Years ago my mom use to take the time to make and roll the homemade sugar cookie dough. Then we would all stand around the kitchen bar and help cut out cookies. We would decorate and cover them with little cinnamon candies and sugar crystals. I remember it being so much fun.

Today I realized how much work all of that really was for her. Wow, I completely underestimated the time she devoted to making the dough, the patience it took to roll out the dough and work with each of us. She made us feel special and gave us each our own cookie sheet to fill up with our special ones.

Today we did that with the littles after a chili lunch with the family. We didn’t have their patience and devotion for the full time, but for the time we did have it….it was well worth it. Thank goodness my sister was here to give the patience for rolling out dough. I just didn’t have it. Thank goodness for Holly and her icing skills.

Little B enjoyed just pouring on the sugar and eating bits of chocolate while he did.

Miss Princess was the most devoted taking her time to help us ladies in the kitchen with rolling and cutting our each cookie.

Little C just came in when his cookie sheet was ready for him. Still, he was creative in his endeavor and tried his hardest at this “girly” stuff.

We even used the same type of cookie cutters that we use to do.

I believe this will be a new Sunday afternoon tradition before Christmas. I’m looking forward to it.

I always look forward to family time.

And I felt her with us all throughout the day….love that feeling.

Have a wonderful week,

Ashley

11 years ago…..
I said goodbye to my best friend, my mom.

11 years ago I cried and held her hand as I watched the machines lines go straight. A couple weeks before that I told her I loved her and she said, “Don’t cry.  I’ll see you later.  I love you more.”  Those were our last words.
11 years ago I watched my family sit around a table and make the hardest decision of our lives.  One that I question almost daily, for many reasons.
11 years ago I was amazed by the amount of people in the hallways and waiting rooms of that hospital.  All people who loved her.  Who loved us.  Who couldn’t believe she was gone.
11 years ago I stood accepting hugs and “I’m Sorry’s” by some of the most amazing friends, family, neighbors, and community members.  To this day I’m not a fan of hugs.  They remind me of her funeral.  I’m trying to overcome that.

17 years…..

17 years of the absolute most amazing mom there ever was, without a doubt.

17 years of her packing my lunch for school.
17 years of her making me try new things at dinner.

17 years of the best birthdays and holidays any kid could ever imagine.
17 years of Saturday shopping trips to the mall and Kohl’s.
17 years of room mom and soccer mom and PTO mom and everything mom.
17 years of piano lessons and playing to watch her smile.
17 years of Sunday morning organ playing and cinnamon rolls.
17 years of Friday night basketball and football games and slumber parties afterwards.
17 years of “I love you more’s” at bedtime.
17 years of 4-H fun.
17 years of hugs that were warm and will never be replaced.

17 years.

Today and every December 1st for the rest of my life I will do my very best to remember the 17 over the 11, or the 12, or the 13, or whatever that number may be.

Someone once sent me this in an email, “You can’t measure life in quantity but look at life as a quality thing.  There are lots of people who have their family with them for a very long time, but don’t have much in the way of a quality relationship nor are they fortunate enough to have what you and your mom had.  I’m sure you would agree that you and your mom had lots and lots of quality time.”

I certainly agree now.  In the beginning I might not have.  But I certainly agree now.

Another quote I was sent, “Mothers, since time began, have been the ones who give us our base, our sense of who we are….our shared identities….our strengths.”

Missing my angel mother,

CAUTION: Not for the weak at heart or those who rodent feared.

Sitting on the couch.  Home alone.  I spot a furry ball walking leisurely across my kitchen floor.

I already knew the little turds were back.  I’ve seen their droppings.  I’ve cleaned up after them.  I’ve moved kitchen supplies around.  I’ve seen dead ones in sticky traps.  I’ve spotted them running across the mud room floor.

This one had it coming.

He took his own sweet damn time.  And I’ve had enough.  Shaking I screamed at Shiloh and asked her to get it.

She walked over.  Sniffed him.  Then walked away.

She’s worthless.

So I decided I was going to save his life and sweep him out the back door on the porch.  He was slow enough and I had time to grab the broom.

I grabbed the broom and he took off so I did the only thing I could do.  I screamed as loud as my mom would have if she had been here.  She HATED mice.

He froze.

And I smashed the crap out of him.  His little legs started to move again.  So I smashed at least a dozen more times until blood splattered.

