Home

We're home from Mexico!!  We had such a wonderful time. I plan on spending today looking through and uploading pictures, doing laundry, picking up our house and finishing a few Christmas projects.  I am so excited for Christmas Eve tomorrow - my family does all our traditions and presents then and my sister and her family come in tonight.  I wish the next week would go by really slowly! : ) 

I definitely did not wear this outfit today, as I will most likely be in sweatpants the majority of the day.  Here is another pinterest inspired outfit I wore last week: 

 Hope you've all had a great week!  I missed reading all your blogs while I was gone.  I hope to catch up today!!

Looking forward to . . .

Some of this . . . .

Lots of this . . . 

Coming home in time for Christmas . . . 

loving lots on these girls . . . 

especially this beautiful niece . . . 

and lots of loving for my very favorite little boy. . . . 

Happy Christmas break!!! I'll be back next week!

One more day

Today is my last day of school before Christmas break. (I wore my red shoes to show my holiday spirit.) Which means one more day with hyper kids, holiday parties and my least favorite 5 minutes of the year where the teachers have to stand in the middle of our gym, walk in a circle, and sing "You better watch out" to all the students at our school. Let me tell you - I look forward to the end of the school day today! Especially because tomorrow morning Chris and I leave for Mexico for six days! Then my sister and her family come in for Christmas. I could not be more excited!

Wishing. . . .

I wish the Christmas season lasted longer. I LOVE Christmas lights, music, cookies, baking, making gifts, wrapping presents, being with family, but there is not enough time to enjoy them all! There are so many things I'd like to do before December is over and trying to fit everything in is making me not enjoy what I can do. Instead of looking at my tree lit up this morning and smiling, I was sad because I feel like I haven't enjoyed it and sad because it will only be up for two more weeks. Isn't that silly? So since my wish can't come true I am going to work on being in the moment and enjoying the time now, instead of being sad that it is going to be over soon.

Recent Recipes

I love desserts more than any other food group and may be addicted to sweets. This time of the year doesn't make that any easier! Whenever we have to bring food somewhere I always volunteer to make a dessert. Here are some of the recipes I've made lately:

Grinch cookies

Peppermint Oreo Popcorn

(I made this for the parent volunteers in my classroom. And of course to eat too!)

Paula Dean Caramel Apple Cake

Ooey Gooey Caramel Brownies

These have to be my favorite: Chubby Hubby Bars

Happy Baking!!

Travis James

Meet the cutest two year in the world. Travis James - the best nephew an aunt could ask for.

I was having a rougher day today when my sister texted me and said that this morning Travis said, "Where's Katie? I miss that guy."

Travis: I miss you - Thank you for making me smile today! I couldn't love you any more. The 2 and half weeks when I get to see you won't come soon enough!

Proud or embarrassed?

(cutting off my head was an accident - however for a Monday morning I'm perfectly fine not having my face in it.)

I'm not sure if I should be proud of this secret or embarrassed. Last week when I was doing some Christmas shopping I was looking in the girls' section at Target for my niece and found this dress. I am going to believe that it was labeled incorrectly and that is why it was only $3.50. I did however add the belt in hopes of looking more like an adult and less like a 12 year old. Needless to say I may start checking out the girls' section more often.