Country Christmas

I had a vision for the past few years of getting a pretty country quilt and going out to a piece of land that has the big rolls of hay...and have the backdrop of what is so beautiful around here mountains and our tree's.. The clouds and sky are also unique to me..

In 2011 I was working with an awesome photographer for all our family photos. We had paid and scheduled a country vintage photo shoot.. We had bought our outfits and then a tragedy struck.. our area was hit by a series of tornados that is rare nationwide.. So the photo shoot was off.. Since then I had the idea for the roll of hay but never got the money or area to do it in.. I don't have a DSLR camera myself either.

I was lucky to find William a pair of overalls just like my grandfather would wear. Overalls for my son's size are hard to find apparently. I actually needed them for Johnny Appleseed day and someone on a yard sale page answer my request and they happened to be just like my grandfather used to wear. They were a smaller size so I just prayed they fit. They fit perfect so he wore them for Johnny Appleseed.. I was under even more pressure to get that picture done but its been cold or rainy for the most part. Its been very all over the place impossible to schedule an outdoor appointment.

I figured Skylar already had some country styled dresses I know one I bought for her birthday. I remember that a friend had pictures done JCPenny that had a bit of a country western theme.. So I called JcPenny and they had a bit of country theme but they told me the Christmas tree was up to stay.. I was like shoot. Then I saw groupon so I decided there was no time like the present to jump. I would make do with angling the Christmas tree out since we didn't get Christmas church clothes this year and William's Christmas Pajamas have also not been easy to get my hands on.

I was talking to my cousin and she said she never remembers Papa Bear (my grandfather) out of overalls I vaguely remember one time going to church with Papa Bear and Nanny on Easter Sunday and I don't think he was wearing his signature overalls but perhaps a crisp button down and slacks.

This is the only picture I have of Papa Bear (and my horse Nugget)

We went to get ready and Skylar tells me she outgrew her dress... and two dresses.. I was so frustrated and couldn't find William's button down. William's boots would go on his feet but they were really tight. Skylar also didn't want to wear her boots. I spent 45 minutes getting the kids ready I didn't have time to get myself ready or hair and make up done nothing. I was so frustrated ready to cancel the appointment with Rick being sick anyways. Rick and Skylar still wanted to go so I was like whatever.. It has been years since we've gotten our picture done.  Make do with what we got and how we look.. whatever..

We got our pictures done then walked around the mall. An elderly woman walked up to William she started to get visibly emotional. She told William how adorable he was. She said little boys don't wear overalls anymore but her grandfather always wore overalls every day of his life. He was even buried in them. Rick told her that's the reason why I chose the overalls as well because my grandfather wearing his. Just an interesting encounter. It seemed to move her that William was in them.

My kids have school itis..

Skylar doesn't love school. She's only in Elementary school and I worry about her finishing high school that's how much she hates school. She gets good grades but hates school. She is not a morning person so she is always dragging butt in the mornings anyways. Well the closer we get winter break the more she struggles.. Even William is struggling and doesn't want to go to school and this kid LOVES homework...It doesn't help they are having upper respiratory issues (allergies, sinus drainage, sore throats, a little cough, stuffy nose). So yeah I can always tell when Winter Break and Summer break are getting close because its harder and harder to get my kids moving... Do your kids get school itis? 

So I guess I am raising a bunch of Linus'

Nothing should come between a child and their blanket....

My oldest Mackenzie was given a Scooby Doo blanket as a baby shower present. For the first year or year and a half of his life he always had his blanket. My now 12 year old Skylar was given a quilt the day she was born at Gordon Hospital when she was in the NICU. My 5 year old William has many blankets. His baby blanket is blue camo with his name on it but he prefers his other ones...

I belong to a group on Facebook and her 11 year old's blanket was basically in threads and she wondered what should she do with it? I told her that's nothing my 12 year old has had hers since the days she was born and won't let it go. I don't have pacifier babies or thumb suckers I have blanket babies. Pacifiers you can usually find an easy replacement and of course your thumb is always connected to your hand but I think those habits are harder to break.

There was a time when Skylar would take her "B" everywhere with her and we went to Kroger. I was putting Skylar in the car and my significant (or Insignificant) other was putting away the groceries in the trunk.. Well he took the cart the cart corral and didn't notice Skylar's blanket was still in the cart! We got home and Skylar was asking for her "B" and it was gone. We rushed back to Kroger and it wasn't in lost and found. One of the employees said he just threw it away... REALLY? a homemade quilt? So we had no choice but to dumpster dive for her precious B and have it washed well.  After that we made a rule that has very little exceptions.. B doesn't leave the house LOL.
Here are pictures of Skylar and her B. Yes the cat has grown with her tooo.




William and his blankets. My friend Erica was PCSing and she left some stuff at my house until she returned from a trip to Washington. Two of the items which were blankets. I guess there was some misunderstanding about the blankets and they got left behind... I am kinda grateful but feel bad at the same time. These are just average Target blankets I am guessing half is silky and the other half is softy minky fabric... William loves them. We have them in two colors blue and red. Sometimes he wants one more than the other and I am trying to wash them enough to keep them clean but the minky is loosing its softness and becoming matted down. There was also this pink pillow he couldn't do without until it got so bad it just HAD to go LOL.. Those blankets aren't even his baby blanket!

I was talking with the receptionist at the school about it and she said her son used to rub the blanket between his fingers. William does this too since both sides have a different fabric he's been known to do it to my hair as well. She said her son now rubs his belt loops on his pants till they break LOL.

I had this blanket made with his name on it blue camo minky dot to match his crib bedding. 

and he came home from the hospital with this blanket and this outfit..

and when they don't have their respective blankets that don't mind sleeping with my oldest son's Scooby doo blanket that I mentioned earlier in the story...believe it or not Mackenzie's blanket has only needed one small fix. If all velour blankets were made this way... It is one of the warmest softest blankets ever as well.. Just not quite long enough to keep my feet warm.. You can find it on my bed most days.