Curious Carter

I blogged about Carter's birthday breakfast a few weeks ago, but I thought you might enjoy some more pictures from the rest of the celebrating we did.  In lieu of a party this year with friends, we just had a couple of sweet times to celebrate with the four of us.  We left the birthday decorations up and kept Curious George on the table for a good week, which was fun for the kiddos to enjoy George at every meal time.  Carter turned 2 on a Wednesday, but on Friday night we celebrated again.

We had spaghetti (Carter's favorite) and then had some promised dessert...

Cupcakes!

Pumpkin cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Frosting.  Super good!

 Carter is our sweet tooth kid.  He's just like his Mommy!  We both love a good cupcake and I think I might have been just as excited to consume these as he was.  His Nana and Papa sent us some Fall goodies...

...including THIS adorable Curious George shirt!  I even got some treats in that package, some new baking accessories for fun cupcakes and cookies, so I was pretty motivated to make some for the birthday boy!

 Of course we sang to the birthday boy again..

And after he blew his candle out, he chose the lion cupcake.

 

Tough choice, they were all pretty cute!

 After dinner and cupcakes we got set up for our new Friday night family favorite...Movie Night!!

 We clear out the furniture, turn off all the lights, bring in lots of blankets, pillows and of course popcorn!  Nothing fancy, but our kids just love it.  And really, so do we :)

Carter can't sit through a whole movie yet, but he's getting closer to that.  He loves to watch cartoons now and if he can't stay still the whole time, he plays around us while still watching.

Ava is TOTALLY into the movie though :) She loves this new tradition and requests it often.  Popcorn is a treat for both of them and I think that thrills them just as much as the movie does!

Ava is not only a movie girl, but she's a girl of many expressions and sound effects while she watches...

She was particularly taken with this movie because it was...

...Cinderella!!  It's recently been re-released on DVD so this was their first time watching it.  I know, not exactly a classic choice for Carter's birthday, but at 2 he doesn't really care too much yet so we went with it!  The next weekend we chose Toy Story for him, if that makes it seem more fair :)

We love a quiet evening in our jammies too, but mostly we just love the opportunity for some free snuggles.  I forsee lots of movie nights this winter! 

Carter got lots of sweet gifts from his grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends.  Thank you!!  On this particular day he got a special delivery that he was quite intrigued by...

Aunt Shaye sent him something that he was pretty excited about...

 What is it??  A garbage truck :) And if you remember, we love the garbage truck around here!  This was a HUGE hit.  So thank you to Aunt Shaye!  And everyone else who gave us lots of trains, books, clothes, shoes and even a gift card to the Disney store we get to spend!  What a fun birthday for this little guy.  We sure love him and are grateful the Lord gave us Carter.  He definitely makes our October so much more fun!!



Pumpkins For Sale

Last Sunday, we stopped by one of my favorite places to buy flowers and pumpkins.  There is a cute family owned market just across the street from our Church and it's so darling it makes my heart happy to go there :) I usually request a trip here (alone) for Mother's Day so that I can buy some bedding plants.  The kids love it too, simply because of the pumpkins that grace the property every Fall.  They beg us to come here and since we pass it everytime we go to Church, they were long overdue a visit! 

 It was a gorgeous, warm day and there were tons of people who had the same idea we did.

Ava and Carter were all business!  We set them loose and they were on a mission to find all the pumpkins as soon as they could get their little hands on them :)

Which, lucky for them, was not a problem!  Aren't these great??  This is where I could spend all my money if I'm not careful and I don't walk away quickly!  Those warty pumpkins and all the different colors represented...I love them!  I like things that are unique :) Not to mention, those mums in the windows!  Aren't they beautiful?  Carter was all about this "Mawnkeeee" too.

After I pulled myself away from the amazingly expensive unique piles, we went for the rows of traditional cheaper pumpkins and set the kids free!

They insisted on a wagon...we said, "sure!"

It took them all of 2 minutes to make a decision.  As you can see, Ava was doing a victory speech about her choice!

 So much to look at, why would I ever ask them to look at me?? 

Carter was not a fan of the giant pumpkin boucy house, but he did like this little house instead :)

Busy, busy!  Carter stands still NEVER. 

 That little face kills us.  He is trouble, but he sure is cute!!

Isn't this place too much??

 

We came home with three pumpkins and the kids have loved them all week.  Last year I played the lazy card and drew on their pumpkins (lame) but this year I was determined to carve them.  I was hoping to step up my game a little bit and do something they would love and tonight I found a cute Disney carving kit and chose the Mickey Mouse pattern.  They loved it!  It was suprisingly easy (I've never used the kits before) and turned out pretty cute.  And not scary or evil.  Which is what we are going for :) We're all about the happy, Fall fun without the darkness of Halloween.  I think we achieved that!  



