Feature Friday - LOC

Tonight's feature is on the cleaning products that are available through our new business - Legacy Of Clean! These products are family/earth friendly as well as tough. If you know me, you know I LOVE to clean, therefore I am always in the market for a great cleaning product. I love these cleaners because they get the "dirty" job done (pun intended), smell great, and I don't have to worry about Eliana and Owen using them to "help". These products have been around for over 50 years (before green was a fad) and have stood the test of time!

For this week's feature you can get a Buy One get the Second 50% off! These products are already priced great, but with this week discount you can take advantage of trying a great product at minimul cost. 

Just contact me by email - dawn_prather@yahoo.com or go directly to my retail website - www.amway.com/dtprather. 

Happy Shopping (continue reading below for more great info on LOC products)

Prayers and Blessings - Dawn


Many products claim to be safe and “green” these days, but can you prove it?We have partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Designed for the Environment program. Many of our formulas and ingredients have already been reviewed by the EPA and third-party accreditation contractors to meet their goals for safety. Review the Conversion brochure to see which products have already received the EPA’s Designed for the Environment designation.

We’re also a participant in the A.I.S.E. (International Association for Soaps, Detergents, and Maintenance Products) “Charter for Sustainable Cleaning.” As a participant, we voluntarily commit to follow this industry initiative for continual improvement in sustainability. Each phase of the product’s life cycle (raw material selection, chemical safety, resource use, occupational health and safety, and advice to customers on how best to use the products) is assessed, reviewed, and externally verified. The goal? Being a trendsetter and role model for continual improvement in sustainability for the entire cleaning products industry.

LEGACY OF CLEAN products are known as “planet-positive” because of the biodegradable ingredients and processes used to create them. At Amway, we strive to minimize our environmental footprint by using wind energy, recycling more than 70% of waste generated, and conserving energy and water. Our manufacturing facility is surrounded by an actively managed wildlife habitat.

LEGACY OF CLEAN family-friendly, planet-positive products are sustainable, featuring naturally derived ingredients for better cleaning results – and concentrated formulas. So rest assured, while you’re making things cleaner, safer, and brighter at home, you’re doing the same for the planet with LEGACY OF CLEAN laundry and cleaning products.

Daydreamer

If you really knew me ;) .... you would know that I'm a DAYDREAMER! (and a crazy night dreamer for that matter), but that's probably another post!

I use to think that being a day dreamer was not a great quality I possessed. I am always distracted by what is going through my mind and my mind is going 100mph all the time! But the older I get the more I love this about myself. I love that I'm a dreamer with BIG dreams. It leaves me excited for life and looking for the next adventure. I have dreams about now and dreams for the future. I may not accomplish all my dreams, but I know they will give me a zeal for life that maybe others are left without. 

As a little peak into my mind (its a crazy place) here are the things I daydream about:

*Serving - I am always thinking about how God may want to use me (us) to serve. At church, in the community, across the world!  Trying to make sure that we don't spread ourselves too thin, but not miss an opportunity at the same time. Thinking of what book to read next and scripture to study to make us better servants and disciples. And doing a gut check to make sure all our actions are geared to Glorify God.

*Adoption - wondering where our child will be from, what situation the family is in, what the relationship with the orphanage will be, will they be a boy or girl, what will their name be, how will our family adjust, how will our extended family and friends adjust, will they have a good adolescence in a family that doesn't look like them, and so on...

*Owning a successful at home business - I love anything that requires my hard work to succeed. we have already made steps on this dream with becoming involved in Amway. I think about how to grow this business, how to communicate the quality of the product without being a nag, how to offer this business opportunity without being pushy. I also think long term and what I want from this business 5 years from now.

*Crafting/Creating - I love to do anything creative and crafting feeds this addiction quite well, and a pinch of pinterest and my mind is swirling in this department. What to make next? (usually relates to the season, event, or gift) Thinking of what I want to create that is original and not just a pinterest copy cat. I think of having a booth at a craft fair and selling bows, bow-ties, headbands, and other fun stuff, and then wonder if anyone would buy them. I ponder my next Michael's or Hobby Lobby purchase. And then wonder how many times I will burn myself with the hot glue gun!

