Wooden growth chart

My mom has always been crafty.  When I was growing up she would always make our Valentines or May Day baskets.  She would sew my Halloween costumes and everyone would rave about her craftiness. My mom has always worked full-time as she had to work.  My parents divorced when I was three years old and she needed to support two young daughters.  My mom built her financial planning business and in 2009 retired to become a full-time grandma and hand over the business to the rest of our family.

Since retiring she has taken her love for crafting and creating to a whole new level.  First up was my brother's wedding where she planned a beautiful rehearsal dinner at the Pabst tasting room in Milwaukee.  She made every table covering, every centerpiece and place card for the evening.  Not to mention welcomed here grand children in the same year.

Next up was my little sister's wedding this past October in Boston.
She made everything for the big day.  Seriously everything.
 After this event we dubbed her Martha Stewart.  

When our family got together to celebrate Christmas this year she wrote each of us girls a note in our stockings telling us there was a present for us in the basement.  We all headed to the basement and there was a handmade gift for each of us.  For my little sister was two shelves made from pallets for her bathroom.  She made my sister-in-law jewelry holders on wood planks with doorknobs and for my older sister and I, wooden growth charts.  I was over the moon.  I've wanted one for our home for a long time but the ones I've looked at have always been so expensive.  This piece is beautiful and will be in our home forever.  I also love that when we move we can take it with us.  

We brought it home and decided to hang it in our entry way.  We measured each of our kiddos and thankfully Kate made it on the chart!  My mom used a 1x10 piece of wood and free hand painted the numbers.  

I hung a frame next to the growth chart with a picture of each of the kids when they were just babes and a current picture.  My thought is to keep changing the current picture of the children.  I love having pieces in our home that are handmade by people that we love.  I still look back at my grandma's pictures frames and Santa's or the hall tree my grandpa built and smile just knowing that a part of them is in our home. 

I'm so envious of the gift of craftiness my mom was blessed with.  I would love to be able to create and sew as she can.  I am bound to one day learn to at least sew on a button.  

Family pictures

  On a sunny afternoon one Sunday our dear friend and photographer, Amy Doerring took time away from her editing and took our latest family pictures.  She called and said the light was perfect, the weather was cooperating, we are in Iowa after all and the kids were in good moods.  It was a perfect equation to take our Christmas card pictures and a few pictures of th kiddos.

Amy has photographed the kiddos since they were in my belly and she was there just hours after they were born.  Amy is not only my photographer, she is my dear friend.  She has the inheritant ability to capture my children's personalities that no one else can.  She gets me and what I like in a photograph to be displayed on my wall, and as a mom that is immeasurable.  Amy has a simple and classic style and that's why I absolutely love having her images in my home.  

For this shoot we met Amy at a local park where the leaves were starting to turn.  Amy then started to work her magic. 

I posted the middle of our Christmas card back in December.  We did a folded card with four different pictures.  This was the front of our card, totally idicitive of our season of life.  A little crazy and upside down, but we're loving our little family and our life we've built.

We played around in the leaves and Amy captured some fun shots.

Kate decided to steal a kiss from Ruby.

After we were done in the leaves we moved on to just shooting the kids.  The entire shoot took maybe an hour.  We also moved locations and did a quick outfit change.

Is he really just three?  He looks like he's posing for a senior pictures.

Be still my heart.  My sweet baby girl is getting so big.

In all the craziness of our life right now, it's such a treat to slow down and look at Amy's work.  She captures my family at this very special time of life that passes in the blink of an eye.  During the day to day grind I don't realize just how fast my babies are growing. Seeing these pictures blows my mind just how big they are getting.  We are so blessed to call Amy not only our photographer, but our friend.

Drew's first Christmas concert

Drew had his first Christmas concert a couple of weeks ago.  His preschool puts on the cutest little program for both the three and four year old classes.  Drew's three year old class has twenty four kids in it and they were all so dang cute it was so amazing to watch.  

Drew would come home in the weeks before and sing snippets of the songs but we were curious as to what Drew would really do when he got on stage when Friday morning arrived and the three year old class pranced on stage all dressed in their adorable Christmas clothes.  

