christmas eve & christmas day

christmas eve,

we read The Night Before Christmas. we set out cookies and milk for Santa by the fireplace. we didnt forget the reindeer, the largest carrots were left out for them. addie asked how santa would fit down the chimney. we sprinkled magic dust on the white ground outside so the reindeer would know where to find us. we said our goodnights. and by the glow of faux fire, we slept.


christmas morning,

i awoke at 5:45 to addie jumping for joy and saying over and over, " its Christmas! its Christmas!" it was totally like in the movies. gave her marks phone and said we could go downstairs when the clock read seven zero zero.
o the excitement!
we did our stockings and i made my grandma walkers crumb cake for breakfast.


santa sent the girls on a treasure hunt for their gift. all over mimis house they went to discover a wooden doll house that he had left them.




and walker got a rattle. just what addie asked santa for. she wrote a letter to santa in school, asking only for a rattle for her baby brother. and a rattle he got!:)

it was a magical and happy christmas!

making christmas cookies,

at mimi and papas house. my grandma smiths gingerbread cookies to be exact.

uncle kevin approves.

pretty christmas aprons sewn by me a few months ago. i saw the fabric and couldnt pass it up. i cant wait to pull them out again for christmas baking in the future. for a slight second while sewing, i even pictured tying them around my grandchildren!

we are still in slow mode over here, how about you? we have been fighting croup in our home. it went through the girls and now walker has a cough bug. but im hoping we can get back into a routine and that i can start posting more often again. hope your christmas was merry!

more snow, family, and christmas fun to follow!

from our home to yours,

Merry Christmas!

we wish you glad tidings of comfort & joy.

love,

mark, jessica, addie, callie, & walker

just some things

a vintage santa,

a "you'll shoot your eye out kid" window,

a happy walker ( because hes being held),

a seriously lit up house,



2 sick girls, croup and bronchitis,

but dont let them fool ya,

arizona temple in december

i really enjoyed myself this year as we strolled the temple grounds.
i felt the Christmas spirit.
i felt the spirit of Christ.
i enjoyed watching my children's eyes gleam. i enjoyed seeing the Christus and listening to the narration from the bible that plays in the visitor center. (and addie in totally confusion wondering where in the world Jesus' voice was coming from.) i enjoyed watching the movie of Jesus' birth. (and hearing addie ask if the people were speaking spanish. they were speaking hebrew.ha!)



i felt love.


i felt peace.
i felt success and accomplishment in this Christmas season. i keep worrying about the things i need to get done, or the things i wish i had done. my tree isnt decorated. there are no beautifully wrapped presents under the tree, and thats ok. i was able to put all of that aside and experience the true Christmas spirit with the people i love most.


we headed over to mesa frozen yogurt after we where done. we laughed and joked. it was a wonderful family night.
as you prepare for this special day ahead, spend a moment with your children. lay under the tree, look up at the lights and talk of Jesus.
it is magical.


browse this site.

my saving grace

the sleepy wrap.

i cant get anything done without it on and stuffed with a 14 lb baby.

i cook with on,

vacuum the stairs with it on,

take walks with it on,

do crafts with it on.

its amazing!

every new mother must own one! seriously!

its worth every penny.

your baby will sleep forever in this thing!

i must warn you though... you will get a lot of strange looks. A LOT!

people will stare at you.

people will stare and then laugh and say,

" i thought you were pregnant and just carrying your baby high. but then i saw the head coming out the wrong end."

just warning you.

but its worth it.

i love you sleepy wrap.

this girl before she got croup

yes, she's been battling the yucky croup bug. it is a mean one.

but i snapped these pictures of her when she was well and super silly.

head lamp, daddy got as a birthday gift from papa.

every man in the family must have one.

(for doing how knows what?)

glasses, a little something from mimi, to wear when you want to feel like a movie star.

get to feeling better my sweet!

a stripey walker at the family christmas party

mimi and sleepy walker

things i need/would like to do before christmas day:

+get in the christmas spirit

+visit the temple lights

+finish shopping, ahh!

+make some treats for my neighbors

+clean house for higbee party

+make a gingerbread house with girls

+make cookies for santa

+wrap

+pack our bags for the mountains(lets hope its a white christmas)

+pick a name on the giving tree at the mall

+have a cup of hot chocolate(havent dont that yet)

+read the story of christs birth

+go to bed before 11:00pm

just a few things. :)

want a headband?

i will make you one!

i love that me and my girls can both wear them.

(my lovely model wanted to show off her freshly painted, red, sparkly nails. just in time for christmas.)

tell me what colors you want, how many rosettes, beads or no beads, lace, trims?

whatever you want for $9.00 a band!
thats smokin!

email me:

mhig36@yahoo.com

28

yesterday was my hunnies birthday.

28!

we celebrated early by going out to thai and seeing a movie.

we had brownies and ice cream(he doesn't care too much for cake) with his family.

we love him.

i love him.

he is my rock. he keeps me grounded and safe. he is so giving and loves our kids with all his heart. he scarifies so much. he makes me happy. he makes my heart pitter.

i love him.

happy birthday love!

dreaming of a white christmas

we finally got our lights up. the girls were so happy. and so was i.

my parents are looking out their windows in the white mountains and seeing a blanket of white.

snow!

how i wish we could enjoy it!

instead, we walked outside to admire daddies light-putting-up skills, barefoot.

im hoping to deck the halls a little more inside the house tomorrow. the tree will just have to be half decorated, like last year and the year before. but the garland on the stair banister will be strung and stockings hung. (im a bit behind)

maybe some paper snowflakes as well!

xo

you gotta come see this!

im vending at yet another boutique this weekend. this is a big one. with 30+ vendors, its sure to be a great event.

Thur, Dec. 10th - 4pm-10pm

Fri, Dec. 11 - 10am-10pm

Sat, Dec. 12 - 10am - 5pm

Farmer Decor Unique Store

1458 N. Higley Rd. in Gilbert

Southwest corner of Higley and Baseline

see you there!

freshly bathed babe

+++++

+++++

+++++

+++++

apparently,

my little callie is allergic to my brothers dog, Lennon(yes, after John Lennon).

five minutes after he licked her, she had a raised rash all over her cheek, her eyes were red and puffy, and she couldn't stop scratching her face.

i ran to the store for some benadryl, which cured it nicely.

the next day i had (more like forced, she doesn't like dogs) Lennon lick her again.... just to see.

and wa-la, another nasty rash.

callie is allergic to dogs!