*Blogging - I think about what will people want to read about if they are reading my blog? Mostly what fun stories I want to tell our family and friends. I think about changing the lay out (again), and maybe trying to make it a profitable blog. I contemplate trying to get more followers or just enjoying the writing/creative outlet. 

*The Mustard Seed - our future cafe ;) We imagine this will be a dream that will come to be when our children are grown and probably out of the house, a retirement dream. I think about recipes (I even have a little notepad I write my favorites in). The business logic of owning a restaurant. What the place would look like, what kind of vibe I want it to give off, what kind of events we could have, if we would sell any books/art/products there. I note that I must learn how to make coffee drinks to make this a reality (this terrifies me the most... lol). This is one of my go to daydreams for sure!

*Cooking - another creative outlet. I love creating new recipes - I hate following a recipe to the T (thus not a fabulous baker). I love making my food look and taste as good as what I could get in a restaurant. I often eat things and try and dissect them to figure out how it was made so I can recreate it if I like it! I have thought of having a catering business and even make cupcakes, cake pops, and cakes for some events. 

Other things I daydream, but not as intensely:

*Techy stuff - web layouts, marketing, photo editing, video making, worship image creations

*Photography - while my camera right now leaves much to be desired I have always loved photography and capturing a moment

*Interior Design - I am ALWAYS rearranging our furniture, thinking of new ways to decorate, and looking at everyone else's home for inspiration and ideas. I absolutely love to look at people's homes - from how their furniture is laid out to what wall colors they chose. I would love to help people with interior design but not sure I am quite qualified.

*Writing - while I am not a great writer, I enjoy it, I think of writing a book but when I have started I get to about page 35 and take a permanent break... lol 

*Children Lesson Planning - wondering what creative things I can think of to help Eliana, Owen, and our future children learn. Not just learn their basics of reading, writing, math, and such. But also learning to be someone with a good heart. 

*Party Planning - I love to plan an event, or just have people over in our home. I try not to go overboard but sometimes it happens. I would love to help others plan a party (especially children's parties) 

*Sewing - thanks to my grandma I understand the basic skills of sewing but hope to brush up on this more

*Traveling - I want to see the world and show the world to our children

*Cleaning - Yes, I know its crazy but I think of this often - what I want to clean next or organize. What can I say, I get great joy out of the end product of cleaning!

*Adventures with my hubby - I love trying to plan fun dates, daydream about a future get away, and so on!

*Family and Friends - I often think of what they are up to, how to pray for them, or what I could do to speak love to them!

*Sports - Mostly golfing and running, but think of playing all kinds and when and where.

*Stuff - Yes superficial but I do think of stuff I want to buy, what I would love for a present (cursed with a love language of gifts. lol ), fashion, hair, kid fashion (this one can get me), kitchen appliances, and so on...

Well I may have forgotten a few, but you get the idea - I AM A DREAMER! I know that this turned into a lengthy post, but hopefully this entertained you and didn't scare you!!! LOL!!! Just another peak into our lives, who I am and what my hubs has to deal with! ha ha

What do you daydream about???

Blessings and Prayers - Dawn 

SAHM Adventures ...

I never imagined that I would be a Stay At Home Mom, I was just sure I would have a career and my children would be with family or a really great pre-school. But as God often likes to remind me (very often) my plans are not my own! At first it took some adjustment to "feel" successful as a SAHM, but today I could not be more thankful, joyful, whatever -ful, about being a SAHM!! I LOVE my time with our kiddos and would not trade this experience for all the money someone (or a "career") could offer me!

