Small Style #40

Welcome to Small Style- a weekly link up to show off your little one(s)' style and, more importantly, your adorable little one.





Coat- Vintage, Gifted, Bow- Adornme Girl
My friend scored this sweet little vintage coat a thrift store last year. She got it for an amazing price (I think $4) and I might have been a little jealous. I also might have frequented that particular thrift store a little too often hoping for my own great find. That never happened. When her daughter outgrew the coat and she gave it to me for Finley I could not have been more ecstatic.

A coat is a statement piece. I read in a fashion magazine once that some people will only see you in your coat in the Winter, so it better be pretty amazing. I haven't lived by this rule, but I plan to as soon as I can afford the coats that I am drooling over.

This particular coat is all kinds of perfection. I love the color, the brass buttons, the velvet collar, the length, and, of course, the fact that it's vintage. What do you think makes the perfect coat?

Thank you so much for linking up and joining in! I am still at the mercy of my old computer that can barely load new pictures and can't edit them. Show off your amazing photography for me!

Link up here:

The Thankfulness Doesn't End Here

Oh, no, it can't be the last day of November. Almost December? Seriously? Why is life continuously flying by?

First, I have to say a big Happy Birthday to my mom! We love you, Mom, and are so blessed by your generosity and your love!

I can't end this month without ending with the last of my 30 Days of Thankfulness. The last few months have been tough for me. Tough. Focusing on all that I have to be thankful for gets me through the difficult moments. It is rejoicing in what is and not being pulled down by what is not or what I would like to be.

"We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction."
-Harry Ironside


16. My running group. I usually end up feeling discouraged after running on the treadmill, but after a run with my group I feel so excited and motivated. I might have even felt like I could have gone farther after last night's four mile run. Who am I?

17. Speaking of running, I'm SO excited and for my new running watch. It should be coming tomorrow and I can't wait to use it. Even more motivation to run. I should add that I'm thankful for the ability to run. One mile used to be really difficult for me.

18. Mercy, grace, and forgiveness. Sometimes I lose my temper with my kids, sometimes I'm not gentle and kind, and sometimes, as ashamed as I am to admit it, I yell. My children are such examples to me when it comes to grace and mercy. They are so quick to forgive and forget. I want to be more like them.

19. My husband, who is incredibly hard-working and such a great provider for us. I am so, so thankful that I have the opportunity and the choice to stay home with my children.

20. Books. I've always been a huge reader, but taking care of four babies right in a row left little time for reading. I've been renewing my love for recently. (Post on books I've been reading coming soon! Blogger book club?)

21. Cute clothes. Of course.

22. Blogging. You ladies are so inspiring and encouraging. The best part of blogging is the amazing community of like-minded women. Last Summer at Blogher I couldn't help but think, "these are my people."

23. Boots. There is no such thing as too many boots. I already have my eye on a new pair and I have a renewed love for my grey ankle boots.

24. Little girl toys. I LOVE shopping for Finley and not just for clothes. Girl toys are so much fun! A few things on my Finley's Christmas list are: a vintage doll house with dolls and furniture, a Lalaloopsy doll, and felt food for her play kitchen.

25. Fresh eggs from our chickens. It doesn't get any more delicious and convenient than that.

26. My family. I am so blessed to have most of my side and Eric's side of our family living right here in town and for the ones that don't, well, I'm thankful for you all, too!

27. I've finally lost my baby weight. Can I be a little vain here? Because I'm glad to not be carrying that "baby weight" around anymore. Although, we won't talk about the "seven year old weight," now, will we?

28. A messy house. It is well lived in, even if it's not always spic and span.

29. Judah, Samuel, Silas, and Finley. The most precious gifts, the most amazing people I know.

30. The unending and unfailing love of God.

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Oh, and don't forget to join for me Small Style tomorrow, ok? See you then!

It's The Most Wonderful Time...

The Sunday before Thanksgiving we headed downtown for our city's annual Christmas Preview. Eric and I were excited to check out the shops, see the decorations, have a cup or two of cider, and listen to the music. The kids, ok, not the kids, the boys, had one thing on their agenda- see Santa.

Every year since we've had kids we've had a crying baby who doesn't like Santa picture. I wasn't sure about this year. Finley is generally pretty easy-going toward strangers, but this year was no different. Our sweet girl wasn't a fan. It obviously wasn't because of the huge beard, she's quite used to those. Maybe it was the huge white beard?



