thanksgiving thirteen.

watching macy's parade with meme

pumpkins in the entryway

dining room

nick brought home this green pumpkin from a co-workers garden... i was slightly obsessed

mini gourds + pumpkins + lace

one table setting

second table setting

we make lots of memories together in the kitchen :)

carving the bird

this is as good as we could get...

first real thanksgiving food!

emmy's favorites: turkey and rolls

i love my family

my big girl 

bella's favorites: turkey, cranberry sauce and rolls

pie time

cousins playing in pj's

they love meme and aunt holly!

my nephew makes the BEST faces

someone loved his chocolate cream pie...

dessert: her favorite

emmy gets in on the action...

aunt holly sharing her pie

yum :)

hopscotch in the hallway

enter at your own risk; cousins at play...

instafriday.

our half wall needed something, so i put a bird on it

someone has a new favorite ornament; this thing hasn't left her side.  don't think it will ever make it to the tree...

my kids wouldn't leave the house this morning without their fav christmas ornaments in tow...

i've got a thing for necklaces

you can't even imagine the level of deliciousness

the most popular part of every cornwell meal

thankful: for my view this morning

little miss independant

my happy place

nick&i's thanksgiving eve tradition: his&hers sangria

the sound of music + the macy's parade = thanksgiving magic for my girls

"give thanks to the lord for he is good, his love endures forever." psalm 107:1

easy as pie

this just makes me happy

love

friend campout

days of gratitude {7}: the simple things.

{source}

the secret to contentment is not giving thanks for extravagance.  it's recognizing beauty in the simple things, the everyday occurrences, the seemingly insignificant.  it is through this discipline that we realize the simple things are actually not so simple at all.  rather, they are the very things that give our lives beauty, purpose and the source of unending joy. 

a baby's dimpled hands.rocking chairs.warm mugs of hot chocolate.wrinkled pages of a bible.our backyard.the smell of bread baking.bubble baths.the sun spilling in through lace curtains.the sound of little feet running down the hall.backyard fire pit.laying in the snow, staring at the sky.homemade pie crust.butterfly kisses at bedtime.candlelight.the laughter of children.trips to the beach.swings at the park.snuggled under blankets, warm and cozy.walking hand in hand.listening to old music.bedhead and sleepy eyes.summer evenings on the front porch.chicken gravy and mashed potatoes.leaves changing color.family photos filling frames.tea kettle whistles.forts made of quilts.homemade pizza.little voices quoting scripture.saying i love you every night.antique china dishes.pom pom trim.ice cream cones all melty.baby pigtails.slow dancing in the kitchen.football games on chilly autumn nights.playful squeals.mismatched plates.cinnamon rolls hot out of the oven.babies in footed pajamas.cuddled in bed, snow swirling outside.crocuses sprouting in the front lawn.long walks.lattes topped with whipped cream.the smell of a grill on summer evenings.song filling the house.the warmth of a cheek pressed ever so loving.fresh picked apples.grammy's turquoise mixing bowl, overflowing with popcorn.date night.pretty dresses.the words of old hymns sung over little heads.staying up late.morning kisses.christmastime magic.the snap of a camera.silver and gold.psalms.eyelashes splayed on little cheeks.chubby wrists.sharing glasses of wine.white lace.crunchy leaves.cool mornings at the park.a deepening love over time.road trips.freshly washed hair tickling the nose.snuggling on the couch.slippers.cousins playing.fresh flowers bought with love.little eyes wide with excitement.the sound of rain.pumpkin scented candles.bread dough rising on the counter.letters.white picket fences.a breeze blowing through an open window.fireflies.bare feet in the grass.friends.walking to the farmers market.picnics.gooey chocolate chip cookies and a cold glass of milk.grandparents love.baby blankets.promising a lifetime.strolling through coastal quaintness.mexican food.birthday parties.quilts spilled over the couch in eclectic patches of color.china teacups.handprints.fluffy biscuits topped with butter.making memories.aqua mason jars.wet babies wrapped up in warm towels.arms squeezing tightly.milkglass vases and fresh flowers.us

giving thanks for the simple things is the very realization of the many ways that we are blessed.  my cup runneth over.  

happy thanksgiving.  from our home to yours.

fall crafts for little ones.

i began this school year increasingly aware of how fast time is flying, and that this is the last year i have at home with my bella.  

just typing that makes me want to cry.

so i've been trying to take full advantage of our days and be more proactive than ever before at rolling up my sleeves and doing things with my girls.  being intentional.  letting the dishes sit in the sink and the laundry build up if it means that i get to treasure these moments with them.  

our weeks are filled with library trips, bella's gymnastics classes, walks, playing outside, baking and crafts.  with a few trips to target thrown in the mix.  and toddler tantrums and mama meltdowns.  but for the most part i really, really love these days i have at home with my girls.  i want to always remember them as i am even now more aware of how fast they are fleeting.  

at the beginning of fall, i turned to pinterest to help me in my quest to find some fall-themed crafts to do with the girls.  i checked books out of the library to match our crafts and we had some very simplistic, very quick little lessons: learning about apples, leaves changing colors, seasons, nature and all things fall.  

apple stamping

this fall, we had two large brown paper bags in our basement filled with apples.  after a trip to the orchard, i showed the girls how to use them as stamps... you can see how the craft turned out; not as pretty as i had in my head.  actually, not at all apple stamping.  and bella insisted on adding pink to our fall-themed color palette, but i sure do love her free spirited creativity.  but, just to be true to the purpose of the craft, i had to complete my own in order to prove that we really were supposed to be apple stamping...

apple diagram
to teach bella the parts of an apple (and an apple-themed bible verse), i cut an apple in half and we talked about the skin, the fleshy part and the seed that can be replanted to grow more apples.  i had cut all of these parts out of construction paper and then she got to glue it together.  bella's friend wyatt came over for this one!  crafts with toddlers are always better with two mamas in it together.  we had some wine after (just kidding, but that would've been a good idea).

wax paper leaves

this is the classic fall craft!  we collected a bunch of leaves on a walk one day and bella had fun ironing them between pieces of wax paper.  our windows look pretty and fall-ish.  

handprint tree

i took some dropcloth i bought at lowes and cut some squares out of it, as well as tree shapes out of some burlap.  i glued the "tree" onto the dropcloth squares and then painted the girls hands red, yellow and orange to use their handprints as the leaves.  oh yeah: and emmy totally stressed me out, by the way.  sorry for the picture overload, but i had to capture this awesomeness.

get your craft on with your kiddos... it's totally stressful and at times you'll want to scream; maybe even poke your eye out.  but the pictures, the finished products and the looks on their faces as they exert their independence and creativity are totally worth it.  also, i'm pretty sure it will end up better in my memory than it was in actuality.  you know how that happens.  a friend of mine recently equated it to childbirth.  

goodbye, fall!  now it's time for snowmen and hot chocolate.  and this family's pretty pumped about that.