Some fun SAHM adventures lately have included:
*play dates with new VA friends (so thankful for this)
*gym time (kids love the childcare worker and she loves them too!)
*MOPS (mother's of preschooler's ministry)
*intense matchbox car races
*big sister little brother adventures (I'm sure Owen will have pay back in the near future)
*stuffed animal play dates (Owen says - mon-dey, papa puppy, and, teddy bwear
*tea parties
*bible devotions (loving Eliana's bible she got for birthday and her favorite story is Jonah and the whale)
*ballet lessons (what Eli looks forward to all week)
*lego building
*family game time (so fun that Eliana has reached the age to play board games)
*on the spot science lessons (explaining to Eliana how the earth rotates around the sun)
*lots of giggles and hugs
*and on and on...

I just have been reminded daily lately what a blessing SAHM adventures are, and I can't wait to share more with you!

Prayers and Blessings - Dawn

Adoption Awareness Month

November is Adoption Awareness month and so I want to include more information on adoption opportunities, facts, and how to...

This is how I started a saved post back in November, and needless to say I never finished and published that post (obviously).  All month in November I would think "I really want to blog about adoption, this is really something important on my heart." But I never made it happen. Then after November was over I would think "I really wish I would have blogged about Adoption Awareness month, why didn't I do that, it is really something close to my heart."  Finally a few weeks ago God reminded me that it doesn't need to be November or Adoption Awareness month for me to blog about adoption.

Here is what I believe about adoption - God calls us to take care of orphans: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world " James 1:27
And as a follower of Christ I want to be eager to look after orphans (and help widows). I do not think that every single Christian is called to adopt. There are other ways to help orphans - sponsorship, financial assistance to adopting families, GOing on mission trips, and prayer. I DO believe that as a Christian we are called to ONE of these ways of caring for orphans. For my husband and I we feel called to many of these service outlets, but feel that God is setting us on a path to adopt in the near future (God willing, very very near future).

Adoption has many different paths - local, foreign, agency driven, location driven, etc, etc... The paths can be difficult to navigate and decide on but that is where faith comes in (right?).  We are still unsure what path we are suppose to head down and literally are taking this journey one blind step at a time, we have knowledge but no clear vision on the path only the end goal.  And just like we heard in church this morning - God gives vision but often the road to that vision is different then we imagine! However we fulfill the vision we are excited for the journey and the end result (a new son and/or daughter in our family).

 As we realistically start this journey I find my mind wondering, thinking -
Is our child born?
Is their a woman pregnant with our child right now?
Will our child be a boy or a girl?
Will they be from Africa (like we anticipate) or elsewhere?

As soon as these thoughts (and hundreds more) go through my mind I can't help but begin to pray. Pray for our child who may be in a bad and unhealthy environment. Pray for the mother who will need to give up her child for whatever reason, pray for her health, her spirit, her life. Oh I ache thinking that OUR CHILD may already be out there or in their mother's womb and we are just sitting her waiting. Oh what a journey I know this will be!

Today we walked forward at church (during prayer time) and asked for prayer in this journey. As we stood there and sweet strangers prayed for us we wept (well mostly I wept Todd keeps it together much better then me) but not a scared or dreary cry, but excited and in anticipation. Then the sweet woman praying for us begins to tell me -
"this will be your child, this journey is as if you were pregnant with this baby in your womb, you will love this child just as much as your natural children" and then.... I really wept :)  I have no idea (we have no idea) what the journey will look like but we are EXCITED, we are ANTICIPATING and we are EAGER! And with that will come PATIENCE!

I did not start this post though to talk about our adoption journey but to bring awareness, stir your heart, and encourage you that YOU CAN do something. YOU CAN care for an orphan in some fashion. and YOU ARE called to do so! God is honored when we obey His commands and we are blessed when we do!

I want to leave you with a few links (after my babbling)
1st - an article from a great adoption website on how YOU CAN - http://www.rainbowkids.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=764

2nd - A link to an orphanage that is near and dear to our hearts, where you could possibly adopt from, but also where you can sponsor a child (or widow). We know these people personally and  the money you give goes to these children to provide for their daily needs - http://sheltering-wings.org/#/home

3rd - I would suggest that if you want any more information on any of these support options to ask your pastor, read adoption blogs, google to get information on adoption or sponsorship... YOU CAN, and WE SHOULD!

And if you have any links, information, or thoughts Please Leave a Comment!