I do love the crying babies with Santa photos. Poor Santa. (Now that I look at the pictures, none of them seem to fond of Saint Nick. Don't be deceived, the boys love Santa.)

{Lisa Leonard Designs} GIVEAWAY

Happy Monday! I know we've already talked about Black Friday, but what about Cyber Monday? What are some great deals you'll be taking advantage of? Several of my favorite bloggers and shops have special deals going on today. I'm excited!

Today I have another special giveaway from Lisa Leonard Designs. Like I've mentioned before, I am a huge fan of Lisa Leonard and everything in her shop. My mom got me the beautiful Thin Sterling Cuff with my kids' names on it for my birthday. I am in love with it. {Thanks Mom!}

Decorating for the holidays is so much fun and I am loving the personalized ornaments. They would make a great gift for a newlywed couple, an ornament exchange, baby's first Christmas, or anyone, really. I think they'd even look cute in the middle of a wreath on the front door.


Molded Heart Ornament


Molded Star Ornament


Stocking Ornament

Aren't they so pretty?

Today I am giving away a $75 gift card to Lisa Leonard Designs. To enter, visit the shop and come back here and leave a comment telling me what you would spend it on. Would you buy one of those fabulous ornaments? Would you spend it on yourself or for a gift? I know it would be so hard to decide!

For additional entries (please leave a separate comment for each additional entry):
-Follow @lisaleonard on twitter.
-Follow @mamalovespapa on twitter.
-Like the Lisa Leonard Designs facebook page.
-Tweet the giveaway. Sample tweet,"@mamalovespapa is giving away a $75 gift card from @lisaleonard just in time for the holidays! http://www.mamalovespapa.com/2011/11/lisa-leonard-designs-giveaway.html" (Make sure to include a link back to this page.)
-Like the Mama Loves Papa facebook page.
-Follow Lisa's blog.
-Follow the Mama Loves Papa blog.

You have until December 5th to enter. Winner will be chosen using random.org.

Sign up for the Lisa Leonard Designs newsletter for exclusive Cyber Monday deals or use the code mamalovespapa for 15% off your purchase.

Happy Black Friday (Or, as my husband prefers, Buy Nothing Day)

Source: Uploaded by user via Morgan on Pinterest

Did you go out shopping this morning? I have never done the Black Friday thing. I love a good deal, but I'm not motivated enough to wake up in the middle of the night and brave the crowds. If you've done it, was it worth it? What did you get? How much did you save?

Eric is working today, so instead of shopping, the kids and I have been catching up on schoolwork (we took the day off for my birthday), raking leaves, and eating lots of Thanksgiving leftovers. Yum!

Small Style #39

Happy (American) Thanksgiving and Welcome to Small Style, friends!








Cardigan- Vintage, thrifted, Dress- Etsy seller, I can't remember the shop right now. Does anyone know?, Jeggings- Gift, Shoes- c/o See Kai Run

To all of my fellow Americans, I hope you're enjoying your families and eating a lot of turkey. To everyone, I hope you're having a great week!

I've had a great week! Yesterday was my birthday, so I am now officially 29 and in the last year of my 20s. I've also been completely MIA from the blog. I know I've said several times already, but not having a laptop (or any computer downstairs) makes blogging very inconvenient. We're thinking we might wait until the end of December to buy a new one, which would be smart financially, but blogging-wise not so much. Priorities, right?

As for today, all six of us will be participating in a run/walk benefitting a ministry that provides daily free meals, then we'll be stopping by my grandpa's house for lunch, and then coming home where we'll be hosting dinner.

Tell me, how is your Thursday?

(PS I'll be posting my Thanksgiving outfit pictures next week. Also, the Small Style linky is open all week, so feel free to link up whenever you want.)

Link up here:

Small Style #38

Welcome to Small Style! Next Thursday is (American) Thanksgiving. I'll be posting Small Style at the same time, but the linky will be open the next day and through the week. It always is, but I just wanted to let you know in case you want to link up late.






On Silas: Helmet- Thrifted, Hoodie- Target, Shorts- Old Navy, Socks- c/o See Kai Run, Shoes- Converse
On Finley: Cardigan- via The Mini Social, Tank- Old Navy, Jeans- Gift, Moccasins- via Zulily

You might notice that Silas has his "Blue B" in his hands. The only problem is that he can't pronounce blue, so he calls it is Boo-B, as in, "Where's my Boo-B? I want Boo-B!" Ha! It makes us laugh. Do your kids have a lovey? All three of mine have similar Little Giraffe blankets that my mom got them as newborns. They all still love them, but Samuel is the only one that isn't completely attached to his. He'll sleep with whatever stuffed animal he's favoring at the time.

