#LiveLikeMocha

I totally stole borrowed that title from Rhett. He always comes up with the best one liners. But, I digress. This one is about Mocha. We always say that Mocha is happy to be here. She is always playing and running, snuggling or napping. Perhaps I should resolve to try to live like Mocha during these weeks leading up to Christmas. Perhaps I should try to live in the moment and enjoy each and everyday.

If I tried to live like my precious pup, I would~

Find joy and happiness in every part of every day...no matter what is going on around me.

Drink plenty of fresh, cold water.

Eat only when I am hungry. Except for a few bites of sweets every now and then.

Get some form of exercise everyday. Although probably not running circles around the couch.

Take a cozy afternoon nap under a soft Christmas throw blanket. I have a good start on that one. : )

Put complete faith and trust in those I love.

And snuggle on the couch at night while the tree lights glisten.

It seems to be working out pretty well for Mocha, don't you think?!

Thanksgiving And A Birthday

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving, my friends. Our day was lovely and yummy and relaxing. And then yesterday Madison had a birthday. Our firstborn turned twenty-one! We celebrated her with two of her favorites...turkey soup and blackberry pie.

We actually combined Thanksgiving with some Christmas this year, because Madison and Nicolas will be in Denmark for Christmas. It was a wonderful day...

We celebrated my girl turning 21 on Sunday with turkey soup, turkey sandwiches, and per Madison's request...a pie bar! Peyton made blackberry, peach crumb, and pumpkin pies for the special day.

Just like that, I have an adult daughter. 

It feels as if it were yesterday I first held her in my arms. It was dark and snowy outside that hospital room, but inside, I felt nothing but happiness, coziness, thankfulness and absolute joy as I finally realized my dream of being "Mommy".

On that November evening so many years ago, Steve and I became parents. And every single day since...with three more blessings here on Earth and one precious soul in Heaven...we rejoice in the gift of our vocation. And although our days now are quite different from those early ones filled with diapers, bottles, schedules, rocking chairs, lullabies, sticky pink medicine, giggles and Baby Magic, we are enjoying them just as much. 

So many wonderful blessings can be found in children who grow to become adults. Our lives are different, and while I sometimes long for those simple days of Sesame Street and chocolate milk, I am so enjoying the days of today...the days of Lifetime Movies and coffee and tea.

Happy Birthday, Madison.

Thank you for making me a Mommy.

Thank you for the privilege of raising you.

And thanks for all the makeup and hair help.

I love you, my firstborn.

Always.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, my friends, it is here. The day before Thanksgiving. I love this day. It is a day of quiet preparation and anticipation. The turkey is thawing, the stuffing bread is waiting to be cut and dried, the pumpkin pies are waiting to be baked, and the holiday tablecloth is all ready to be ironed.

Tonight we will finish all the preparations, eat some Mexican takeout...I never cook the night before Thanksgiving...and settle in together. Thanksgiving morning we will eat turnovers and cinnamon rolls in our jammies while we watch The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We will work together to prepare our meal...Steve and I are in charge of the turkey and gravy, Nicolas and Rhett will make the mashed potatoes, Peyton is making green bean casserole, Madison is doing her sweet potato casserole, and Flynn is in charge of table decorations.

After dinner, we will settle in for some Christmas movies and Peyton's amazing Pumpkin Pie. 

I hope you all enjoy your day with the people you love, in the way you enjoy.

Have a blessed and cozy Thanksgiving Day and weekend, my friends.

I will return here on Monday.

Friday will be a day of leftovers and marathons.

Television, not running.  

(As if actually telling you that were really necessary!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for many things, and among them...you.

P.S. Thankful to Pinterest too.

Eight

My baby is eight! Eight years ago today our family was blessed with our precious Flynn Grace. We celebrated her with an afternoon party filled with family, food, and fun. And although she still has a tremendous love for all things Cinderella, Flynn chose a new theme for her party this year...Spongebob. Yep. And you know what? She loved it. : )

Sunday morning we had a special Birthday Breakfast for our girl!

Peyton made Pumpkin Bread...her favorite.

And we sang and opened presents.

Then we decorated her party table, and Peyton made delicious chocolate cupcakes with her homemade peanut butter frosting!

Madison and Peyton helped Flynn get ready and then we took pictures with our birthday girl.

Then her guests arrived!

Grandma and Margie and Chris came.

And so did Uncle Greg, Aunt Sally, and Uncle Todd and Aunt Beth.

Aunt Beth even surprised Flynn with a plate of her delicious, soft sugar cookies!

We had Subway sandwiches and Cheese Broccoli Soup.

Flynn's Choice!

There were more presents and more singing and more smiles from our Flynn...

We played one of her new games...Shark Bite...and it was so fun!

And then, in her new pajamas, she and Nicolas put her Cinderella Lego set together.

After she said goodbye to all her guests, ate one more cupcake, and gave hugs and kisses, my baby girl went to bed for the first time as an eight year old.

And she was happy.

This morning, she snuggled in bed with me and held my hand.

She asked me to tell her what was going on in the minutes leading up to 8:24 A.M. And so I did.

I told her about Daddy standing beside me, and all the doctors and nurses helping to bring her into the world. I told her how Daddy was the first one to see her, and was the one to say, "It's a girl!!!".

I told her how I cried because I was so happy, and how I told Daddy to go over and see our girl. And how happy and thankful I was when the nurse and Daddy brought her, all bundled up, over so I could kiss her cheek. 

Eight years. 

Eight years I have had this girl beside me.

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of this baby girl. : )

Random Photo Friday

Happy Friday, friends. I hope today finds you happy, healthy, and ready for a cozy weekend with the ones you love. We have some fun things planned, including a birthday party for a certain little lady. : )

Meanwhile, we have enjoyed a fun and cozy week here at home with our Madison.

We took selfies on our way to Mass...

And a quick photo of my girls before we went in.

 After we dropped Rhett off because he was serving. : )

Madison whipped up the most delicious cranberry orange muffins!

If you would like the recipe, visit her here!

They were perfect for our afternoon tea.

Life is wonderful isn't it?

I remember making muffins years ago, and sitting at our kitchen table with a three year old Madison, pretending we were having tea. I miss that little spunky, ponytailed girl. But I am enjoying this lovely, independent woman drinking tea with me now so very much. 

Look who flew across the ocean to spend his first Thanksgiving with us!!!

Flynn was very happy to see him.

We all were.

And we were also happy to see the delicious chocolates he brought us from Hotel Chocolat in Copenhagen.

Nicolas works there, and was kind enough to bring us some of their amazingly decadent chocolates!

Nicolas' sweet mother Kirsten surprised me by sending over the cutest little Danish elf!

He is absolutely precious!

And lastly, I snapped this photo last week and found it to be beautifully symbolic.

A perfect leaf, fallen to the ground, its job complete.

Right nearby, some helicopter seeds...

A reminder that life will begin again in the spring.

And a dusting of snow...nature's gift signifying the end of one season and the beginning of another.

Have a blessed and cozy weekend, my friends.

Thank you for visiting. : )