Jam

Please tell me you have eaten homemade jam.  There is truly nothing like it.  I am very spoiled, my mother-in-law is always up for some jam making and for years we have always, thanks to her, had a supply of homemeade jam.  When you get accustomed to this goodness it makes it impossible to open a jar of smuckers.  So last summer I gave it a go!  First I followed the "bell guide to canning", boiled the jars, make the jam, boiled the jars again.  Whoa, what a process!  Then I talked to my MIL about the whole process, thankfully she came over to help with the second batch (blueberry goodness, I named it!) and showed me her masterful "way of the jam."  BINGO!! Jam making made simple and oh so delicious!!!

On Tuesday we had a nice slow morning, so we had a little "jam session."  This batch has been named raspberry rad-ness!

Oh raspberry jam, I love you, you make my mornings brighter!

If you would like to be let in on the "way of the jam" let me know, I think everyone should make some jam.  It's really much easier than you think.  I'm not going to pretend to be a food blogger, so I'm leaving out all of the important details, this is really just an ode to jam.  I leave the food blogging to the experts, for example, check out my girlfriends beautiful blog Simply Scratch.

8 years in

Last week Big V & I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary. Then last weekend, we were very lucky to be a part of a good friends wedding.  While I respect and am very proud that we have been married for this long, I know there are many people out there who have logged in many more "married miles" than I.  But I believe we can all admit, you really learn alot about someone in 8 years of marriage.  All of this anniversary and wedding business got me thinking... Big V & I wrote our own vows when we were married, now that we are 8 years in what would I add to those vows?

Big V,
Here we are, 8 years into marriage.  We have learned so much about love and living and each other.  I would like to add the following things to my wedding vows...
Even though you may know I am wrong, thank you for letting me figure it out rather than pointing it out.  Sorry, I always point it out for you.  I'll try to work on that.
Thank you for accepting my ever changing opinions.  (Lord knows I change my mind A LOT!) I like to think I'm keeping things interesting by keeping you on your toes... (I never knew you had such good balance!)
I'm an awful housekeeper, I make piles but will not accept your piles.  Just putting that out there. (8 years too late, huh?!?)
I will always watch Friends if it is on, thank you for still laughing at it (even when it's the episode you have seen 24 times), and thank you for laughing at all of my Friends references.
I am a miserable pregnant woman.  There is no way I could've know that when I first made my vows to you,  but now that WE know that, thanks.  I can't believe you were willing to put yourself through the awfulness of pregnant me twice!
I always laugh at my own jokes, thanks for joining in.  Actually, thanks for joining me in all of this.  This crazy life we have together is better than I ever could have imagined...

To begin again...

Well April 5th, that sure was a long time ago, huh?!?  I'm back, the question is do you still want to listen?

The past months have been full of life.  The new shades of spring and the change in the seasons, the move from indoors to outdoors, school days to lazy summer days that aren't quite lazy enough, the completion of another dance year with a big recital and registration for the new dance year, vacations planned and taken.  Yes, we have been busy.  Lots of plans, lots of transitions and little changes all preparing us for the big change we are facing in this house... the addition of another child. 

Can you believe it?!?  This November we will be welcoming a little baby boy into this house, he has already been welcomed into our hearts. 

Thankfulness abounds around here; there is furniture to move, projects to complete, and most importantly fun to be had!  Everyday providing a new twist and I hope you're ready to hear some of these new tales for as one child is growing silently (but definitely not still) in the womb, there is a rambunctious 5 year old trailblazing her one and only kind of path straight ahead...

The Artist

Both Little V and I are on Spring Break this week, and we are looking forward to a few days of relaxation and fresh air.  Now, if only Mother Nature would cooperate with the spring part!

Today, my little artist has been hard at work. 

We are really looking forward the adventures a week off will bring...

The Big Party

A few weeks ago we celebrated Little V's 5th Birthday with her first "girlfriend party."  What a day!  As you may have heard, nail polish is kind of a big deal around here right now.  So, of course, we had a "mani-pedi party."  (This is really quite a feat to pull off, especially for this mom who doesn't really know the difference between eye shadow and cheek tint!)  We had a total of 9 girls over for an afternoon of nail polish, necklaces, and dance parties.  (Yes- 9 girls equals an awful lot of fingers and toes to polish, but we survived!)

This is the AWESOME nail polish cake, created by my fab sister-in-law T.

The birthday girl getting polished.

A view of a few of the girls, so you can get a sense of the chaos!

Both V's, Big & Little.

There is my fab sister-in-law and one of her beautiful daughters.  T provided much needed back-up in the painting department.

Just had to include those cute little toes!

It was a great day, Little V and all the girls had a great time, and it only took a day to get the house back in order!  Now, if we could just get all the thank you notes finished...

Sparkle Trees

There is so much I have been wanting to talk about here lately, Little V's big 5th birthday party, our many recent creations, the changing seasons and garden plans, but all of that has been set aside for today.

When I woke up this morning and opened the curtains in our living room, I saw the most beautiful sight.  The trees were sparkling!  The other night we had a little ice storm, all of the trees are still covered in a coating of ice.  (Sounds like a great spring so far, right?!?)  The sun was coming up and just lighting the tips of the trees.  With the sun shining on the ice, it really looked like the trees were sparkling.  Of course I made both V's come look immediately!  What a beautiful way to start the day.  Maybe tomorrow will be the day I get to some of that other stuff...

The pictures really don't capture the sparkle the way I had hoped, but I'm telling you, it was a beautiful way to start the day!

Happy Thursday everyone, hope there is a little beauty in your day too!

Friday Favorites

Some time ago Little V, being the girly-girl that she is, wanted to paint her nails.  I did not feel that she was old enough and on that day I arbitrarily picked 5 years old as the age that nails can be painted. (Why 5?  Now that we are here it still seems so young...)  Of course, this is something she never forgot.  As the big 5th birthday approached I searched and searched for a place to find nail polish that doesn't include all of the nasty. (Do you know what is in nail polish?  Maybe you don't really want to!)  I happened upon a very cute website, Piggy Paint (even the name is cute!), that sells nail polish in kid friendly colors with mom approved ingredients.  I ordered all of Little V's favorite colors and some that may be fun for special days (green for St. Patrick's Day!)  I have done more nail painting in the last 5 days than I have in the last 15 years, but we sure are having fun!

The colors are fun and the polish holds up just long enough for a fickle 5 year old.  It is also easy to remove with their non-nasty polish remover.  We are really diggin' Piggy Paint, now we just need them to create a lavender color!