Thanks to be given

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed. The fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just like people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, and most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is just like an old time rail journey ... delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."
— Gordon B. Hinckley


This past week I have been so overwhelmed with gratitude for those "beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed". Here's just a small list of some of those things that I'm so grateful for:


Being able to be a stay at home mom

A vehicle with 4wheel drive and a working heater

A husband who loves his little kids

A home that we don't like being away from

Warm clothes for my kids

Disposable diapers

That my boy is a massive cuddler

A baby girl who smells like heaven

Forgiveness

4 parents that would do anything for their grandchildren

2 bathtubs that seem to cure all of our woes

Weekly library books

Clorox wipes that comfort my paranoid mind

The soft light that bursts through our windows in the morning

Knowing that tomorrow is another day

Those who post on their blogs often. There's something comforting about knowing I can sit down and relax as I read them everyday.

Time alone with my baby girl at 2 am. I'm always still up at that time- just waiting for her to wake up, and at around 1 am I start getting excited. She's always at her happiest in the middle of the night. She smiles and coos and we talk and play until she starts getting sleepy again. In some ways 2 am is my favorite time of day.

And lastly I'm thankful for those in my family who refuse to eat the turkey skin on Thanksgiving due to its high fat content. I'll take care of it.

Giveaway Winner!

I was going to video this, but seeing as how uploading yesterday's video took 300 hours, I decided to document with pictures- natch!

The names went in to a bowl and as I handed it to Jax he screamed "YAY!! POPCORN!" Oops, maybe I should've used something other than his popcorn bowl. I'll make up for that tonight.

Anyway he quickly got over it and started mixing all the names around.
After about two minutes of thorough mix-age he finally chose...

Ready for this?

After all the hard work and exhausting celebrations, Jax laid back with his hands behind his head and let Haven have a turn.
They both seem pretty happy about it.
Good voodoo work, Amanda.
Let me know where to send it!

For anyone who is interested,
go here for a special deal.

ABCs and 123s

(Sorry about the baby cries in the background...
She was in and out of sleep while we were doing this.)

2 Months

Our sweet little sugar Haven just turned 2 months old. Words can't describe how much I love that little girl. As I held her yesterday, noticing every little bit of her that had changed, I thought how different it felt to have a girl. When I hold Jaxon I think of the good man he's going to be- how he's going to be gentle, protective, and loving. When I hold Haven I think of how nurturing she will be. It's crazy to think that someday she will be a mother as well. I'm sure she'll love it as I do. But until then I don't think she'll have any idea how much I love her.. maybe not even then. Because the extent of love that I feel for my two children doesn't seem like it could possibly exist anywhere else. It is an incredible, overpowering love. I feel so blessed to be able to experience it.













Don't grow up too fast little girl, someday you'll get to be a mommy, but right now it's my turn.. and I'm loving every minute of it.

GIVEAWAY!

In light of the current New Moon craze, I've decided to do a giveaway of my Twilight-inspired headband called "A Twilight-Kind-of-Love"..




To get 1 entry, simply leave a comment here. To get 3 entries, do a quick blog post about this headband giveaway, then leave a comment here.

I'll pick the winner next Wednesday!

To see or read more about the headband, click HERE

don't mock the model

So... some of the headbands are up in the shop now. I have a bunch more to be listed, and will list when I can. But for now, here are a few samples of what is available:

Yes, I did have to model each of them myself - deepest apologies- but I didn't think J would be up for it.
(Oh, and they don't have to be worn how I wore them in the pictures.. I like to wear them that way, but you can tuck them underneath your hair as well.)

Wanna see the rest?

Click HERE

What I've been up to lately...

I went to the Bijou market last week and drooled over all the headbands. I was bummed when I saw them all priced anywhere from $28 to $58 dollars. Me and a friend figured out how we could make our own.. and now I'm on a kick. I've got a collection going and now I just need to upload them to my Etsy account.. so if you're interested, stay tuned. I'll try to avoid uglyness..

A sneak preview:





(stovetop and pan not included)

Cheeks... and then some

Haven is getting to the age where she's starting to smile when you talk to her and she tries so hard to talk. The cooing is the most endearing thing ever. Is it any wonder why we're in love with this girl?