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Stephanie Howell

reading, organizing, shopping, momming too close to the sun. Home is wherever the Army sends us.

Thanksgiving in Photos

so i just have to share a few favorites of the family.

we had a great, restful day.
i’m still tired from eating so much (and the fact that I’m STILL sick)
and the fact that sadie has an ear infection…

 

i should have trained for thanksgiving.
man, i am wiped out. and quite possibly will be banished from WW forever. 
heee!!

 

so here are a few of my favorites, along with some of my mom’s beautiful decor.
i know you guys love seeing her insanely beautiful and creative home.

 

xo
s

 

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A Quickie

I have no voice. I haven’t had one for 2 days.

Needless to say, it’s extremely frustrating trying to give a 2 year old
direction and reminders without a voice.

 

So when she walked up to Sadie this morning, yelled PEEKABOO,
and slapped her on both cheeks (!?!?!?!?!?)
I had to rely on facial expressions alone.
Apparently my withering gaze (perfected from teaching 2nd grade)
You know the one- the “i’m so disappointed, I can’t believe you did that” face,
which by the way is the same face I give people that kick my seat OVER AND OVER
at the movies or on a plane…well apparently it worked.

She stopped dead in her tracks and slunk off to hide.
Then I pointed at her room, and off she went, crying and sniffling.
She came out shortly, saying “I weady to be sweet”.
She walked over to Sadie, hugged her and said
“I sowwy sissy. I not hit you again. I wove you”.

 

Yesssss. Job well done mama.
I’ve still got the face. 

 

I’ve got a quick page to share and then I’m off to continue giving
verrry dramatic facial expressions and frantic hand motions.
I probably look like I’m on crack.
Good thing no one can see me (b/c of the motions, and also b/c i’m wearing a college t-shirt from 10 years ago, jimmy’s sweat pants, and socks with grippers on the bottom).

 

Sidenote: if Harper does not stop following me into the bathroom and yelling ” YOU DID IT!! YOU TEE TEED IN THE POTTY!!! GOOD JOB MAMA!!!”.
I am going to lose it.
I have no privacy anymore. None.

 

happy wednesday, friends.
xo

 

P.S. This layout is for the Simple Scrapbooks weekly challenge. I used a simple scheme from the Nov/Dec issue. The scheme is by Sara Winnick.

 

I did the layout for the ladies at Right at Home Scrapbooking. Thanks so much for the goodies!

 

Total bribery

 

pp, die cuts, alpha stickers- Crate Paper
mini alphas, ribbon- Making MEmories

The Other Day

h: daddy still in ahhgannisann?

me: yes, he is.
h: still being bwave? 
me: yes, very brave.

 

h: daddy come home soon?
me: yes, in a little bit he will come home to visit!
h: three howell girls, one daddy!
me: yeah, we will have a boy in the house!!!

 

h: uh, mama…he not a boy (said with total disdain)..he a MAN!!!!! a good man!!
me: touche.

 

and don’t you worry that harper has now been saying touche. hehehehe.

 

just had to record that conversation for posterity, so thought i should blog.
i also wanted to share a new LO:

 

Learning

 

cardstock- k and co (corrugated), bazzill (red)
patterned paper- crate paper (green), SEI (blue dot)
butterfly- maya road
paint- making memories
sheet music, buttons- vintage
journaling card- collage press
letters- making memories
leaf- prima
 
Just a reminder, I’ll be drawing a winner for the giveaway (below) tonight.
So you still have time to join in if you are so inclined.

 

Off to play nurse. Harper has the beginning stages of pneumonia, so she’s on steroids, antibiotics, and an inhaler. She was so scared of the x-ray machine,
bless her little heart.

 

I’m so glad we caught it early…and it shows me that i still have good motherly instincts. =)

 

Have a beautiful day.
xo

Somebody Needs a Tripod

or a remote.

or both.
why, you might ask????
Please observe.

 

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Seriously, just sad. Apparently balancing the camera on H’s slide didn’t work. 
The one of Harper by herself makes me laugh SO hard.
teehee!!!
Bless my heart and bless my photography (un)skills.
Sad, really.
But even though the bottom one is blurry, it still makes me happy.
And that’s what matters, right??

 

Also making me laugh is this recent conversation in the car.

 

H: OH!! DIS KINGS OF WEWAND!! (i was listening to a kings of leon CD and that is how she pronounces their name).

 

me: yes it is!!

 

H: I LOVE KINGS OF WEWAND!!! I LOVE WEWAND!! HE A GOOD MAN!!

 

me: uh, what???

 

She is so random, I tell you.

 

Well that’s about it. Hope you are having a lovely weekend!
xo

11/21

Hey everyone, yes I’m still here! Thank you so much for all of your comments and emails about cold remedies. 

I feel like I’m not completely out of the woods yet, but it definitely hasn’t turned into a full-fledged sickness.
All that’s left is a slightly sore throat and major sleepiness.
Yay!! Hopefully crisis averted, thanks to all of you!

 

I mainly haven’t blogged b/c there is nothing AT ALL to say.
Same old, same old over here. 
I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving next week, we will be going to my parents house.
Thanksgiving is J’s absolute favorite holiday, I know he hates being away.
I’m pretty sure he won’t even get a turkey dinner. =(
I’m thankful for the distraction of my parents house.
No use in sitting around thinking about how it COULD be.
I need to concentrate on how blessed I am. And I really AM.

 

Last Thanksgiving I was pregnant and miserable 
(especially when I was warned by J’s grandfather not to eat all the food as I was walking through the buffet line) good times.
This Thanksgiving I have this sweet girl:

 

My sadie

 

PP- Crate Paper, vintage sheet music
die cuts- Amy Butler/K and Co.
alpha- Making Memories
 
Can you believe how big she is getting?
Y’all she is the sweetest thing ever. Yes, maniacal too, but so so sweet.
People constantly stop me and say she is the happiest baby they’ve ever seen.

 

Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while might recall that 
I was in complete shock when I found out I was pregnant with Sadie. 
H was only a year old and we didn’t think we were quite ready for another baby.
I knew Jimmy’s deployment was coming up and oh man, was I scared.
I had so many conflicting emotions during my pregnancy.
I was so worried I wouldn’t know how to share my love, how to give Sadie what she would need.

 

But oh, does the Lord know what he is doing even when I don’t.
He gave us the happiest, loviest, funniest, sweetest baby right when we needed her.
She has been such a sweet gift and especially now, she always brightens my days.

 

A gentle reminder to me that I am not the one in charge.
I cannot plan out every little detail in my life.

 

Right now I’m having to think about that a lot, 
I’m having some things happen to me health-wise that have made me try to analyze everything. Will we have more kids? Should we? When?

 

And Then I hear the Lord softly say “Relax. I have plans for you. You are not in charge. Just listen”.

 

So I do.
And He continues to bless me.

 

I hope you all have a beautiful weekend and that YOU are blessed beyond your heart’s desires. 

Stephanie

 

p.s. My sweet friend Kelly is applying for an exciting job opportunity, and she’s using her blog to show how her internet presence makes her a unique candidate…pretty cool. 
so,
crowdSPRING, hire Kelly for your community manager!