Delightful Christmas With Littles!

We have been blessed with four Grands, three of which are BOYS within 5 months of each other! They're celebrating their two year old birthdays, and I wanted to give them their own little Christmas Trees! 

Forgive the blurry picture... trying to get 2 year olds to stay still is nearly impossible! 

I looked and looked, and while I found so many trees I LOVED, all of the directions were in a foreign language and none had a "good" pattern. I was able to use one of these, and make it work. 

The best way is to PRINT the quarter piece on a full sheet of paper FOUR TIMES!  Tape them together to look similar to the one on the right, and then use it as your pattern. 

Cut two of Each line. 

  

Sorry but I don't have a pattern for the top little piece... I just cut four triangles, and a square for the bottom, and just made a little pyramid pillow or the top. 

I chose felt for the material, and used the same fabric for the bottom of each pillow, and a contrasting fabric for the top. I cut the edges with a pinking sheer, and just sewed the right sides out and left the "rough looking" seem to resemble a tree. 

I hot glued cute little pompons on the points of each pillow, perfect for young kids now, and could be used to hang ornaments on later as they get older. 

Here is the Finished Tree! 

To assemble the tree, I used nylon twine and an upholstery needle. Starting with the top piece, I sewed from the bottom if it down through each pillow, and through a button at the bottom. 

You can see here the string through one of the rows- down one side and back up again. 

This is the bottom - you can see the button. This was just to give the fabric some support and not tear through. You can also see the fabric looks a "Little Lumpy". That's because I added some rocks in the bottom pillow to give it some base support! 

When I finished the cord at the top, I made a little loop which has proven to be a brilliant decision! Little boys love to carry things around, and this hauls the tree safely using the support of the string! 

Such a cute little tree! 

Where has the time gone?

It has been days since I have even thought of "down time" on the WWW! I cannot believe we are already over a week past Thanksgiving! Lest you all thing I have been just sleeping in late and enjoying bon-bons when I awaken, I have some pictures to share!

Last year at this time we were still on the African Continent, and weren't even home until after Dec. 9th. Knowing we would be moving shortly after the new year, the thought of decorating, Christmas cards, or even a family picture (which all you with more than one child know it is an all day affair!) didn't even cross my mind! Well this year is certainly much different!

We are in an amazing home that has a perfect place for our tree! We didn't have to rearrange the living room, nor are we sitting on the couch with a pine bough (albeit FAKE) in our faces! These things are a very big deal! There are electrical plugs in close proximity to the windows for the single candle light I love to put there. So Pretty!

As for social events, I am actually having, in my home, a cookie exchange party! I am expecting upwards of 16 people, and I am not stressing (too much!) about seating room! Yeah! for a big living room! Making 12 DOZEN cookies has me a little freaked, but that cannot be helped right now! I can only contemplate the mess it will create because I can't bake them until the day of. You all do remember what is in my freezer, right? Many pounds of salmon with very smelly tasty seasoning all over it! I would be thrilled to offer Chocolate Buried Cherry Cookies with just a hint of fishy gourmet goodness for interest, but my guests might question my sanity decision! So Tuesday has been officially BLOCKED to all activity outside my home. Nothing but baking, cleaning, and deciding how to arrange seating for 16+ ladies and teens! (Also figuring what form of entertainment and food choices will be the best to keep three adolescent boys occupied so that they will be sufficiently distracted and not plotting ways to crash join my LADIES ONLY evening! ) Not too much to do in an average day in the life, huh? Oh, and I forgot! I have to take Molly to the Vet for an ultrasound at 9:00 am. It had to be that day, too, of all days because it is DAY 30 of her pregnancy, and will be THE MOST ACCURATE to determine how many puppies she will have! Of course it was the same day! For sure more to come about the puppies!

OK enough BABBLING! Here are the wonderful pictures! Only after I had agonized over outfits and color schemes, did I remember my bloggy friend's decision to do hers in sepia!!! Wise girl! I had settled on brown and pink and did OK after all! Ready? The following is for your visual pleasure!
My beautiful oldest daughter Olivia. It is beauty inside and out!

#1 Son, Josiah. A true gentleman, and quite the artist as well. At 13, he is 5'8" and already has a size 12 shoe... we are truly afraid of what a growth spurt will do to him!

#2 Son, Levi. The quieter of the bunch, but do not be fooled! When you least expect it, he will say the most hysterical things and you will just crack up!

#3 Son, Micah. Name your children on purpose! This boy is an evangelist from the get go, and will surely be a Prophet of the Gospel and reach many for Christ! Those eyes get more "yes's" than are good for him!

Child #5 and daughter #2. Alliteration does well to describe her! Precious, Peppy, Precocious, Persuasive, Positive, and Pulchritudinous. (go ahead...look it up!) There are five years between her and Micah. The Lord knew we needed to gear up!

Here is a sneak peek of our Christmas card picture!



Many thanks to Kate, Olivia's BFF for the amazing photography! Thanks K8! We love you!