It's starting to smell like Christmas:)

My favorite holiday is right around the corner!! I love the holidays in between but there is something so magical about Christmas! I thought this year I would start really early on my Christmas projects and gifts. Not sure I will get all of the things I want to do done but I am very motivated to try:) I have decided to do super easy/cute/handmade gifts and cards for family without going broke and I also think there is something SO special about making a gift rather than buying a gift for someone. Christmas can get overwhelming and hectic and I REFUSE to let it be that way in our home. We WILL focus on what matters and the real purpose of Christmas. 


One thing I will share about what Marshall and I decided to do for Christmas in our home is we are not focusing on "Santa". I know, crazy right? We will tell the story of St. Nicholas (using the Veggie Tales show on him, it is a GREAT lesson- it's our favorite) and who he was to show the importance of giving- "see a need, fill it". But "Santa" will be a fictional character just as Barney is fictional. Our kids will know that we are the ones setting out the presents for Christmas morning- our saying is "God blessed us for us to bless you". Setting a "live to give" mentality. Anyways, that is just a side note. I do not think doing Santa is wrong or anything like that, I believe that every family is different and you have to find what is right for you and your family:)


Back to Christmas crafts. I made Christmas clothes pin magnets. I thought this is a genius gift to give someone to put Christmas cards and pictures on their fridge and/or magnet board. Now I am in the process of making handmade cards (SIMPLE because they will be in bulk and have a family Christmas picture inside), snow globes, a Christmas tutu for Kenzi, a Christmas event board (or something along those lines), picture ornaments, and the list goes on... But I am starting with these. I will add as I go and post as I finish:) 

Here are some of the clothes pin magnets:

That's all for now:) Off to bed for me! Happy Crafting!

Love and Blessings,

Kayleigh

Hall-OWL-ween:)

Halloween is coming up!! Which I have NEVER really cared about until after having babies!! And now I have to say it's pretty exciting! Coming up with costumes ideas for Maddox and Kenzi was easy. I knew I wanted Maddox to be a monster and found such a cute monster costume at Old Navy and got it for 40% off so it was a done deal! Kenzi's costume was a different story. I told myself last Halloween that "next year she HAS to be an owl!!" I looked around for owl costumes and couldn't find anything I liked- there is a difference between a cute owls and not so cute owls. I also had it in my mind that I wanted to make it. Then, luckily, I stumbled on a tutorial to make an owl costume- I was SOLD. I'm not completely finished with it but I thought I would post a "sneak peak" for anyone who wanted to see. 

Ta-da! The owl costume (need to put the rest of her "feathers" on) and headband to match that I made her:) She will wear black leg warmers and hopefully black or brown flats. Such a fun and easy first sewing venture with my new sewing machine! Can't wait to do more projects.

OH and she will have the most adorable scrappy owl bag! I was going to make this too but I showed it to her Yaya and she took the initiative to do it! I'm glad she did because it's ADORABLE!!

I will post pictures of my babies in their costumes soon! Can't wait!!!

Love and Blessings,

Kayleigh

Some of the things I love about my Kenzi Grace...

I'm writing this blog because I think it's SO important to remember the little things, to cherish the moments that you are so happy that you feel your heart could explode:) Ah! Why does time fly by SO fast?! I can't believe that Kenzi will be 19 months in two weeks!! I am absolutely in love with this little girl. She is BEAUTIFUL, so very sweet, a mess! ha, curious, loving, strong-willed, wiggly, adventurous, fearless... I could go on and on. Here are some of her little things that I LOVE...

She loves "reading"- she speaks perfect jibberish;) Some english too, of course.

She loves getting in her toy box to "play" with her toys and one by one she tosses them out until she is sitting in an empty box. A mess!! Ha. She actually doesn't really play with her toys- just likes making messes;)

She is quirky! Ha, this is how she "has" to wear all her skirts! I pull them down and right back up it goes;)

She only lets me take numerous pictures of her when she is wearing sunglasses :)

So sassy! She loves pretending to talk on the phone some days she's on it all day long... A glance of the future? Oh goodness. 

She's always either talking to "Gigi" or "Da-da" just like her momma.

This girl LOVES her "Gigi"! She means so much to both of us. Do not know what I would do without her!! 

Her favorite toy is her laundry basket:) I've had to stop putting clothes in it... She likes to climd in it, sit in it, put all her toys in it, put it on her head, color on it, watches Veggie Tales sitting in it, etc. 

She is almost always sticking out her tongue- do not know why, haha.

This is the face I get when I am desperately trying to get a good happy picture of her! She all smiles and laughs until she sees me trying to take a picture, ahh! She is still so incredibly beautiful to me:)

She loves to swing. She laughs and points at everything asking "whats that?" 

She loves water! Sprinklers, baths, showers, pools, the beach- loves it. 

(the video is not showing up will try again later)

Her laugh:)

She LOVES her "bubba". She asks where he is every so often and now tries to calm him when he cries.

She always finds and gets into the Cheerios no matter where I hide them...

She climbs everything! This is her on our coffee table watching her show. She climbed to the top of her changing table just yesterday...

My list continued without pictures:

- The way she shrugs her shoulders whenever she speaks her jibberish talk or says "HAAY!" 

