Ice Day = Making Playdough

A couple of weeks ago, we had an ice day here in Georgia. No snow, but the roads were icy so school was cancelled. I had the week off anyway, but it was nice to have Sam get the opportunity to spend the day with us!

I had read THIS blog and had been wanting to try out some homemade playdough. I remember making it as a child and thinking it was so amazing that you could make something rather than buy it in the store!

Right when Michael woke up, we started on our playdough making. He got to help pour all the ingredients in (before the stove was turned on), and then I helped once heat was involved. It was surprisingly easy to make and it didn't take long at all!

Here's the recipe that we used. It makes the squishiest playdough and it's 2-year-old tested and approved... 2 thumbs up!

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup water

1/4 cup salt

2 tsp. cream of tarter

1 Tbls. vegetable oil

food coloring - I used 5 drops or so...

Dump all the ingredients in your pot and give them a good stir. Michael was able to help with this part. He especially loved the part when you put the food coloring in and it makes the dough change colors!

Put the pot on the stove over medium heat. Continue stirring until it forms a ball.

Dump the ball out onto some wax paper and let it cool. Then knead the dough until it's well blended. It only took about 10 minutes or so to let it cool down enough to play with it.

Then, make fun playdough creations! Michael wanted to make a Mickey Mouse clubhouse!

We bought some of those little Ziploc containers to store the playdough...they work perfectly!

Let me know if you make this and how you like it! Happy playdough making!! :)

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

We hung out at Sam's parents house for a couple of days while the whole family was there! We ate dinner Christmas night (when the power went out), and we continued to have fun the next day!

Like I mentioned before, it was our first white Christmas since I've been alive, so we took advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime chance and played in the snow! However, we were only out there for about 27 seconds before the wind froze us to death! I know all our family and friends up north would make fun of us, but this Georgia girl is a wimp when it comes to cold weather! Michael loved playing with his daddy and making snowballs and a "snowman"...more like a snow elf! The snow was so soft that it wouldn't stick together!

Michael and his cousin Maylin got to watch their new Veggie Tales movies...

...played in Maylin's new kitchen - we were served a lot of play mac-n-cheese, hotdogs, and tea!

We played some family games - FastTrack and Axies and Allies (which takes 11 hours to play - not my kind of game!)

Ate some sugar cookies - Sam's Grandma's famous recipe...

We miss spending time with our family already! I will leave you with this adorable picture of Michael and his Great-Grandpa! :)

Christmas Festivities

Our family has been celebrating Christmas for a few days since we have a lot of family to visit and we want to spend time with everyone.

We started out our Christmas festivities at my mom's house. Michael loved spending time with his cousin Kennedy and playing with their new toys! Michael also enjoyed a new train table that my mom got to keep at her house. He was in Heaven!

We watched the classic Rudolph movie the night we were there. They loved it!

We started out Christmas morning at our house. Michael slept until around 9:00 - I know...so blessed - and then he opened gifts from Mommy and Daddy. We got him a Lego table, some matchbox cars, and a Mickey plate set! I love watching the joyful expressions on his face as he opens each gift!

I have to say that this Christmas was extra special with Michael. He is at a perfect age to enjoy spending time with people and of course opening presents! He also learned the story of Jesus' birth this year. His Grandma and Grandpa (my in-laws) gave him a Little People Nativity set and it's been so sweet to watch him call the people by name and play with Baby Jesus.

Since Michael learned the meaning of Christmas this year, we started a new tradition! We made a birthday cake for Jesus and sang to Him! Michael loves birthday parties, so he was all about singing to Jesus. He wanted to sing "Happy Birthday" all day!

Yesterday - Christmas Day - was the first white Christmas in Georgia in over 100 years (I'm relying on weatherman stats, so don't hold me accountable for that). It was so fun to have snow on the ground on Christmas day! Michael and Sam watched the snow build up in our yard all morning. By the time the afternoon rolled around, we officially were covered in WHITE!

Christmas afternoon we celebrated with my Dad. We met at my brother's house, so we got to see my niece Kennedy again. It's so funny when the two of them are together because she always wants Michael to join her in playing Princess or Fashion Show! They enjoyed Kennedy's new Christmas presents until Michael got to open some gifts of his own. He got his very own tent! He was so excited that he wanted to go ahead and sleep in it... the sign of many campouts to come...

