family fun night. {and an easy recipe}

The day begins with us asking the kiddos "Do you know what day it is?!" And by now, they know. The chant begins "family fun night! family fun night!" And I may or may not do a little jig while singing it. So the anticipation goes all day. Family fun night is our homemade calzones, plus root beer floats, plus family movie snuggled on the couch. Simple. But full of love.

This tradition began sometime in January for us. It happened one Friday night and it stuck. Every Friday around 4:30pm we begin making the calzones. I use the easiest recipe in the world that I found on Pinterest.

Here it is:

For the dough:
2 1/2-3 cups of flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 package of yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
3 Tbsp of vegetable oil
1 cup of very warm water

Combine 1 cup of flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in large bowl. Add the warm water and oil-mix. Stir in remaining flour slowly until dough is soft but not sticky. Knead until smooth. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes before making the calzone.

(In this 30 minute period turn on "Sound of Music" station in Pandora. Really loud. And dance.)

Preheat oven to 375. While preheating, roll dough out. You can either make one gigantic one or three small ones. Or whatever size you prefer. We do three small ones. (One for me, one for Andrew, and the girls share one, and Linc eats off of ours) Roll dough so it makes a rectangle shape. Put pizza sauce down middle. Then cheese on top and whatever else you prefer. We have done sweet red onions, black olives, artichokes, mushrooms, turkey pepperoni, green peppers. Then make cuts along each side of the dough about 3/4 inch in. Then wrap it by criss-crossing each cut over the center. The girls really love doing this part. We place all three on a large cookie sheet and bake for about 20 minutes at 375.

It's a tradition that I'm sure will evolve with time as the kids grow and we want to change it up a bit. We already have plans to set up movie nights outside on a big sheet during the summer. But what I'm loving right now is that something so simple can bring us all together. Not to mention, I love not having to think about a Friday night dinner. Give it a few more weeks and the girls may be able to make calzones entirely themselves. I mean, that's really my motivation, right? To teach them so they will eventually make all the meals. [Insert evil laugh.] 

My hope is these little traditions we are instilling in our children will keep us together like holding hands. One day they may do the same tradition with their children or come back home to visit and ask to make calzones together like the old days. When they sip a root beer float memories with flood in of snuggling up on the couch watching classic movies. Some of our Friday night movies have included Mary Poppins, Sound of Music, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Peter Pan the Musical and Wizard of Oz.

Here I am trying to capture us in the moment, and instead I catch Naomi pinching her sister. Which is about the funniest thing ever and pretty much sums up her personality. Also, you can see Audrey could care less. Haha. 

{christmas} eve.

We spent the day up at Andrew's Granny and Popaw's, our Christmas Eve Day tradition. Then in the evening headed to my dad's. All three kiddos slept on the drive there (early morning naps, what?!) AND on the way home. I love unexpected peaceful moments.

Here are a few of my favorite moments from the day:

Teaching Audrey (and Naomi, but she wasn't really interested) how to play Uno.

Watching this guy get so close to crawling.

Audrey crawling up on her Great-Popaw's lap and listening to him read Jesus' birth story from the Bible.

Right before bed, we got milk, cookies, reindeer food, and a letter to Santa ready. They were so excited! (Barbie and baby Jesus made their appearance on the front of the letter, in case you can't tell.)

Tomorrow we plan on staying at our home all day, with about 20 others joining us. I'm looking forward to having our first Christmas in our new home!

learning to say no. {finding contentment}

[Oh hey, you probably thought I was done with blogging. I kind of thought I was too. But look, I'm back {again}. I was reminded tonight that this space is for capturing my family's life moments. It's my life journal.]

The weekend after Thanksgiving we did our traditional tree hunt. To the same tree farm I've been going to since I was a wee one. Audrey wasn't feeling the best, but we still ventured out for a quick trip. We picked out a Frasier Fir (my absolute favorite) and headed to the little cabin for hot chocolate and popcorn. This year was extra special because it was Lincoln's first trip.

As much as I love these traditions we're creating with our little family, this holiday season I've made it a point to be okay with not doing everything. And it feels so good. In past years, I've put this pressure on myself that for our Advent activities something needs to happen every day. So far this year, many of our days are just spent reading a verse from scripture. We are focusing on the warmth of our home and the contentment in just being together. I'm learning to say no to fun and free our schedule up so we can make spur of the moment magic Christmas tents at home and drink hot chocolate in front of the fire when we wish. [We have a fireplace! Eek! First Christmas in our new home-but that's a whole other post!]

Don't get me wrong, we have already done some fun things for Advent--like a Polar Express train ride that I'll be sharing. But my favorite moments have been the quiet ones at home. 

Audrey working hard on gingerbread boy and girl cookies. She was quite nervous that they would try to escape the oven, but fortunately, not one got away! They turned out quite nicely...

strawberry shortcake festival.

I love starting traditions with the kiddos. I think traditions and {birthday} parties are two of my favorite things I love about being a mom. There is something special in coming to expect. I love looking back at old photos and reliving the moment in my head; thinking about that silly facial expression or the way the food tasted that day. 

Today we went to our town's annual Strawberry Shortcake Festival. It was cooler than usual for this time of year, but the sun was shining bright and the sight of kids frolicking around to the music was warmth to my heart. We had one big strawberry shortcake with three spoons. Audrey went for the whipped cream, Naomi loved the strawberries and ice cream, and I just devoured whatever was left. Lincoln was snug and so content in my Sleepy Wrap (it's like a Moby). 