Thanks for reading as I rambled!

Prayers and Blessings - Dawn

Feature Friday - Lip Gloss

Hey everyone ! TGIF! right? I really feel like I should never say this as a SAHM, but I will say it anyway - TGIF :) 

Well this Friday I want to feature a product I LOVE and love to keep with me in my purse at all times!

And that is the LIGHT UP LIP GLOSS! Whoever thought of this was a GENIUS!!! Can you sense my excitement this evening? (it's the lip gloss and the extra energy from the paleo diet!)

First I must ask who all watched this moment?

Miss America 2012!

Beautiful :)

and she (along with all the other contestants) were wearing The Artistry make-up line! They were looking fabulous and so can you! You can purchase any Artistry product on my site -   www.amway.com/dtprather

And for this week ONLY you can get the Light Up Lip Gloss at a discount!

This product comes in 3 different colors and regularly retails for $15

This week's deal (through the 28th) is $12

or 2 for $20!

So email me - Dawn_Prather@yahoo.com to order or go straight to the site (above)

Happy Shopping &

Prayers and Blessings - Dawn

One week Paleo

Well I have been on this CRAZY diet for ONE WEEK. It seems crazy that it has only been one week because so much has gone on in that one week. The diet (or challenge) is the paleo whole 30. A commitment to 30 days of only eating whole food. That basically means - meat, fish, eggs, veggies, 1 serving of fruit a day, and some nuts. What that also means is - no sugar, carbs, starch, dairy, and anything processed. When you get to the nuts and bolts of it, you really can't eat much of what is in your pantry.

The first few days were TOUGH! Essentially I was detoxing and felt it. I had thought before this challenge that I ate fairly healthy - we rarely ate fast food, I cooked a lot of veggies, ate fruit, and watched my portion sizes.  But the after effects of the detox have shown me that I was NOT eating healthy by any means, or I would not have felt so horrible.  I literally had a headache for 3 solid days. I'm sure it is mostly from the lack of SUGAR! Regardless - today I feel AMAZING! I ran 2 miles today like it was no big deal. I have pushed myself this far before on a work out and even to 4 miles, but never feeling like I do now. I have also lost that sluggish afternoon feeling, and the evening blah's! I am so excited about how I feel and the weight loss results (7lbs this week) but even more feel excited how this is transforming the way I cook and how my family eats.

I have always LOVED to cook and in fact I can't wait to open a Cafe with my hubby one day ( a long time dream) But this week I have got to stretch myself out of my comfort zone and cook things I have never cooked before:
*fresh steamed artichoke
*home made taco seasoning
*home made mayo
*fresh mixed spice rubs
*talapia
*brined chicken
and more to come!

I just had to share this life changing week I am having! I can't wait to continue to share my results and how I transform this 30 day challenge into an every day lifestyle! Don't get me wrong though, I miss CHEESE and CARBS and on day 31 (February 10th our 5th anniversary) I look forward to indulging a little in them. But then it will be back to paleo!

Lastly I know this is another healthy step in my "weight issue" journey! I can't wait for the results of this challenge and to start my Nutrilite supplements along side my healthy eating,  and get to the BIG results I'm working towards!

So if you are feeling blah, yucky, and have no energy - maybe the paleo challenge is for you???


Prayers and Blessings - Dawn

Ballet Class!!!

Eliana started her first Ballet class yesterday! She has been asking to go to ballet class for months and was given a certificate for class for her birthday! Yesterday she was so excited and couldn't wait to have her first "ballerina bun".  Eli had about 10 girls in her class ranging from 4 - 7 years old, and made friends right away. Her teacher is very bubbly and sweet, and also structured enough I can tell she will learn a lot of good stuff!!! In her first class she learned the first position and second! she also learned little jumps and good posture.  I always loved dance class and know Eli is going to love it too. She can't wait to go to class next week, and you know I'll have video camera in hand in June when she has her recital :)  These are some fun mommy moments.

