Christmas time!

Fall Flashback

           Fall went very fast this year.  It went from hot weather to very few 70 degree days before it was 50 degrees or less.  I was a little disappointed because Fall is my favorite season and I didn't get to have the backyard campfires that I dreamed of. My branch pile will still be there this spring then I can have all the toasted mashmallows that I want.  

         Riley got to be our little helper when it came to cleaning up the abundance of leaves that end up in the backyard every year.  She loved running around and throwing them into the air and gettting buried in a leaf pile by daddy.  While we were playing one of her shoes came off. Just try finding a tiny brown shoe in a leaf pile that takes over 20 bags to clean up.  It took a while but I found it. I was afraid it would get bagged and never be seen again.

 December

    I am excited to make Christmas a magical time of year for Riley.  Just like I remember as a child. Nothing is quite the same as an adult when there is work and bills to be paid.  But as a child Christmas is such a wonderful and beautiful time.  A time when snow was an exciting thing to go play in and not a burden to be cleaned up.  My sister and I would listen to Christmas carols and bake sugar cookies together then enjoy decorating them while watching a Christmas movie.  It was so much fun to decorate gingerbread houses every year. I look forward to sharing that tradition with Riley when she is old enough to enjoy it. 
     It is going to be a white Christmas this year so maybe we will get to experience sledding for the first time. I am packing her snow suit just in case. All of those firsts are so exciting and so special.  It's fun to see how much Riley has grown and changed.  I am sure she will make an excellent big sister.

 I am busy getting ready for the next baby. It is exciting to rearrange Riley's room.  She seems excited about the toddler bed that is in there now. I also had fun sewing up some small diapers for the new one. We are due to meet him or her come March.  It's far and fast approaching at the same time.  I already feel quite large and the baby hasn't even started to fatten up yet but it sure does a lot of tumbling around. How exciting!

      Riley isn't quite old enough but I but on some jazzy Christmas music and set in to make some sugar cookies with her. She actually stayed on a step ladder really well and enjoyed playing with the cookie cutters and the dough.  It was snowing outside so what a perfect day for baking up a batch of cookies.  She especially enjoyed getting to try the final product.

 Can't wait to see everyone for the Holidays! Should be fun this year as always!