good words.

morning y'all.

the boys are down for a nap.  the washing machine is just finishing up on the sheets that have been overdue for a wash.  i'm enjoying my second cup of coffee.  the windows are raised and i'm wearing my favorite outfit of all time - shorts with a long sleeved shirt.  it's going to be a good day.  i just know it.  

before i get started on editing another newborn session [yay!  have i mentioned, these are my faves?] i just wanted to tell you about a sermon that i heard a few weeks ago.  it has been on my to-do list to blog about it since halfway through hearing it for the first time.  it was just that good.  the words have stayed on my heart and on my bathroom mirror in a dry erase marker since i heard it.  i can't not pass it along.

we go to a church that is phenomenal.  it has been such an answer to prayer.  every sunday, brian gets up there and speaks truth.  that is all i can ask for.  but, not only does he speak truth straight from the bible, it is also totally apparent that his first value after his relationship with Jesus is his family.  no ifs, ands or buts.  he loves his family.  in such an intentional and passionate way.  when you hear him talk about them you just know.  

this sermon was right up his alley.  and his words could come right out of a making things happen intensive.  it was called the 7 habits for highly effective parents.  here are a few things he had to say:

• our job is to believe Him and pray.it.down!
• forget childhood psychologists - the Bible is your only instruction manual (no offense to childhood psychologists :))
• build habits (weave them in) that make things great

Here were his "rules":

1. Seek God daily
• highly effective parents LIVE to SEEK HIM
• not just believing but CHASING after Him 
• your children need the love of God in you more than anything else
• the cry of our hearts should be "He is real!"
2. They are leaders not followers
• we must buck this culture - it is grabbing our kids and mashing them into it's mold
• don't float down the river like an old, dead fish (he's a country boy, that's fer sure :))
3. They are in touch
• open hearts and build relationships
• you can live with less stuff - it's worth a smaller home, used car and less belongings to be present with your kids
4. They understand the power of words
• your kids lives are in the power of the tongue
• your lips shape your child's life ("set a guard over my lips" - psalms 141:3)
• words speak life - use your window of opportunity to speak life
5. Make Life Happen
• In three places:
• At the dinner table
• this is the make-it-or-break-it place
• At church
• find a church where God is moving with leaders who love Jesus and a great children's program - it is worth everything (your job, house, etc)
• At the beach, campsite, fire pit in the backyard - wherever you can make memories!
6. Train and teach life
• answer situations with truth
• with your words
• and, with your actions (Philippians 3:17)
7. Aim high
• the goal is not to just cook food, pay bills and make it through life - God is the light of the world and we are made in his image!
• set your goals high and let God reach them through you

And some final notes:

• Dad + Mom:  
• we can be great models through Christ 
• we can have great marriages (it will be a blessing if you can get there)
• decide - "we are going to have the greatest family on Earth", "we are going to see great things happen"
• "I don't care if my kids make minimum wage and live in my truck - they are going to shine for Jesus!"

y'all.  just typing this gets me fired up!   but, i know that i can't do it justice.  you need to HEAR IT!  so, if this sparks even the slightest bit of interest, let me know!  i would love to mail you a cd of his sermon.  seriously.  please comment or email me (jenny.s.conklin (at) gmail (dot) com) and i will mail you one.  

i so desire for my home to be the greatest place on earth.  i want jordan and i to build that for our kids.  i want people to walk into our home and feel Jesus.  i know that somedays we have a long way to go.  but, the good news is that God can reach this goal through us.  we are imperfect and always will be.  but God can work through us to make our home just that.  a place where Jesus is near, people feel loved, our kids are nurtured and the good news is shared.  this is my heart's cry.  and i will work towards this with everything i've got.  join me?  let's do this together.

happy tuesday, friends!  

the twins' nursery.

When I found out we were having twins' I spent the next few months trying to figure out the nursery.  I looked and looked for a twins nursery online that I really liked but I had a hard time finding some examples from which to draw inspiration.  After being at a standstill for quite a few weeks, Jordan actually picked out the bedding and we went from there.  

I'm finally getting around to posting pictures!

Here's the view from the door.

And then, if you take a step inside, this is what you see.

I really wanted to love this room.  I wanted it to be right.  But I also didn't want to break the bank trying to get it the way we wanted it.  So, we found some things on sale, made some things, used some old furniture and then spent the money on the things we felt like were worth splurging on.