- She rubs her belly when she walks around in her diaper

- She walks on her tippy toes

- She calls Larry from Veggie Tales "Wee-Wee"

- She thinks she disappears whenever she closes her eyes really tight acting shy/ flirting

- She gives me eskimo kisses every night

- She gets SUPER excited over the smallest of things

Okay I'll stop there;) I could go on. She is just AMAZING! And I want to remember ALL the little things because it is what makes up who she is. Her personality is being pieced together. I feel so blessed that God gave me this sweet little girl. I will cherish her.

Up next: Maddox Eli :)

Just excited:)

Hello:) So God has been really laying things on my heart. My heart has been on overload, if that makes sense. I really don't know where to start... First I want to say I love how God talks to me. I love that even though I do not always get things "right" He is there to guide me. He does not and will not give up on me. He shows me that He has bigger plans for me, that I need to accept that. I need to walk in His plans for me. Confess what I know to be true and what I believe will be. Speak life into all situations and circumstances. I've ALWAYS known these things it's just refreshing when God reminds me;)

Every day we are called to die to our flesh in EVERY WAY- even in the smallest of things. To deny our fleshly wants and desires and to take on His. I will live this way. 

I recently read a blog that really inspired and encouraged me. She said that her motto at her house was "Do what you have to, then you can do what you want to do" (or something like that) Ah! SO good. Too often people do what they want to do- spend money on what they want- before they do what they HAVE and NEED to do. On one level of this- I believe keeping a tidy home is so important, not just because it speaks about who you are (which it does) but the act in itself is showing thanks to God. It is showing Him you are truly thankful for what He has blessed you with. I struggle with keeping our home clean because I get caught up in things I want to do before finishing what I need to do- I am transforming my mind... I am finding a balance of my priorities. So excited about these changes. I am excited that I will raise my kids to know that they should be thankful for what they have and show it through their actions.

On a crafting note;) I have recently finished two banners (along with cupcake toppers)- for a birthday and baby shower. I will be posting pictures soon- hopefully tonight. The baby shower one is the first one that I have ever been paid to do, which is VERY exciting! I have been making tons of fabric rosettes that I will be using on some of my projects in the near future. I have REALLY been itching to start on Christmas crafts!! So many decor and gift ideas floating in my head. Can't wait! It really is coming close to my favorite time of year- fall and winter! 

This is the banner!! Custom made to match the sweet boy's bedding:) So fun to make! Love that she trusted me to make this for her, hope it made her day extra special!

Crayon Art, Cookie Treats, and Some Yummy Bruschette!

Hi all!! Sorry I haven't written in a little while. Busy with the kiddos;) I thought I would share what I have been learning and working on in my life then of course show you some crafting and cooking that I have done recently! 


I am learning how much I can handle. I believe that this truly is a lesson God has been trying to teach me. This is a hard lesson for me in that I like doing a lot of things at once. My mind is usually in a million places at once so I find it almost impossible to focus just on one task at a time. I am also realizing that with two babies- one with very bad gas:( -that I can only handle so much. I envy mom's that have more kids and can handle WAY more than I can. But I feel like when I take on too much (right now something that seems "little" is a lot to me) I lose focus on what's important. My time with Jesus is a BIG part of my life and nothing should come between that and also family time. I'm a stay at home mom so I get plenty of "baby time" and I LOVE that but I also CHERISH the time I get with my husband. He has a nine to six job and is on call every other week, so that takes up a lot of his time. I know this will all change (as in I can handle more- getting out of the house more) as Maddox gets older and gets to feeling better AND I am so looking forward to that but for now I am just doing what I can handle. I need balance. Right now my focus is...


1. being a godly woman and wife
2. being a good/godly mom
3. working towards our future ministry- investing in others lives
4. learning to cook family dinners
5. keeping a tidy home- which is tad bit difficult with a one year old who loves messing up everything I clean;)
6. crafting- not only for our family but for others.
7. POTTY TRAINING:)




So I have decided that I will do at least one project a day:) I feel closer to God when I create. Yesterday I did a project that I found on Pinterest that I already had all the supplies for. I also thought Kenzi would love it and could help and she did! She did great! It was so fun. It is super messy (especially doing it with a 16 month old, haha), so definitely an outside project. well, here it is...

Oh and I have to share these yummy treats I made on Sunday:) We went over to my mother in laws house and Marshall and I made her taco soup and these for her Birthday... Kenzi loved them of course!

Happy Birthday "MaMaw"

Ah! So this next thing I'm showing you has sparked my "like" for cooking! It was delicious! And my hubby was totally impressed;) It is a tomato and goat cheese bruschetta. I found a recipe and made it my own.

Kenzi's First Birthday:) April 2, 2011.

So, I HAD to blog about my baby girl's first birthday! She is such a JOY in our life. When she turned one I broke down! I could not believe that is went so fast! I am still amazed. She is beautiful, smart, and so so very sweet. She loves "owwwls" and "buuds" just like her "maaama" ;) I am in love with this little girl. 

Strawberry cupcakes from Cornerstone Cupcakes- They were amazing. I will post a closer look of the cupcake toppers that I made at the end of this post.

On the left is a canvas project I made using Kenzi's Birthday 

 The Birthday banner:) ...Also made a picture banner I will have to post a picture of it later.

Ended the day with riding in her "big girl" car seat for the first time. She laughed all the way home:)