SIMPLICITY

South Africa STOLE my heart.

Luke and I were having one of those late night talks in bed last night. We were talking about stretching ourselves and each other and I said "let's go back to South Africa next year!" I was half joking, half serious. I would LOVE to go back but I think I need to evaluate why I would love to go back.

I LOVE the SIMPLICITY!!!

I feel like North America has ruined any chance of having this word "simplicity" in it's living space. We are so consumed by media, by spending, by saving for the unknown, by owning the bigger and better, by always having something more exciting to do than the time before. We have lost the sense of loving the simple things in life. When we were in South Africa, that is one of the BIGGEST things that really hit me. They have nothing. 

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

 They don't go to movies on a regular basis, they don't own a 3 bedroom home with 2 vehicles. They sometimes don't know where their next meal will come from. And through all of this, they are the HAPPIEST people I have EVER MET!!! We would stand in a circle for HOURS playing games with each other, laughing hysterically and having the greatest time singing and dancing. Here in north America, people would think I am crazy. Their church service had no end time. It was done whenever it was done. It had no schedule. No routine. The music started from women in the congregation belting out the next song. They did not have a list of songs to be played that day, It was whatever whoever decided to start singing. It was probably one of the best worship times I have ever encountered in my life! They live in community. Families living with families. Here in north America, we HAVE to have our own houses. Living in community would be absurd! There is no internet, or if so, it is SO SLOW you wouldn't want to use it anyways. If people want to contact you, they use their PHONE or better yet, they go over to your house to visit!!! There is no facebook. I just feel like we have missed it. We have missed what life is really all about. We get so caught up in just working, passing the time till the next big event that we can be a part of. We have forgotten about the little things and how AMAZING God is in just the smallest of things. If all our possessions were taken away from us, would we still be happy? Do we TRUST God THAT much??? I would LOVE to go back to South Africa!!! ABSOLUTELY LOVE it! But God has called us here for right now. I need to accept that and just keep trying to show His love through the simple things. 

All in all, it's the simple things that should make us the happiest!!!

It's LOVE day!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!


This morning we did a craft for daddy with some paint and toilet paper rolls! The girls did GREAT considering I thought Maelle would just eat the paint! lol They did end up painting themselves up pretty good!

I forgot to take a pic of the craft though before daddy took it to work to hang in his office. It was definitely bath time after our craft.

I have been working on a new little dress for Pea and I finished it today. I am pretty proud of this little piece because I made it from SCRATCH! No tutorial, no patterns, nothing. I got my wheels turning in this head of mine and this dress is the result. I have to say I am loving sewing MORE and MORE! There are endless possibilities to it and having two little girls to practice my creations on is PERFECT!!!

It's a little messy in a couple spots when you are really looking but I would have to say it turned out pretty darn cute! And Pea of course LOVES it. Anything with ruffles and frills and girly, she is ALL OVER. Now it's time to make Maelle a little frilly dress of her own! i have some cute blue material that will make her eyes pop!!!

I hope everyone has had a GREAT day so far full of lots of love from their special people!!! I know I have!!!

Sewing, Sewing, Sewing...oh AND pink eye!

Lately we have been stuck in the house a LOT! I would be going insane right now but sewing has kept me from screaming at the top of my lungs and running around throwing my hands up and down while doing somersaults just to keep myself from attacking my cat. Anyways...the girls have been entertaining. When are they NOT?!?! But sewing has given me that little side job to keep my mind off the fact that I have probably stepped out of my house maybe a total of  15 times in the last month! I HATE winter!!!!

Pea has been battling pink eye the last day or so. Poor little girl! She looks so goofy but adorable all at the same time!

 

Maelle has been lucky so far and hasn't got it much at all. She is a tad goopy in the morning when she wakes up but throughout the day, she has been pretty good!

I have been learning more and more about my sewing machine lately and have used less and less profanity at it and today I finished some adorable little pillowcase dresses for the girls for this summer! 

 

                  

Maelle's dress

Pea's dress

Daddy's Dress

Last night was a craft night. I sat down at my dining room table with my sewing machine and a couple of Luke's old shirts! I found this tutorial off Pinterest (my new love on the web) and just HAD to try it!!!

This is how they turned out....

I would have to say I am pretty proud of my first t-shirt dresses!

If you want the tutorial to try this yourself, HERE it is!

Freeze Time

Tonight was a night that I would love to press the "freeze" button on time. My children are not cuddlers. They never have been. I am hoping after much persuasion, they will turn into cuddlers. But for now, we cherish those few, and I mean FEW, times in between where they will snuggle you for just a moment or two to let you know that they do in fact still love you very much. Tonight my little Pea fell asleep on the couch having her bottle. I went to pick her up and she woke up but I decided to snuggle her up in my arms and attempt a late night snuggle in the midst of her confusion and weariness. She did not refuse! My mind was already set that she would once again refuse the snuggle and just want to be in her bed. Instead, she snuggled in my arms and I sat there on the couch reading my book for an hr and a half!!! This is a night that I would like to just keep on freeze. When I finally decided to put her up in her bed, (not my decision, it was my husbands!) she gave me 2 kisses through her grogginess without me even asking for them. It took everything for me not to just burst into floods of mom tears or jump up and down. Being a mom is truly the BEST thing I have EVER done....besides marrying my amazing husband! I could not imagine my life without my two little bundles that make me laugh every day, put a smile on my face every time I look at them and make my heart pound a mile a minute with love. I cannot explain the feeling being a mom gives you. You moms out there know what I am talking about! I never understood the love a mother has for her child until I became one myself. I would do ANYTHING for these two little loves!

Cranberry Muffins

Tomorrow is play group at our house so I decided to make these delicious Cranberry muffins I have been eyeing for a few weeks but have not gotten around to making them yet. Well I made them tonight and I have to say I REALLY like them!

Here's the recipe :

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
• TOPPING:
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Fold in sour cream. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt; stir into the creamed mixture just until moistened. Fold in cranberries. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two thirds full. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove to a wire rack.

Christmas is on sunday this year.

Yes. Christmas falls on a Sunday this year. I have such a hard time with all the Christians I know that are complaining about how aweful this is. They will either have to get up super early to open presents before the Christmas day service or they will have to wait until after which is even worse!!! Oh NO!!!Having Christmas fall on a sunday is such a nuisance!!!

ARE WE THAT SELFISH???

I have to admit, when I first found out, I was selfish myself. I thought about how hard it is to get the girls ready for church on any given sunday, now Christmas day!?!?! But then I thought about it a little more and realized that I was totally just thinking about myself. Christmas is not about us. Christmas is to celebrate the day Jesus was born!!! Why is it so hard for us to go to church on Christmas day? We should be EXCITED to be able to celebrate with our church family in God's house Christmas morning! It shouldn't have to be an obligation, it should be something that we are excited to do. I hate what we have done to Christmas. All the presents, the greediness, the selfish attitudes. I would love North America to get back to the simplicity of what Christmas is all about. It's not about the new game for your x-box or the new boots that just came out in Aldo. It's about Jesus and family and friends. It's about spending time with the ones you love and celebrating. I don't need presents. If you look around my house, I have everything I need. I have a beautiful, healthy family, a roof over my head and heat to keep me warm. I am challenging you, break the mold.

Jesus IS the reason for the season!!! Let's keep it that way!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!