Link up here:

Holiday Joy and Comfort

This post is sponsored by Tempur-Pedic, the brand millions of owners trust to deliver their best night’s sleep every night. Enjoy our Buy 2, get 1 free pillow offer now and give the gift of custom comfort to someone you love.

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Having kids has reignited the magic of the holidays for me. As a little girl I would get so excited to go to my grandparents' house, eat a lot of food, play with my cousins, and just enjoy the holidays. As an adult I can so easily start to stress out about the logistics of going from house to house to house (both mine and my husband's families live here in town, which includes celebrating with his parents and both my mom's and dad's families), making food, and making sure the kids stay somewhat on their schedule. Seeing the holiday's through the eyes of my children is so precious and is truly my favorite part.

The thing that bring me the most comfort and the most joy during the holiday season are traditions -those things that we do year after year and anticipate and are so excited about. We do some thing Eric did growing up, some things I did, and have added a few of our own things. When I think of the holidays I don't just think of Thanksgiving day or Christmas day, but of the whole season filled with family traditions.

I LOVE taking the kids to visit Santa! I love the classic Santa picture with a crying and/or upset baby. We've had one every year and I can't wait to see if they all love Santa this year or if we still have a hesitant participant.

I love Advent calendars. There were several years that my aunt would buy me one of the calendars that had a little window you open up and get a piece of chocolate each day (and, now I'm seeing a pattern. I think my favorite traditions are the ones that remind me of my childhood). I've already gotten a Trader Joe's calendar for each of the kids, but my favorite Advent calendar is a gorgeous vintage one from Eric's grandma. It is colorful and fun and total perfection.

Being thankful and giving back is so important to me. We have so, so much to be thankful for. This year we're starting a new tradition and will be walking a 5k together on Thanksgiving morning. This is something I have been wanting to do since the walk started a few years ago, but with the logistics of having babies and the kids' schedule it hasn't worked out. The walk is to raise money for a local food bank that provides meals daily for people who are going through difficult times. This is a new tradition for our family, but it's important to me to teach my children to remember others and to give. We're also participating in Operation Christmas Child and are making boxes to send to children in other countries.

Like I said, much of our holidays are usually spent rushing from house to house. In the last few years we've decided to spend Christmas morning at home. This way we have time to open presents, enjoy one another, and relax before the crazy starts. I cherish this time and I hope the kids look back on their childhood and remember this special quiet time.

At the time we lived in a little apartment (and drove an ugly Ford Taurus) and, for some reason, Eric though this tree would fit in our living room.

One of my favorite traditions is cutting down our Christmas tree. Every year we go the day after Thanksgiving and I love making a whole day of it- getting coffee before, cutting down the tree, and going out to lunch afterwards. Sometimes we go up into the mountains, a lot of times we go to a tree farm, and once, when I was nine months pregnant with Finley we went to the Costco parking lot. It just wasn't the same. This year we plan to get a tree permit and head about 45 minutes up the mountain. This is the same area that I went as a little girl with my mom's entire extended family. We'd bring thermoses of hot chocolate, cut down the trees, play in the snow, and stop at this totally hokey, but endearing mountain restaurant. I'm so excited to take the kids this year!

When we get home, I love turning on the Christmas music and decorating the tree together as a family. So fun!

There are so many other things I love about the holidays- wrapping presents on Christmas Eve, decorating sugar cookies, shopping for family, reading the original Christmas story from the Bible, sharing what we're thankful for after the turkey dinner, going Christmas caroling (although, it's been awhile since I've done that), decorating the house and making crafts with the kids, my grandma's homemade pumpkin and pecan pies.... I must admit, thinking of all of these activities is making me so anxious for the holidays!

What are your favorite things about the holiday season?

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Comfort is the perfect gift for everyone on your holiday gift list, so be sure to take advantage of Tempur-Pedic's Buy 2, get 1 free pillow offer! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.

Another Fall Ensemble

Dress- c/o Lulus.com, Boots and Cardigan- Thrifted, Scarf and Tights- Target, Bag- Jo Totes

I didn't want to use the word "outfit" in the title, because I use it so much. I thought of using "get up," but that's too cowboy. Is ensemble too band-ish? I guess this is just another plain old Fall outfit.

