Gifts from the East, Bluegrass Stomp and a Heat Wave!

Gifts from Taiwan arrived this week!!  I'm not sure if everything is really

this beautiful that comes from Taiwan, or if it's that I love the

 people sending it so much that adds extra beauty. 

Thank you, Leo and Vic....we love you!!!! 

This little clip is a bit random, but Luca loves to watch her reflection,

be it in a mirror, a window....anything that shines.  She makes faces at herself,

plays with her hair, dresses up or dances.  I caught this little number on my

camera this week and thought it might make you smile like it did me. 

Finally, we are experiencing a heat wave here in Wisconsin!!  That's right,

temps near 50 in JANUARY!!!  It's an extra treat, because normally in January

we're well below zero and starting to twitch and drool from the cabin fever. 

(okay, that may be a bit of an exageration, but not by much!)  :) 

We had a third kiddo Friday night, and since it was so warm we

decided to have a fire!   It's my FAVORITE thing to do, and what a treat

to sit OUTside in January (still in shock) and get lost in the flames. 

These three were mildly excited about the idea. 

We're used to having mini marshmallows in the winter for hot cocoa and

big marshmallows in the summer time for s'mores. We improvised and roasted

our hot cocoa marshmallows by the stack. :)  Worked like a charm! 

Turns out they also stick to faces.  You know, in case you were wondering. 

Thank you, Lord, for this opportunity, mid-January,

to smell the Earth and to feel the sun on our faces! 

Christmas & New Year's....That's a Wrap! (pardon the pun)

I have to admit, I was a bit of a photography dropout this Christmas, but I did manage to snap a few.  Always a little sad to see the season go, but always a little happy to reclaim the house / life back from all the festivities too. 

Pinterest is my latest addiction, and I've been finding lots of new recipes to try out there.  The girls and I made this poke cake (YUMMY) to celebrate our Christmas break!  It's chocolate cake with holes poked in it, then 0reo pudding poured on top!! 

Bren pretending to be excited about getting some new PJs. 
Okay, those were for me.  SOO cute!!! 

Princess Lucapants

...also known as "The Destroyer."  The girl gets into boxes like a mouse! 

I was so excited to find the Ethiopian Rahel doll for Luca

(which also benefits one of our favorite non-profits, World Vision!!)  

Hold the phone.  She got a book!  Yep, we've lost her. 

New Year's Eve out to dinner with my sister and her family, my Gram and great uncle, then home to watch the ball drop.  I'm pretty sure this is the first year the girls have stayed up 'til midnight!  I'm pretty sure I was ready for bed at 8:30.

I've been wanting to try this poofy faux-hawk idea out in Luca's hair forEVER and finally got the nerve.  It's rather Willow Smith, if I do say so myself! 

She was feeling quite sassy in her new look.

Sassy and silly....that's how we serve 'em up 'round these parts! 

Beauty Face 1 and Beauty Face 2

Accompanied this little lady to the emergency room TWICE over break!  Getting matters under control now, but always taxing to see someone you love in an ER bed.  We loooooove our Grammy!

Adios 2011 - Hello 2012! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, IMAN!!!! 

I can't WAIT to see that sweet BABY!!! 

You are going to be an amazing daddy!  

We love you and miss you so much. 

Praying for a year FILLED with blessings

for you and your beautiful family!

Christmas Mischief (Christchief)

Lots of Christmas fun going on around here.  First off, I think I have a new second-favorite Christmas movie, Arthur Christmas.  It was SOO good (although Elf is still #1 because...LOOOOOOVE!!!). 

Christmas Pickle

One tradition we have is the Christmas pickle ornament.  If you haven't heard of it, the ornament is hid somewhere on the tree, and the first one to find it gets a present!  This year's surprise, the new Barbie Christmas movie (exciting, huh???  My girlies thought so!)  :) 

These pics are not the best (like ALL the other ones on my blog...haha), but you get the drift.  :)

Pickle hunters....getting right down to business. 

Christmas Caroling

And just tell me WHO on Earth doesn't think it's fun to load up a bunch of family and friends on a hay wagon and ride through town singing Christmas carols???  (Informing the troops that we're 40% sure this is legal...don't they look thrilled?).  

Overflow seating and front end security.  :)

Ready for take off.  Don't they look ready?? 

(I see doubt in some of those faces.  Or is that fear?)

The peanut gallery.

Mother Christmas looking lovely  :)

I don't think anyone even noticed we were there. 

Nice to meet you.  Can I sit on your lap? 

Imagine THIS pulling up to the nursing home door.

People, we have GOOD people.  That's all I kept thinking all night long.  We have GOOD people! 

*blessed*

Pulling up to the hospital, quite a sight to see.

Empty nest.  :)P 

(Who brought the quilts??  What a bunch of wimps!)

Bringing up the rear.

We closed out the night with lots of goodies and some good 'ol bluegrass jamming with a couple of guitars, a couple of fiddles, a mandolin, a banjo, some drums and a WHOLE lot of shakers and "backup."  I would have had pictures, but someone stuck a fiddle in my hand and it was all over from there.  :) 

Christmas Lights

Finally, this weekend we headed to Madison with my great uncle for some Texas Ro@dhouse (our fave!) and a drive through a Christmas light display.  Again, not the best pics, but fun nonetheless. 

The Capital (and the lighted building in the background is the REAL Capital!)  :)

"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love."

-Hamilton Wright Mabie-  

A CONSPIRACY of LOVE....isn't that how this whole thing got started?? 

Happy Christmas, folks. 

Luca's Turn for a Mommy Date!

I'm not sure why both my girls choose McDon@lds for every date or if I'm the common thread which keeps landing us under those beautiful golden arches. 

Hello, my name is Cari. 

And I love french fries. 

A lot. 

I also love her.  Like a lot, a lot, a lot. 

She carries a purse. 

It has Dora on the front and is chalked FULL of

lip gloss, stickers and sugar free gum. 

'Cuz that's how a lady rollzzz.

 Got a coupon for a FREE Build-@-Bear!!!! 

(which I spent $38 on....dang, they got me again!)  

How much money does one actually have to spend at

Build-@-Bear to get a coupon for a FREE bear? 

Let's not think about it. 

Bath time.

Making a birth certificate for "Lily"

 Sweet moments with my littlest one.

 Only 1 pic to share from our recent educational adventures.  I never posted our barn dancing pics, but I figured they're getting a little old to constitute a post.  Here's a single shot of a drawing class our homeschool group hosted.  Immediately after I took it, my camera battery DIED!!!!  NIGHTMARE OF ALL NIGHTMARES!!!!!!! 

The worst part is, later that day our KONOS group field tripped to the optometrist and then dissected PIG EYEBALLS!!!!!!!  And NO PICTURES!!!!!  (I know, I know, you're TOTALLY disappointed!!!) 

Just to give you a visual, think about the most disgusting, oozy, goozy, slimy, grossest thing you've ever seen. 

Then touch it with your bare fingers and slice on into it.  UGH!!!!) 

It really was amazingly awesome and totally gruesome learning about the eye, dissection and all, but I think I'll rest a little easier now that all the eyeballs in the room are actually in someone's head. 

Never a dull moment!