And then I puked.

Sorry for neglecting you lately.  I’ve been overwhelmed with life and let my blog go.  I promise to be better.  Promise.

Anyways…..

I love Christmas.

Who doesn’t?

I love creating new traditions, making old traditions new with the love of my life, and being with family during the holidays.

My mom loved Christmas.  I see her in everything that is Christmas.  I decorate with some of the very things she use to place around the house.  There are angels everywhere, literally everywhere during Christmas.  I can always find her with me, but even more so during Christmas.

Christmas 2 years ago!

Here are 25 things I would like to do this year for Christmas:

(List adapted from Defrump Me)

1. Create a Pandora station or iPhone playlist with our favorite Christmas songs.

2. On Thanksgiving afternoon, start a new tradition with the littles of making Christmas ornaments.  We can use them to decorate my dad’s tree or just something to take home for their own trees! Okay, so we didn’t do it this year.  But…we could do it any afternoon….right?  

3. Participate in a local charity drive where we get a chance to give to others.  We use to do this every year when I was a kid and it was one of my fondest memories.

4. Movie night with favorite Christmas treats.

5. Have a cookie decorating party with the littles.  Mom use to always do this with us when we were kids!

6. On December 1st travel with my love to pick out our Christmas tree and then drive through Reynold’s to look at the Christmas lights.  (This will be our 3rd year to do this and it’s one of my favorites!) I think this year we’ll be bumping it up to the night before due to some other festivities and the 1st falling on a Saturday.  Still….a tradition just the day before.  

7. Visit a living nativity scene.

8. Go on a train ride, particularly Polar Express.  (Thanks to Michelle for already setting this up!)

9. Decorate a gingerbread house.  (I’ve never done this!)

10. Visit the circle downtown to see the tree and take pictures with the toy soldiers.

11. Make a Christmas card for a soldier.

12. Decorate our Christmas tree while sipping hot beverages and listening, or even dancing, to Christmas music.

13.  Bake a Christmas treat and visit an older loved one who needs encouragement or cheer.

14.  Plan out my special New Year’s resolution and get everything ready.  (I already have it figured out and so excited to put it in action!)

15.  Write our New Year’s resolutions on a slip of paper and put them in our stockings.  Next year we can see how well we did with them!

16.  Go shopping for Christmas ornaments and buy a special one just for Mike.  We do this every year and although our tree may be filled to the max it’s something I absolutely love.

17.  Attend a Christmas play or musical production put on by a church.

18.  Make Christmas cards for friends and families.

19. Open a present on Christmas Eve with my guy.  Some day this will be new pajamas for the little ones.  I have some friends and family that do this and I just love having new pajamas for Christmas morning!

20.  Have a simple potluck Christmas party (maybe ugly sweaters?) with some of our best friends.

21.  Attend a candlelight service with Mike at a local church.

22.  Have a “favorite things” party with girlfriends or at one of our Girls Night Out events!

23.  Spend Christmas day with everyone we love.

24. Try out Christmas at the Zoo with just the two of us or all the family.

25. Avoid using gift tags but instead label presents with a picture of that person.

What are you going to do to make Christmas special this year?

Feeling merry and bright,

There are a ton of things I’m going to miss about living where we live.  We don’t have to move until after the first of the year, but I’m already getting pretty anxious about this big change.

There’s one friend, in particular, that I am going to miss like crazy when we move.  I know we’ll only be about 15 minutes away from one another….but I like being around the corner from her now!

The gal who led me to blogging.
The chic who has opened my eyes to all the highlights and fun that motherhood can hold.
The friend who encourages me through scripture and her wise advice.
The girl who runs her heart out and inspires me with nasty healthy smoothies.
The pal who can read a book in 24 hours, blog about it, then force me to download it and do the same without even knowing it.  (You owe me $13.90 for that immediate download!)
The pretty piece to our “double date” nights with our men.

Her laugh is contagious and her writing is extraordinary.

If you haven’t checked her out…you must do so now.  You won’t regret it.

Heidi @ Ramblings of a Farmer’s Wife and a Mommy’s Life

Read her story.  Follow her blog.  I promise you will giggle, maybe cry, but certainly feel encouraged to stay positive and take charge of each day like you own it.

Truly a Fortunate Gal,