Memories:

Reading {and playing} with Grandma and Grandpa

Special Date for Easton and Tate with Melissa and Payton to get slurpees

Venturing into....Winter Wonderland

Snow Angels with Grandma

Snowball Fights

And more snow angels

Eating snow

Sledding

Megan's SLCC basketball game

Thanksgiving was wonderful.  We had 25 people at the Johnsons.  We talked, laughed, reminisced, and of course ate until we couldn't eat anymore.

I love Thanksgiving.  I can't wait for next year to come.

Farewell November.

November, I will miss you.  You have been so good to me this year.  During your brief sojourn, I have accomplished so much, learned so much, changed so much.  You have given me the chance to reflect and renew.  You have graced me with Thanksgiving, loving grandparents, new journals, romantic snow, memorable date nights, love, warmth, and most of all a new way of life.

I will always remember this November.  It's been special indeed.

Magical Memories {Day 2}

All I can say is, why don't I take the time to cuddle with my little boys more often?

Magical Memories {Day 1}

It's time for a new tradition.  While I was pondering about things I can do to nurture my little ones and develop lasting, loving bonds with them, I received a prompting from the spirit which I have decided to call "Magical Memories."

Life speeds ever so quickly and if we do not snatch the moments and choose to make memories, the hours, the days, the months, and even the years slip by.

So I've determined to not let that happen by doing one planned, special thing each day with my children.  I have a list of activities to choose from and I'll add more as I think of them.  Then each night before bed I will choose the activity for the next day (whether it be grandiose or simple) and ponder upon it while falling asleep to build the anticipation.  {Do you ever feel like you need an exciting motivator to get you up and moving the following morning? ;) }

I hope this grows into a tradition.  And I hope my children will be able to look back on their childhood with fondness.  This is one of my lifetime goals.

So with that said, here is Day 1:

Bits and Pieces.

Let's see...

The last few weeks have brought me bits and pieces of many things.

Like snowflakes that must have been goose-down feathers.  {I felt like we were driving through the remains of an old-fashioned pillow fight.}  It was very dreamy.

Or like Tate growing up into a big boy almost overnight.  I'm puzzling over the fact that he looks so much like Patrick...and yet bears a striking resemblance to my father and my cute cousins on the Greene side.  How is that possible?

 He is learning to jump and insists on saying "Hi," and "Bye" to  me every time he enters or exits my presence.

He moved into a little toddler bed this month when he became a little monkey one day and decided it was time to crawl out of his crib.  When we tuck him in at night, I can't help but think how much he looks like a little sleeping doll in a little doll's bed.

We've also been enjoying lots and lots of delicious smoothies (or shakes in Easton's opinion) as an off shoot of a wonderful book I am reading called "The Water Secret."  Since this is only a bits and pieces post I won't go into detail here, but I fully recommend this book and give it 10 stars!

The bits and pieces of my life have also included working bit by bit on my sweet boys' quilts and making myself some journals.

It's been ever so busy....and I feel like some inborn desire in me wants to do everything and be everything in one gigantic leap.  But I am slowly learning that strides are not as realistic relaxing, or as rewarding as doing things bit by bit...a piece at a time.

I hope someday I can get this down to an art.  For now I am trying to do baby steps, but for some reason I abandon the steps and begin leaping and falling, striding and scraping.  It's time to go back to bits and pieces, step by step.
It's the only way to survive.

Journals...

Inspired by President Uchtdorf's most recent general conference talk (which is all about slowing down in periods of high stress and busyness and focusing on what matters most), along with "The Water Secret" (by Dr. Howard Murad which is a book I highly highly recommend), I decided to create for myself some regular down time each night before bed.  It's a time to unwind and reflect upon the day by jotting down a few things in one of my 8 journals.  I spent one day last week mod podging beautiful scrapbook paper on the outsides of plain composition notebooks.

Here is what they started out looking like:

And then here they are drying:

These are coordinating bookmarks

Cuddling Quilt {Episode 3}

I'm making progress...I planned on little by little...but it has turned into huge burst by huge burst with lots of time inbetween. :)

The top of my first quilt is finished with only the quilting and binding left.
I just finished the rows of the second one today and have only the small strips and the edge left until it's finished as well.

I didn't think I would have them all finished, but with lots of prayers and a hefty dose of faith, I'm piecing them together!! :)

An Attitude of Gratitude

I prayed today for guidance to refocus and organize my life.

Heavenly Father then led me to this.

Watch it and see what you think.

See if your day is just a little sunnier afterwards.

I think I've figured out my gift to the Savior for 2011.

It's an attitude of gratitude.

A Lovely Weekend

Our last weekend kind of began on Thursday with a visit from my Mom.

She brought us chicken pot pie and a new coat for Easton.

Then on Friday I planned one of those really special date nights that take forever to plan and implement.  I will do a post on that soon!

Saturday brought choir practices and performances for me.  The boys stayed home and played catch {or roll} for the first time.

 Later, Grandma and Grandpa and Sadie came to pay us a visit for the weekend.

We talked and laughed and made some good memories playing games.

Plus, Grandpa brought us up a receiver to connect to our upcycled record player speakers...(remember the $20 thrift store find?)

It works like a champ and we've been enjoying our Christmas playlist via this damask-covered sound system.

Sunday was sad to see them leave, but they left us with yummy sugar cookies and a plethora of multi-colored sprinkles.

And on a random note, as I was decorating and eating this cookie I was brought back to a childhood memory of going on a VIP with my mom to the mall where I would pick out a cookie from the cute little bakery.  They were huge and delicious and looked very similar to this.

{We'll be starting VIP's with our boys in January.  Yay!  I'm so excited!}