chrissie.

twin sister. genuine. funny. compassionate. best friend. sensitive. insightful. intelligent. intense. beautiful. creative. natural. lovable. blessing.

post-christmas happenings

Matty and David received so many wonderful gifts from family. It was Matty's first Christmas to really appreciate all the goodies. Of course we had to open each item and play with it before moving on to the next gift!

David has been a walking fool! I can't even count how many steps he is taking!! He walks from room to room. He turns and walks a different direction without holding on. It is the BEST Christmas gift I can imagine! He is pleased with himself, too! From the looks of this pic, you might think he has taken up grocery shopping, too! Should we have chicken pot pie for dinner???

My in-laws have a Target right across the street (I should be so lucky! The closest Target to us is 40 miles--which is probably a good thing!!). So Matty poops in the potty and then the next morning we go over to Target and pick out a treat. 5 nights in row pooping in the potty!!! I think maybe we've crossed the threshold into FULL potty training.


I followed David around Barnes and Noble yesterday. He walks right over to strangers and puts his hand on their knee. He's very friendly! I was trying to read to Matty but kept having to chase David into the next aisle or across the store. I can't believe I've got a little walker on my hands.
It has been so good to catch my breath and slow down. We've had some good time with family and lots of time to play and sleep.

while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads...

Merry Christmas!

david's on the move and i have a cold

not a very original title, sorry! i am THRILLED to tell you that david has been walking everywhere--without holding on! Tonight I counted 37 steps he took down the hall, round the corner and into the kitchen. We are so excited, we can't contain ourselves. We just sit around and watch him while we cheer him on. Of course, he loves all the attention!

In less fun news, I have a cold. lots of nose blowing and lack of energy. I am behind on emails and paypal so pleeease be patient with me.

a little birdie told me...

it's time to slow down. sleep more. drink hot chocolate. watch elf. talk with my sisters and mom. eat lots of desserts. snuggle my boys longer. reflect on christ's birth. celebrate. what's on your slow-down to do list?

best friends.

good times with max and matty today. playing in the mud, terrorizing everyone is the grocery store, lunch at appleby's. gotta love it!

the brighter side.

wow. i am feeling the pressure. the house is a disaster, david has a cold, and i am trying to finish up the last orders by tomorrow. so here's a few things to remind me to be happy...

david's little boots. it's raining outside, so it's a necessity!

matty yelling 'happy christmas' to everyone, inluding the lady in the drive thru at mcdonald's

leftover relish tray from the very fun progressive dinner last night.

first thing i grabbed out of my closet turned out kind of fun. notice i didn't photograph my hair or face!

and last, but not least! the beckster (my friend cara's little girl)playing under the highchair.

more random bits of information...

David has been doing well in his big boy bed. (Matty is fine, we weren't too worried about him!) We've been putting pillows around the sides of David's bed to make him feel more cozy. The first night (without pillows) his arm got 'stuck' in a small gap between the mattress and bed frame. It wasn't really stuck, but he felt stuck. He seems much happier with his cozy nest.

This is the face of a little boy who wouldn't eat his grilled cheese sandwich, so he didn't get dessert. Rip my heart out and throw it on the floor. But then again, it meant more dessert for me...

Speaking of dessert, we've been eating a lot of chocolate chip pancakes in the morning lately. So, yummy. Lindsey, I am going to plan a trip to Big Bear just to get a giant chocolate chip pancake! What was the restuarant called?!
All Christmas orders (placed 12/5 or before) are shipping out priority on Wednesday or earlier. I have been working harder than one person should reasonable work and although there have been a couple of meltdowns, I think it will all be finished. Thanks for being patient while waiting for your orders.

Steve worked all day on...

big boy beds!

We bought bunk beds and separated them. David's has a railing all the way around. He should be safe while sleeping. It's before he falls asleep, when he's up being silly that might be the problem. We'll watch him very closely until he adjusts to his new bed. So exciting! My little boys aren't so little any more.

this + that...

I found a fun pair of red heels are Target (thank you, Target, you always know just what I need!) on clearance, for a Christmas party Sunday night. Now what else should I wear?!

I am concerned that the number of calories I am burning while making jewelry is no match for the amount of See's candy I'm consuming. Why, oh why is it so delicious and why did David's school have a fundraiser that we HAD to support?!