An October Wedding Day to Remember

Congratulations, Jena and Jeff!!  Last weekend I had the joy of doing flowers for another wedding.  The Lord has been so good to quietly bring me bride after bride...Just enough work to handle and still LOVE without getting burned out or overwhelmed.  I'm so glad I had the opportunity to say yes to this sweet couple many months ago, I knew I would definitely want to work on this wedding because it was in early October AND it was a rustic, romantic theme.  SO glad I said yes to them :) :) :)

 They had a great idea of the direction they wanted to go with their look and style, but mostly they left a lot of the choices  up to me.  Which really is my favorite way to work :)  When I worked in retail shops, we always loved it when we got an order that said "designer's choice" in the description.  That always meant we could use our favorite things and I promise you, those orders always got more for their money than the ones that were terribly specific and picky!  A good florist knows what flowers to use together and which blooms are at their peak...I loved putting this wedding together and I had the benefit of a bride who let me!

 The bridesmaid's bouquets were a mix of all things fall.  They were wearing plum colored dresses so I knew I wanted to use some golds, oranges and whites that would make the purples pop!

This is not a great pic, but this was the bridal bouquet.  She wanted a larger version of her girls' bouquets with all of the same colors.  I used a little more red and white in hers but mostly kept it the same.  I really did love the way it came together.  As you'll see in most of the pics, curly willow and fiddlehead ferns were two common threads used in all the arrangements.

 The groom, ringbearer and groomsmen's bouts.  Loved, loved, loved them!!

Birch was also a big influence in their style, so I wrapped these in birch shavings with copper wire around the stems.  Kind of a fun, rustic twist with the curly willow.  The guys wore gray tuxes with green vests/ties and purple pocket squares, so this color scheme helped tie the girls in with them. 

These were corsages and bouts for the grandparents.

A bout for the Pastor.  I'm always looking out for them :) Ha ha!

 Getting the bouquets all lined up for the bridal party. The little bouquet with the pop of yellow in front was for the flowergirl instead of a basket with petals.  So cute!

Up close and personal...that purple flower is kale, isn't it great???  It was the runaway hit of the bouquets I think.  Along with the purple seed from seeded eucalyptus. 

Lots of golds, rusts, and oranges surrounded by curly willow and those amazing fiddleheads. 

Doesn't this just make you happy??

Wrapped up and ready to carry!

 Some of the cute bridesmaids with their flowers.  Darling dresses that showed those flowers off so well!

Their cupcake tower.

Cake topper, wrapped in some birch bark.

The toss bouquet.  I always make those for my brides.  After all my hard work, I can't stand the thought of them actually throwing the bridal bouquet! 

One of 11 medium centerpieces.  So happy with these too.  The groom hollowed out 11 of these birch logs to hold the flowers and they were just stunning.  Such a cool look instead of using a vase or ceramic container.  I love weddings that incorporate something different like this!

 Hard to get a good shot of this in the bright daylight without any tables set or the beauty of candlelight, but if you can see we used some low, colorful centerpieces mixed with some tall, dramatic ones.

Loved, loved, loved these too!!  Totally natural and organic in feel, just curly willow with a mixture of fall greens, but they were almost 6' tall so they were very cool on the tables.  I would have loved to have seen them at night with the glow of candlelight all around!  Hoping for some good pics from the photographer!

We've had weddings on the brain over here after that big weekend!  I played paper dolls with Ava after the wedding and this is what she wanted to see...all the princesses in their bridal best with their own bouquets too :) Maybe I'm raising a little business partner???  It's pretty hard not to get swept up in the beauty and joy of a wedding when you are a girl.  I had such a great time working on this wedding but also a great time answering all of Ava's questions about weddings and listening to her talk about all the flowers too.  She told me a few days ago that she was going to wear "a beautiful, white dress with veil on her head and Carty would wear black pants, black sleevies, and a tie, and they would dance at the ball, with her prince...in a couple weeks, ok Mom?" 

HILARIOUS.  And not ok :)

Not yet, anyway...

 

Congratulations Jena and Jeff!!  I loved doing your wedding, many blessings to you!!

On My Mind

It's a dreary, cold Thursday.  From where I sit, I can see outside and the skies are grey...About half of the trees have dropped all of their leaves.  It's not hard to spot bursts of color here and there but it's very apparent that Fall is in full swing and the seasons are beginning to exchange handshakes as they pass one another by.  Secretly, I love cold and dreary days this time of year.  I love the excuse to stay in, I love the warmth of a flickering candle, the feel of a soft blanket over my legs.  I'm such a sensory girl :) These days are like medicine to my soul...

There are a few things (OK, more than a few) mulling around in my head and I thought I'd share today.  No real order, no plan as I sit here, just going to babble on a bit...

A few weeks ago we went to the apple orchard.  I think the apple orchard visit is seriously one of the highlights of my year.  It's a bit of a drive to get there, we often go just the 2 (then 3, now 4) of us, it's a sweet and simple family day...and the Lord keeps blessing me with DARLING family pictures every year.  Like honestly, He makes me want to cry because I got to leave again this year with a full heart and sweet pictures to cherish.  Snapshot of life kind of pictures...And until today, I haven't shared even one!  I've wanted to, just no time to sort and edit and blog.  But I'll show you a couple of my favorites anyway :) I'm keeping the best one a secret though because I'm pretty sure it's going to be our Christmas card! 

