Christmas 2012

If you are reading this...hello.  :)  It seems I have been away for awhile.  Like two months awhile.  We had the most wonderful Christmas this year.  How was yours?  My family traveled to Michigan to spend time with us this season.  We had so much fun!  I thought I would share some pictures of my holiday.
These are a few of my aprons.  See my little Christmas one?  It was fun wearing it to the cafe each day.

 My daughter and I baked some sugar cookies before my family came up.  When they all got here, we decorated them.  My daddy even decorated some.  What wonderful memories.

 Hubby and I picking our tree for the season.  She was a beautiful tree.

 I also made two quilts for my mom and sister this year for Christmas.  I can not believe I made two.  Crazy for me!
This is my mama enjoying hers.  I believe we were watching one of the many Christmas movies we enjoyed together as a family.

 Here is my sister enjoying hers.  It was so fun watching her carry it up the stairs for bed each night.  I love that they loved them.  Quilts are a labor of love for sure!

 Our little tree all lit up on Christmas Eve.

 My fuzzy kitty checking out the lights.

 Our beautiful church on Christmas Eve.

This is my most favorite Christmas decoration.  My old Santa.  My parents have their Christmas card from 1969 of me holding him.  I was two years old.  He has been with me every year since.

I hope your Christmas was relaxing and fun and many new memories were made.

Winter Chips

I love the grocery store this time of year.  Our stores begin to put center isles of ingredients out for the holiday baking season.  Spices and mixes and dried fruits.  I love looking at all the new things and old favorites they display.  I know I have spent a lot of money in those center isles every year.  Their marketing strategies have paid off with this gal.  :)

I found these little chips this year for the first time.  Have you seen them?  I have daughters that are in love with chocolate mint treats.  A sister as well.  Can't wait to make something yummy for the girls in my life.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Happily Ever After

 My family was blessed to attend a very special wedding this weekend.  This beautiful bride has been a part of my life for many years.  I have watched her grow from a little girl into a beautiful Godly woman.  She, and her two sisters,  babysat for my daughters when they were small.  Isn't her groom handsome?  They have dated since 8th grade!

 Her parents are farmers and live in the country.  The wedding was held at their home in the back yard.  The cows were also part of the ceremony.  Watching contently from the fence line occasionally giving a moo to let us know they were there.  It was truly a magical day!

 She and her sisters made a lot of things homemade for the wedding.  Like their bouquets.  Are they not spectacular???  They are made from paper.

 Here I am with one of the brides sisters and my darling nephew.

 Such adoration......

This is the younger sister.  All three of these girls have such a place in my heart.  

They had this old two seater bike they rode at the wedding.  The groom bought this bike and packed a picnic lunch for her and they rode it together to a special spot he had picked out.  It was at this picnic where he proposed to her!  So, the bike had to make it to the wedding and into the pictures as well.

And here is the quilt that I made for them for their wedding day.

It was a magical day.  God gave them the most perfect day.   I was blessed to see some of my most favorite people again back home for something so very very special.

For Some Reason.....

We are sprucing up our living room with some new furniture.  It has been hard picking out new things. I am a cottage girl all the way.  Hubby likes leather.  What's a girl to do?
After we got the chairs in their proper places, for some reason, this picture came into my mind........

And then I smiled the rest of the day.

Today She Is 17

 Today my darling daughter turned 17.  Not really sure how that happened.  But it did.  She was a lucky girl today.  Her Papa and Nana traveled up from Illinois to spend the weekend with her.  We had a lot of fun!  This morning brought chocolate doughnuts covered in sprinkles.  It also brought a candle and the birthday song.  Nice way to wake up...don't you think?

Happy Birthday Sweetie.  I pray this year brings good things to you.  I love you darling daughter.
xoxox  Mama

Goodness In A Jar

While on my vacation from work this past week, I decided to can some of my daddy's favorite garden relish.  Isn't it pretty?  The peppers make it so colorful.  Like a quilt in a jar. :)
 Speaking of quilting....I have one almost finished for a wedding gift that is coming up the end of this month.  I spent my vacation playing in the sand, canning some goodies for the winter months, visiting with old friends and quilting.  It was a really good week.

A Ten Pack

We have a new place in town.  Tim Hortons.  It is a wonderful little place.  We picked up a ten pack of TimBits for our snoozing teenager at home yesterday.  Her mama may have had one or two.  They were pretty tasty....or so I am told.  :)

End Of The Summer Get-Away

My family and I took a little holiday before school starts next week.  We all have been working very hard this summer.  Time for a break for all of us.  We rented a camper an hour away from us on the beach of Lake Michigan.  And I mean ON the beach. 

 Our little camper is on the left side.  

We took several strolls on the beach and stopped to run our hands and toes thru the cool sand.

Saw this sign while my daughters were in the water swimming.

Had a little camper envy when I saw this cutie pie.  Isn't it darling?

Ate several goodies on our little get away....but hey.....it's a holiday.  Right?

Decided I wanted to learn how to do this someday.   So, I added it to my bucket list.

Saw the pretty red light house and wondered how many boats she helped arrive safely to shore.

 I also took some time to fly a kite!  The wind was perfect and it was so relaxing to just watch her fly up and down and up and down.

Went into town one day and had the best cup of coffee I think I have ever had.  Oh my, do these people know how to do coffee. 

And that was it.  A little get away from our busy lives to reconnect as a family.  It was much needed for all of us.  In a few days, I will have two daughters in high school.  I know you understand when I ask...."How can this be?"  

Have a wonderful Friday friends.  