When I picked up my hammer to get to work today it felt so right. It's like it's been glued in my hand lately. I might start sleeping with it at night.

Trying to take moments to reflect on WHY we are celebrating and to remember the significance of Christmas. And how I am so grateful for Christ's sacrifice!

Just a sneak peek at some fun new stuff I'll be sharing in the new year. Can't wait!!!

***Just a note, paypal is down--so I am running behind sending links, etc. Will get them out ASAP!

Back to his old self.

David seems much better, thankfully! He is still a bit more tired than usual, but happy and silly. Guess what? Yesterday he walked four feet without holding on. I was f.r.e.a.k.i.n.g. out!

I divided all my work into daily stacks. I am halfway thru tomorrow's stack--yay! I am caught up on email, so if you haven't heard from me, email again.

hi friends.

I am behind on my email, but hoping to catch up today. I am still taking orders and will try my very, very best to get them to you by Christmas, but if they were place after 12/5, I can't promise. I'm looking forward to some downtime with snuggling, hot chocolate and vegging out! (Hopefully before Christmas Day!!).

a walk to the beach (and a family tree winner!)

David is home 'sick' today (he has been fine except for the awful, 20 minute fits he's having a couple times day with abdominal cramping. Apparently it's a bug that's going around) So, I took the boys to Morro Bay and we walked the path at the Cloisters to the ocean. It was sunny but chilly. We needed to get out and play a bit.

We got some good hand-holding and
back-pack snuggling time in. Put that tongue back in your mouth, young man!
Matty could have run and dug in the sand for another hour at least!

It was a beautiful walk!And we saw a snake! I'm sure it was harmless, but I didn't stick aournd to find out.

The winner for the Family Tree Giveaway is Lindsey. Her blog is called Merry Christmas from the Thomspons. I was just reading thru some recent posts and felt so at home with her. She is beautiful and honest and I am so glad she won! Happy Monday!

M is for Matty.

Not for Mommy or for monkey or anything else. He pretty much thinks he's got the world figured out!

Matty: I WANT CHOCOLATE CHIPS NOW, MOMMY!
Mommy: Uh, excuse me, that is not how you ask.
Matty: (very sweet, soft voice) Can I please have FORTY chocolate chips?!

I just have to laugh!

stackable rings.

i'm thinking about offering hand-stamped, stackable rings. they are sterling silver and lightweight. very sweet, and whimsical! they would be about $28 each. what do you think?


this one is hammered.

Sun's out, the air is cool...

I've got a big cup of Nutty Bean Coffee and the Christmas Tree lights are on. It's the kind of day that makes me feel reflective. Thoughts about David and how he has taught me not to be so self-conscious, but just to play and laugh and dance. Thoughts about Matty and how life is so simple at three. The day is for playing and exploring and the littlest things can be the most exciting. Thoughts about Steve and how blessed and lucky I am to have married such a man. Thoughts about my sweet friends and my dear sisters and how I love to talk and connect and how they've touched my heart in so many ways. Thoughts about the stories you've shared with me about your loss and hurts and the joy you have experience through it all. I've jotted down some thoughts and I'll share more later, but for now, better get back to work! :)

Love you, Babe.

Steve has been really picking up the extra slack since I am working overtime for the next couple weeks. He is so great with the boys and pretty darn patient with me. Sorry I hung up on you earlier, babe. You didn't deserve that! Thanks for loving our family so well and for being so supportive of the business.
Matty took this picture. Not too bad!
Such a good daddy!

Strength for today...

and bright hope for tomorrow.
What if David gets really sick? Who will Matty be when he is grown? Will we ever pay off our school debt? Am I the mom I should be? When worry creeps in I am reminded that the Lord meets my every need. The journey is painful, but there is so much joy. This is where I live.

just hanging out

being silly
and making lots of jewelry. we had dinner with old friends on saturday and it was such a sweet time. check out sarah's blog for pics. david seems to have a little bug or something because he has been extra tired and more fussy than usual.

just a reminder, the cut-off for christmas orders is 12/5. happy monday!

If you are really, really tired...

...then just lay down right where you are. Someone will probably come along and cover you up. It's a good thing :)