Fresh Start Sunday

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
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Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV)

In The Works...

Another Q.U.I.L.T. Woo hoo!
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I'm planning to do a zig-zag quilt this time around,
based on this tutorial.
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I'll keep you posted!

Sewing for Dolls

Claire received her first "real" doll for Christmas from her Grandma and Grandpa. (An American Girl Bitty Baby who so far has been named both "baby" and "elmo", we're not sure which name is going to stick!) Knowing that she would be receiving the doll, we went ahead and bought the doll a few accessories including this bed from IKEA.Really IKEA? That flimsy blue blanket was really the best you could do?
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So I got to work making baby some much nicer, more attractive bedding. So far, I've made a fitted sheet for the bottom and a quilt for the top. I suppose I should make a little pillow too. And I'm still deciding if the bed itself should stay natural, or be painted.Claire's first response: "a beautiful bed for my baby!"
Her immediate second response: "where baby's blue blanket go?"Ugh, I tried! Now baby uses the pink and the blue blankets!

Monday's 10 Things

Here's what I'm most thankful for, right now!
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1. My brother is home! He's in the Navy, stationed at Pearl Harbor, and this is our first time seeing him in over a year!
2. Getting to meet Sarah later this week.
3. Safe travels for my parents who just arrived back from Hawaii.
4. A really fun time at a new music class with Claire this morning.
5. The icky snow on the ground has melted and fresh clean snow is coming later this week, so maybe we can play outside again!
6. Finally a good night's sleep last night after a couple of rough ones.
7. Progress on some really fun furniture re-do projects.
8. Several weeks now of success in breaking Claire from her pacifier. I anticipated it being much harder than what it actually was.
9. Eric and Claire's date at the lollipop symphony this weekend.
10. Pizza delivery for dinner tonight = no cooking! Woo hoo!
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What are you most thankful for today?

Fresh Start Sunday

The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
~
Number 6:24-26

Mad Machine

Oh man, my sewing machine is so mad at me.
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It's squeaks and screeches every time I use it. Not just a little whiny sound, we're talking a dogs running for the hills sound. We're also talking no sewing for this mumma during nap times because no one, not even my tired two year old can sleep through this sound.
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Last time I brought my machine in for service, Grams and Gramps at the sewing shop had it for weeks and I just don't want to go without it for that long again.
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Must figure out how to fix it myself...

Jello Dessert

Let's say,
hypothetically speaking here...

that you attend MOPS.
actually, you're a discussion leader at MOPS.
and it's your group's turn to bring bunch.
and you do remember to email your group about bringing brunch.
yet you somehow forget.
that you're supposed to bring a fruit or a dessert.
until the night before.
after you get home late from Wednesday night activities at church.
and you need to come up with something quickly.
with ingredients that you have in the house.
i've got you covered.
~
Yummy Jell0 Dessert
(yes, some people call this a salad,
but I've yet to understand what qualifies it as a salad)
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Ingredients:
1 can mandarin oranges
1 can pineapple chunks
1 banana
1 box vanilla instant pudding
1 container cool whip
Drain the cans of fruit keeping just a little of the juice. Slice banana. Mix all ingredients together, stir until smooth, top with cool whip.
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See? Easy peasy.
MOPS brunch crisis averted, whew!
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AND, if you're really good, you'll even blog about it the night before.
Oh yeah!

Monday's 10 Things

Here's what I'm most thankful for, right now!
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1. A great day painting with Eric.
2. Great progress made, it's amazing what you can accomplish when you have a babysitter for an entire day!
3. A three day weekend, woo hoo!
4. My little girl belting out "How Great Thou Art" from the backseat of the car.
5. Temperatures that were in the 30's this week. I can't believe I'm thankful for that, but it was really nice compared to what it's been.
6. Starting the week with grocery shopping AND laundry done.
7. Getting Claire into the preschool we were hoping for. It only took sitting in line for 3.5 hours, but I did it!
8. A little taste of summer today, Pronto Pups was open for the weekend! YUM!
9. Sunday afternoon drives, especially when they help a very crabby toddler fall asleep.
10. One more week and my brother comes home!
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What are you most thankful for today?

Fresh Start Sunday

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
~
Colossian 3:23-24 (NIV)

Dressing Up My Camera

These new camera strap slipcovers from Shey-B quickly just moved up to the top of my ever-growing-never-shrinking-Etsy-wish-list!Heather Bailey
+ Nicey Jane
+ Pink
+ Green
+ Polka Dots
+ Ruffles
+ Lace
+ my Nikon D3000
= Happy Me!