Tiny Little Pies

Have you seen those super cute mini pies made in canning jars?  Me too!  Aren't they just the sweetest little things?  Adorable with a capital "A."
We were invited to a potluck last night and this is my version.  They are not baked yet in the photo.  My daughter and I were so excited about how they turned out, we forgot to take an after photo.  But, they were just as cute golden brown as they are here, pre baked.  Now the wheels in my head are turning trying to figure out how I can make these at the little cafe.  Pumpkin, peach, cherry, cheesecake, pecan........so many ways.  Speaking of pumpkin and pecan....are you dreaming of fall like I am already?
Hope your Sunday is lovely!

Ruffles

Things have been quiet on this blog for awhile.  Busy at work, busy with kids, busy with laundry.  There is always laundry.  :)
I made this little bag for a dear friends birthday this past week.  There is just something about ruffles that makes me happy.
Summertime is rolling by.  I hope yours is going wonderfully!

Naughty Kitty

While walking by my daughters room today I found this.......
Naughty kitty on top of the hamster cage!

For Daddy

Dear Daddy,
Happy Fathers Day!  I wish I could be with you to celebrate this special day set aside for Fathers.  But, life has us living four hours apart and there is this thing called "work" that gets in the way.  You know all about work, don't you?  You have been the best example of a hard worker any girl could learn from.  Your work ethics are superb!  You have taught me to work hard, do my best, go above and beyond the expectations of others, pitch in when needed and have fun while doing it.  You provided for mom, sissy and I the best way you knew how.  Thank you for that!  I don't think I could ever say thank you enough for all you sacrificed for us.  Thank you for doing without so we could have what we needed and also at times, what we wanted.  Now that I am a parent, I know what that means.

Thank you for your wisdom.  Thank you for teaching me, years ago, how to put gas in my car and keep my car clean and how to drive safely.  Now I am teaching my own daughter those same principals.

Thank you for sharing little gifts with me from your parents that you have saved all these years.  I especially love the roses yard long you gave me that hangs over my bed now.  That is my most special possession!

Thank you for being the best father a girl could ever ever have.  I could go on and on with examples of how wonderful a man you are.  From the bottom of my heart daddy, thank you for your love and example.  You are simply the best daddy a girl could ever ever have.
I love you!
Shanngirl

Super Cute!

This is such a cute video!  It is amazing how many things these birds can say!  I love the "what are you doing", "thank you" and the "gimme a kiss." This has made me smile all morning.  So, of course I wanted to share.  Have a wonderful Sunday!

Yet Another Calorie Free Post

Today these little lovelies came out of the kitchen at the cafe.  I am in love with that frosting.  I mean, is it possible to love buttercream frosting?  I believe it is.  And the sprinkles ain't half bad either.  :)

Hope you have an extra sprinkle kind of day today!

Watering Can Fun

A new watering can my mama and daddy gave me for my birthday.  Aren't her pearls a hoot?!?

Today She Is 14

Today is my youngest daughters birthday.  She is 14 years old.  This coming Friday she will complete middle school and move over to high school in the fall.  I can not believe this is so!

Sweetie, at 14.......

1.  You love your friends and are a fierce fighter for the underdog.
2.  You can go thru more gum in a week than anyone else I know.
3.  Your favorite food is chicken quesadilla...with sour cream and hot salsa.
4.  You are a huge helper around the house with chores.
5.  You have become addicted to coffee drinks like your mother.
6.  You still have the passion in your heart to cook and bake and try new recipes.
7.  You have a wicked sense of humor and are the comedian in our family.
8.  You rock at speaking Spanish.
9.  You are taller than your mom.
10.  You have a very good sense for fashion and are not afraid to use it.  ;)

Hope your special day is filled with fun and happy memories darling daughter.  Mama loves you very very mucho!!  xoxoxoxo

Many Many Reasons

Reason number 300402847502834 why it is so much fun to bake in a cafe.  You get to bring "samples" home.

Happy Mother's Day

image

This morning I went into my oldest daughters room to make sure she was up in time for her job.  (She works in the same little cafe I do.)  For just a moment, the hands of time literally wound backwards.  I did not see the young woman that she has become....I saw the sweet toddler face she used to have laying on the pillow.  And I just stood there looking at her.  Soaking in the moment.  Remembering a time when I thought "that stage" of mothering was the hardest.  The terrible twos.  Was I ever wrong on that note.  Teenage daughters....well....let's just say some days I am holding on for dear life.

There are so many things I wish I could go back and change for my firstborn.  I have told her on many occasions that I am practicing this job of motherhood on her.  I am still not done yet.  I am not her friend.  But someday, I hope to be.  I know that she will do some things differently, than I, when she becomes a mother.  But that's ok.

My own mother practiced on me.  I was her firstborn.  And she did an amazing job as a mother.  AMAZING!

Happy Mothers Day to all the Mama's out there.  And especially to my own.  :)

Coffee Love

While my sis was here, we took the time to stop at one of my favorite antique shops and poke around.  I found this darling coffee can for $2.50.  Since I have a particular fondness for coffee, I thought this was right up my alley.  After the antique shop, we headed over to Michaels to get some gerber daisies for my little can.  Inexpensive cuteness for my kitchen table...it's a good thing.  ;)

First Visit

 My sis and nephew are here visiting from Illinois this weekend.  So far, we are having loads of fun.  We started out downtown at the little cafe where I spend my days.  It was their first trip there since it opened.  The window display was recently redone and it is LOVELY as usual....by this fantastic lady.

 Little details are so much fun.....

 Gosh do I love this place........

 My nephew and I picking out a cupcake from the display.  I knew he would want the Oreo one!

We went back to the kitchen and he had a lesson with the pastry bag and frosting.  He did a great job!!                          

 Then over to the prep station where he created a wonderful salad.

And this handsome boy spent some time out on the deck with us last night enjoying the breeze and the smells and sounds.

I love it when people I love come to see me.  Simply love it.......