What I Wore Wednesday...

I wore a white tee, brown capris, and an apron today. My two year old is a good photographer, isn't she?!

Remembering Our Honeymoon: Day Six...

After Sunday Liturgy on our sixth day of being in San Fransisco, we headed to Monterrey and Carmel for more sight-seeing and window shopping. We got to watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean and even dipped our toes into the icy water!

Remembering Our Honeymoon: Day Five...

The fifth day of our honeymoon was a Saturday. We took a stroll through Union Square and window shopped and took pictures of our hotel's lobby. As the afternoon progressed, we headed for the OCA cathedral via bus and had ice cream and petted a tiny dog just before heading into church.

Autumn Weather Scene...

I finally finished the Autumn felt pieces for our felt board. Nearly every morning, we look outside to see what the weather is like ("Is it rainy or sunny?" is as complicated as it gets for our two year old) and we put out the clouds, sun, or rain drops. Next, we set up a new scene using the different pieces I made: barn, tree, leaves, fencing, wheat sheaf, baskets of flowers and apples, and wagon full of hay. It keeps us happily occupied for awhile and we get to work on her speech as painlessly as possible!

Remembering Our Honeymoon: Day Four...

The fourth day of our honeymoon was spent seeing the redwood trees in Muir Woods, finding an overlook of the Golden Gate Bridge, and having lunch in Sausalito.

One of Our Last Bouquets of Summer Flowers...

Bouquets

Remembering Our Honeymoon: Day Three...

On our third day in California, we took a very long bus trip to Yosemite National Park. It was well worth the trip! Our tour guide/bus driver was exceptionally knowledgeable and we stopped a few great farmer's stands and markets for rest stops. Look at that scenery!!

Happy Grandparents Day!!

Happy Grandparents Day to our grandparents: Poppy Chick, Grandma Judy, Grandfather Don, and Baba!

and

Happy Grandparents Day to our children's grandparents: Grandpapa, Nana, Grandfather, and Grandma!

+++Memory Eternal to Grandma Joyce and Gege!+++

We love you!

September 7th...

It's time for another Commitment to Loveliness! This is a fun way to increase femininity and beauty in our lives each week without even trying! All you have to do is choose five things that you would like to work on or do during the week that will increase the loveliness in your life!

Here is my list for this week:

1. Put up an Autumn Garland like Dawn's.
2. Take the children outside in the early morning after breakfast.
3. Go on a family date to the beach with the gentle waves and amazing wildlife.
4. Catch up on correspondence - letters, thank you notes, packages, e-mails, and calls... OY!
5. Purchase mums for the front porch.

Once you have chosen five simple things, post them on your blog and link to this post in your post, and then post the direct link to your Commitment to Loveliness post in the comments section. If you do not have a blog, but have a commitment to share, please post them in the comments section. I'll link to your Commitments on this post as I get them

Geraniums Can Take a Beating....

These poor plants have survived a city of Japanese beetles, serious neglect, and days when a not even a drop of water is given to them... They not only survive, but they bloom! Geraniums, I love you!

Remembering Our Honeymoon: Day Two...

On our second day in San Fransisco, we visited the Boudin Bread Bakery, China Town, took a tour of the city on a bus, went through the wax museum, and ran through the aquarium. It was a full day of fun!

Our September Centerpiece...

Those leaves were on the twigs in the jar until our two year old decided to pluck them off and pile them in the front!

Remembering Our Honeymoon: Day One...

A little over three years ago, we went to San Fransisco for our honeymoon. I mentioned it in one of the recent Memes that I took and Miss G. commented that she is going there for her honeymoon too! I found our photo album and though it would be neat to share what we did.

The first day was mainly spent traveling. I got to go on an airplane for the first time I could remember! We checked in to our hotel and headed down to the Pier to do some sightseeing and have dinner (I think that we went to an Irish Pub). Riding the streetcars was a lot of fun! I remember that we were surprised at the difference in temperature from the East Coast to San Fransisco - August was the hottest month where we lived, but one of the cooler months for San Fran!

Our New Bedtime Routine...

After finishing dinner, we go outside for a little while. Sometimes we take a walk, sometimes we go to the crabbing pier to watch the fish jump, and other times we head over to the playground to slide and climb. Tonight, we took a moonlit walk (dinner was later than usual due to some calls Papa got) and even saw little toads on the sidewalks and driveways!

Once we come back inside, we head to the tub. The babies tire themselves out splashing and playing with their sponges, rocks, and shells. I wash them and put on their pajamas.

I recently read about this yummy sleepy-time snack and it works like a charm for us. I make a small mug of warm milk with honey and cinnamon and toast some bread topping it with butter and honey. I also try to tell a story to the children while our daughter eats. The characters are named after our children and the storyline usually comes from something we did that day.

Time to brush teeth and hair!

We say our prayers in front of our icons with the oil lamp lit and then our daughter snuggles down to sleep and our son nurses for a few minutes... By 8:30, we're golden!

Our nights are so much more peaceful than they used to be!

Ham Pot Pie...

I made this just like I make the chicken version, but I added diced ham instead. A sprinkling of cheddar cheese finished things off perfectly!

Purposeful Mothering...

I loved this article on Purposeful Mothering by The Natural Mommy. I have been trying to do this with my children (there a lot of room for improvement on my part - I am seriously OCD about some things) and was very encouraged by what I read. Enjoy!