It's a keeper!

I made this Crescent Chicken recipe last week (a la Meg Duerksen) and it was a major hit in this house.
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Finding a recipe that both my husband and two year old will eat is a major fete. (Emphasis on the two year old. My husband will eat just about any of my normal bad cooking that I put in front of him!) Add to that one that I've already got all the ingredients for in the house, and it's certainly a keeper! This is for sure a good middle-of-winter-looking-for-comfort-food kind of a recipe.
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(I took pictures of the pan I made, but they didn't come out as yummy looking as Meg's, so I used her picture instead!)

Monday's 10 Things

Here's what I'm most thankful for, right now!
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1. A little family getaway in February that we just booked.
2. The sun shining this weekend. It's still so cold out, but the sun sure helps.
3. Safe travels for my parents who are now vacationing in Hawaii. L.U.C.K.Y.
4. Still managing to avoid the cold and the flu when the rest of my family has been hit.
5. A babysitter planned for all day on Saturday so Eric and I can get some painting done!
6. Getting to work on a house project with Eric again, it's been a long time.
7. A really great preschool that we found for our daughter. Now we'll see if I'm in line early enough tomorrow to get her in. (I had no idea people sat in line for HOURS to get their kids into three year old preschool, that's nuts!)
8. All of Eric's tricks for getting Claire to fall asleep...including singing hymns and telling made up stories that all end with everyone closing their eyes. It really works!
9. A husband who can talk me down from my frustration when I've locked myself into our laundry room, and our two year old out. (did I really do that this morning? no way!)
10. A fresh start tomorrow.
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What are you most thankful for today?

Fresh Start Sunday

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
~
Words by Helen Howarth Lemmel

One Word : Intentional

I love the idea of claiming one word to focus on for a year rather than writing specific New Year's resolutions.
(see here and here)
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Mine this year was easy to decide on: Intentional.
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Life is just going by way too quickly.
We've been married six and a half years already,
wow that's gone by fast!
Tonight we're going to a preschool open house for my baby girl,
how did that happen?
I've been a stay at home mom for 2.5 years already,
I can't believe its been that long.
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I want to slow down. I want to take it all in. I don't want to miss a thing because I was moving too fast and working too hard towards the next goal or item on the calendar.
~
Here's a few items I'm going to try to be
more intentional about during 2010:But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
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James 1:25 (NIV)

My Week

My week looks a whole lot like this.
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I'm a nose-wiping, medicine-administering, cuddle-giving mumma this week. But hopefully very soon I'll have happy, healthy, crafty things to write about again!
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Until then, you can have a laugh about the fact that earlier today, when I got excited thinking Claire was coming over to give me a hug or to rest her head on my shoulder, all she was really trying to do was wipe her runny nose on my shirt.
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All part of my job I guess!

She is NOT my friend...

...but I'm trying to learn to like her.
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After years of having a gym membership (and actually using it, for the record!) I cancelled my membership at the end of October. I convinced myself that I could be just as dedicated working out at home as I was at the gym. Not to mention cancelling the membership saves me about $80/month.
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Lesson learned: I'm NOT as disciplined to work out at home as I thought.
Result: a two month break from working out.
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But now the lazy party is over. I've got to get back to work, and I've hired Jillian Michaels by way of her 30 Day Shred to help me get back on track.

Wish me luck!

Monday's 10 Things

Here's what I'm most thankful for, right now!
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1. A new year full of great new possibilities!
2. After a few days spent with the flu, Eric is healthy again.
3. Us girls have *fingers crossed* stayed healthy so far.
4. Christmas is done. No, I'm not a grinch, I did love Christmas, but now I'm ready to restore order to my home and get back to a routine.
5. I get to see my brother later this month!
6. My little picky eater daughter has been eating like a champ this week, kind of warms my heart and makes me feel like I'm doing something right!
7. Grocery shopping all by myself.
8. Claire hugging me yesterday and saying, "I love you Jill!"
9. A really fun Saturday night with girlfriends.
10. A husband who works incredibly hard to provide for our family.
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What are you most thankful for today?

Fresh Start Sunday

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me,
and I will listen to you.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
~
Jeremiah 29:11-12 (NIV)

Believe It

I'm loving (and just ordered!) this Believe It print from Studio Mela on Etsy.
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My husband and I have made a personal mandate of doing everything we can to raise a daughter who is confident in herself, and who knows that no matter what, we love her and we support her, always. We verbally remind her of this every day, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have some uplifting messages on our walls as well, right?
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And just for fun, I ordered this one too!