Christmas night was spent at my in-laws house! We enjoyed our traditional Christmas dinner - complete with Swedish Meatballs - but right as we were finished eating and getting ready to play a couple of games, the power went out! We lit some candles, but I didn't take a single picture! The power came back on in the middle of gift-time, but I still didn't take any pictures that night... I made up for it today (those pictures coming soon...)

We are enjoying time at Sam's family's house over the next couple of days with his brother and sister-in-law visiting from California and his Grandpa visiting from Des Moines. His sister and brother-in-law live 5 hours away, so it's obviously a rare occasion that we are all together!

Time with family is good. Thank you Lord!

And thank you, Lord, for sending Jesus to us as a baby boy...the greatest Christmas present ever!

"For God so loved the world....."

Merry Christmas!

We are celebrating our Savior's birth today with our family!

We wish you and your family love, joy, and peace this Christmas season!!

I will blog about all of our festivities soon... we've had a lot of fun recently!

Storytime...

Sam is really good at telling Michael Bible stories. He has a way of making Michael get so excited and hang on to his every word!

There was a period of time where Michael wanted Sam to tell him the story of Jonah every night. And he did just that. We would lay Michael down in his bed and he would ask about Jonah. He definitely prefers Sam's storytelling skills over mine. I'm not quite as animated! :) Storytelling is not my gift.

Recently we've added the story of Samson, David & Goliath, and the Christmas story to his repertoire. Here's Michael telling the story of David & Goliath. He's obviously STILL under the weather, so excuse the coughing! :)

It's a........

We are so excited to announce that Michael is going to have a little.....

BROTHER!!

I am super excited and already anticipating having two sons - brothers! I know that will always be a special bond between the two of them. I'm looking forward to campouts in the backyard, forts in the living room, wrestling matches (with Daddy of course, not me), and many more boy things!

Sam can hardly contain his excitement! I tease him that he's trying to custom-build a basketball team! :) ha!

Anyhow.... the jury is still out on his name! I would love to go ahead and monogram it on his stocking, but doesn't look like that's going to happen anytime soon. We are in no hurry, though!

Pregnancy update...

So, I haven't written much about my pregnancy since I announced we were expecting. Baby and I are doing well! A few weeks ago, the evening sickness ceased and I regained some energy, so I'm starting to feel normal again. One of may favorite bloggers documents her pregnancy every week with these highlights and I love it. Although you will not get weekly updates from me, I would love to fill you in on some pregnancy stats!

I will be 20 weeks on Tuesday - halfway there!! We also find out the sex of the baby and I could not be more anxious! We will be thrilled no matter what the ultrasound tech tells us, but it's just good to know! I can't wait to call him/her by name!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: almost 20 weeks

Size of baby: Baby girl/boy is the length of a banana and weighs 10.5 ounces

Maternity clothes: YES! I got a pair of maternity "jeggings" (jean/leggings) and they are the most comfy things ever created. I have a feeling I might wear those even after the baby comes!

Gender: We'll find out soon!!

Movement: I've just started feeling the baby this week! I was getting a little worried, but he/she helped calm my nerves. It feels like little bubbles popping right now. No big kicks or anything.

Sleep: I sleep pretty good, but I have to have 2 pillows surrounding me to keep me from turning over on my stomach.

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach!

Cravings: Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies, Koolaid, baked potatoes, salty things - too bad it's not fruit and veggies!

Symptoms: my gag reflex is really sensitive, but the nausea has gone away!

Best moment this week: Feeling the baby move :)

Pink Pig and Santa

Last week, my mom and I made our annual trip to go ride the Pink Pig and see Santa at Lenox Mall. We started this tradition for Michael's first Christmas and we've kept to it for the 3rd year! I just love this Santa... his name is Santa Sam and he's been the Lenox Santa for a long time. He's so sweet!

This year we took my niece, Kennedy. It was so fun watching the two of them - Michael and Kennedy - together basking in the Christmas joy! They loved everything they saw... the lights, the cookies, everything!

Next up: The Pink Pig! Michael called it the "Pig Train". Although he's ridden it before, he didn't remember the past years, so I loved seeing his expressions as we rode the train. He loved it!

Last year, I bought an ornament to remember all of our Pink Pig trips. Michael loves to play with this ornament in particular and talk about the Pig Train. I love that he's starting to make memories and can tell stories about them!

Are there things that you do every year at Christmastime? Do you have traditions that you keep annually?

All we need is the photo...

Christmas cards are a big deal for me. Is it a southern thing that we put so much emphasis on sending Christmas cards? I just love getting a personalized photo card at Christmas and displaying them on the wall. It also reminds me to say a little prayer for our friends and family as their picture catches my eye!

