What I love on pinterest this week!!

Source: pictureperfectbodywerkit.tumblr.com via Calli on Pinterest

Good to know!

Christmas tree getting!!

I love getting our Christmas tree its one of my favorite things to do every year. This year though I had to be realistic and pick a tree more quickly; due to Seth not having much patience. 

Cuddling with mama and watching daddy cut our tree down!

Seth had his first sled accident. We were planning to pull Seth in his baby sled but the snow was to deep and we ended up giving him a nice face wash in the snow.  Poor little guy was TERRIFIED after the sled tipped over in the deep snow.  Jesse ended up having to carry him.  We didn't go that far!

Here is the tree that Jesse picked.  It's defiantly going to be a Charlie Brown special.  I'll put more pictures up later when It's decorated!

Turns out trying to drag a heavy tree in deep snow with snowshoes on is a lot of hard work.  Jesse fell down and was stuck for a little bit.  Eli, our dog, kept on biting and pulling on the tree branches!

Pure genius!

Family shot!

Sitting in his sled in the shallow snow!

Seth's first's

1. First Christmas tree getting with Seth!
2. First sledding face wash! Poor guy!
3. First watching daddy cut a tree down!

Baby's first Thanksgiving!

I have a lot to be thankful for.

Seth's bib that he wore for his first Thanksgiving!

1.  A healthy family
2. Our wonderful baby, Seth!
3. Living in one of the most beautiful spots on earth
4. My hubby having a steady income
5. Our house
6. My faith in Jesus Christ
7. Going to be an Auntie again!  In January.
8. Good friends
9. Freezer full of wild game and halibut, king Salmon etc...
10. The freedom to read my Bible without hiding it; like so many brothers and sisters do in prosecuted countries.
11. The freedom and time to be able to travel like we do
12. A wonderful relationship with my Hubby

 Not necessarily in that order!

Amish bread dough rising.

  I had a busy morning bake Amish white bread, cheese dinner rolls and sweet potato bake for Thanksgiving.  This is our fourth Thanksgiving in Petersburg! Wow does the time fly by!  We have an annual Thanksgiving feed at our friends house.

Seth loved this rocking horse at our friends house! And their HUGE toy/play room!

I thought this was a cool picture; this is the snow that is on our roof.  When I look out this window all I see is a foot of snow! 

Decorating for the holidays!

We (Seth and I) have been busy decorating the house the last few days.  Yes, days... a job that use to take me one day!  But with nap times, meals, snacks, and fussiness getting in the way; things slow down.  Plus decorating is kind of hazardous with a baby.  You have Christmas light bulbs, glass bulbs,fake snow laying on the floor waiting for him to shove in the mouth! Not to mention the ladder that he wants to climb on or teeth it. Seth constantly has his little hands full!

Seth looking at the tote of new things!

I'm hoping by Saturday the house will be decorated!  We will be getting the tree on Friday! YAY!  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Now off I go to find the dog; he went visiting again!

The Vistor

It wouldn't seem right if I didn't do a post about Eli, our dog.  Simply because he's a big part of mine and Seth's day.  Plus he is Seth's first dog ;)
The breeding for him is undetermined.  Some say lab, retriever, and boarder collie... and others, lab, retriever and pit bull.  We call him a mutt.  He sure is friendly for whatever he is.

Eli

I wish I could go on with how well trained he is and what not.  His biggest problem is he loves to go visiting.  He loves other dogs, children and any human willing to pet him.  We have to keep him tied if he's outside by himself.  At night he sleeps indoor and spends most of his time indoors during the day with Seth and I.  But if he gets an itch to take off to go visiting; well you just really have to watch him!  The neighbors all say the same thing about him "what a friendly dog" or "our kids love playing with him".

He has had complaints about being over at a certain neighbor's house at 2 in the morning; getting her dogs barking and waking up their baby.  I have called the police department many times looking for him; one time actually having to go down and "bail" him out of "in pound-ment".... one fine (for dog at large) and $60 later...     His running, or visiting, is his biggest down fall.  The positive is that he loves children and babies.  He's super gentle with Seth.  And Seth loves him.  He always wants to climb all over Eli and pull on his cheeks and lips and poke at his eyes.  God bless the hearts of gentle animals.

Snowman that Hubby and I built last year.  Before we went down and had Seth.

Hubby is not the biggest fan of Eli.  Although he can see the merit of how gentle and sweet he is with children and specially Seth.  Eli is only 1 1\2 years old; we are hoping he mellows out with age!

We are getting excited with Thanksgiving in a few days!  Seth's first Thanksgiving!  On Friday we are hoping to get our Christmas tree; and decorate the house on Saturday. 

first snow of the year!

Well, I can't say this is Seth's first encounter with snow, considering that he was born in January last year.  But this is his first time playing in snow, and going on his first sled ride!

Bundled up ready for the snow!

This is his first sled that a friend gave him at our baby shower!  Finally using it!

Seth and his trusty dog, Eli.

Wheee!!  He loved being pulled on his first sled ride

first time sitting in the snow!

a few first steps

Seth has been working hard on his walking.  Here is a video of some of his first steps.  Last night he walked across the living room, before falling down.

Inside a mosque. (ok more Turkey pictures!)

This is the mosque that we went to in Ankara Turkey

Empty

Beautiful ceilings

Huge empty mosque

evening time

(Philippians 2:10-11)

Lollipop

Seth and his first lollipop!

I'm a terrible mom in the fact that I didn't dress Seth up for his first halloween :( Seth would have been a cow for halloween.  Oh well I was sick plus there is always next year!  But he did however got to enjoy a lollipop from my mom.
Yes, he did LOVE.

breakfast

Boring title I know, but as I'm writing this my lower back is in PAIN...  Which I will blame on the Buns of Steel step workout that I did yesterday. 

Don't let the boring title stop you from reading and making this Oatmeal; it's to die for.  This seriously is the best oatmeal I have EVER had.  My oatmeal usually is just boiled oats with brown sugar on top...boring!  I found this recipe in last months Parenting the Early Years magazine. I made it this morning and fell in love with it... Seth enjoyed it as well.  I did change a few things up on the recipe!  This was actually Seth's first non baby oatmeal.

Yummy Oatmeal
Serves 4 (1-cup servings)
2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
2 cups milk
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Combine oatmeal, milk, water and salt  bring to a simmer over medium heat four about 10 minutes, stirring often. Let sit for 5 minutes.  If you like your oatmeal runnier, stir in a splash more milk or water until you've got the consistency you're after.

Toppings. 1/4 cup  walnuts, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and  2 Tbsp of maple syrup or honey.  ( I did maple syrup simply because I have two gallons of homemade maple syrup from WISCONSIN!)   Serve oatmeal with 2 thinly sliced bananas, walnut topping, and maple syrup! YUM