I had been wanting a pair of boots like these for over a year. When I spotted a pair at the thrift store I was so excited. I paid $20 for them, which is more than I've ever spent at a thrift store for one item, but it was worth it. Now that I have them, though, I feel so awkward wearing them. I don't know how to style them and I kind of feel like I'm wearing a costume. I think next time I'll try them with black skinny jeans and, hopefully, I'll feel a little more confident. Do you ever feel like that when you try a new (to you) trend?

Oh, and in case you were wondering, these pictures were taken in the super bright sun with a car full of people watching. Awwwwkward.

I'm linking up at The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesday.

Guest Post & Today's Thankfuls

Today I'm guest posting over at Ali's adorable blog, Ballpoint + Pen about why I love being a mom to a little girl. Go visit Ali and congratulate her on her gorgeous new baby, Hannah!

I'll be back later today (if all goes as planned and the babies stay asleep) to share a few holiday comforts. For now, here are my thankfuls:

-The colored leaves. I love, love, love the reds and yellows and oranges of the leaves. Aren't they the prettiest?

-Pretty dresses. My favorite. The end.

Hello, there. It's been awhile.

It has been waaaay too long since I've done an outfit post. Awhile back I was thinking of completely changing my blog over to a fashion blog. I realized that that wasn't for me, I have a lot of other thing that I like to post about, and it's a good thing I didn't or I wouldn't have much of a blog left at all.

I do love fashion, though. I love dressing up and remixing my clothes and, of course, shopping. It's fun to get inspiration for other bloggers' outfit and I like to share mine, too.






Top- Old Navy, Cardigan- Forever 21, Jeans- Urban Outfitters, Socks- American Apparel, Boots- Target

Thankfuls

I'm thankful for...

-Seriously amazing friends. I have some pretty incredible friends- some that I've had for years and some that I've just gotten close to recently. I've challenged myself lately with being open and vulnerable and real with people and I've been surprised and blessed by friends who are genuine and open in return. It is such a blessing to know that I'm not alone in my struggles and in life.

-The mercy of God. The past two years, as we've gone through church struggles, have been such a challenge, but I know that God's love for me remains the same.

-Funny shows. (And, Hulu!) New Girl, Modern Family, The Office, and Up All Night. I love laughing before I go to sleep.

-My washing machine and dryer. Those things are constantly going. I do load after load after load. I've lived in places where I've had to go to a laundromat and where I've had to walk down to laundry room. We've even lived where I had to go outside in the garage to do the laundry. I'm so thankful that I don't even have to walk outside now. As inconvenient as it feels most of the time, it's actually pretty darn convenient.

-Homeschool. I feel so blessed that I can be a stay at home mom, hang out with my kids all day, and teach them. Somedays are filled with working on patience and saying I'm sorry (and I'm not just talking about the kids), but everyday - good and bad- is an adventure that we get to do together.

-Mama time. On that note, I'm thankful that my husband understands the importance of squeezing in some time for myself. Last week was a busy week for me and this week is another one of those. I'm thankful that my husband is willing to watch the kids so that I can hang out with friends, learn new things, and come home refreshed to be a better wife and mom.

Small Style #37

Welcome to Small Style, friends! I hope you and all of your little ones are having a great week!






Headband- c/o Spancy Ketosherosh, Shirt- c/o Color Land and Friends, Cardigan- Vintage, Shorts- Gap, Shoes- Old Navy

Do you love Finley's headband as much as her and I do? It was sent to us from the lovely Sarah of Spancy Ketosherosh. She sent me a cream one also, which I love, I just haven't gotten any good pictures of me wearing it. I'll post some soon! Sarah has so many pretty colors to choose from that I couldn't pick for Finley, so I told her to surprise us. I love the aqua and navy combo- two colors I am absolutely loving right now!

What are you Fall style favorites? I usually dress Finley in mini versions of my favorites- moccasins, stripes, mustard and navy, vintage cardis and coats, boots. That reminds me...I really need some new Fall clothes!

Link up here:

Tips for Baby Feeding Magic

Thanks to Plum Organics for sponsoring my post about tips for baby feeding magic. What if you let baby choose what's for dinner? Check out their cute "Quest for Yum!" video and see what happens!


(Yes, instead of using a bib we do just take Finley's shirt off.)
When it comes to food for my family I have a few requirements- it must be healthy, simple and easy to make and, of course, taste good. As a mom of four I have had my fair share (or maybe way more than my fair share) of picky eating moments. Here are some tricks for picky eaters that have worked for me:

Let them feed themselves. I know, I know, it's way messier to have a baby feed themselves, but it's a lot more fun for them. Cut up pieces of food and put them on the tray or give them a bowl and spoon. I find that no matter what Finley is eating she always has more fun if she's holding a spoon or fork (even if it doesn't get used). Try to ignore the inevitable sweeping or vacuuming that will happen afterwards.

