January 09, 2014

our christmas card...

January 09, 2014/ sarah

{front}

{back}

If you didn't receive one a few weeks ago (we didn't mail out too many),
I just wanted to "give" you our card, and let you know we love each of you!

Blessings to everyone as we have headed in to this new year!!

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(a few friends have asked...)
I designed these cards myself,
using picmonkey.com, and printed them using overnightprints.com.
it was so much fun and saved so much money!

January 04, 2014

Bethany Len is TWO!

January 04, 2014/ sarah

this one.
the little sister.
my B.

TWO today!
Wow, how time has flown.
I feel like she was just kicking up a storm in my belly.
...and now she is kicking up a storm everywhere else she goes!

life of the party.
curious.
fearless.
ball of energy. (never. ending. energy.) :)
adoring sister.
hugger.
(and sometimes a hitter. we're working on that! ha)
lovie-holder.
milk-addicted.
climber. (and roller, flipper, jumper, etc etc)
funny.
sweet.
sassy sassy.
dramatic.
gorgeous.

perfectly who God made her to be.

Happy Birthday to my sweet little wild woman.
You keep me on my toes Bethany...
but I would not have it any other way.

I cannot WAIT to see how God uses all your gifts and your personality for His purposes.
You will be a powerful woman, i know it.

We love you!!

December 24, 2013

my Christmas Eve baby...

December 24, 2013/ sarah

Abigail Joy...
FOUR years old today.

I am blown away by this girl.
She has the biggest heart and such a compassionate spirit.
She is funny and has a great sense of humor.
She already speaks of Jesus and spiritual things that only God could be showing her about.
She loves passionately and deeply.
She makes us feel complete.

That snowy Christmas Eve in 2009, she graced her with her precious soul.
We are forever changed.

Happy Birthday, Abigail!
I am honored to know you.

December 20, 2013

butterfly birthday party!

December 20, 2013/ sarah

** If you have found yourself here through Pinterest (most likely the "caterpillar grapes"), then welcome!!
I hope this helps, and I hope you look around a stay a while!**

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Last weekend, we celebrated my big girl , who will turn 4 on Christmas Eve!

She loooooves butterflies and everything girly, so requested a butterfly party...

it was so fun and sweet!

for food we did:

-pink cupcakes that Abigail helped to make and decorate, with butterfly sprinkles and

sugar paper butterflies that were made by Sugar Robot

(visit their

shop here

...but I found them on Amazon!)

-PBJ's cut with a butterfly cookie cutter (so cute!)

-Butterfly crackers and cheesesticks

-Caterpillar Grapes (for how Butterflies start)

-nut mix

-pink Starburst

-crackers with cream cheese and Rasberry sauce (a family favorite for parties...also the color is girly!)

for drinks,

we just had some big cartons of juice (purple and pink to match),

sparkling grape juices (fun to have this time of year!),

and coffee for the parents

It all turned out just right, and was all really so simple!

(Caterpillar Grapes:

I cut large Skewer sticks to the size I wanted and put 5 large green grapes on them.

Then a dot of white icing and mini chocolate chips for the eyes)

They were SO so cute!

The kiddos had a blast and I think my girl felt really loved on!

(I laid out a craft for them to do, coffee filter butterflies...just to color with markers and then put a clothespin in the middle and snap in some pipe cleaners for the antennas.)

We gave butterfly wings as party favors, but I used them as decorations during the party!!

Abigail LOVED having big butterflies all around the house!

I'm dying that I did not get a picture of them, but for another party favor,

we also made butterfly snacks...

put some Honeycomb cereal in small ziplock baggies,

put a clothespin in the middle.

Abigail painted all the clothespins pink and we hot-glued on google eyes.

Then snapped antennas in the middle with pipe cleaners!

They were adorable and we had a lot of fun making them!!

(it's the most fun when you involve your child in the party planning, so it was fun that Abigail was old enough to help a lot this year!!)

Happy Butterfly Birthday, Abigail Joy!!

December 17, 2013

Christmas Program JOY!!

December 17, 2013/ sarah

Each Christmas, the girls' school (Children's Day Out) puts on a Christmas Program, that all the classes work on really hard!
It is such a special thing to see your child perform the songs they have been singing in your car every day for the last month! hehe :)

Abigail's class sang "Away in a Manger", and several other songs in the Finale,
and she did so beautifully!
Needless to day, we were proud proud proud!
Bethany's class got to be pushed around in a big buggy and shake jingle bells, for all the parents to ohh and ahh over how cute they were. Sadly I didnt get a good pic of B.

But here's a few from the program and the cookie reception afterwards!
Such a good way to bring in the Christmas spirit...

And I have to say, the BEST part of the whole night was when Abigail's class was running in to the stage, down the aisles of the church...she spotted her Daddy and shrieked with JOY so loudly! It was the best thing ever.