And the Winner is...

And yet, once again, it takes me forever to realize that the Giveaway is actually over, and that I need to draw a name!

And the Christmas Giveaway Package goes to....

Melissa Howell! Congrats!

I'll run it by Friday morning on the way to school. Hope that's okay...

Christmas Giveaway!

I love Christmas, but it sure seems to have come around fast this year! I barely got to enjoy my Fall decorations and already I'm late for my Christmas ones...

I have put together a little Winter holiday giveaway, just for fun. All you have to do is leave a comment to this post by Friday midnight {that's tomorrow!}, and I'll draw the name of the winner. I'll deliver the gift package {or ship} this weekend, so you can be sure to enjoy it before Christmas! Pass the word along so others can enter!This Giveaway includes:
1. A 24" tree in a Vintage Ceramic Boot
2. 2 Packages Cinnamon Sticks with Berries {for Decorating, not cooking}
3. A Santa "Snowglobe" for putting Treats into
4. A Red Bath & Body Works Mug with Snowflakes
5. Package of Apple Spice Flavor Potpourri {Green}
6. Package of Apple Cinnamon Flavor Potpourri {Red}
7. "Happy Holidays" in Red Vinyl for your Front Door {not shown}

******Lisa, Rosemary, Andrea, and Marie will all get an extra entry because of their previous posts!*****

Karrington the Gorgeous and Sweet

Here are some pics of my perfect baby. She is such a joy to have around, truly happy and bringing a wonderful spirit into our home. We love her so much!

Karrington was a Lobster for Halloween. Red is so her color!
Here she is with her new dolly. Alison Love made this doll, and I just had to have it because it looks just like Karrington. Here they are being Twinners with their Pink Piggies!
And here she is being her happy self. She doesn't laugh or giggle out loud yet, but you can get her to smile anytime!

Karrington's Infant Photo Shoot, October 2009

As described in the post below, we had "real" pictures taken a couple of weeks ago. Of course, couldn't resist giving Karrington her own private photo shoot! Here are some of our favorites:

Family Photo Shoot, October 2009

A couple of weeks ago we did a photo shoot with Marie Long {Michele's sister} while she was in town. It was so much fun! We've never had pictures taken outside of a Sears studio {and it's been a long time since that!} so it was nice to have "real" pictures taken for once. Here are a few of the best ones...And, last but not least, my absolute Favorite. I'm going to blow this one up big and put it in that huge empty frame by my kitchen table.
You can see more of Marie's work here at her blog: http://thatsawrapphotography.blogspot.com/

The Domestic Diva Strikes Again!

Most of the day Saturday, and all day Monday, I worked on doing APPLES! Michele found a pretty decent deal on apples at the grocery store, and we both bought a bunch. Back home, my Grandma Palmer had a whole bunch of Jonathan trees that we used up making Applesauce, Apple Pie, and my favorite Apple Jam. Since I'm not there every year to help with the processing, I haven't been able to partake of the yumminess either. I just found my last pint bottle of Apple Jam last month, so these apples came just in time!

So, of course, I've never processed by myself either. After talking to my mom on the phone for quite a while, I thought I could take care of it...and I did!
It took a lot of concentration for my postpartum brain to handle, and there were tons of interruptions from Karrington and Sydney, but I muddled through 100 pounds of Galas and Granny Smiths. Plus, I only had 1 jar not seal! When all was said and done, I came out with:

• 35 Pints of Apple Jam
• 7 Quarts of Apple Pie Filling
• 7 Quarts of Chunky Applesauce {for Cobblers}
  
• 17 Pints of Unsweetened Applesauce {for Baking}
• 4 Quarts of Applesauce {to just eat}
• 

And the Winner is...

Wow, sorry it's taken me so long to do this Giveaway Drawing! I didn't realize that Friday had come and gone until Melissa asked me about it at Super Saturday!

Well, I had Sydney draw a name from the jar, and the winner is...

Rachel!

Congrats, Rachel. I'll try to swing by your new place to get it to you this week! By the way, what's you're new address?


Okay, I already have thoughts on what I'm going to include in my Thanksgiving Giveaway, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled. In fact, add my blog to your blog list so you remember to check!

A Fall Giveaway!

I love Fall. I love Halloween. And I love Thanksgiving. Getting the sweaters out, wearing fuzzy socks, throwing another blanket on your bed. I love to be cozy, and Fall is the start of that. I have put together a little fall holiday giveaway, just for fun. All you have to do is leave a comment to this post by Friday close of business, and I'll draw the name of the winner. I'll deliver the gift package {or ship} this weekend, so you can be sure to enjoy it before Halloween! Pass the word along so others can enter!