We were able to find the cribs on clearance at Target and we bought the bedding while it was on sale from Pottery Barn Kids (and got a twins discount!).  We actually had to drive to multiple Targets to find the cribs.  We bought two from our Target and then got them home and put them together and the colors looked different.  They were both named the same color and both were a brown-ish color but the difference was significant enough that we packed up one of the cribs and took it back.  Then, we drove to three other Targets before finding one with a color that matched closely enough that you couldn't tell the difference when they were side by side like these would be!

We ordered out letters from CraftCuts and were very pleased with them.  They are so expensive at PBK or other baby stores.  But, this website allows you to choose the font, size and thickness of your letters.  I loved all the options there were and it was a lot less expensive!

Somehow the nursery turned nautical, which was not my intent.  But, as it came along, I fell more in love with it.  I wasn't going to go with red.  But, I couldn't come up with another color I would like with the navy that also looked "boy enough" [a big concern for Jordan :)].

My mom and I made the curtains and the pillow for the chair.  I knew I wanted a pillow that matched the curtains and I wanted it to have navy piping.  So, my mom came up with a genius idea.  She had an old pillow with navy piping and an embroidered front.  So, instead of making a pillow from scratch and putting the piping in, we just cut the material to fit the front of the pillow and ironed the raw edges under.  Then, we just top stitched around the edge of the already-made pillow with red thread and navy bobbin thread.   It worked great and it was like a 15 minute project!

Jordan picked out the "My Brother and Me" picture frame.  We put the only ultrasound picture we have that shows both babes in the same frame.  I love this picture and wanted it displayed in their nursery.

 I designed and printed the birth detail photos on the wall above the chair.  I got the rustic, wooden frames from Hobby Lobby.  We bought the lamp at Target and Jordan's mom got the little white table at a yard sale.  It looks distressed but I liked it so we left it that way.  One of our splurge items is the glider/recliner.  It's a Best Chair that my parents bought us as our baby gift.  I am absolutely in love with it. It's so comfortable and I know it will last through all the babes (yes, we hope to have more - but not for a few years :)) and will probably take up residence in our bedroom or the family room once it has served it's purpose for the babies. We ordered it at a local boutique but we were able to get it during a 15% off sale and we were able to get a $50 credit for every $500 spent so we were able to get some additional money towards other merchandise when we purchased the chair which was great!

(I also have to point out The Jesus Storybook Bible.  It's the top book on the stack under the table.  It's fabulous!  Seriously, I can't say enough good things about it.  You should get it.  And read it.  Even if you don't have kids!)

Our changing table is opposite the window.  Jordan's parents actually bought us an old antique dresser from a little store and we asked one of their family friends to fix some tracks for the drawers to slide on (since it was difficult to get the drawers open).  But, we mentioned that we were planning on painting it and he couldn't stand to see an antique with nice wood "go to waste".  So, he made us a dresser that looks exactly like the antique and we painted it instead.  And he decided to keep (and then donate to his church) the antique dresser.  We painted the dresser a bright red and then Robin helped us wipe it down with an acrylic paint (Burnt Umber) from Michaels.

We had the most difficult time finding a white changing pad cover.  I guess that's not the best color for changing dirty diapers but there wasn't another color I liked.  Actually, I've contemplated just making this a dresser without the changing pad even on there.  I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually changed a baby on this thing.  It's just not practical when you have two.  It's much easier to just lay a blanket down and get on the floor and do both together.

Courtney took the twins' pictures and I got a large one printed and bought a frame from Michaels when they were 50% off, not long ago.  The frame is like 16x20 or something like that.  I love that it's a huge picture of their sweet faces when they were so tiny!

The last thing is the wall in between the two closet doors (opposite the cribs).  Jordan saw these toys at BuyBuyBaby and was so excited about them!  He built and stained these floating shelves to display the toys.  It's a way of adding a little "boy" and a pop of color.  We both love this wall!

I hope you enjoyed the nursery tour :)  I'm excited to finally be sharing it here!  A list of all the items in the nursery and where they were purchased can be found below!  Please let me know if there is anything I leave out that you're curious about!

