Christmas

If I can do it...

anyone can. I made this coffee filter wreath today. If you know me, you know I'm not good at arts and crafts, so I'm kinda proud of this little project.

Bead for Life

My friend Katie introduced me to an amazing organization called Bead for Life. Because they can say what they are about better than I can, in a nutshell...

"Bead for Life creates sustainable opportunities for women to lift their families out of extreme poverty by connecting people worldwide in a circle of exchange that enriches everyone"

Women in Uganda make beautiful beaded jewelry made from tightly woven recycled paper. Then the Bead for Life headquarters sells the jewelry online, and ships it around the world for people to host parties. All the proceeds go directly back to support the women. Plus, bead for life provides training in money management and small business skills while teaching a trade. Love it.
So my house has looked like a bead retail store for the past week. Just got it all boxed up to send back. Grand total sold... $955.00 A big thanks to everyone who bought jewelry!

To find out more: beadforlife.org

That's what friends are for

Some friends planned a dinner at Adrian's (one of my favorite restaurants) for my birthday. Love this picture and the friendships it represents. We stayed until they turned the lights off in the restaurant, and we had to leave. So thankful for these gals.

Jingle Bell Run

Whew, I am beat. My dear friend Jess (and her dog Poppy) and I braved the cold this morning to participate in the Arthritis Foundation's Jingle Bell Run. It was 4 miles, which was definitely a challenge for this post-baby girl. The run was along the river downtown, and it was a really pretty route. Now it's 8:00 p.m., and I'm ready for bed.

My Birthday

I turned the big 32 this year. It was a special birthday because Alex had a fun day planned for me (as a surprise).He told me he had to work, but instead gave me a "day-off." From morning until the evening he had blocked out time for me to relax. The kids made me a sweet card, complete with a unicorn. I got some time to meander around the mall by myself, had a massage, and a date night (our anniversary was 5 days before my b-day). He knew just what I needed. Plus, my mom planned a scavenger hunt, which the kids totally loved. Not gonna lie, I don't think I'll ever outgrow a good scavenger hunt.



My favorite gift on the scavenger hunt was a nativity carved from wood that mom picked out for me on her trip to Israel.

Thanksgiving in Galveston

We drove down to Galveston for Thanksgiving this year. My mom's family rents beach houses every Thanksgiving, and we decided it would be fun to join them this year. The 11-12 hour drive went pretty well...thanks to the DVD players and Grammy entertaining the two older kids in the back seat. We met Austin and Molly and their two kiddos there. So thankful for the chance to catch up with my cousins, aunts, and uncles. I wish we could see each other more. I have memories of my older cousins taking care of/playing with me, and now their kids are doing the same with mine. I love it. We ate turkey, played on the beach, did a little window shopping, and played Bingo with around 35 people and two table of prizes. Great memories. Plus, my sweet niece Lena turned 1 year old over the holiday.