Giving Thanks....2009

Table decor...name placecard idea from pottery barn.

I found this old branch from a tree and decided to have it as our Thanksgiving tree.

I hung acorns and miniture pinecones here and there...then we each hung our leaves after we wrote what we were thankful for.

Jay's awesome mash potatoes.

Playing some games...while the turkey was baking.

The awesome feast....can't believe I didn't get a pic of all the desserts!

Playing cards afterwards...so much fun!

Of course my sister and I had to do some holiday candy making....my grandma's chocolates.

YUMMY!

Parties, Projects, Playdates & More

Harvest Party at the Erlenmeyers included some fun pumpkin painting!

A visit from her cousin,Morgan was the highlight of Jocelynne's month.

She also had fun with MacKenzie.

Candy Land Harvest Party at our church. Jocelynne was a little ladybug.

Jocelynne and Delhia not interested in getting their picture taken with all the fun & games.

In October there seemed to be lots of little friends having birthdays. This little cutie is our neighbor's girl at her party. We opted for a few homemade gifts...like this bunny hooded towel made from a huge white towel and a few pink scraps of fabric.

This chair was a $3 find at bargain town. When I get it recovered it will go in Jocelynne's room, which is getting a "big-girl" makeover these days. More to come...

The Last wedding of the year....

I was also in Jay's sister, Julie's wedding. It was a very fun wedding, but a super cold day in Seattle.

Jocelynne was also a flower girl for this wedding along with her cousin Morgan.

And....of course the happy couple...Julie & David. We love you both and wish you all the best.

Photos: courtesy of: Nickles Photography

My Cousin, Beth's wedding...

I loved her beautiful flower arrangements..espcially the kangaroo foot.

Beth & Jon presented some beautiful gifts from China...this was a shawl for her mother.

Beth's, sister showing us how to wear the beautiful scarves we got as bridesmaids gifts.

Beth and I just before the wedding ceremony.

The happy couple in their authentic Chinese wedding clothes. They wore these during the rehearsal. Please pray for Beth & Jon as they will be returning to China next year to continue their missions work.

The LAST of Summer..

I know....I have been taking my time "catching up" on my blog. My goal is to get caught up by the end of the week. So check back tomorrow for more pics! Our last summer hike at Deep Lake.

The last lavender picked from my garden...

I decided to make a few little pillows out of them for gifts.

One of the last giant cucumbers from our garden.

....camping at Mt. Rainier

Most of our time was spent under this tarp....trying to stay dry.

We went with Jay's brother, Jeff and his family.

We spent a lot of time by the fire trying to stay warm.

All in all...this weekend will go down as one of the "most memorable"

The last days of Summer (August)

We had so much fun at the aquatic center this year. Every last warm day was spent soaking in the sun.

I found this recipe for s'mores...very fun for kids!

Large marshmellows, hershey bars and crushed graham crackers.

Toast the marshmellow over a fire or grill. :)

Dip it in melted chocolate and then the graham cracker crumbs. yummy! I used lollipop sticks for the marshmellows after they were toasted.

Back to WA...

We said our good byes and headed back to WA.

I hosted a shower for Jay's sister Julie in Seattle. Here are all the sisters who attended.

Later that evening we had a fun bachlorette party on the beach...complete with a bonfire,

...and of course, yummy s'mores.

Catching UP!

I was in several weddings this year...the first was my sister Andrea's. I had so much fun spending a week with her before the wedding, doing last minute preparations and just having fun. Here are few pics from the wedding day!

The morning before the wedding it was sprinkling off and on, even while we were taking pictures. When the ceremony started the clouds opened up and the sun was shining! What a wonderful day it was.

Jocelynne was a flower girl. Here are few to show off my little cutie pie...

She did such a good job!

...and this is my favorite pic of them all.

WELL....

....I know, I know, I have some explaining to do. First off, I started my 7 days, 7 dress challenge a little to close to our vacation to Sequim, WA at the end of July and a two week visit with my family in South Dakota before my sisters wedding. So, I really didn't give myself enough time to get ready for the trip with all the sewing I was wanting to do. Here are few pics to catch up on things. Relaxing at SequimJay had a blast fishing in Seque!

Cleaning the catch...