Snow drifts and Gingerbread

Our house faces the coulies ( for those if you who don't know that meant river valley) and is completely unprotected from the wind. Which, happily, means that our sidewalks are constantly being filled with drifts of snow. And for some reason when snow is blown horizontally it becomes hard as opposed to the fluffy quality it has when falling vertically. So we shovel and shovel and are threatened to not have our mail delivered unless the sidewalks are 'safe'. The neighbor kids are always asking for a dollar for shoveling out sidewalks. They rarely finish because we have a lot of sidewalks (we live on a corner).

So the other day while out shoveling two of the boys came over offering to help. The are very polite and helpful, so we have fun shoveling and talking. Then up comes the subject of payment. They would really like a dollar, each. I tell them I don't have a dollar but if it is ok with their Dad they can have a gingerbread cookie. This is fine with them, so I go inside and a few minutes later they come knocking on my door to collect. Matt gave them a whole stack. So now I am the cookie lady and am handing out cookies to all the kids that live in my row of houses. Plus 'one for my sister/dad/dad's girlfriend' but they LOVE the cookies so I don't mind. All of these kids have single parents and not a lot of money. I think I'll make a new batch this week just so I have enough! And as requested ice the cookies too.

Happy thought: It is December= almost Christmas, the Wedding, Julia's birthday and my birthday I will be 25 eeek!

Super cute crafts!

So my wonderful Mother in Law posted a really neat Christmas craft from this sight. Which lead me to this sight. And I found these other ones. I am constantly loosing my kids socks, and we have tonnes of mismatched socks, so these cute little crafts are perfect for us and I'm sure for lots of other mommies out there too!

No-Sew Baby Rattle

Materials

• Mismatched baby booties
• Cotton batting

• Bell (we used a plastic cat ball with an enclosed jingle bell)
• Ribbon

1. Stuff a baby sock with cottonbatting. Place a bell inside the batting, then twist the end of the sock and wrap it back over itself to form a ball.

2. Put the rattle inside another sock and securely tie the end with a short, double-knotted ribbon.

A Flock of Baby Socks

Materials

• 5 baby socks
• Fiberfill stuffing
• Thread
• Small beads and a needle
• Tacky glue

• 5 small felt triangles
• Scissors
• 3 yards of narrow ribbon
• Embroidery needle
• 6-inch embroidery hoop

Instructions

To make each bird, stuff a sock just up to the ankle with fiberfill. Tie a piece of thread securely around the toe, about an inch or so from the end, to make the head. Use another piece of thread to tie off the tail as shown. Sew on the bead eyes (or draw them on with a permanent marker). Then sew or glue on a felt triangle beak.

To hang the flock, cut the ribbon at varying lengths (we used 8, 10, and 16 inches). With the embroidery needle, thread a section of ribbon through the back of each bird. Knot together the loose ends and trim them. Then loop the ribbons around the hoop so the birds hang down. To keep the ribbons from sliding, you can attach them to the hoop with a dab of tacky glue. Hang the mobile with three additional loops of ribbon (be sure it hangs out of your baby's reach).

I also found THIS which is really cute and useful!

Happy Thought: We got paid today instead of tomorrow because tomorrow is a Holiday!

The light at the end of the tunnel!

We have had a break through!! Julia went #2 on the potty BY HER SELF. I have been working with Anita for over a year to potty train and we are making progress at a snails pace. Julia has started to insist and ask to go potty when I change her. This morning after peeing and then running around half naked she was back in the bathroom and calling to me to come see what she had done!

What a big girl!! Wow, I think it will be way easier this time around!

On another note I have a great friend who is watching the girls tomorrow while I go to the doctor. She also nannies two little boys, and will have all four kids at once. What a champ!

Happy thought: Matt was late for work this morning because I was having a bad morning so he stayed till I felt better. What a good man!

Grandma

My Grandma passed away this summer. As I sort through the items I have received from my mom that belonged to Grandma, each one smelling of her home, I am glad that I have these material things to remember her by. A prettily embroidered tea towel that I don't recall seeing before suddenly makes me cry. Oh Grandma, I miss you.

I'm so thankful for the gospel. I know that I will see her again. I know I can pray and receive comfort. What a blessing. Its difficult when family members start getting older and their bodies start to fail. It makes me want to live a healthier life to make sure that I can live as long and as healthy as possible for my children, grandchildren and the rest of my family.

I am grateful to live in a country where we can live in comfort and plenty. We have doctors readily availably to us, who cares if we have to wait and hour or two to see them, some people in the world have never seen a doctor. We take so much for granted and I feel that we need to remember out blessings more often.

I love that I have a home and a safe place to raise my children and have so much. Too much really! I am so grateful for the generosity of others, for the blessing of being able to stay home with my family. To be able to teach them and love them.

I hope I can be like my Grandma, that I can lead a life like her. Everyone loved her. Its not the love of other I'm looking for, I want to be the type of person she was, she served in her community and church she created beautiful things, she got a university degree in her 60's or 70's. She traveled, she was truly a woman to be emulated.

I love most of all that I have a daily reminder of her, my own sweet little Anita. I hope she can be like her Great Grandma Anita. I hope that I can too.