Almost.

Almost finished with the semester. Just one more final to go.

Almost time to focus on Christmas. Family. Gingerbread houses. Christmas cookies. Fun novels. Holiday movies. Candlelight church services. Smiling preschoolers. Carols. A special girl's birthday. Christmas cards. Celebration of the birth of my savior.

Almost...

For the Record

I'm a Duggar Lover.

They have more kids than I would ever dream of having. 19 children is not for everyone, but it certainly is for them. Have you watched their show? I encourage you to watch 2 or 3 episodes before you make a judgement call on this family. They are competent, loving, involved parents. Their children are respectful, smart, happy people.

I love me some Duggar. :)

Here's a bit on their latest (smallest) addition.

Glam Christmas

What I'm thinking of when I should be thinking of finals:

Craig Fordham

Oh, to have thin ankles again and an occasion to wear a party frock...

Entertainment

I'm sick. I've been hit with this nasty bug of all things...while pregnant!

I'm trying really hard not to completely flip my lid with having been bound to bed for 5 days and the scare that comes with being ill, taking medications and trying to keep a healthy baby. Not to mention I have 2 sick kids and have missed school this entire week - ahem...finals are next week. I haven't a clue how I'm going to catch up.

"Trust" has a whole new meaning at this point in my life. And the word does not bring up happy feelings. I'm scared.
While I'm scared, I'm trying to entertain myself positively. Here's what's doing it:

Happy Thanksgiving.

Love, Us.

Wordless Wednesday 17

My babies are so cute.

Real Life Tuesday - 17

Last week we lusted after Ina's perfect pantry (well...maybe that was just me lusting). Lots of people had a big problem with this system because of children - I totally see where everyone is coming from. But guess what? I have open, shelving like this in my kitchen due to ridiculously limited cupboard space and my children leave it alone! I think it's because the kitchen has always been that way. Kinda like they don't even see it...

Anyway, just a note to the faint of heart if you want open shelves like this.

(Personal note: My shelving does not look near this lovely. It started that way but life demands mess and, until I do a major kitchen tidy, they're a whole lot more lived-in than Ina's.)

And now, moving on the winner-winner-chicken-dinner comment.
I just made myself hungry.

Annie said:
In real life, everything would be piled on the top 3 shelves to keep the kids from grabbing everything. The now empty bottom shelves would drive me crazy because I would be constantly telling the kids to stop climbing on them!

Here we have a fab girl about to take what looks like is shaping up to be a fab nap.

In Your Dreams:

daniel farmer

In Real Life...

Need to...

Do laundry.

Study Microbiology.

Bake these.

Pack bags for our Nashville road trip.

Clean kid's rooms.

Figure out what's giving me raging heartburn.

Vacuum.

Find a dog-sitter.

Breathe.

photo from bluebirdbaby.

Inspired Autumn

I've got some gorgeous photos hanging around in my inspiration files. Many of them are distinctly Autumnal. So I'm going to pile all the prettiness into this post - because Christmas and Winter are coming and we need a last little bit of Fall to carry us to Thanksgiving.
Browse with me?

Hats and umbrellas seem to be a common theme...

And now, on with Winter!

Photo Credits: Emma Freemantle, Hugh, Kelly Herring, Laurence Pasquier, Philip Newton, Michael Wooley

Floor-Plan Saturday ~ 9th Edition

It's been awhile! I'm breaking my Floor-Plan silence for a doozy. Not only is it a beautiful home, it has got a little personal appeal for me. My best friend (this one) is building this, her dream home, as we speak...er...blog.

Look at this stunner! Imagine it on a rural family farm right outside of Washington D.C. in Virginia. *Sigh* It's a lot of work (much lamenting over the phone...) but it will be so worth it.

global house plans

Stats

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 4.5

Square Footage Total: 3372
Main Floor: 2193
Upper Floor: 1179

First Floor:

One word: Fireplaces!

Oh...and there's the dreamy mud-room, laundry room, porch combo right off the garage and kitchen. Perfect planning.

Take a look at Bedroom #2. I decided that one is mine for the many visits I pay. :)

How do you feel about it? I give it a 5...and not just because I have to!

Frivolous Friday

Heidi Klum, 5 weeks post-partum.

Told ya she wasn't human.

(Some are giving her grief for not wearing a bikini like she did at the VS fashion show after her last baby. Seriously? You're gonna say anything about someone that looks like this a mere 5 weeks after birthing a child? Barbarians.)

1. We need to have more compassion.

2. I took the kids to the mall this morning and it made me smile.

3. If you want love, give love!

4. I like chocolate because it's beautiful.

5. Massachusetts has a proposed 5% sales tax on elective cosmetic surgery; I think it doesn't effect me one bit.

6. Laughter and pie makes for a happy holiday.

Twenty Years from Now...

Evie and I:
Teehee...

Wordless Wednesday 16

{a cup of joe}

Real Life Tuesday - 16

There were so many fabulously real-life responses to this lovely photo I posted a couple of weeks ago:

In real life....my kids would have pulled every one of those gorgeous little blankets out of that charming little armoire and piled them in front of the couch so they could jump off of it in flying leaps and have a soft place to land. Then they would drive their cars around inside the empty piece of furniture.
Katie Beth

Here's some more housekeeping un-reality for you to play with.

In your dreams (I give you Ina Garten's pantry):

In Real Life...

Pregnancy Perk #9

Pregnancy Perk #9:

Knowing that I've got the likes of this growing inside me.

I mean, really, isn't this just amazing? Me. Growing a person. Again. It's just a miracle; one of those every day miracles but a miracle no less.

This ultrasound photo is from a couple of weeks ago and I'll give you that Baby B looks a little like Skelator at the moment but in a few short months baby will look a little like this:

Beck - 2005

or maybe this?

Evie - 2006

Gives me the warm-fuzzies to think of it.