Cookie Makers

Tis the season to bake! My friend Shanna brought her 2 kids over to bake and decorate sugar cookies. While Ellen and Scarlett didn't want much to do with the mixing part, they did decide to help in the rolling and cutting out. Shanna had some super cute, itty bitty cookie cutters that were just right for the girls. After they were all cut out it was time to put them in to bake. (a.k.a. play dress up) We called the girls back into the kitchen to do the icing. That was the biggest hit of the entire cookie making process.


The girls rolling the dough and cutting out the shapes.

Ellen icing her cookies. (Makes you want to ice your next batch of cookies in a tutu doesn't it?)

Scarlett getting ready to ice her cookies too.

The finished products. I think we (Shanna & I) had as much fun as the girls did.

Latest Project

I came across this idea the other day on one of my new favorite blogs (Brown Paper Packages). You can find a button on the left side of my blog if you want to check it out for yourself. I tweaked it a little bit and turned it into my own.

It started as a single gift tag for our presents and then it turned into this...

Cutie Pie

I just had to take these pictures of Ellen the other day. She looked so cute and grown up. I have been trying to convince her to wear these boots that I bought her. (This always happens to me. I buy her something that I think is SO cute and she won't touch it with a ten foot pole!) Anyways, I can get her to put them on every once in a while, but this time I actually got her to tuck her jeans in them! I've been pointing out all the girls we see with their cute boots on and I think it helped a little. She said she felt like a big girl and I would have to agree.

New Blog

I wanted to let you know that I have started a blog for my hair bows. It's called Ribbons by Rhianna. Click here to see it. Thanks Laura for the great idea! She made me these super cute business cards for my birthday!

Gingerbread House

I've never been brave enough to make a gingerbread house with Ellen before. Call me crazy I guess. I figured it was the best time to at least try (while the baby was sleeping). She did a great job and didn't try to eat the entire thing as we went along. She did ask to eat a few pieces of the candy, but I told her she could only eat what was left over. I could have used every piece, but I did save her a few because she did such a great job helping. I did the structure of the house and was in charge of the icing, everything else was Ellen's doing. I thought it turned out beautiful! Now, if I can only keep her from eating it piece by piece!

8 months old

Sophia turned 8 months yesterday! She is doing a lot of fun things these days. She has been sleeping really well, and for us that has been huge! She still isn't a great nap taker, but I'll take the night time sleep any day. She's babbling all the time... it's hard to get a word in around here with Ellen and all her stories and singing. Sophia's most recent milestone is that she's crawling. I posted a quick clip of her for those of you we won't see her for a few more weeks. Enjoy!

Sophia and Ellen both at 8 months

This one's for my dad

I finally understand!!!!!!

My dad has always told the story about when I was a little girl and I wanted to help him wrap the Christmas presents. I wasn't being much help and was getting in the way. He took my hands and wrapped them in tape.

I had the same experience the other day when I was trying to put the lights on the Christmas tree. Ellen was trying to help but every time I turned around the lights got in a bigger knot! So, Tim and I thought we would carry on the tradition.



(this is a dramatization and no children were hurt in the process)

"Wood" you?

Our family got together the Saturday after Thanksgiving to help my grandpa split wood. This year, the guys were cutting/splitting the wood and bringing it to the house. That's where they dumped it out for us (ladies) to stack in the shed.
Here are a few pictures of us working. I must give credit to my mom and Lindsay even though they aren't in the photos. Lindsay was taking the pictures and mom was taking her turn with the babies. We had a lot of fun and felt a huge sense of accomplishment when we were finished. The shed was FULL and it should last grandpa and grandma until next year. We made it through the day without any major injuries which is very unusual. : )
I'm so thankful for my family and all the fun we always have together...even if it means waking up sore the next morning!

Most of the time you can't get kids to help with work. Well, we couldn't get Ellen to stop! She and McKenzie were the best little helpers.

Garber Girls

I took this picture of Sophia today and then found a very similar one of Ellen. (They are right at the same age, but Sophia is taller.)

Work Day

I had mentioned earlier that my dad had made a table for the girls and I promised a better picture. Well, Tim and Ellen worked on the chairs last weekend (yard sale find) and got them cleaned up and ready to paint.

Ellen loves spending time with her daddy and it warms my heart to see them together. I hope they have as close of a relationship as I have with my dad!

Here's the finished product....I shouldn't say finished because I want to stencil their initials on the seats of the chairs. So, they are usable, but not quite finished.

Thanks Dad for your hard work on the table. Thanks Tim and Ellen for your work on the chairs, and thanks Tim for painting them white even if that wasn't your first choice. : )

Not satisfied

I guess feeding her baby dolls just isn't cutting it anymore! She asked me the other night if she could give Sophia her bottle before they went to bed. Ellen acted like she had done it one hundred times before. I just sat back and cracked up! Sophia looks pretty relaxed too... with her legs crossed...just enjoying!

Ellen & Sydney

Ellen and Sydney were playing dress up and I couldn't resist taking their picture. They are becoming such good friends and it warms my heart to see them together. I hope they grow up
to be as good of friends as Erin and I are.

Beautiful Day

We had some awesome weather last weekend so we took Ellen to ride her tricycle. She loves leading the way with us following behind her. She does a great job going down the "hills", turning the corners and stopping by herself. Sophia enjoyed the view too!

TEA TIME

Dad felt kind of under-dressed for this party with Ellen.

Dad made this table for the girls to play with. It's not a great picture of the table, I'll have to get

a better one later.

I found it!

Tim recently organized all of our pictures and I was having a hard time finding stuff. It's so nice that the pictures are all in their place, but it took me a while to remember what I had and hadn't posted. It suddenly hit me that I hadn't posted any of the girls from Halloween. So, here are some of my favorites!




Tim usually signs up to work the "Fall Dance" at the Middle School. He always comes up with some type of "punny" costume. If you can't see the picture he has a quarter on his shirt and he's holding a hammer. Any guesses????





Tim and Ellen dancing....I think he danced more here than he did at our wedding!





Sophia the strawberry! She was so sweet!

We took the girls up to the square to walk around and we went to FBC for Trunk or Treat.


Ellen got her face painted at the church.




Here are a few pictures of us carving the pumpkin this year. Ellen wasn't too hip on putting her hands down in the pumpkin pulp.




Oh yeah, Tim was a QUARTER POUNDER!