Prayers and Blessings - Dawn

Feature Friday - Slimmetry

Now that we are starting our business adventure I will feature a product each Friday with a LIMITED TIME DISCOUNT!!!! 

For this Friday I wanted to feature - Slimmetry, its a weight loss supplement made from four all organic plant extracts. In 14 week tests, people taking Slimmetry lost on average 10 pounds more then those taking a placebo! The perfect aid in your New Year's Resolutions! Research says that most people will give up on their resolutions by the third week... so let Slimmetry be the boost to make your weight loss resolutions a REALITY!!!

This product retails for $40.00

and for this week (1-13 through 1-20) I will offer a discount

to get YOUR Slimmitry 20% OFF!

To take advantage of this discount email me @

dawn_prather@yahoo.com

You can also check out other great products @ my site

http://www.amway.com/dtprather

Prayers and Blessings - Dawn

New Year New Oppurtunities

Hey everyone I am so excited to tell you about a recent business opportunity Todd and I have plunged into and are excited about. After a few months of contemplation we have decided to sell Nutrilite vitamins and the other products that the company offers (make up, cleaning products, household products, jewelry, etc..) While all the products are fantastic, we joined because we really believe in the Nutrilite Vitamin line. In the past years as a stay at home mom I have considered selling a lot of different things, but nothing ever felt 100%, I feel great about these products because of the quality behind the product, how the products have stood the test of time, and personal testimony to the great benefit the products have given customers.

The BIG kicker for us diving in was the organic vitamins, most vitamins are made with chemicals in a lab. But Nutrilite is made straight from plants and herbs, to give your body what it was designed to have! To read about the whole process you can go to my website - http://www.amway.com/dtprather You can also purchase products straight from my website, take a health assessment that will give you answers as to what vitamins are best for you, and browse all the great products that are offered. Below in this post I have included my friend (and successful sponsor's) favorite products.

Double X multi vitamin pack - great overall proactive vitamin that boosts your immune system as well as filling your nutritional gaps.

 

Rhodiola - a great boost when you need some energy and focus.

CLA 500 - A weight loss supplement that helps you burn fat while supporting lean muscle retention. Great for achieving the new year's resolutions.

XS energy drinks - a low carb, sugar free energy drink that gives you a boost with B vitamins!

Polishing scrub - great to keep in the shower to exfoliate and moisturize at the same time.

Light up Lip Gloss - more then a great lip gloss it comes with a light and a mirror built in to make sure your gloss goes where its suppose to!

Legacy of clean products - the cleaning line that is organic, safe for the whole family, and has cleaning power that has stood the test of time,

These are just a few of the products that are offered, but I wanted to show you some of the favorites. Again if you want to check out my website go to - http://www.amway.com/dtprather or comment so I can give you more information and help you get a great product at a discount!!!!

Thank you so much, prayers and blessings - Dawn

");

Owen's "hat"

 Owen is at such a fun stage in life right now. He is such a "little man" with lots on his mind and lots to say. I use to think that he would be my mild tempered child and I guess compared to Eliana's very type A, flamboyant personality he is. But Owen is far from meek and quite! He has lots to say (most recently WHY?, I don't want that, and learning how to make fun noises with his mouth), lots to do (play with cars, and more cars, and more cars, oh and then balls!), and quite the imagination (also a characteristic his sister shares)!  Recently Todd said that I had to blog about Owen's "hat", so I am sharing our fun little family story with you this evening! 

About 2 months ago Owen was playing in the Tupperware cabinet (my kids often do this and yet I always wonder why I can't keep it organized!) and he came across a bowl that fit perfectly on his head. It fits him almost like a little top hat! At first it was an occasional thing of him digging out the bowl and wearing it, but now it is a daily accessory.  So far we have been able to keep this accessory in the confinement of our home but I have a feeling he will be asking to wear it out in public soon!

I just had to include this!!! Happy Hat Hunting :)

 It is so cute how kids find their way in life and make their own little paths! It is such a joy to be a mom and so thankful for the kids we have been blessed with and especially the fun they bring to our life's.

