After discovering this cute poem I decided to design a handout for it. The handout is 5x7 and has enough white space to tape a full sized candy cane to.

Click on the image below to download. Free for personal use.

Look at the Candy Cane

What do you see?

Stripes that are red like the

blood shed for me.

White for my Savior

so sinless and pure.

"J" is for Jesus, my Lord

strong and sure. 

Turn it around and a

staff you will see.

He's the Good Shepherd 

that's calling to me.

Join with us in 25 days of service leading up to the celebration of Christ's birth! From the website:

 #LightTheWorld is an invitation to transform Christmas into a season of service. Join us as we follow the example of Jesus Christ by ministering to others one by one—just like He did.

You can download a calendar from the website that is already filled out with service prompts or you can write your own ideas into the blank calendar I've created. I designed this calendar, free for your personal use just for this event. Just click on the calendar below.

This one is especially engaging for kids. Perhaps they can write down one small act of service they can do for someone every day this month leading up to Christmas and then they can put a sticker on each block when it's been accomplished. Merry Christmas!

Today begins the 25 days of service initiative of the LDS church. Anyone can join in and it's free. Let's bring a smile to someone's day every day this month and all year round!

I designed a calendar, free for your personal use just for this event. We're going to have our kids write down one small act of service they can do for someone every day this month leading up to Christmas and  then they can put a sticker on each block when it's been accomplished. Merry Christmas!

I've never had a mantelpiece to decorate before. Oh the excitement! I'm planning on printing out a banner but I have to find one I really love or make one. For now I made two Halloween printables that I've framed. Don't you especially love that ornate metal frame? Yeah, I thrifted it for a couple of bucks this morning. That and the candle holder. And the jack-o-lantern box. Oh and all of the raffia pumpkins. I am a thrifting queen!

Using pretty fonts, some graphics from The Graphics Fairy and some pretty paper textures from Lost and Taken it was a snap to whip up something I loved. If you love these printables too, feel free to pin, download, etc. They are free for personal use, no resale. The raven printable has script from Edgar Allen Poe's, The Raven, written on it. Happy decorating!

 Download this free printable here

Download this free printable here

Over the holiday season our family attended two different Christmas parties. Here are some of my favorite shots from each.These first few pictures were taken during a white elephant party we attended.

I just love this little girls bright bold eyes and her mischievous glance. It's like she's thinking, "Does mommy know this is my fourth cookie?"

The lighting on this one isn't so great but I love the expressions on mother and sons face.

The following little dudes have the most gorgeous eyes and cute chubby cheeks!



These next pictures were taken at our Church Christmas party.




My daughter made sure I noticed the snowflake confetti sprinkled on the tables. She loved it!


This woman is one I see at church nearly every Sunday and I have always thought she had such a beautiful weathered face. When I walked by her I knew I wanted a picture. She was a bit reluctant but cracked a little smile for me.

My kids love to make 'gingerbread' houses every year. This year we started decorating after the sun went down so I was concerned about lighting. We have a chandelier over the table but it's not that bright so I cranked up the ISO on the camera. A little too much I think, as the pictures are fairly grainy. But I do like the natural warm glow of the photos.




Guess what? I don't own a genuine macro lens. So how did I get so close to those marshmallows you ask? A macro filter. I'll post more about it later.



I am particularly fond of the photo above. Maybe it's the composition/angle or the stray, blurry m&m's. Or perhaps it's because my adorable two year old just had to build a tower out of gum drops atop her house. I don't know. But I really like this photo.

Well, I’ve wanted to write a “what we did” and “what we got” Christmas post, because I’ve been reading lots of posts like that and they’re fun. But truth be told, mine will be pretty darn boring next to everyone else’s. We’ve got no family out here so it was just us.

We had our special dinner on Christmas eve. Hubby made a glorious ham (I’m talking ham that ham haters have loved). He glazes it with mustard and brown sugar and slow cooks it and it is sooooo good. We had homemade scalloped potatoes and broccoli with that. Then after dinner we drove around and looked at Christmas lights. We came home and made some gingerbread cookies and then put the kiddos to bed.
Christmas morning found us up at 6:00 a.m. reading Luke 2, then opening presents and then enjoying warm gooey homemade cinnamon rolls.

Ethan received a Hot Wheels Turbo Glo track with Turbo Glo Car, the “Rings” Planet Hero action figure, two Magnetix toys (from a Secret Santa) and some candy and other odds and ends in his stocking. Upon opening his Turbo Glo Track set he squealed with delight and exclaimed, “I’ve been waiting for dis my whole life!!!”

Caleb received the new Mater National Cars game for PS2, the “Black Hole” Planet Hero action figure, a Backyardigans Memory Game (from a Secret Santa) and stocking stuffer odds and ends.

Vanessa received two new rattles and a Playskool pop up fun toy and then a cute pajama set and shirt from a secret Santa.

Hubby received a Kitchen Aid Knife Set courtesy of moi, made available through my first ever pay check for my blogging job

I received a new Spyro game and an Uno Attack game from a Secret Santa.

It was a delicious, peaceful Christmas. We watched all our favorite Christmas movies, read all our favorite Christmas books, listened to all our favorite Christmas music, saw all our favorite Christmas sights and enjoyed family together time for four straight days.

T’was wonderful!