Also, have you posted a picture of your nursery?  I would love to see it!  Leave a comment with the link to your nursery post.  I'd love to come check it out :)


---

Wall color: Antique White by Benjamin Moore (I think...)
Ceiling color:  A super light blue (not sure who or the name - but I'll try to update when I find out!)
Light fixture:  Lowes Hardware
Letters above cribs:  Craftcuts
Best Chair Glider/Recliner:  SmartMomma   
White table:  Yardsale
Lamp base and shade:   Target
"My brother and me" picture frame:  BuyBuyBaby 
Curtain rod and rings:  Bed, Bath and Beyond
Curtain fabric (Red ticking and blackout fabric):  Joanns
Pillow:  Unused pillow from my mom
Birth details prints:  designed by me
Birth details frames:  Hobby Lobby
Dresser:  Built by a family friend
Large frame and mat over changing table:  Michaels
Changing pad cover:  BuyBuyBaby or BabiesRUs (can't remember)
Hamper:  Homegoods
Construction toys:  Made by Plan, bought from BuyBuyBaby
Floating shelves:  Made by Jordan

the viv.

When Worker Man and I lived in our first house [tear.] we had the sweetest neighbors.


Vivian and Garland.
I'll have to tell you about them.  Maybe sometime soon.  They were something else. 

Vivian is the epitome of a Southern Belle.  She is in her eighties and always dressed to the nines.  In a sweet little blouse and "slacks" and little old lady shoes.  Her hair is always perfect.   And she always has on her jewelry, just the right amount of "rouge" and a little lipstick. 

When I first met her I fell in love.
She's just the sweetest thing.

Not long after our first meeting, I affectionately dubbed her "The Viv".
Without her knowing.  Because ummm...she is NOT a Viv.  She is a Vvvviiiviannn.  Like in the most southern belle-ish accent possible.
I always address her as Vivian but when I tell a story about her or mention her name to Worker Man, I always call her The Viv.  It just caught on and stuck.

The more I called her that, the more I worried that I would actually call her that to her face or at least in front of her at some point.  But, as many times as it almost slipped out, I never actually did it in front of her. 

Since we sold our house, I haven't seen her.  I keep meaning to stop by to visit but sadly I just haven't made the time.

Well fast-forward to this past Sunday. 

Worker Man and I went to breakfast after the early service at church.  We went to eat at this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant [my absolute favorite kind] and as we were finishing our meal, I look up and there comes The Viv walking through the parking lot.

I got so excited and immediately jumped up and got the door for her [we were sitting really close to the door - just so you're not imagining me running through the restaurant to get the door].  I gave her a huge hug when she came in and we talked to her for a little while until the people she was eating with arrived. 

So, I got through the entire conversation, and just as she's leaving I wave and say:

"Oh, it was just so good to see you Viv!"

And as she kinda cocked her head to the side, gave me a funny look, and started to walk away.

I just looked at her, horrified.  I had made it for two whole years without ever slipping up.  And then I yell "great to see you Viv" as she walks away.


Guhhh, I better find her a really good Christmas present!

crazy.

Hi friends!

Happy Monday :)

I hope your weekend was fabulous!

Okay, interesting story.

First off, a little background...Worker Man is addicted to looking at houses.  So we have looked at houses for the last two years without any intention of moving.  Just to look.

Well, over the last few months we have started to feel a little cramped.  We love our little house [not that it's anything to get too excited about - but it's ours :)] but it's just not enough room. Especially when I have to use the second bedroom as an office, guest bedroom, storage space and craft room.  It's a little inconvenient to climb over Worker Man's mountain bike and wedge myself in between the Rubbermaid table and futon anytime I want to sew.  I'm just sayin'....

So, we came across a house that we really liked and thought maybe we should put our house for sale just to see if we could sell it.  Our house was not at all ready to be on the market.  Still lots of little projects that needed to be done.  But Worker Man wanted to just go ahead and "try it".  I figured no one would come see it for awhile so it would be no biggie.

Well, Worker Man put a sign in the yard on July 7th.  No paper with it.  No realtor.  No listing online. Just one sign with a phone number.

And we actually got calls.  From lots of realtors.  But also from people interested.  But no one interested enough to look at it.

Well, fast forward to last Saturday, July 24th.  I had just stepped out of the shower and there was a knock at the door.  Worker Man and I were getting ready to head out of town for a wedding.  And it's a woman with her sister.  Interested in coming to look.  Right then.

So, I threw on my clothes and they came in and looked around.

