Kathleen and Bella...the Elves

So, we have several Christmas traditions we've started with our girls.  Some I did as a kid, and some that are new even to me.

This year, we started yet another tradition.  Kathleen and Bella, the elves, arrived at Grandma's house and she knew that must have been placed there by Santa for the girls. Why Santa delivered the elves 36 days before Christmas, I'm not sure.  In fact, we'll have to have a discussion about that some day!

Anyhoo, the elves have wreaked havoc on my house.  You see, they are mischievous little elves.  They make messes like this:

They put themselves into weird positions like this:

And this:

And, they have to be fed crackers and ice water every night like this:

And sprinkled with magic snow like this:

Needless to say, these little elves are quite high maintenance, however, the girls have carried them EVERYWHERE and are thoroughly enjoying their new friends that Santa sent to watch over them.

They have studied the 'how to care for elf' guide. They know where they are at all times.  I'm certain Santa would be proud!

The coolest part of the elves is that they bring bible verses for the girls to learn. Chloe said that they must be Christian Elves.  Even though I'm not so happy with the messes they make, I'm loving that they are teaching the girls scriptures and pointing them to the real reason we celebrate Christmas.  Jesus!  How could I not be overjoyed with that?!  

The Colors of Fall

I absolutely am in LOVE with fall.  Being a Florida girl, I didn't get the joy of experiencing seasons.  I guess that's why I look forward to Fall and Spring.  I know all my northern friends are laughing, but yes, there are seasons in Georgia.  It's all perspective my dear friends! 

Here's a glimpse of our back yard:

Not the greatest pictures, but you get the idea!  Beautiful colors of orange, yellow, and red.  Of course within a week, the leaves will be gone and the weather nasty cold (I'm a FL girl remember), but we won't think about that.  While the neighbors are blowing their leaves away, I'm savoring them while they last!

Learning to let Go

Many of you know that I struggle with the feeling that my house has to be "show ready" at all times.  Ya know, the pillows straightened, the baseboards dusted, and the counters mess-free.  In fact, many days all I do is pick up and organize.


Schooling my girls has rocked my world, because I just can't do it all.  I've had to let go of a lot lately...the pillows just can't always be perfect, the dining room always looks as if a tornado hit it and well, the kitchen, it's always a mess.  Oh, and that playroom project?  Um, still not done!

I guess you could say that now I'm learning to let go.  And I'm learning to ask for help.  I'm still a work in progress.

Last week I had a migraine.  I don't typically get them, so to say that I don't deal well with that sort of pain would be an understatement.  It literally knocked me out for almost 3 days and I was forced to let things go.  It absolutely killed me to go to bed and wake up to this the next morning:

If you ring my doorbell, you will not see the picked up home I'm accustomed to.  However, you will see a lived in home, where my children play, and that's ok with me....at least for today!

Halloween Recap

 

I must admit, Halloween is not my favorite holiday!  There really is nothing I enjoy about the day besides watching my girls' excitement over collecting candy.  Call me halloween scrooge if you must, but I hate it.  

Now that I've gotten that out in the open, I will say that the girls had a fun-filled evening and the Hubs and I enjoyed spending time with great friends.  What's not to love about spaghetti dinner, great fellowship, and following the kids on foot while they jumped in and out of a truck and collected candy?  Yes, I said we walked and they rode...something was terribly wrong about that!

Nonetheless, it was a fabulous evening and below are a few pics to recap the night of pumpkins, candy and costumes!