There’s a reason I don’t put presents under the tree until a couple days before Christmas. I have discovered that Ethan takes after his father.

Hubby loves to wonder about what might be inside any nicely wrapped present with his name on it. He wonders whilst he sizes up the package. He wonders whilst he gives the package a little shake. He wonders whilst he presses the wrapping paper against the package, hoping to see wording or other clues through the paper.

Today was the day of wrapping the presents (minus one, which had better arrive on Monday!) so I told everyone to stay out while I went about sloppily carefully creasing and taping. When I was finished I brought the presents out and placed them under the tree, thinking I was prepared for what would ensue.

Caleb squealed out in a high pitched voice, “Presents?!?!? Por me?!?!?”

Ethan perked up at the mention of presents and two wiggly little boys were suddenly perched around the tree eyeing the gifts. I reminded them that the presents were to be opened only on Christmas, and really they are very good about that sort of thing. What I didn’t count on was Ethan's persistence in finding out what these gifts might be. After asking me for the umpteenth time what was inside the wrapping paper and me telling him for the umpteenth time that he would find out on Christmas, he began investigating.

Every little astonishingly perceptive comment uttered from Ethan's mouth usually starts with, “I fink….”

Walking up to me holding the smallest of the presents he said, “I fink dis looks like a game case.”

I turned my head, trying to hide the smile of incredulity that was creeping up on my face. Then I mentally scolded myself for thinking that this 5 year old lover of dvd’s and video games wouldn’t recognize the shape or sound of the disc inside.

I told him to put it back and he would find out what it was on Christmas day. The faintest hint of a smug grin flashed upon his face as he put it back.

Five minutes later he walked up to me and said, (concerning two other presents) “I fink Caleb and I have duh same present. Dey look and feel duh same.”

“No more touching the presents!” I said exasperated, wondering if he’d tell me exactly what he “finked” they were next.

Note to self: Next year wrap EVERY item in identical boxes, overstuffed with packing peanuts.

I came home exhausted last night, vowing never to try getting professional pictures taken of the kids again.

It all started at Walmart. They’re inexpensive and I just wanted one nice picture package of my 3 children together. I should have known the first time we tried that it was not to be.

We entered Walmart at around noon. The kids were dressed in church attire, well fed and ready to go. We had been sick all weekend, which is why Ethan was home from school, but I felt the children were well enough and calm enough (due to illness) that now was the time to try. We had been in the waiting area for 20 minutes when Ethan told me he had to go to the bathroom which was right around the corner. So I sent him on his way.

Moments later I heard a small anxious sounding, “Momma!” coming from the bathroom. I saw Ethan peeking out of the door and he slowly emerged. There were mustard like stains down his pants and at the bottom of his white shirt. He was nearly in tears as he told me he got poop on himself. Diarrhea. He was clearly embarrassed and I wanted to thump myself for not thinking to accompany him in case he was still suffering from it. You see, Ethan has been in the habit of squatting on top of the toilet seat to relieve his bowels, since his earliest days of potty training and we’re still working to convince him he won’t fall in if he sits his butt down on the toilet seat. Thus the sprayage of the diarrhea on everything.

I put his jacket on him so at least his shirt was covered and whisked the kids over to the children’s clothing section where I quickly picked up some clearance slacks and a white dress shirt. At the check out I reached into my diaper bag and, behold, no pocket book.

Did I mention that this Walmart, the closest one with a photo studio, is 25 minutes from our home?

I keep blankets in the back of the car in case of emergency so Ethan sat on top of a blanket in soiled pants for the ride home. Once showered and dressed in new clothes he asked to go back out. You see, I had told the kids we could go visit Santa at the mall today (to avoid having to do it later when crowds are big and lines are long) so I told him we would indeed go back out to see Santa. But since we were going to go back out we would try getting pictures again. And try we did.

After another relatively long wait and then a 1 hour photo session, we had pictures of all three children alone, but none showing them all together.

It proved impossible to get all three children to look at the camera at the same time, while smiling, with eyes open and sitting up straight. Caleb kept slouching and leaning into Ethan. Vanessa kept trying to squirm out of Caleb's arms. It was a fruitless endeavor and I still feel that it ought never to be attempted again.

Afterward we did make our visit to Santa even though I really just wanted to go home. The boys sat in his lap and told them what they wanted for Christmas and then I put Vanessa in Santa’s arms as well and asked for a picture. Miracle of miracles, they all three looked at the camera. The boys were smiling, Vanessa was not, but she still looks cute of course. They all looked at the camera and that more than half decent picture took 3 minutes to take.

Why didn’t I just go with Santa in the first place?

I’ve always been big into Christmas decorating. I took over the decorating of the house for my parents when I was 14. My dad supplied the ladder and in early December I could be found on top of the roof stringing the lights, taping lights in every window in the house and threading them through tree branches. I can’t wait to have a house to decorate the outside of again. For now I make due with decorating the interior of our little apartment.

Today I set up the nativity set and hung lights and stockings and other Christmas decorations while the delicious smell of my Apple Wreath candle burned nearby. The boys we’re thrilled to help me tape lights to their bedroom window. After all of the lights were strung they insisted on turning off every light in the apartment to enjoy the glow. And they spoke excitedly of picking out a fresh Christmas tree in a week. I love Christmas decorations. And I love doing the decorating.