They talked to us about how quickly we could get out and told us they would call the next day.  We weren't sure if we'd hear from them.  They seemed serious, but we just weren't sure.  So, sure enough, on Sunday her grandson calls and wants to stop by.  Then on Monday, her husband and son stop by along with the grandson and his family.

Grandpa comes in the kitchen and tells Worker Man he wants to

buy.our.house.

Worker Man and I are a little in shock as we talk about and the man offers to pay cash, wants to close on the deal the next morning and wants us out by Saturday morning. 

We move the closing back to that Friday and agree to move out by Sunday afternoon.

And we had a deal.

So...as of yesterday afternoon at 4 pm, we are homeless.

We are living with Worker Man's parents while we look for a new house.  But seriously, we are so excited to see what the Lord has in store for our next step.  We know that this has to be divine.  We sold our house in three weeks, with no appraisal or inspection, with the man offering cash and closing four days after coming to see the house.   We will definitely keep you posted on what is to come.

But for now, just a little reminiscing...

Goodbye sweet, little first house.

hump day highlights: edition -- random.

how about three things that made me happy last night?

every time i walk into my bathroom and see my $3 yard sale purchase, i get so excited!

we started a new bible study in small group last night.

it's on the study of david.

it's by priscilla shirer, beth moore and kay arthur.

so i know it's going to be fabulous.

so far so good :)

glee was on last night.

and it was gaga night.

yes, i know beth moore and lady gaga don't fit in the same blog post.  but the costumes in glee were what got me so excited - not all of her other nonsense.

shrrrubbbs.

worker man and i spent saturday doing this.

[yes, that is my husband.  in shorts and brogans].

speaking of brogans...do you know what i mean when i say that?!?  this is what my family always called working boots.  but i've come to realize most people don't call them that and typically have no clue what i'm talking about.  aaand, i just googled the word to make sure i was spelling it correctly and this is what came up:

and no, these are not the kind of boots worker man wears.

anywhoo...

we planted shrubs and lillies and annuals on saturday and oh.my.word.

i slept so good on saturday night. 

it also made such a difference to the way our house looks!

maybe the neighbors will start to associate with us.  i think they think worker man is crazy. because for the last three years worker man has lived in our house and each spring he cleans out the beds and gets all the weeds out and makes a nice little edge.

and then....

does nothing.

no mulch, no flowers, no shurbs.

just pretty dirt.

so maybe our neighbors will finally start talking to us and waving when we drive by.

but, two years in...i'm not getting my hopes up.

i think they are just trying to steer clear of the crazies across the street.

wfmw - coupon binder.

do any of you coupon??

have any of you ever gotten frustrated and just given up?


because you end up spending more time clipping coupons than you do using them?

because you buy stuff you don't need because you have a coupon for it?

because you hate that stupid, accordian thingy that you always forget in your car?

or even when you don't forget it, you hate it because you have to take out all the coupons to sort through them looking for the one you need, while you're pushing a cart, and your pocketbook is falling off your shoulder while it's hanging wide open, and your husband is trying to hurry you along so you can get home in time to watch the duke pre-game, only to find the coupon and figure out that it's expired? [not like i know anything about this one...ahem.]

well, i'm with you.  promise.  i have the same problems.  i have started couponing fourteen-bazillon times.  only to get frustrated and stop.

so, today i'm going to offer you a tip that has made all of this so much more managable.

behold, the power of the coupon b.i.n.d.e.r. 

my friend julie sent me the link to a fabulous website [hip2save] and collin has opened my ocd eyes.


yes, it's a binder.
[and a cute one - which makes it even better!]

no more accordian action.  no more baggies full of coupons. 


it's organized by the aisles at the grocery store.  which makes the trip so much easier! [i used plastic dividers - so they won't tear].

and i mean aisles, not categories.

for example, in the [dairy] section of my binder there are orange juice coupons and pillsbury coupons and cookie dough coupons because that's where you find these items.  over near the eggs and cheese.  it's much easier because i don't have to dig through my broad category of "dinner/sides". instead i have more narrow categories so there is not as much to sort through.


and then, within the dividers....there are baseball card holders.

with all of my coupons folded nicely in each pocket so the item, savings and expiration date can be seen. 

it's wonderful. 
i'm serious.


don't close the browser!  i know you're thinking, this crazy gal has lost her mind.  but seriously, it works.  let me tell you why:

1. everything is more visible:  i can flip through the coupons and see each one without taking them out.
2. fits in the cart: the binder fits perfectly in the cart. there's no more craziness of trying to hold everything and look through the coupons and push the cart. 
3. i'm organized once i get to the register:  as i find the coupon i need, i pull it out and stick it in an envelope in the front so i'll remember to use it when i get to the register. 
4. it didn't cost a lot:  i was worried that setting this thing up would take more time and money than i would save by using coupons. but it didn't! i already had the binder and then i bought two packs of plastic dividers at walmart for $2.88 per pack. and i bought the baseball card holders at target [one pack for $4.99].
5. there's a routine: now that i've started, the upkeep is minimal. i have a system that works well and it's overwhelming. on sunday afternoons, while worker man and i are watching a movie, i flip through my book and pull out any expired coupons.  then, i clip my new coupons and insert those.  it's a mindless task, so i just do that while we watch a movie.  then, on wednesday nights, i look through the grocery store sale papers with coupon binder in hand.  when i come across anything that i have a coupon for that is on sale, i circle the ad and i pull the coupon out and put it in the 'harris teeter envelope' or the 'lowes food envelope'.    i also circle any good deals of things i want to get that week.  so, when i got into harris teeter, i have my binder, my sale paper, my grocery list i made from the sale paper and my envelope of coupons to use at harris teeter. [i still carry my binder in case there's something i find that i need/want and look to see if i have a coupon for it].

in my first trip to target, after completing my binder, my items rang up to ~$47.00.  After she rang up all of my coupons, I walked out paying ~$25.00.

definitely worth it in my mind!


you should go watch collin's video about her coupon binder to get even more great ideas!  you won't be sorry!!

i'm joining works for me wednesdays with kristen [WeAreTHATFamily].

baño.

while worker man was out of town one week, i decided that i was going to tackle our bathroom.

it's small and i had not done anything to it since we got married.  he had painted it a tan-ish color.  the shower curtain was a couple of shades of tan-ish [yes, that's the official name :)]. and it was just pretty blah.


so, i decided it needed a revamp.


i saw this tutorial by Jenny at Pearl Street Interiors and I knew that it would work well in the bathroom.  so, i found some fabric at ikea and again, enlisted my dad's help.

sidenote:  he claims i'm high maintenance.  when worker man is out of town and i spend the night with my parents, i always bring a project.  and he claims i'm high maintenance.  mostly because all the projects i bring are the ones that he does and i stand around and take pictures and provide moral support.  but [warning:  sappy]  i love it - i'm always so grateful for those nights.

and here's the result...

i painted the walls a light blue [can't remember the name].

i found the rug at home goods.

sidenote:  i was looking for the rug one night with my sister and i showed her what i wanted.  she rubbed it and proceeded to yell out "ohhhhh....it's like phalanges!!!".  and people starting staring.  it was ackward.  i can always thank her for those moments.

i decided to order a 95" white, waffle shower curtain from target. 

[a taller shower curtain makes the room seem a little bigger - which is much needed in the tiny bathroom].

here's an upclose of the pelmet box.

worker man was suprised and liked it.

[he did not like my paint job - considering he's going to have to paint the third coat because his wife is impatient and has a.d.d].


i'm pretty happy with it :)

wfmw - kitchen drawers.

do you live in a house with no pantry?



if so, i'm with ya. 

because we don't have a pantry either.  which has proven to be difficult. 

i've struggled with finding enough room to organize everything.  so, i enlisted my daddy for another one of my 'projects'.




we built some drawers. 

and it's been wonderful.  


they keep everything organized and they really weren't very difficult to build.  you could easily make some out of plywood and white paint.  then, just purchase some brackets from lowes for them to slide out on.


this was a great fix to not having a pantry.  and, i might just decide to add drawers on the other side so i'll have four.


hopefully if you don't have a pantry this could work for you!

i'm joining Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer for Works for Me Wednesday!

gift.

when i started my new job last year, the current dean of admissions was about to retire.

so, as his retirement gift to each person that worked in student admissions [i know, that's completely backwards - but true], he offered to build something of their choice.

he has a hobby of being a carpenter. and a fabulous one.
since i was only going to be working for a few months before he retired, i assumed that i was not included in this offer.  especially since everyone here has worked in this department anywhere from ten to twenty-four years. 

