Toothpicks?

I feel I may need toothpicks to keep my eyes open today. I am oh so tired. Hazel Jane has been a good sleeper overall -- I am so grateful for this! But last night she stirred and fussed and just needed some soothing from about 3:30 am on... I asked Vance yesterday to PLEASE wake me early this morning so I could go to the 8:00 service at church. I haven't wanted to take Hazel to church... yet... being it's flu season and all. Vance woke me and I went... but with tired eyes. The message was wonderful, made me want to dive into the book of James this week and it put things into perspective for me with Thanksgiving right around the corner.
Hazel has been in our arms pretty much all morning and yesterday was the same way... she cries and sounds so sad and then we pick her up and "awww... relief" This IS what I signed on for and I will take it all... even the occasional long nights and sometimes fussy days.

MY MOM
This Thanksgiving I am very thankful for my mom. Often over the holidays and her birthday... and also through the month of March, the month she passed away, I feel sad. I am lonesome for her. I want to share my kids with her and I so wish my kids could know her! But this November I am grateful for WHO she was, for the values she taught me, for being a friend, a role model, a Christian parent and a patient, kind woman. God did great things through her during her 45 years of life on earth.
I want to be the mother to my daughter that my mom was to me.
Today I feel so blessed to have three wonderful children.
I am also sooo thankful that my parents had five children. I TREASURE my relationships with my siblings. They are friends for life, people I laugh with every time I am around them and DEAR to my heart.
I can't remember the last time I spent Thanksgiving with my dad and siblings... maybe once in the nine years since my mom passed away. This Thanksgiving I get to spend it with them. And I will do so with a grateful heart.

From her button nose, to her tiny toes... Thank God for Hazel Jane.

Both of our boys are proud, responsible big brothers. Yesterday I captured this sweet shot of Merit and Hazel.

card winner, fun with our three at home!

There are sooo many things I want to blog about! Numerous pictures of this darling baby girl, fun pics of her big bros! And some craft project pictures as well! But, I will get to just a few today...

The boys have been playing store. Merit's theme for his store is usually football -- in the summer it was NASCAR but now that we are deep into football season, he has a NFL store. :) Sometimes the boys open shop together, other times they each have their own. I love to shop at their store. Vance loves it when I shop at their stores too, compared to "real" shopping. Spending play money and buying items that are already in your house is something the hubby's really appreciate. :)

Every day we soak up Hazel Jane's sweetness!!! Oh this baby is a dream! A blogging friend, Tami, sent her this sweet blankie!! Thank you Tami! Hazel has some "fruit" fashions that will go perfectly with this blanket. :)

The lucky card give away winner is MINDY!!! A seasoned stamper herself, I think she will like these handmade goodies! Congrats Mindy! Please choose between these three sets. JUST FYI to my blogging friends, the sets Mindy doesn't pick are for sale... for $5.

set 1

set 2

set 3

More soon!! Love, Michele

give away and more ...

We are soaking up Hazel Jane's sweetness. She is a doll and such a sweet blessing and addition to our family!! At home, Hazel is mostly content. Out and about this is not the case. She cries sooo hard while in her carseat! She can't seem to stand that thing! I have grocery shopped with her twice - both times I held her in one arm and tried to push the cart with the other! Oh my. She calms down in my arms, but once back in her carseat she begins to wail.

Today she has been content and when awake, very alert. I love how she studies our faces and gazes into our

eyes!

sound asleep, sweet baby girl

Card Making Fun!!!

When Merit is at school and Hazel is asleep, I have a very fun cardmaking buddy -- it's WILLEM!!! I love to make cards with him!

so it is give away time! Comment on this post and I will choose a winner on Wednesday... the winner will receive three fun cards and envelopes and a Christmas gift tag!!! In the post, tell me about your favorite place to shop for a baby or your favorite baby gadget!

Me and My Girl

Feeling so incredibly blessed.

November Weekend

This weekend has been good. I am so thankful for our health and our time together as a family. Today we have been at home together all day. Yesterday, Vance, Merit and Will went out to Grandpa Vic's. They ate great food, drove go-carts, had some time with Aunt Katie, Uncle John, and cousins Fischer and Kendal. Hazel and I hung out at home. I have been tired and needed to get some rest this weekend.

I photographed Hazel in pink, and in her cute "apple suit" before making a Pear/Apple Crisp!

Dear Lord, Thank you for this darling Hazel Jane. We are all so blessed!

PEAR/APPLE CRISP

YUM!

2-3 ripe pears

2-3 tart apples

peel and core all and dice them, place in a bowl with a little flour, sugar (a little less than a quarter cup each) and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg and a little salt

Add orange zest and lemon zest along with a little orange juice and lemon juice

Mix together

Place in two individual oven safe bowls or one baking pan

TOPPING

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/4 cup flour

1/2 stick softened butter

Bake at 350 for approx 30 min

Simplify

S-I-M-P-L-I-F-Y

We are crazy about... oh SO crazy about this adorable Hazel Jane. I want life to slow down a bit. I want each day to count. I want to soak up these three gifts -- these growing children -- I love my time at home with them.
I am making a big effort to keep things simple. I will be spending lots of time at home over the next couple / few months (doctors orders). With flu season, and this one being worse than some, it is important that I don't subject Hazel to crowds and it is important that we all do our best to stay healthy. My friend Katie A. sent me a wonderful CD - it is called Sing Over Me. The praise and worship songs on this peaceful CD have become favorites of mine... and Hazel's! :) Holding her and listening to this CD has been so sweet. Thank you Katie!
I plan to make several of my Christmas gifts and am generating ideas for those now. I'll share some!
 Willem and I are playing more games... lots of memory, Guess Who and this week I am breaking out Candy Land again :) When Merit gets home from school we do homework, read, watch a couple of shows and just chill out. The boys love to cook and bake with me too! I've included some pics of us making chocolate chip cookies on Wednesday night.
We are also having some simple, easy dinners. I ordered some soup mixes from Alice.com --- my friend Sharon introduced me to Alice. com -- what a great way to order common household items, online, ALWAYS FREE SHIPPING -- I think it will really limit my WalMart shopping trips.
Vance helps with dinner -all meals- on the weekends, but I try to cover it during the week. Soup and piggies on a pillow is a nice easy meal. The piggies on a pillow is something Sandra Lee does. I really like her cooking show! I've shared her recipe.
Wishing you all a fun weekend and when things get hectic... try to SIMPLIFY.

The baking brothers with their aprons Aunt Janis made.

Piggies on a Pillow

Mini hot dogs or lil' smokies

Pillsbury refridgerator biscuits

shredded cheddar cheese

Quarter the biscuits, roll each quarter and then press your finger to make a spot for the lil' smokie

the biscuit is its "pillow" :)

roll your biscuit in cheese or place cheese on your pillow, then add your lil' smokie

these are often a hit with the kids -- bake for about 10 minutes at the temp listed on the biscuit package

Hazel Jane and daddy

The precious, sweet Hazel Jane --- she is content and sweet, what a dream

Trick or Treat!

Our Ninja, Jack o Lantern and Seahawk Player!

Cousin Fischer joined us for some Halloween fun. These three boys were so excited to be out Trick or Treating~!

At one of the houses we went to, the woman had a real, large white snake!! None of the boys took her up on her offer to pet it!

And a few pics from Hazel's 2nd week. What a JOY, what a BLESSING.