Prayers and Blessings - Dawn

Christmas Card Secret... shhhhh

So I have decided to reveal my Christmas Card secret :)  Two years ago I decided that I wanted to find a different alternative to the regular Christmas cards, mostly because it is EXPENSIVE! I would end up spending $100 by the time I had Christmas cards printed, and the postage for them to be mailed. Plus it would take me forever to get them together, it became more of a form of stress then joy for me around Christmas. So I did some research and decided to go with a Christmas "video card".  I do love sending things in the mail and receiving things in the mail but since we are in the techno age I thought it was ok to switch to a "techno" Christmas card. After some research I found a website called ANIMOTO.com Its a great site that has pre-made videos that you can custom make into your own personal video. You can use them for all kinds of things - baby announcements, save the dates, big news, and of coarse Christmas Videos. I realized that for $5 I could sign up and send our video to all our friends and family, then when I was done with the video I could unsubscribe with no added fees. So basically I could have a great Christmas Card for all our family and friends for $5! Once I signed up and loaded our pics it was easy as pie. I get a lot of compliments on doing our Christmas Card this way and my husband loves it too. I tell you all this not because I'm a spokesperson for animoto (although I would love some plugging cash) but just to share in the secret. Maybe next year you will save some time and money and switch to a "techno" Christmas Card!  And for anyone who hasn't been able to check our our video yet here it is.... http://animoto.com/play/V9OkEvgZWWHX4q2mUf5wXg

Prayers and Blessings - Dawn

2012 GOALS!

I am a classic "resolutionist", I make a resolution and more then likely I DO NOT maintain it by the end of the year! But this year is different and while I still want to start fresh this year with new resolutions, I am dubbing them GOALS! I know this won't mean I will achieve them just because I am naming them goals verses resolutions, but life and the future feel different to me in 2012!  Usually I make a resolution because I feel I have failed the year before, that I need to change who I am and become a better person and the way to do that is through the typical resolutions... But this year is different, I feel like I am already moving forward on a great path filled with contentment and joy and my goals move along that path to better who I am, not work to change myself! With that being said I am sharing my MAJOR goals with you. I am realizing as I get older that I am a day-dreamer who constantly thinks of new projects and plans, but I'll just stick with the big ones for now!

#1 - Dig DEEP in God's word. Right now I am more hungry for God's word and truth then I have ever been. I pray that God will sustain this hunger through the year and allow me to grow in knowledge and truth! I want to be more excited to read God's word then I am to read The Hunger Games or Twilight ( and I was pretty excited about those!)

#2 - Begin the adoption process.  My husband and I have a longing to grow our family through adoption. We have known it would be in our future, but believe that God is ready for us to begin the process. We are researching where to start and gaining wisdom from others who have walked this path before. Our hope is to have at least completed our home study by the end of the year and have a direction as to where God wants us to adopt from.

#3 - Change my relationship with food. This is something I have been working on for a while, but feel that with the help of the holy spirit I have made great strides in the last year and hope to make even more strides this year. I have battled an eating disorder since I was 14, and have battled weight and food issues pretty much all my life. This is a demon I do not want to pass along to my children and want to have a healthy relationship with food and my body! I know it takes baby steps and am finding joy in this journey!

#4 - Run a 1/2 marathon in Washington DC.  This is my more "fun" goal, if you call running "fun"! Lol But I really want to take advantage of our surroundings and do something I will not be able to do later in life. I have ran some 5k's, but that doesn't put a dent in a 1/2 marathon. It is something I have wanted to do for a long time and living in this area is boosting my desire. I have found a ton of races that I would love to participate in and plan to do a 5k in February or March and work my way up from there. I would also love to do a race at the beach :) I know this is a goal I can accomplish, it will just be a matter of I WILL rather then I CAN'T!

So there you have it a peak into my mind and my goals for this year! Unlike any other year I am excited for these goals and what this year has in store for me, my family, and my spiritual life! I hope you are excited for the new year and it is giving you excitement for life! I would love if you would share your goals or even your "resolutions" :)

Prayers and Blessings - Dawn

Christmas crafts and homemade gifts!