Keep offering the same foods over and over. If my kids don't like something I don't make them eat it (there's things I don't like and I would hate for someone to force me to eat them!), but I do keep putting them on their plates. Eventually, they usually end up tasting them- and liking them!

Don't worry about how much they're eating. Your baby won't starve. I know it's easy to worry about how much your child, especially your picky child, is eating, but they won't starve. They'll eat when they're hungry. Just keep offering delicious, healthy options and let them decide what and how much they eat.

Make mealtimes fun. I love dinner time when we all sit down to eat together. Even at lunch, when Eric isn't home, it's a relaxing time for the kids and I to sit down and chat. Of course, you can make it really fun and pull out the classic, "here comes the airplane...." My mom used it on my sister and I and I use it on my kids. We've cranked it up a notch in our house and made it even more fun by having a big brother do it. Finley loves to have her brothers feed her!

Don't be discouraged. Most picky eaters usually grow out of it!

Check out this adorable video from Plum Organics. I love their products because they meet all of my requirements- healthy, easy, and delicious. The kids love them!


I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. To learn more about Plum Organics, visit their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/PlumOrganics.

Photography Practice

Last week I had the pleasure of taking a photography course from two amazingly talented local photographers, Shannon Rosan and Brent Holland. I had so much fun learning more of the technicalities of manual shooting. Every question that I went in with got answered without me even having to ask! I'm so sad that I'll miss this week's class (I'm starting a 10k training course!), but I'm excited for next week's class where they'll be covering light.

After the lecture part of the class, they brought in a model and we got to practice what we had learned. Here are a few of my favorite (completely unedited!) photos that I took. Now, I just need to figure out how to download RAW files on my computer. Next on the to do list...















I'm thankful for... my new camera!

Yesterday I didn't post, but I didn't forget to be thankful. So, for yesterday:

I'm thankful for... my two big helpers. When I'm out running errands having one kid is SO much easier. There's only one person to take in and out of the car, instead of four. When I'm home or for extended periods of time the opposite is true. It's SO much easier with Judah and Samuel. The past four days, when Eric was gone, I seriously don't know what I would have done without my big boys. They played with the little ones while I made meals and cleaned up, they informed me of mischief-making, they did little tasks that I asked them to do. I am seriously SO thankful for them and am surprised that, even thoug I'd already been told, it really is true that things get easier as you have older kids, even with more little ones.

Early Morning Coffee

I'm thankful for... coffee!

About six months ago I started having caffeine again. While pregnant and breastfeeding I decided not to have caffeine (I am still breastfeeding, but so little that I figure it won't bother Finley) and after a seven year break my body was not used to it. Every time I'd drink coffee I'd get seriously shaky, especially if I hadn't had much to eat. Well, I think I'm finally past the shaky stage and I'm enjoying my coffee. Especially with these early morning wake ups.

I asked my facebook friends for suggestions on how to get Finley to sleep in longer (if you have any, I'd love to hear them!), so I did a little combo of what was suggested- I've been putting her to bed about 30 minutes early and letting her be awake and even fuss in her bed a little while to teach her that it isn't time to wake up. It's worked and this morning she didn't wake up until 6:45!

I used to love the Fall time change and, of course, the extra hour of sleep (don't forget to set your clocks back tonight!), but as a mom, I despise them. I'm afraid that this sleep training stuff will go down the drain and I'll be waking up even earlier tomorrow morning. I might have a 4 am wake up call tomorrow. Anyone want to meet for coffee in the morning?

How do you feel about the time changes?


(We spent our morning at the Farmer's Market. This is in front of the downtown plaza fountain.)

My Quiet House

Three little monkeys in the tub.

Tonight it's just Samuel, Silas, Finley and I at home. Judah is at his very first friend sleepover. I'm feeling a little bit sentimental and nostalgic. I know he's having a fabulous time (it's at the home of some of our very best friends), but it's a little bit hard for me to let go. This is just another step of my baby getting older and sometimes I wish that I could keep them in my arms forever. Growing up is a good thing and I know it's healthy for him to have new experiences and spread his wing (yes, I am incredibly cliche), but that's hard for this mama. I'm happy that Judah gets a fun night with his friend. My house is just so quiet.