but, he graciously offered to build little ol' three month employee [me] something too.


he asked me to find something that i liked and send him a picture.


i immediately knew what i would ask for.


i have been wanting this chest from pottery barn since before we got married.
[we being me and worker man, not me and mr. dean :)]

i mean, everytime we walked into pottery barn i would go and drool over it.


isn't it fabulous?



well, i showed him the pictures above and he said he would be glad to make this for me.

i had only seen pictures of his previous work and heard from my coworkers how amazing their piece of furniture was.  so i had my hopes high.


but let me just tell you,  when i got to go pick this thing up last week....i was in awe.


words can't explain how incredible this thing is.



the quality and design is so much better than the chest i would have paid $600 for at pottery barn!



he even put a tray in the top to put our remotes in.  which is an extra that he thought of.

because we couldn't find any hardware that looked similar, he handmade the hardware to look even better than the ones at pottery barn.



and he thought to put child-proof hinges so that in the future [the far away future] our kids won't smash their fingers in the chest.

he also handmade the center latch.  which is actually a real latch.  much better than the pottery barn imitation latch!

hands down, the nicest piece of furniture in my house.








isn't it fabulous?!?

kitchen.

are you looking for a little kitchen makeover without having a huge remodel on your hands?

well, i have just the idea for you!

when worker man and i were painting the kitchen before we got married, we took all the doors off the cabinets and repainted everything.  well, while the doors were off, we started to like the idea of what it looked like without the doors.

sooo, we decided to leave the doors off the cabinets that held our dishes and paint the back of the cabinets the same color as the walls.

it really would be such an easy project for the weekend!





and it definitely works for us since all of our dishes stay organized.

we have loved it.



so, my suggestion?  live on the edge!  take the doors off a few of your cabinets and go wild!  you won't regret it, promise!

head on over to Kristen's blog, We Are THAT Family, for more WFMW tips!

wfmw - quick craft clutter control.

So do you have a space that really is just cluttered?

Not really a whole lot that you can do about it?

Well, I do.

My sewing area is just a mess.  I try to keep it organized but it's hard.  Plus, I don't have a craft space, so I have to leave all of my stuff set up in the guest room.

Well, here's how it has looked for quite awhile.

When my mom and grandma came to stay for a night not long ago, I really didn't want this space to look so cluttered.  But, I didn't have any place to store all the stuff under that table.  Plus I didn't have time to make anything or reorganize the mess into cute baskets.  Not to mention, no matter how organized it looks under the table, everything is under an ugly, rubbermaid table.  Useful? Yes.  Cute?  No.


So, I had some extra fabric laying around and decided that it might work...














Ahhh, so much better.






So, moral to the story, using some extra fabric to cover a table works for me!


It's cute, quick and practically free!

tour of homes.

so, in typical fashion, i'm late to the nester's christmas tour of homes.

but better late than never, right?

here are the pictures of our house:

our mantle.

check out my post about the wreath i made.

this is sitting on the coffee table.

hopefully later this week i'll be fixin' this up a little.

i'll show you how if when i do it.

here are the blocks i [with my daddy and worker man's help] made above the kitchen sink.

i love these little snowmen.   i got them last year like 90% off!

[please ignore the ginger ale can]

i made this nutcracker last year and still love it.            this poinsettia is on my kitchen table.

i put this little tree in the bathroom.  i put battery operated lights on it and i love it.  by far one of my favorite new things this year.  i just used left over fabric from my cinnamon honey butter to make a tree skirt.

our christmas tree.

we went to pick out our tree at a tree farm this year and of course we had a griswold moment.

when we got it home, worker man cut the strings off and all he could say was:

"little full, llllotttt a sap"

at least we didn't bust out any windows.

we also haven't killed the cat or caught uncle lewis' toupee on fire.

well, we don't have a cat or an uncle lewis.

thank goodness.

and of course, the best for last.  the whole reason for all of this.

the nativity scene from peru. 

i bought these for my mom and a couple other people when i was living in peru and didn't buy myself one.  i wasn't thinking i'd have a house to decorate for a long time. 

didn't know it would be quiiiteee so soon :)

but, mom is sweet enough to let me borrow hers.

especially since she has the willow tree nativity scene that i'm super jealous of!

hope you enjoyed the tour!