 

Thank you Lord...I am so grateful for this little family of ours.

 

I am feeling very refreshed and rested this week.  Soccer ended last week, which is always a bittersweet thing.  Bitter because we hate to see Trav's team lose, sweet because we're very ready to stop sharing him and have him home more.  The month of September is a crazy one, kind of a blur every year.  Trav is essentially working morning, noon and night between 2 jobs and lots of expectations and I'm kind of solo parenting through it.  It's not that we don't enjoy it or wouldn't change it, it's just that we're always ready for the end when it comes :) We became two ships passing in the night for a few weeks there and neither of us likes how that feels.  For us, in our own marriage, we thrive when we get evenings together and freedom on the weekends.  After these last couple of weekends and days, I finally feel like we are in a good place again.  We're normal, just like you.  Sometimes we bug each other, feel like everything the other one does is an offense of some sort.  But I attribute most of that to lives that are too busy and a neglect for one another that sets in.  Sometimes there are seasons like that when the demands are high, it's just worth the effort to make sure those seasons come to end frequently.  I love the conversations we've had this week...I'm grateful we are on the same page or the same team, so to speak.  There are some extreme things happening all around us regarding marriages.  I think because we are in ministry we get an all too often, front row seat into a family's crisis.  We are seeing so much infidelity, so much pornography and/or other addictions and too many broken families.  It's heartbreaking and gut wrenching to walk with some dear friends and see the pain of broken trust and divorce in real time.   We are just hyper aware that we would be fools to think disaster couldn't strike us or temptations won't come knocking on our door.  We see no other option than to walk closely with the Lord, to be in His Word and in prayer, sensitive to the Holy Spirit, to ask for conviction and brokenness over our sin and to make our marriage a priority...even over our kids.  We do them no favors if they are coddled and we are falling apart.  Lord help us, we need YOU in us, all around us and through us to stay married in this upside culture...

I love him.

 

I have a wedding this weekend and I'm really looking forward to it.  Working Moms, my hat is off to you!  God has brought a few design opportunities my way lately and I've been challenged to keep all the plates spinning as I've walked my way through the balancing act.  I'm grateful to be in a position of  being able to say yes or no to things that come my way.  I do love exercising some stiff muscles again, using my degree and talents but also just having an outlet for some pent up creativity.  The wedding I have this weekend is a romantic north woods style with all the gorgeous fall colors as a palate.  I'll take some pictures and share it with you as I can.  I can't wait to have a day to myself (mostly) to create and relax and enjoy!  I will be tired by Saturday afternoon but it will be a good tired. 

 

Finally, I've held back one of the dearest blessings this Fall from you.  Not because I haven't thought often about sharing it but because pictures of the kids usually take precedence when it comes to blogging.  I have been leading a small group of 10 Senior High girls from our big High school here and they have been a sweet, sweet blessing to me.  It was definitely a group the Lord put together and handed me, I only know two of the girls who are from our Church, the rest are brand new to me.  But what I've loved, loved, loved is their desire to grow in their faith, to know the Lord and to walk with Him apart from their parents or Churches.  Most of them are brand new to this, have never opened a Bible or really understood what being a follower of Christ is all about.  They come from Lutheran, Catholic and Evangelical backgrounds but we are able to center our discussions and our time on the one common bond that is most important, God and his Word.  They are sweet, committed and have brought a refreshment to my soul.  Sometimes when you serve in the Church, you get used to people who have years of "knowledge" or are able to spout off lots of Christian speak, so it's incredibly fun to be with girls who have an honest inquisitiveness about them, who don't necessarily know the "answers" but are willing to dig and ask the right questions.  This is such a PERFECT season in their lives, before they stepping out on their own next Fall and headed to different corners of the country.  They are dear friends and I have just enjoyed every minute with them!  There are girls from all walks of life, college-recruited athletes, dancers, creative types, and smart academics...I love getting texts during the week, going to their events, keeping tabs on them via Instagram...I wouldn't have guessed this group would ever work or that I'd have time to be with them but the Lord is making a way for all of us and really doing an amazing work right before my eyes.  What. A. Privilege.  Plus, what a faith builder for me to see these girls get hungry for the Lord, to watch them get serious about what role the Lord will play in their lives.  I love going through the fundamentals of what we believe, what the Bible teaches and how to do things like read and study the Word, how to pray, how to memorize scripture, etc.  I hope I never think I've outgrown the need to sharpen the basics of  my faith, to grow in the disciplines...

 

 

Those are just a few things on my mind today, on this chilly Thursday afternoon.  I don't know if any of that resonates with you or means anything to you, but maybe it does.  Praying for more of Jesus in your world today, in mine too!  Blessings, Friends...