O Christmas tree.....I know...2 posts in 2 days...

...well what else do we do?! Snowed in and it's still coming down (by the way, 3 more people--including the mail man--have gotten stuck outside our house today...Nick's been getting his excercise helping shovel and push them out!). I love love love it--the snow I mean, not people getting stuck (did I mention that?). It's so pretty...but we can't go anywhere and I'm not in the mood to read and Addy is sleeping and Nick is doing some work...

I LOVE Christmas decorations. I don't go too crazy, but my favorite thing is the tree. We have Nick's mom's old tree (it's 10 years old, but hey, it works and it's huge!). I bought red and silver decorations 3 years ago when we had our first tree to decorate (we didn't have one the first year we were married since we were on our honeymoon the week before Christmas)...this year I added the fake holly berry sticks that I had left over from our wedding reception...usually I stick them in this huge vase I had, but I thought I'd shake it up a little bit ;)

Every year for as long as I can remember, my mom has given my brothers and I an ornament for Christmas thinking that when we moved out we could take them and have our tree decorations started...well, she couldn't bear to part with them so when Nick and I got married we bought the decorations and then Mom still gives both of us ornaments so we are working our way there again (can you guess whose ornaments are in the pictures?) :) I think as we accumulate more, the pretty sparkly stuff may take backseat...but I really like them, so we'll see :)

Anyway...I love Christmas trees and the ambience of the twinkling lights. I love sitting with Nick and night and we sometimes just stare at the tree and talk...

On a side note...last year I was just curious about the history behind Christmas trees and why we decorate them, I found this interesting website that briefly shares the history behind the trees and decorating them....anyway...enjoy if you'd like :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

let it snow let it snow let it snow!

It is snowing like crazy today! I love love love it. Apparently we are getting the same storm system that went through Scottsdale yesterday...I'm not complaining in the least, but I really wish we had a fire place...in lieu of that crackling, cozy warmth I have a few candles lit and the blinds slightly shut to mute the white light glare :) Adelyn has had some fun just watching out the window (I think it helps that the plow people have been working right outside most of the morning...). I did open the door for a bit to see what she would do...she crawled almost right out the door, got a feel of the snow and immediately came back and looked at me as the cold registered on her hands...she definitely didn't like it so much. I did hold her hands up to the heater for a bit and once they warmed back up she was fine :)
Anyway...I'm making some hot tea while baby sleeps....Christmas music is playing ("Elf" soundtrack to be exact), book is waiting, slippers are ready for my feet.
aaahhh...

Meet the Bonnstetter/Thompson/Kapoor/Flies cousins :)

I feel we were so blessed when my mom married my step-dad, Rob, in 2001. One of the ways is he has the nicest family. He has 4 kids (a daughter and 3 sons) and now a daughter in law and son in law and grandkids! I love it when they are all able to come into town...Thanksgiving was sort of one of those times (my stepbrother, Jesup, is in Brazil teaching and wasn't able to come). All 3 of my brothers and then Rob's kids were in town along with all the kids! :)

From the left:
Naveen (newest addition), Adelyn, Evelyn, Noah (my brother's son), and Lily (Evelyn's big sis).
My step sister in law (is that even how it goes?) is pregnant with their 3rd and cousin #6...she's due in January...we can't wait to meet the little one!

DIY: stepstool

I get 99.5% of my projects from someone else's idea...this is one of them :)
My sister-in-law, Steph, is super creative and comes up with so many fun things...she did these modge podge letters for Nora's room this summer....I did them for Adelyn's room a few months ago and they are SUPER CUTE. I had some left over scrapbook paper and was itching for a project today and decided to decorate this white stool I got at Target yesterday. I LOVE it and wanted to share :) I free-handed the letters, but I did see that Michael's has a great selection of stencils...or you can print off a Word document and make your own stencil.
Anyway...just cut what you want and Modge Podge it to the stool :)

happy news!

...I just realized this could sound like WE are pregnant...we are not. My sister-in-law and brother-in-law are having a baby girl in March. :) Yay!

it's she's a toss up

ugh....take two....

I've always had an issue with sometimes thinking too much--beyond considering others thoughts and feelings when making decisions that may involve them --about what other people are thinking. I worry what they'll say when I make a decision..."what would they have done?" "what are they thinking?" "are they upset with me?" Usually it involves something little like the color I painted my living room, or how short I cut my hair...or other times it's something a little bigger like how we are raising our daughter [Santa or no Santa? ;) Spanking or no spanking? Sign language or no sign language? Sugar or no sugar? etc....but that's all another topic that I will probably never blog about again b/c I tend to get myself into too much trouble ;) haha]
...anyway...always worrying about what everyone else is thinking...it's exhausting sometimes!
My decision to go on my fruits and veggies fast was no different...I worried what people were thinking about it and I KNOW I made it into a bigger deal in my head that it probably was...
Denying my body other foods is something I need to do....to force myself to rely on the Lord to give me the self control and teach me the discipline that I need. I know some people may think what I'm doing is ridiculous or over the top...and I am tired of worrying about it! Don't get me wrong, I am NOT blaming others for my failure. I'm blaming myself for letting what I think others are thinking effect me to the point where I would rather not do this and let it go. I can't please everyone.....although it would be FANTASTIC if I could! ;) But I can't.....so I need the Lord and this is something I need to do whether or not you think I'm crazy (which I very well could be).
Well, here's the thing...I have failed MISERABLY.
The first week was okay...I ate alot of carrots and pears and bananas and corn and peas and green beans :)
Then the weekend came and I was CRAVING some sort of sugar or carbohydrate. I began to reason with myself, "maybe if I just take one day a week to indulge my craving to keep me from losing it a few more days in"....then the week followed and I threw the whole thing out the window...I ate what I craved. I would think twice, eat what I wanted, then feel guilty.
The realization finally hit me.....NO! No compromise. No "fun day". No No No No No....that's not the point of this. I need to be the extreme...for me. I need to be broken down in front of Him because I cannot do this on my own...
The last few days have been more of a reflection of what a weak person I am...and how much more I need the Lord.
The point of a fast is to use the time to really put yourself at the Lord's feet in prayer and time with Him. I didn't. The point of a fast is to rely on the Lord to help me when it gets NOT EASY. I didn't. Tears are welling in my eyes b/c I know that I have failed Him and broken my promise--this covenant--I made with Him that I would do this.
In case you didn't know...a covenant is a big deal. (read Our Covenant God by Kay Arthur...it will completely change your perspective about making "promises" especially with the Lord)....
This has been a jumble of my thoughts. I wanted to share b/c I want people to know how weak I am on my own...how much I need the Lord...and I want Him to be glorified in this. My prayer is that others will see how His mercy and His grace are going to pull me through this...I mean come on, He's GOD...I'm only human...I'd be crazy--INSANE--to think that I could do this without Him...I mean HELLO...I only barely made in ONE WEEK! I'm starting over again....the next 4 weeks I'm leaning on God because I NEED HIM.
So here I am again...on my knees...saying "Lord, I know this is ridiculous to alot of people, but it's something my heart needs. This is something I need to do for myself. I need You more than anything and I'm realizing it more everyday. Thank you for chipping at my heart. Thank you for your grace. Let me do this right this time".