Eric's out of town for the weekend and I can't wait to share with you what he's doing. It's a fun little big dream of his and it will be interesting to see how it all plays out for our family.

I'm thankful for... quiet nights alone. I love spending the evenings with Eric, but sometimes it's nice to read blogs and watch a super girly show or movie.

Before I go to bed.

I'm thankful for... our health.

Small Style #36

Thanks for joining me for this week's Small Style! I hope you are all enjoying the first part of November. So crazy...I can't believe it's November already!







(This is Finley with my friend's daughter, Bayliss. They are so sweet together and Finley loves her so much.)


On the boys: Jedi, Red Ranger, and Superman costumes- Hand me downs and thrift stores, Shoes- Converse and Vans
On Finley: Top- thrifted, Tutu- H&M, Gift from Aunt Kim, Leg warmers- Baby Legs, Wings- Target, Shoes- See Kai Run, via Zulily, Bow- Adornme Girl

Isn't dressing up so much fun? The boys have a big bin of dress up clothes and are often seen as pirates, cowboys, and superheroes. I always loved dressing up as a little girl. One of my favorites was a 50's costume. My grandma made me a pink poodle skirt and it was so much fun to wear with a ponytail, ankle socks, and a little bit of blush.

Do you have a favorite costume?

Link up here:

I like to be a little bit different.

When I signed onto facebook today I noticed several people with statuses saying, "Day 2: I'm thankful for..." So, I guess there's this "thing" on facebook where people post one thing they're thankful for each day in November. Remember yesterday I said that I'm doing my second annual thankful list this month? Well, I kind of want to quit it.

You see, I don't really like to do what everyone is doing. I don't like to have the same purse or shoes or hairstyle as any my friends. Actually, I'll usually stop wearing the purse or shoes and change my hair if someone has the same. I don't like to be so completely different to where I stand out, but I do like to be a little bit different.

I kind of have a little bit of pride of doing something or wearing a trend or joining something. Facebook is a good example of this. When most of my friends thought myspace was still cool (because they could change their wallpaper and have music playing! ha!) and wouldn't join facebook I was on there! I guess it's a weird little quirk of mine. (I might get it from my dad, who doesn't mind being completely different and, yes, my husband finds pride in not being like everyone else. Even though he would never admit it.)

So, do you like to be a little different, too, or do you not mind?

As for 30 Days of Thankfulness, well, I'm still going to do it. During every season of my life, good or incredibly difficult, I want to focus on how much I have to be thankful for and all the blessings in my life.

I'm thankful for... the gym childcare. Today I dropped off Silas and Finley and did schoolwork with Judah and Samuel in the cafe. Tomorrow I'm going to my favorite class (and I'm going to be SO sore)! Sometimes I have coffee or lunch with a friend, sometimes I lay by the pool, sometimes I get a great workout, but it's so nice having a convenient place to drop off my kids for an hour or two. It doesn't hurt that it's right around the corner from my house either.

A Bit of Tuesday Randomness

My sweet Samuel during our "special time"
My computer is still waiting to be recycled and we're still waiting for the credit, so we can order our new computer. In order to get something like this, apparently, they make you wait awhile, so I'm still stuck on my old one. This computer doesn't have enough memory for updates, it runs super slow, and, for some reason, it won't download all of the picture from my camera. Weird.

So, because I can't share any good pictures with you (the Halloween pictures better download for Small Style!) I thought I'd share a few random thoughts with you:

-Darth Vader does not like to be called "Darth" for short. Noted. (If you're an fb friend, you already know that.)

-Toasted pumpkin seeds are delicious!

-Today Silas and Finley and I rode in the golf cart with my grandma. She is a fast driver (to put it lightly). I might have feared for our lives.

-I'm going to a clothing swap in a few weeks (YAY!), so I purged, organized and color coded my closet. The rest of the house is a disaster, but every time I look at my closet I feel so good.

-Speaking of the disaster, before I had kids I had no idea how much laundry I would be doing.

-I like November. (It is my birthday month, after all.) Last November I did a little things called "30 Days of Thankfulness." I think I'll do it again. I just decided that. Every day I'll post one little thing that I'm thankful for. Feel free to join in if you want. It's super casual and you can make it what you want.

So today, I'm thankful for... my precious, precious kids. I always knew that I wanted to be a mom and that I would probably love it, but I had no idea how much I would love it. Being Mama to my sweeties is pretty much the best thing ever.