Wednesday, December 25, 2013

post it note proposal

* do me a favor and click on this video above so you'll have
fun music to listen to while you share in my excitement!
 
 



i'm a momma on cloud nine today!
 
our daughter is engaged!!!
 

 

I know a lot of these phone photos are grainy, but they are photos
of the lovebirds
adria and her "fiancé" chris.
 
they are photos of some of the fun times
these two have shared in the last two and a half years
having fun- and falling in love.


















 
 



 
 
 













 
like all parents 
my sweetie and I have been dreaming of this day since our
girl was little. we hoped and prayed for a good man for her.
 
chris is a great guy and he could not fit in better with our family.
these two love adventure and enjoy so many of the same things. they hunt, they fish,
 they travel, 
they cook. they play cards and snuggle with their pup. they garden and
hang out with friends, and are content home alone.
the way they admire and
respect each other is a joy to us.
  it's been a blast watching them fall in love.
 
chris and adria write love notes to each on post it notes.
it's been a huge part of their love story.
they hide them in suitcases when one of them travels. they are stuck to the
front of the dryer and hidden in drawers.
there are some at our cabin in their room.
they are found in her purse and in his car.
 
i told her a few months ago that if this boy ever
proposes, i hope she is saving a lot of them, cause she'll
treasure them someday.
 
last Friday night, while opening their Christmas
gifts for each other, he handed her a gift and then
got down on one knee and while she was opening it- he pulled out
a ring box and told her the many
 reasons that he loves her. then he gave her the ring.
(the beautiful ring).
 
the gift was a frame, full of post it love notes~~and in the middle
it said~
"Adria, will you marry me?"
Dec. 20th, 2013.
 
 
*lars and I knew for 3 days last week that chris was going to propose
and I felt like I had this HUGE, precious, bubble of joy inside me that
made me about burst!!!!
 
 
 
 chris, we think you're going to marry a
pretty terrific girl- and we think she is very blessed
to have captured your heart.
 
 
 
p.s. OUR DAUGHTER IS ENGAGED!!!!   EEEEEEEKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
 
 
************************************
Merry Christmas y'all!
 
today is also my youngest's golden birthday.
25 years ago today our family
was completed, with the most anticipated,
long awaited,
longed for child. our Cole.
 
call me biased, but i think there is something extra magical about
a baby born on Christmas Day.
He was sent home in a Christmas stocking
and our world was forever changed for the
better.
 
Mucho love to our Christmas child,
 
 
 
 
 
 
hark the herald angels sing,
GLORY TO THE NEWBORN KING 
 
XO, beth 
 



Monday, December 23, 2013

december 23rd...all is calm, all is bright




here are more of the photos I took in northfield
the day we celebrated Christmas and a birthday.












main street was like an image on a Christmas postcard.
old brick buildings- lovingly restored, beautiful window displays,
snowcapped steeples. snow softly falling. it was magical~







the town square






back at christas.
 
don't you just love this big noah's ark?
if you ever see a big ark like this for sale- get yourself it.
seriously!
the animals are just plastic ones sprayed white.
it's wonderful.








her caroler collection



one of her boys sleeps in a very tall, built in bunk. it has it's own little
shelf and on it were a nativity with lights
and a beanie baby tiger to protect the flocks by night.
so sweet.







 
 
 
 
just one more sleep now, till the family gathers here round our tree and
we celebrate the miracle of Jesus's birth.
 
i feel peace all around me- the goodness of this season.
 
 
God bless you and keep you dear friends and family of mine,
 
xo, beth
 

Friday, December 20, 2013

our very own martha stewart

 
 
this post doesn't need a lot of words.
it's our book club's Christmas party at jill's.
*girlfriend is a rock star entertainer.*
she cooks, she decorates, she gives fabulous
favors, she makes the best meatballs & caramels in Minnesota.
 every year she invites the 7 of us who
have gathered to discuss books and
talk about our kids/ lives
for the past 14 years,
to gather at her table right before Christmas.
how lucky are we???


there was a collective gasp of wonder when each of us walked into her dining room!
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 





















jill even gifted each of us with a set of hand blown Christmas trees and candle
sticks from the table when the evening was over.
(it felt almost sacrilegious to me to strip this table of it's wonder)
but THANK YOU jilly!
 




the mcshanes put up a full size
Christmas tree with lights outside- in front of their living room window.
isn't that a fun idea?
 
it was a beautiful, cozy evening with girl friends-
a perfect way to celebrate the season.
 
 it's friday and I am officially done with
work till after the new year--- joy to the world!
 
xo, beth
 
 







Tuesday, December 17, 2013

want to see a miracle?




these are the dronen kids.
the oldest is 2, the middle pumpkin is 1 and
now they have a precious little girl.
 
this isn't just any little girl though- she is what I consider
a miracle.
 