Trying to wrap up Christmas posts and move forward to the new year!!!  I wanted to post on fun crafty stuff before but couldn't post about Christmas presents I hadn't given yet. Ya know? Christmas of all seasons really inspires my craftiness.  There were a million projects I wanted to do (thank you pinterest), but I reduced it to a few.

These are a few of my favorite Christmas projects...

I wanted to make Christmas decorations so the cone trees, sign, and wreath were my major projects.  I made a wreath based on this one from whipperberry but somewhere my picture of it got deleted or lost and it is now put away until next year. It was very similar to this one only with a green ribbon since I was going for a more whimsical look this year for Christmas! Overall I enjoyed making Christmas decor. Next year I would like  to tackle homemade stockings for everyone amongst a few other projects.

A hot cocoa bar was on my to do list this year and my parents took it to the next level with all their fun Keurig mixes! This and the necessary Christmas sweets were a fun way to use my creative muscles!

These 3 pictures of the presents I was able to craft up before I headed to the midwest. Needless to say I made a LOT of bows, hair bands, and my favorite a hair scarf head band thingy (technical name of coarse). I also fell in love with making little boy bow ties, I plan to make a ton of these and some ties this spring. And lastly I made a daily memory record for a friend (also inspired by pinterest). It holds a card for each day of the year and you can write down something for the day and the year and rotate the cards through the years, then share with your kids when they are older. It was a fun present to make and give :)

Now that Christmas is over its time to turn my attention to spring and other craft projects! Always a reason to be creative and crafty, right? :) 

Prayers and Blessings - Dawn

Christmas is best in the Midwest...

We were fortunate enough this year to head to the midwest for Christmas. We were able to see LOTS of family and friends. It was great to see everyone since we have moved so far away, and enjoy hugs, laughs, fellowship, and love!  Here is a little breakdown of how we spent our Christmas....

Our Christmas adventures started in Southwest KS...

We celebrated December birthdays - Eliana, Myself, my brother Jake, and brother in-law Josh...

There was snow to play in and made for a beautiful white Christmas.

We had a lot of good family time!



We made gingerbread houses on Christmas Eve, one of my favorite Christmas traditions...

The kids were excited for "santa"

And "santa" delivered ;)



It was a great time in SW KS and we miss everyone there already!



Our next stop was to see our friends the Hodson's..

It was great to see them and catch up.

From there we headed to central KS with Todd's mom to see his cousins, and aunts and uncles. I always love getting together with their large family. Their is something about a busy house full of noise that warms my heart. But for some reason I didn't get any pics at this stop (oops)... We were only there a few hours and then on the Todd's parents house for some celebration.

Grandma and Grandpa's house was full of baking cookies, playing, long walks, fun games, and laughter! Another great stop on our Christmas "tour"!

Next we headed to Nana's house...

As always Nana spoiled us! We were able to spend good family time and I got to celebrate my birthday with my mom and brother and sister with a full day of shopping, family fun, and ending at my favorite place the Cheesecake factory!

The same night as my birthday we drove to CaliMo to see our friends and catch up...

These girls made my birthday night so great, full of laughs and great time of catching up on their lives!!!

The day before we headed home we were able to meet up with friends at good ole Pizza Hut to see everyone (well most everyone ;) it reminded us that even though we are far away we truly cherish our friendships in CaliMo and plan to protect them through the years!

Lastly we drove to KC where we met with Todd's aunt and uncle and cousin Graham for dinner and a little sleep before we flew out early the next morning. They loved us up on the end of our journey and made our send off easy and enjoyable!

And WHEW.... that made me tired just putting it all together into one blog post!  I must say that the kids were amazing on this trip, they traveled well, adapted well, and only had a few melt downs! Considering the craziness I'll take it! And as each year passes this year was no different, the Christmas season left me overwhelmed with Joy for my family, Joy for the life God has blessed me with , and Joy for a God that loves me more than I can understand!!!

Thank you for reading this long post and hope you all had a wonderful Christmas as well!

Prayers and Blessings - Dawn