yum.

after much talk about an evening of holiday baking.

after paging through recipe upon recipe.

after coming up with our grocery list of ingredients.

after stirring, mixing, pouring, melting, spreading.

finally....

my sweet friend colette and i created three delicious holiday goodies :)

melting the caramels for the caramel peanut bars...

squeeeeeeeze the white chocolate on the pumpkin spice bars...

roll. dip. place.

the yummy yum yum ginger snaps...

meanwhile, the guys were doing 'man things' in the garage...

but we ended the evening with wine, pizza, and of course.........dessert :)

peace, xoxo, linds

peace.

i have been quite pleased with my recent purchase: the new casting crowns christmas cd.
more specifically, i have been pretty obsessed over their song, peace on earth.

this obsession can be defined by selecting track #1 every time i get in my car. and then pushing the rewind button so i can hear the song again. and then i usually push it one more time so i can hear it a third time.

makes me think ...... time and time again i am reminded how hard it is to teach in a public school, especially over the holidays. i want to 'spread the good news' :) i want to go into every classroom and declare that this is THE most glorious time of the year...we celebrate the birth of our Savior!

my cell phone...

is the only form of photography that i own. boo.
so........via my cell phone cam cam i captured quite the miracle last week.
of course, those lovely cell phone picture files fill up rather quickly, so i wasn't able to take the 5,348,498 photos i wanted to take. but i will gladly post the few that i did :)
because.
this, my friends, is the little birdie that just joined our family.
and, she is my new BFF

yep. i have no words. only the cheesiest smile on my face, ever, when i see this picture of little charlotte. my little love.

yep. there's me, with her. my little nieceypoo
...just a small dilemma though, they live in san diego. and i live in kansas city. ugh.
(not as in ugg boots...cuz those actually make me happy)
wow. she is perfect, ey?? this is take RIGHT after her birth...how you might ask was I able to get such a candid??
i was asked by my sissy to be in the delivery room.
yep. I WAS IN THE DELIVERY ROOM PEOPLE!!!!!
it was amazing. and now i totally know what i will be getting myself into someday
...when mr. leif and i start a fam fam.


and. speaking of uggs....
my little charlotte is soooooo a fahsionista. she totally rocks the owls.

and her shoe collection is glamorous.

and because my sissy did so amazing with the nursery, i wanted to put up just one little sniblit from the most adorable room i have ever entered.

i actually want an exact replica for my own house, baby or not, i want that nursery.

and. by the way my sis and mr. sand made that painting.

yep. they are good.

...

I ate snickers bars while under blankets, while laying on the couch, while mr. leif counted how many times i said, "i miss the baby' on sunday.

i am slowly recovering, but sunday i was totally depressed