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 

 





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

 

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

 

 





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

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