Giving Thansk - Day 27

Happy Thanksiving! I hope everyone has a wonerful day filled with loved ones and delicious food. I am thankful to be spending the day with family today. Lots of love and turkey to all (unless you're a vegetarian, then maybe just lots of tofu and green bean casserole).

Giving Thanks - Day 25

Some onesies I made for a friend's baby.

25.) Craft projects that turn out right. I am trying to hand make most of my Christmas gifts this year which means I am VERY busy. It is so much fun. So far I have only completely finished with gifts for two people so I have a ways to go. I also am doing some stuff for fun too. Check out this cute shirt I made for Emmy yesterday:

Giving Thanks - Day 21

21.) My grandmother's (Ma - as she was known to us grandkids) aprons. I have had them for a few years now but just recently "rediscovered" them . I was single, in my early 20's, and still living at home when Ma passed away. At that time, the aprons were special to me because they were something of hers to hold on to, but they didn't hold much symbolic meaning. Since then they have been tucked away in my sewing cabinet for lack of a better place for them. I came across them again recently while doing some sewing and fell in love with them. I spent the entire afternoon with one wrapped around my waist. I changed the sheets in the apron, cleaned dishes in the apron, cooked dinner in the apron, and played with Emmy in the apron. With her apron on, all of my daily chores now felt purpose driven and more meaningful. Everytime I caught my reflection I was reminded of my dear sweet Ma. She was the epitome of a grandmother and, I believe, an extraordinary woman/wife/mother. I became more aware of the fact that Emmy is watching me in the same way that I watched Ma and decided to remain cognizant of the legacy that I am creating. I want Emmy and my grandchildren to remember me in the same way that I remember Ma.

Giving Thanks - Day 20

20.) I am thankful for evenings like tonight when The Hubby gives sweet Emmy Lou her bath. I got to listen to them laugh and play and Emmy splash while I started a batch of cookies. Daddy is so good at making her laugh. He uses the bath soap to blow bubbles as big as her head and she screams with delight. And that LAUGH! Oh that laugh. There aren't words to describe it. I truly believe that if it could be bottled, it would be the means to achieve world peace. You can't hear it and not feel joyful and tender. Here's a video to prove it:

Oh, that LAUGH!

Giving Thanks - Day 19

19.) The budding (but never starving) artist that Emmy is becoming. Today was the first time I gave her paper and crayons and just let her go at it and she loved it. She sat and played with them for at least 45 minutes. In her entire life, nothing has kept her interest before for an entire 45 minutes in a row. It was F-U-N! Proudly displayed on our fridge is her first masterpiece. But you don't have to come to my house to see it, I'll post it here for your convenience. Beautiful, right?

Giving Thanks - Day 18

18.) The 250 free 4x6 photo prints I got from Shutterfly through the Pampers Gifts to Grow Program. Learn more about it here. I had enough rewards to order the 200 free prints plus, it was the first time I ordered from Shutterfly so I was able to order an additional 50 prints plus free shipping. All told, I ordered 263 photos for only around $2.00. I may have mentioned it before but it bears repeating, I LOVE free stuff! Now I'm only a year behind in ordering my pictures.

Giving Thanks - Day 17

17.) Emmy's new phrase de jour, "Night, night." (Pronounced "nigh, nigh.") I can say with 100% certainty that there is nothing in this world more precious than laying my sweet 17 month old in her bed at night and having her look up at me with those big, beautiful, sleepy, blue eyes and saying:

Emmy: Mama?
Me: Yes, Emmy?
Emmy: Nigh, nigh.
Me: Night, night, baby. I love you. (All as my heart melts and puddles around my feet. I just leave
it in there on the floor and slip out. I don't want to ruin the mood collecting my heart mush off of the
floor. I'll get it in the morning when she wakes up.)