a.rose

I've certainly had my issues with Pinterest, but there is no denying that it is a great place to find great ideas.  About a week or so ago one of my friends pinned a snowman that you could cut out, and he had some accessories that you could cut out as well that you (or your toddler) could use to dress him.  I have a fondness for snowmen, and so I immediately printed one off and began scheming.  I knew that between the three year old and the one year old that live here a paper snowman with paper accessories would not last long, even if I printed him on cardstock.  And I wanted this snowman to really live, you know, Frosty style. So I printed two for Hallie to color and cut out, she loves cutting things, and that kept  her entertained the entire time I was working on mine.  I printed off two sets for myself, and colored one with silver and blue accessories, and one with green and red accessories.  Then I laminated all of his accessories.  Then ...

(Less than a week left until I work out the winners for the ThanksGIVEaway ! I'm getting so excited... Devin taught me how to create a random number generator.  Wee!) 'Tis the season for traditions, and we've been celebrating our favorite traditions big time around here lately.  We started off with the 4th ARFAFTR (Annual Rose Family and Friends Turkey Run), and then we quickly followed it up with our 5th Annual Rose Family and Friends Gingerbread House Making Party.  Each year we invite different people, and this year we invited Devin's graduate students.  One is from Colombia, and one is from China - needless to say this was a new experience for both of them.  Devin said he thinks they spent quite some time googling "Gingerbread Houses" before coming over so they would know what kind of candy was appropriate. (We always make our guests donate a bag or two of candy.)  You won't want to miss the surprise decoration Devin put on his and Hanna's hous...

(What do you want to win on my ThanksGIVEaway ?) Devin recently heard somewhere that the average American consumes 3,500 calories during their Thanksgiving meal.  When I double checked that number with him and asked him where he had heard it, he said he couldn't remember, but that yesterday on the radio he heard that the average American consumes 5000 calories on Thanksgiving Day.  So, take from that what you will... Devin has also recently heard that between Thanksgiving Day (or Halloween?) and New Year's Day the average American will gain 9 pounds. Devin says that I should not quote him as my source, but it doesn't really matter what the numbers are or whether or not they are strictly true.  I think we all know that a massive amount of eating occurs in the holiday season, and most of it delicious sweets and treats. That is not why Devin and I started the ARFAFTR (Annual Rose Family and Friends Turkey Run) but it sure is a motivating factor!  Last year Hall...

(Win something on my ThanksGIVEaway .) I have a degree in elementary education, which is what I had wanted to do my entire life, ever since second grade when I got to write on the classroom chalkboard.  Devin and I got married eleven days after I graduated, and while I did work for one semester, we then moved from Indiana to Iowa to the Netherlands to Illinois and then to Nebraska, during which time I had two babies. Needless to say, my degree had gotten kind of dusty hanging on the wall.  I mean, you don't really have to teach kids the alphabet or their numbers or colors, they learn those things well enough just from every day life, but Hallie is old enough now that she wants to start writing and reading.  Now there is something I can really sink my teeth into.  I can't express the joy it gives me to go back to drawing those D'Nealian style letters on the chalkboard, learned from hours practicing my Zaner-Bloser handwriting (a course which I aced, naturally)....

This giveaway is now CLOSED. In a week we will find ourselves feasting with family and friends.  We will reflect on and share with each other the good things in life that we are grateful for.  And I think that's great, to give thanks. My heart lately though has been leaning in a slightly different direction, I've felt an emphasis on a different part of the name of next week's holiday.  My heart is filled with gratitude to people who have reached out in love, sympathy, and support when they see others in need..  Those who have voiced prayers, and kind thoughts and words on our behalf, and on behalf of people seeking comfort everywhere.  The people who have watched children, sent flowers, made meals, and done so much more to try and ease burdens.  And my thankful heart wants to GIVE back to these people, as a small way of saying Thank You. So today I present you with my ThanksGIVEaway.  You know those big fancy blogs that are sponsored by corporat...

Just in case you, like me, needed a little prompting for something to smile about. Devin and I were going through the pictures again, looking for gems to include on the Christmas letter. (Which, by the way, if you don't get one is because Devin is a self-acknowledged Grinch and he is putting my limit at 45. Forty five! That barely covers my family. Crikey. Ahem, oops, that was not in the spirit of this post, so please forgive me.) ANYWAY, here are some classic pictures that made me smile.  They insisted on being shared.  Devin said, "Doesn't it look like Hallie had an accident?"  Clearly, it was just an ill-advised painting on the bottom of the kiddie pool.  I wish I had words to express how much I love this picture, but I don't.  There's just something about her little bum, and the hat, and how it all comes together...  I don't know why this picture is upside down. It was not oriented this way when I uploaded it... Anyway. Meet m...

Outside Devin is pushing Hallie high on the swing. The grass is still green, and the sky is blue with puffy white clouds.  I can hear her shouting gleefully, fully enjoying her special moment with Daddy.  The flowers and garden are all withered and brown, except for those sturdy ones in special out of the wind locations. Inside the sun is streaming through the windows making warm spots on the carpet.  The washing machine is humming, and the clock is steadily ticking the passing seconds.  Hanna is softly asleep upstairs in her bed, snuggled up in her blankets.  There is bread dough rising in a bowl on the counter. I see and I hear and I feel and I know all of this is going on around me, and yet inside myself I am stuck in time, last Saturday. Last Saturday I had no idea where my girls were, or what they were doing.  Last Saturday I was adrift in a sea of tears, embraces, shaky smiles, bouquets of flowers, condolence cards, hugs from family and friends...

Well I still don't have any words, but I needed to put something new on my blog, not to cover up the last post, but to remind myself that time really does go by, and life does go on.  I racked my brain trying to come up with something, and there is still nothing there.  BUT some friends took pictures of the girls at Halloween, and so if you will forgive me for posting them so late, I know there are at least 6 people who respond to various forms of the word "grandma" or "grandpa" that will be interested in seeing them.  This is at the ward trunk or treat.  Hallie and Hanna are ballerinas, it was kind of chilly so Hallie has pants on and they are both wearing jackets, but their tutus are still cute.  Devin is a scarecrow, you can't see his awesome patches, but he's a raggedy little scarecrow.  My costume came together in the last fifteen minutes before we left, honestly I hadn't been feeling very well and wasn't sure I would go at all, but eve...