This giveaway includes:
1. A Southern Living at Home Hanging Metal Flower Basket.
2. A set of 3 Nesting Boxes {Paper Mache} for endless decorating possibilities. If it were me, I would probably decorate them to be a stack of Christmas presents, using lots of ribbon and white lights, but you can do whatever you want!
3. A super cute clear pail, decorated for Halloween, by me.
4. A "Happy Thanksgiving" vinyl Door Greeting in black.
5. A set of 2 Halloween plates: Frankenstein and Mummy.
6. 2 Pumpkin Mugs
7. And, of course, Halloween candy, in Chocolate form.

I did put up my Halloween decorations a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't put everything up, as I'm trying to stay minimalist right now with the new baby. BUT, the one think I had to make sure to use is my Halloween Muffin Tin Countdown! This absolutely adorable advent calendar has round magnets on it, covering the hole which is filled with candy. Each day, the kids get to open one and consume the contents. We will end on Halloween day! I do have a Christmas tin as well - I'll try to remember to post it when I get it out...

The Lovely Karrington

Here are some pics of Karrington that I just wanted to share. I spend most of my day staring at her - she is just so gorgeous! Here she is at 4 days old, still with all her extra scrunchy skin:
I did a little photo shoot in my living room when she hit 2 weeks. A few things about her so far:

• Karrington is so content and happy to be here. She never cries, though she will fuss a bit when cold wipes are on her bum and when she gets a little too hungry.
• She loves to be held. Again, she won't cry if she is in her swing, but you can tell that she is just happier in somebody's arms.
• She has that gorgeous dark, long hair! No, my other children did not have it when they were born - she is the first!
  

Here she is in the blanket my best friend Tamara {from home} made for her. Love the owls!Here she is in an outfit I wore as a baby:
So sweet and naked!
Her blessing day, Sunday, October 11. 18 days old. And she loves that binky.

Introducing Karrington Virginia Savage...

Okay, this post is totally late, but She's here! I have never been so ready and so excited for the arrival of one of my children. I was never really prepared before, and so I never had time to sit and wait. But this time everything was in place and I was spending a lot of time just thinking about what she would be like.

So, here she is: Karrington Virginia Savage, born Thursday, September 24, 2009, at 2:20 pm, at 8 lbs 6 oz. Absolute perfection.
Since this pregnancy was so different from my others, I've always just thought that she would be Sydney's opposite. Where Sydney is a little spitfire, full of spunk and energy and stubbornness, and blonde, Karrington really is the opposite. With all that dark hair, her looks are totally opposite, and already her manner is too. She is much more quite, content, and even less agressive when nursing!Sydney and Jefferson just cannot get enough of her. They are awesome helpers and don't complain when I tell them to wash their hands every 30 minutes, even if they are no where near her. They love just sitting and watching her, which they do all the time. However, the downside of that is that later they are bouncing off the walls trying to get rid of all their pent up energy...
So, here's the story: Thursday morning when I got up for the day, I started having contractions regularly every 10-15 minutes {I don't have a watch, so I wasn't very vigilant in timing}. I called Paul home from work at about 9:30; I knew by this time that today would be the day, and I typically have fast deliveries, so I didn't want to rush him. After he got home at 10:00, he packed the car, we dropped off the kids {thank you Anneke & Michele!}, stopped at the post office to send all my eBay sales {hey, I couldn't worry about it afterward, could I?}, then went to Longmont United Hospital. We checked in, and I was all settled in my room by 11:30 am.
Shortly thereafter, all my support persons arrived. Ang got there first, coming from work in Boulder. Then Steph came immediately after Ang, then Paul's mom arrived a little while later.

Even though it was Dr. Nelson's day off, he came in to take care of everything at about 12:30. He broke my water to speed things along. I was already 6 cm, but he offered me a little Pitocin to help out anyway. I accepted, since, really, what's the point in waiting when I'm already there? They gave me what they called a "whif" of Pitocin at 1:00, and it helped out nicely. At that time I also got my Fentanyl, a lovely little narcotic to take the edge off.
From there things progressed quickly. Regular contractions, consistently getting harder. I'm so glad that Steph was there - she came as my Massage Therapist and massaged me the entire time. It was soooo wonderful, I will never give birth again without her there! I definitely recommend it.
At 2:10, they took off the bottom of the bed, then after two pushing contractions, Karrington was born at 2:20! Here she is fresh from the womb, healthy and gorgeous...
All tucked in with Mommy after getting measured and weighed. I'm very happy and relieved that it's all over!