Wednesday Wisdom...

...from Mocha.

Wake up early every morning.

Father Knows Best

Don't wish your life away. My father spoke those words to me many, many times. Like a self-absorbed teenager, I smiled and laughed, and assured him I wouldn't. But by mid-summer every year, I was wishing it were September. I was ready for a new school year, freshly waxed floors, creased Jordache Jeans, and Friday night football games. During the long, cold days of January, I sat in Geometry class wishing it was spring. After graduation, I spent my weeks in college wishing it was the weekend so I could load my little white Plymouth Sundance and head home. As a newly married schoolteacher, I wished it were Christmas vacation so I could spend days in my cozy, little house baking cookies and watching tv.

The Wedding Day is Almost Here!

Almost four years ago, a young man from Denmark flew across the ocean to meet a young girl from Pennsylvania. The ocean separated them, yet God used the Internet to bring them together.

Their story began the day they first met,

 A new chapter began the day they became engaged and yet another will begin
Saturday, as they celebrate the sacrament of marriage with the family and friends that love them so. Thank you for your kind words of love for these two amazing young people, and please send a prayer for them as they begin their life together.

I will be absent here for the next week, as we prepare for and celebrate the wedding of our firstborn child Madison Marie to her wonderful husband to be, Nicolas.  Have a blessed and cozy week, my friends!

Because The Elves Were Sick

Sometimes Santa isn't able to bring that very special gift on Christmas Eve. Sometimes the elves have a very bad cold, and can't finish painting the faces of the dolls in time to load them onto the sleigh. When that happens, they are sure to deliver that very special gift as soon as it is finished. And that makes a very special little girl very happy.

Have a wonderful week, my friends.

Thanks for visiting!

Well Hello There February!

A Day In The Life Of Mocha

Happy Birthday Mom!

What do you do when you are blessed with the sweetest, most amazing mother ever, and she will soon be celebrating her 82nd birthday? You take her out to a surprise birthday dinner at a favorite Italian restaurant of course! Last evening, my mom came over to pick out a new dress for Madison's wedding at the dress shop where Madison works and found the most perfectly beautiful dress! Afterward, we all joined my sister Margie and Chris for dinner. My mom had a delicious meal of Chicken Maria, salad and a piece of homemade coconut cream pie. It was a perfect night celebrating the most lovely woman I know.

How To Do A Snowstorm

Monday Morning

We interrupt our regularly scheduled posts concerning cozy November evenings, changing leaves, and cute little puppies. This week is all about a special little mouse who is having a birthday! Yep. We are taking a trip down to Florida to celebrate two very special birthdays...Mickey Mouse turning 90, and our sweet little Flynn turning 9! We are blessed to have some awesome people staying here and caring for our puppies and our home, and are looking forward to spending some family time together, as well as meeting up with some special people too. : ) In the meantime,

Selfies on the way to Mass are still a thing around here.

Friday!

Welcome to the weekend, my friends. This promises to be our first cold and possibly snowy weekend! Just in time for the cozy, dark, early evenings. It is time to fluff those cushions, pull out the soft throws, pop the popcorn, and get out the games. Cozy nights at home are back. : )

Someone helped us clean up the yard this week.

Monday Morning

It is Monday morning. The fireplace is on, adding warmth to our cozy livingroom. The washing machine is humming away, and a new week begins. Today we will do our schooling, change the bedsheets, make a good dinner of turkey loin with steamed veggies, and watch the first episode of The Holiday Baking Championship on Food Network. Yay! 

Are you tired of my leaf pictures yet???

November

“November comes

And November goes,

With the last red berries

And the first white snows.

With night coming early,

And dawn coming late,

And ice in the bucket

And frost by the gate.

The fires burn

And the kettles sing,

And earth sinks to rest

Until next spring.”

― Clyde Watson

October slipped away last night, much like the faded leaves slip from the trees and float to the ground, their job complete for another year. We awoke to November, a month that begins in quiet and calm reflection and ends with excitement and anticipation of all things Christmas. November is a bridge of sorts, carrying us from the ordinary days of autumn to the festive ending of another year. Life passes quickly, especially if we forget to savor each and every day. So today, I choose to take a deep breath, look around, and settle into this most wonderful and cozy time of year.

Happy November, my friends!

Trick~Or~Treat

Read a spooky book ~ Eat too much candy ~ Watch a scary movie ~ And a cute one too ~Listen to some creepy music ~ Wear some orange and black ~ Drink some warm cocoa with some colored sprinkles on top ~ Today is Halloween! 

(Pinterest is all about Halloween too!)

They Were Worth Waiting For

Friday!

Here we are, my friends. Can you believe we have arrived at the last weekend of October? Take a deep breath, because the fun is about to begin! Tomorrow we start the festivities with Trick-or-Treating, followed by pumpkin carving on Sunday. 

So...this happened last weekend!

Friday!

Happy Weekend, my friends! And for those of you who share my love of  obsession with the Halloween movies...Happy Halloween Movie Day! I have loved the original Halloween forever and have waited for this movie just as long. Marian is coming up for the weekend, and yes, I have a party planned and t-shirts purchased. What can I say? I'm weird like that.

It is all fall ~ all the time ~ around here.

I broke out the boots for Mass last weekend.

My sweet bloggy friend Danielle posted almost the exact same picture on her blog right here!

Friday!

Welcome to the weekend, friends. While here we are enjoying the beautiful autumn days, our thoughts and prayers are with those devastated by the hurricane earlier in the week. I hope you are safe and sound and looking forward to a cozy autumn weekend. 

Friday!

Are you just loving these October days, my friends? We sure are. Although, sometimes I have to remind myself that these are the days I wait all year for. I get so wrapped up in the day to day routine that I forget to take note of the glorious shades of orange the leaves are beginning to display. I don't want these days to pass by without filling them with all things autumn and Halloween. But first, a wrap up of the past week here in our cozy home!

A Few Special Favorites

Today I am sharing a few of my very favorite things. I am a fairly simple person, but I do splurge on a few things every now and then. These are some of the items I really love, and are actually really good for my skin and for my well being too! I discovered these products at The Canyon Ranch Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Friday

Welcome to the last Friday of September, my friends. I love September. It is the calm before the storm. September allows the first taste of autumn splendor, a chance to relax and enjoy the new season before the flurry of upcoming holidays begins to occupy our minds.

This is Flynn. I play a game called Club Penguin Island and called CPI or CP Island. You are penguins and you can be your favorite color and you can dress up make your own Igloo and you can have friends. We have Animal Jam and you can be your favorite animal and dress it up and play games and have your own den and you can have friends on that game too.  It is very fun. I have Block Craft and you level up and when you level up you get to build new stuff and you can look at other people's lands. Mine is called Cookie Landing and all of these games are VERY fun.

( I start them young around here! Lol! She actually typed that all by herself, and we used it as a learning tool to practice sentence structure and punctuation. Winning! )