In the past, I have created my own cards, but I just don't have the time this year! I have used Shutterfly to print pictures and have them sent to my house, so I thought I'd check out their Christmas Cards. I was so surprised at the quality of their designs! They are so cute and classic looking! They also make it so easy! All you do is upload your picture and type in your names and viola! A Christmas card!

These are some of my favorites that I'm eyeing for this year:

I love the look of a collage and the simple initial monogram is so classy!
I love the simplicity of these... So nice!

They do so many other things at Shutterfly, too! You can create invitations, birthday cards, or even photo gifts. I think I might create a calendar for next year - for myself and as Christmas gifts.



And the best part? Shutterfly is giving away 50 free Christmas cards to bloggers who blog about this promotion! You can read all about it HERE - Check it out and get yourself some FREE cards!

Sugar High...

Last week I was sick with a terrible cold! Boo! One day I felt so bad with body aches that I couldn't get out of bed. Sam was working, so Michael kept me company. He played quietly in his room with his blocks and would come visit me every once in a while saying "Mommy doesn't feel good?"

Well, sure enough, I passed my sickness onto Michael! A few days laster - Thanksgiving morning actually - Michael woke up with a fever. Poor thing! He held on to his fever for a couple of days and then it turned into the same terrible cold that I had.

We weren't going to let some virus get us down! What's the one thing that always makes you feel better? Christmas music and cookies! Even through the coughing and sneezing, we managed to get our Christmas tree up and make some Christmas cookies.

Michael loved frosting the cookies and pouring on the sprinkles, but his favorite part was eating them! YUM!

PolkaDots & Doodles

I've been too busy lately to update my blog! What have I been up to you ask? Sewing and monogramming...

My very talented friend, Jennie, and I have started a business together creating custom children's clothes and gifts. Let me introduce you to PolkaDots & Doodles....

We just listed a TON of new items, so check us out! If you would like to place an order, email us at polkadotsanddoodles {at} gmail {dot} com - it's written that way to avoid spam mail, but you email us the regular way! :)

Hope to hear from you soon!

London Calling

A few weeks ago, Sam and I got to take a whirlwind trip to London! Sam is teaching a class at his school for which he needed to be trained. The only training conference this fall was in London! He was required to go, and I quickly jumped at the opportunity to take a trip with half of it paid for! We were there for 6 days with 2 days of traveling, so we had to make the most of every minute we had!

We flew overnight into Manchester, a city in Northern England. We rented a car, freaked out at how the driver sat on the right side, and enjoyed a beautiful drive through the English countryside! We were soooo tired, but the drive kept us interested.

We then arrived in London where we were seeing things that we had only seen in books. I could not believe that we were actually looking at things like Big Ben! It's still all so surreal to me! Was I really there?

Westminster Abbey

Tower Bridge

Standing on the Tower Bridge - We tried to get as many red busses in our pictures as possible!

This is the Tower of London that is across the river from the Tower Bridge. It was mind-boggling to see these buildings that were hundreds and thousands of years old! This Tower was built in 1078.

Kensington Palace - where Princess Diana lived

Buckingham Palace

The London "Eye" - I wanted to ride it, but it was going to waste precious time that we had in the city since the lines were sooo long! (notice the double-decker red bus)

Random things I wanted to do: Take a picture with a red phone booth, walk across Abbey Road, feed pigeons in an English park, eat fish and chips and vinegar, and get my picture taken with one of those guards that can't make facial expressions - check, check, check, check, and check!!

We walked all.day.long. but it was so worth it! We saw everything we wanted to see in London in one day! The next morning (after visiting Abbey Road), we left for Sam's conference at Wellington College. It was about an hour outside of London, so we weren't planning on going back.

Funny story - one night after Sam had been in class all day, we randomly decided to go to Stonehenge, another hours drive away, just to say we did it. On our drive, we noticed the sun was setting quickly and that it was beginning to rain. However, the rain stopped for 5 minutes so we could take pictures and the sun stayed out just long enough to give us light! I'm so glad we went to see Stonehenge....but glad we didn't plan on spending the day there. What you see is what you get - big stones in a circle. Amazing, but not so exciting! We took our pictures and we went back to our hotel and called it a night!

We loved spending time in England! Maybe one day we will return! It just made me hungry for more traveling in Europe. Sam and I would love to see Ireland, Scotland, and Italy.... One day... One day....

And as they would say in England... Cheerio!!