Coloring Carry Alls

The boutique was, to say the least, a disappointment. The silver lining to this, however, is that I was forced to complete a few projects that I've been meaning to do. I've listed them on my Etsy shop today to test the waters of the online community and maybe give my self esteem a booster shot.

Here's my latest favorite thing. I call them Coloring Carry Alls.

If I tell you how I thought I invented them, do you promise not to think I'm a total nerd? Because it turns out these are everywhere online. I still like to think I put my own "Love, Auntie M" twist on them.

What keeps me from falling asleep right away?

Knowing I still have some Halloween, all of Thanksgiving and the start of Christmas to write about. Don't loose faith in me. In 2011 I fully intend to be the blogger of your dreams.

My Christmas motto this year is "Simplify!"

We've been taking everything down a notch so we can focus on what's really important this time of year.

I really am no Super Woman. Shocker, right? I get scared when I feel out of control, I cry when my feelings are hurt, my right eye twitches when I don't get enough sleep and sometimes I burp after a long sip of Mountain Dew. A person so flawed needs reminding how to be normal and having a motto is my way of doing that.

One way of simplifying was to hire out the duty of making our family Christmas cards. I turned the task over to the fabulous professional digi-scrapper at Katie-Did Designs and my load was made lighter and left me with more time for things I enjoy, like writing out this blog entry.

It's always something...

This Saturday I will be sharing a booth at the Backyard Boutique with Tiny Tutu Boutique selling onesies plus tons of other fun stuff I've been brewing over here. My house is hanging on by a thread and my kids have to remind me when it's time to feed them, but it's been great to have this motivate me to finally get all my crafts done. Plus Olen is happy to see that my shopping trips to Hobby Lobby are actually being put to use.

We were the first to sign up for the boutique so I was so surprised by all the other fabulous vendors that will be there. (If you click on the picture you can view all the vendors from the boutique's blog.) I'm feeling pretty jazzed about the whole thing. If you're in the neighborhood, stop on by and say hi!

I'll be glued to my sewing chair until this is over, but when I'm done expect the amazing tale of our Thanksgiving in Colorado and the day we visited four states in five minutes!

Veteran's Day breakfast with Great Granpa Eddie and Great Gramma Sue

Porter's school does the most amazing program to honor our nation's veterans every year. Each student is asked to invite a veteran from their life; a brother, an aunt, a father, a grandpa, to come and enjoy breakfast and a musical program the week of Veteran's Day.

The students had been practicing for months to memorize the songs from all branches of the military (I can't tell you how many times Porter would sing "From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli..." and it would get stuck in my head all day). After breakfast, the students preformed their songs and the members of that branch would stand and be applauded. There was also a well-executed flag raising and beautiful words spoken by the principal. After going to a high school where the love of country was taught side-by-side with math and history, I can't help having tender emotions when I hear my eight-year-old say the Pledge of Allegiance and know that he really understands what it means when he repeats "...with liberty and justice for all".

I feel so blessed that my son is being taught to honor and respect those that have given their service to protect our freedoms in America. I also feel blessed that he could share this special day with his great granpa Marston Edwin Richards, who served as an officer in the Navy, and his great gramma Sue Richards who kept granpa looking sharp by pressing his shirts before work every day. We salute all forms of service.

These are the people I think of when I think of heroes.