did not have electricity, and when he found this out he actually told me to turn the car around. I think maybe he thought we were checking in for a night! At one point, he also asked me if they "talked our language." And the kids were amazed that they drove horse-driven carts.

After we got home, Ian and I had a discussion about the Amish community and how the Amish choose to live a more simple way of life. I also told him that they are hard workers. That values and truthfulness are very important virtues in the Amish community. And, yes, they do speak English.

Anyway, we had a great time and the kids behaved so amazingly good. Very little crankiness and complaining was heard from the mouths of these wee ones. Yay! That always makes shopping so much more enjoyable.

Here are some pictures from our day...

My mom and Lily at lunch:

My sister April and her daugther Allie:

This is the cutest picture of Allie! She sat there with her little head resting on her chubby little hand and ate her lunch.

This is Lily taste-testing Tazo Passion tea. She's my little tea drinker.

Here's one of my attempts to get a picture of all three kids together. Ian was totally smooshed.

Here's my sweet little Lily sporting a darlin' Amish bonnet.

And this is Lily again. I blame this side of Lily on her father! :) Oh, and in case you're wondering about the hand gesture she's making, I have NO idea where that came from.

Some pics of the shops we went to:



Here are some of my favorites from the day. No purchases, just some additions to my mental wish list. Love this old white chair.

Some silliness:

Some sleepiness:

GIVEAWAY NEWS FLASH!!!!!

Before I say good-bye, I wanted to let you know about a great giveaway my blogging friend, Amanda, is having. She's giving away two Holiday hair ribbons to the winner of this random giveaway. She makes these hair clips herself and they are so incredibly cute! Head on over to My Fragrant Life and check her out. Don't forget to leave her a comment so you can be entered to win!

Have a great weekend!