When the concert started they started singing their first song and Drew was so animated and one of the loudest in the class.  Oh my goodness was he animated. I can't acurately describe how animated and into the songs he got.  Maybe we have a future theatre major on our hands.  He was smiling, singing and waving to all of us sitting at his table.  Both sets of my parents were able to attend and my older sister and my four year old nephew came to see him. The pictures honestly do not do this performance justice.

Saved the best for last...

Drew loves that he goes to school with his best friend, Ashlyn.  She is just the absolutely cutest thing ever!

Both sets of my parents were able to attend.  My dad and stepmom were back for Christmas from South Carolina.  Drew loved having them there.

I was THAT mom and cried during one of the songs. Drew was singing and dancing about walking with Jesus.  What overtired, stressed, proud and happy momma wouldn't cry?  

These milestones have come far too soon in our first child's life.  I knew we'd get here someday, I just didn't realize how truly fast the time would go.  I still feel like Drew should be my baby I'm rocking to sleep each night and placing in a crib.  It's just a matter of time before he's off to college and only calling on the weekends.  

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and are gearing up for a very happy new year!

Trucks, tractors, dinos and more

 Christmas morning is 15 days away. I know this because my nearly four year old is counting down feverishly until he can open all the presents that are wrapped under our tree. What he hasn't come to realize and we've told him one hundred times over is that they aren't all for him. In fact, none of his presents are under the tree, they're hidden in the basement. I thought I'd put together a little list of what our little guy is wanting this holiday season to help out shoppers looking for that little 3-5 year old boy that loves trucks, tractors, wheels and dinos. 

  First up Bruder trucks. These trucks are ginormous in size and Drew actually saw these in a store when we were in Boston and asked if one would fit in our suitcase so he could take it home. Some are a bit pricey but seem super sturdy. We actually purchased him the second one on the list with the crane, but he's dying for the concrete mixer as well. I'm thinking it would be a great birthday gift for him in March. 

Tow truck with Jeep

Bruder Crane

Concrete mixer

Next up, Switch and Go Dino's by V-tech. I absolutely love V-tech toys.  They typically seem to be the ones my kids gravitate towards.  I don't know who the genius is who came up with these dinosaurs, but THANK YOU!  Drew's cousin has a few of these and he loves playing with them when we're at his house, So there will be a couple of them sitting under the tree for him Christmas morning.

Tonn the Stegosaurus

Silver the T-Rex

Akuna the Velociraptor

Drew is enamored with anything John Deere.  We do live in Iowa so this isn't surprising.  However, he has been asking for a few more tractors.  He actually asked for a real gator to ride around the yard...If you would see our little fenced in backyard you too would be laughing. We barely have enough room for their swing set and outdoor playhouse.  We need some more land if we're going to even consider a child sized gator, NOT an adult gator.  I thought some nice little indoor tractors would be just fine for this John Deere enthusiast.  

Tractor with hay bale mover

Tractor with grain cart

The movie Disney Planes recently came out and I think nearly every little boy and girl went to see that movie. I know my son is in love.  The DVD just came out November 19th. They are so many accessories to go with the movie.  I know I'm not huge into character rooms but I've compromised and Drew has Disney Cars sheets and I thought he would love having Planes sheets as well.

Planes sheet set

Another toy I've heard nothing but great things about is a Marble Run.  The only reason I didn't buy one for Drew this year was because of Kate.  Even though we watch them constantly I would be terrified she would put one in her mouth.  I think this will be a purchase we make next year when Kate is a little older and not putting every single thing straight in to her mouth.

Drew started preschool this year and it really sparked his curiosity about everyday life and learning.  He's started to tell time and I thought this clock would be a great gift for those little ones that are starting to learn numbers and time.

Melissa and Doug clock.

Play-Doh is always a huge hit in our house with both Drew and Kate.  When you combined Play-Doh and trucks it's a double win. 

Diggin Rig Power Crane

Trash Tossin Rowdy Garbage truck

Play-Doh Diggin Excavator

Drew has this Play-Doh excavator and absolutely loves it!  I would highly recommend it for any little boy or girl that loves Play-Doh and machinery.  

I hope everyone is having a very happy and safe holiday season.  Cheers to you and yours!