Audrey Estelle was born at only 30 weeks gestation.


and that's not even the most miraculous part of her birth story~
her momma's water broke when she was only 25 weeks pregnant and
she was on vacation 800 miles from home.
she was rushed to the hospital and kept there-on complete bed rest-
for the next 5 weeks, while her little papoose girl incubated and
continued to grow- with no water bag to insulate her.
 
to tell you the truth, I've never heard of this happening and I didn't
even know it was possible!
 
against all odds, this strong little girl kept growing and thriving and
even though she was born 8 weeks early- she was unbelievably
healthy and got to come home to Minnesota
long before her expected due date of December 31st.
 






this family of five could not be sweeter. I'm constantly amazed at
Jessica's strength and patience as a mother. no one could do a better job
of raising 3 children under 3,  (& one a preemie.)
Blake flew back and forth between home in Minnesota and their two
little boys and his wife's side in Colorado, every few days for weeks and weeks and was
just a rock star husband and father. kudos to him too! 
: )
 







o.k, let's be real for a minute- Bennett is maybe just a tad
out of sorts about the fact that his momma had just gotten
home after "disappearing" for over 35 days- he's 1 after all and there's no way
he could understand all that was going on in their family.
good thing he is so absolutely adorable, we can forgive him any and all
melt downs and fingers up the nose right?
these two photos are just so funny and so real to me-...hee hee
I love these little boys!
 











I love this picture so much. it took a whole village of people who love and care
about this family to HOPE and pray and will this
precious baby to be born. she is here, and she is healthy and
she is so beautiful.
all 3 lbs. 15 oz. of baby girl!

 just wait till you see my next post.
it's from another photo shoot- and she's a couple
weeks older.
 
 
xo, beth

Friday, December 13, 2013

she loves Christmas...

 
 
I made a boat load of vintage(y) little Christmas ornaments this fall.
they were time consuming, but easy, and i'm going to show you how~
 
*I started with small cardboard jewelry boxes
*you use both the top and the bottom
*first I painted them a creamy white
*then I thinned down glue and painted over the cream paint
then quickly sprinkled them with glitter
lots and lots of glitter!
(too much glitter isn't possible)
*next I used my antique typewriter and typed out phrases like
peace on earth.
*the next step was to cut out the individual words and mount a small
piece of cardboard on the back of each one, so when I glued them
in the little boxes, they'd stand out- and be 3-d.
*I also put a little glue and glitter around the outside of each word, let
them dry and glued them in the box.
*now the fun part...I bought these little Christmas trees at Micheals
and again put a bit of watered down glue and then glitter on them
*finally I glued the trees (when dried) to the bottom of the little boxes,
punched a hole in the top and strung string through to hang with 
there you have it-
tiny little shadow box ornaments.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 






















i made almost 40 of these.... (and have some for
sale if you're interested~ )  :  )
 
this afternoon i started wrapping gifts and it's calming me to
know that that big job is getting done.
i also made a long list and did a grocery buy so when it's
snowing tomorrow i can hunker down and do some baking.
it's my Christmas party for work sat. and  now it truly feels like
Chirstmas to me.
 
enjoy the hustle and bustle of your weekend, and why don't you treat
yourself to a cup of something warm if you're out and about.
if you have a big sweetie, ask them to give you a little back rub maybe?
take a hot bath, light a candle- sit by your Christmas tree with your eyes closed for a bit- what i'm trying to say is this- don't forget to take a little time to enjoy yourself.
this month of December can and usually is kooky busy and in the blink of an
eye it will be January....... quiet, cold January.
be still for a while and do what you need to do to feel happy.
the rest can wait~
 
xo and joy,
beth