We have had a couple of roller coaster days with our home we are trying to close on, so this fresh air was just what I needed. We were hoping to close tomorrow, but now it looks like it will be May 25. This journey with the house reminds me of my pregnancy and birth journey---I have to continue to let go and let God. 

Audrey was in the middle of saying "Shoot!" 

Naomi was intrigued by the birds above. 

You can see Audrey's first Strawberry Shortcake Festival here. {2009}

I think 2010 was rained out. 

You can see Naomi's first Strawberry Shortcake Festival here. {2011} 

traditions.

[I'm going to pretend like it hasn't been almost three weeks since I last wrote here. Because if I think too much about it, I may never blog again. And I don't like that idea. I like this little space of mine. So, I'm just going to write as if no time has passed like two best friends seeing each other again after a long holiday.]

This past weekend we did two of my very favorite holiday traditions that have been going on since I was a wee one. We went to our downtown lighting on Friday. The weather was just right, we didn't even have to bundle up like years past. It truly is a magical moment when our town counts down and the lights pop on. Also, having kiddos make events like this that.much.cooler.

Despite the rain, today we decided to get our Christmas tree. I absolutely love our tree farm we go to every year. While the tree is getting trimmed and ready, we go in a little log cabin and have free cocoa and popcorn and buy an ornament. We sort of cheated this year and just picked a Fraser Fir already cut because we didn't want to walk around in the rain.

Two years ago Audrey wore that exact same hat, coat, and boots. Growing babies, gah.

[You can see last year's adventure to the tree farm here.]



the story of the tree that came to be.

It's something I look forward to every year. Picking the tree. Audrey is going on her third year of going to the same tree farm that I went to as a little girl.

7 weeks old, 13 months, 25 months

We got our red flag and went to the field to find just the right one. The lucky one that would sit in our home for the next month and fill it with a beautiful fresh pine aroma.

Since there weren't a whole lot to choose from (as there has been in the past) because of the draught we experienced this summer, we chose pretty quickly.

Andrew, me wearing Naomi, Audrey, and my dad aka Gramps

This poor tree. We totally faked it out. It thought it was getting home. Until we entered the barn...

There were pre-cut trees shipped in from Michigan. A beautiful Frasier Fir was callin' my name. I peered out to the tree that was already cut and ready for us, the one we chose, and then I looked back at the Frasier Fir again. But, I want that one.

The nice gentleman there didn't want to disappoint a new mama, I suppose. He overheard my plea for the FF and he said he would do an exchange. An exchange of trees, who would have thought? Not me.

But hey, I'll take it. And I'll take that FF I wanted.

Us with THE CHOSEN ONE.

And so now, as our beautiful Frasier Fir sits in our living room, I can't help but think about that poor other tree that almost got picked. Supposedly, it is in the barn, wrapped, ready for someone else to pick it and give it a home.

But I'm not going to lie, I sure am glad we did that exchange.

 Here is the tree with just the Christmas tree lights on, you know, to get the full effect of this beauty.

[You know that book, Where's Waldo? Well, how about Where's That Candy Cane? Can you find the only candy cane on our tree? And also? One of my favorite things about this picture-- is the picture of my mama in the back when she was a young lady. Now there is a real beauty.]

plentiful.

This Thanksgiving weekend has been full. Plenty of everything and I'm feeling incredibly blessed by it. Plenty of family. We were in three different cities on Thursday to celebrate with our families. Plenty of food. Which, we all know, I love, like a lot. And aren't turkey leftover sandwiches the best? Plenty of activities. I love embracing this time of year by going to all the events our city hosts. Last night we went to the Canopy of Lights, where they light up our downtown and it is just absolutely beautiful. Today I went to a Holiday Craft Show and bought Audrey a super cute handmade crown, because you know, she had to wear her tutu there and what's a princess without her crown? And we just got back from getting our Christmas tree at our favorite tree farm, Twin H, which I have been going to since I was a little girl. [By the way, I love living where I grew up for reasons like this.] Plenty of babywearing. I had Audrey in the sling at the downtown lighting and had Naomi in the sling at the tree farm. They both better watch out, I might be wearing them till they are eight or something, because I like it so much (and they do too).

My heart is overflowing with love right now, plenty of love.

Hope you are having a lovely Thanksgiving weekend, as well. Now you will have to excuse me, I have a Frasier Fir to decorate with my cute little family while Pandora plays my favorite Christmas songs.

Traditions. For Real.

Since I was little I have gone to the same tree farm every year to get our Christmas tree. The minute we turn onto the long driveway and get welcomed by the lady with the flag, wonderful memories start flooding back to me.

And now with my family, I hope to create the same type of feelings and memories.

Last year, Audrey was a mere 6 weeks old when we braved the snow and freezing cold. I didn't step foot outside. Instead Audrey did what she did best, just nursed.

Andrew picked the tree and I agreed from the window. He was so sweet to pose as if we were next to him.

This year we just braved the bitter cold, which was a great incentive to pick a tree really fast.

While you wait for them to shake and wrap your tree, you can hang out in the beautiful log cabin and enjoy free hot chocolate and apple cider right off the wood burning stove and delicious popcorn.This tradition I am definitely passing on.