Choo-Choo

One of the boys received this cute block train for a gift.

Most days it can be found like this!

I thought I would sew up a bag to store it in, instead of toss it in with all of our other toys.  Well, the bag turned out fine. {tutorial here} But I should have checked the measurements.  It's too small for all of the pieces to fit!  So I guess that something else that needs a home will be getting a drawstring bag. 

It was fun to do a quick project.  My last 31/2 weeks have been feed baby, change diaper, repeat!

The instructions are very easy to follow and the bag went together easily and quickly!

Handmade Christmas Goodies

Baby doll diapers - pattern here

~Small monogrammed bag for blocks~

Name practice sheets - {Found idea here} Download font here.  Print, cut, sew, score with unthreaded sewing machine

Packages wrapped with headbands - Flower tutorial here

Gathered bag - tutorial here

In The Hills of West Virginia...

We made a quick trip out of town for a dear aunts funeral. On the way home through West Virginia, we stopped at a Blueberry Farm.

We were here once before {5 or so years ago!} on the way home from a family reunion. We have good memories of stopping with my husbands family and spending a couple of hours picking berries. Since it's blueberry time in West Va...we decided to continue the memories.

I think she's in her own imaginary world, probably pretending she's from long-ago times...finding berries in the woods!

We came home with 12# of these beautiful, yummy blueberries! There is something rewarding about picking fruit....somehow the memories return when you're eating the fruit in the middle of the winter while the snow flies! {that is, if any make it to the freezer before being eaten by my hungry boys!}

As we were leaving, the owner asked if we liked peaches. Her neighbor had picked them and she didn't know what to do with them all. My husband laughed and told her "My wife would never turn down a gift of fresh, homegrown fruit!" {He knows me well!}

The Post in Which I Am Thankful

~beautiful topiary~

~given to me by my husbands mother~

~"because she didn't get anything for me when the baby was born" (she must have forgotten the hours she spent crocheting him a blanket!)~

~"they were just so pretty at the store"~

~what a gift..to have a mother since birth, and then to gain another through marriage..

I am so blessed and all too often take them both for granted~

Macaroni / Bucatini

My mom knows I'm into all things healthy {well, mostly, cause I still chow down on m&m's when I have the chance!} and that I like to bake/cook. She gave me this pasta press for a gift. So when I should have been cleaning my house...I decided we'd make pasta!

Farm fresh eggs...

Fresh ground flour...

...and a little water and salt to make this dough...

I thought I would make all small macaroni, but I got impatient because it takes longer for the press to make smaller macaroni and you need to separate it so it doesn't stick together. So I went with the bigger size after messing around with the small stuff.

I also decided to try making some spaghetti with rice flour. It seemed to be dry and a little crumbly. So I used it for the bucatini (bottom picture) instead of thin spaghetti, hoping that it wouldn't break quite so easily.

So now I need to come up with a yummy spaghetti recipe, a green salad, some breadsticks, and ta-da...we can have Olive Garden at home!

Boys and Their Toys

We had Dad and Mom over last night for supper. They are heading to Florida to spend the rest of the winter...Mom had a birthday this week and they will miss the birthdays of all three of our children. So, it was a chance to celebrate before they took off. (yes, I'd love to go along especially since it's 16 degrees this morning. brrr!)

Grandma and BigM

Since Mom had four little boys herself, she knows that a gift of Legos is awesome!

Yes, Daddy likes them too!

Do you think he likes his vice-grips? Clamped firmly to the pillowcase...no chance of them running off during the night :) He is quite thrilled with a "real, metal tool!"

Birthdays/Easter Celebration

We spent Sunday with the family...4 birthdays to celebrate and an early Easter.

Beautiful, springy centerpiece

L is now 8 (in March) and LittleM is 2 (Feb.)

Happy Birthday, sweet children. May God keep you through this year.

Coloring Fun

Christ the Lord is Risen...HALLELUJAH!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Aren't they beautiful?

Party Time

We had a party for BigM last weekend. He kept thinking that he wasn't really 5 UNTIL he had a birthday party!

The whole family...ready to EAT!

Our yummy taco salad bowls. I didn't hardly make anything for the meal..what a blessing. My mom brought fruit and sisters brought the taco bowls. It was so nice to not 'stress out' making a meal...and you know how awesome things taste when you don't have to make them! Yum..thanks so much mom and sisters!

The birthday boys: My dad, BigM, and Cousin J

Looks Dangerous!

After the party BigM told me that he was wishing for a nice day so he could go out and shoot marshmallows.

Proof of our material blessings..and that we ate well!

Love, love, love this sweet picture.

We had a good evening together...we are so blessed!

Baby Gift

I got to go visit a friend and her new baby girl today. She sure is a cutie! ( I forgot my camera...so no baby pictures.)

The little gift I took her...along with some sweet treats for the family to enjoy!