I'm pretty sure no one even bothers clicking over here anymore since I am the world's most inconsistent and irregular blogger, but I'm going to do my best to jump back in to updating this ole blog regularly. I have wanted to post so many times, but just haven't done it for one of several reasons:

-My computer is old and slow, and sometimes does not cooperate with Blogger, and I end up frustrated when trying to post.

-It takes forever to upload pictures.

-I had a hugely, incredibly busy fall and Christmas season with sewing orders. A blessing...but just about every other area of my life was neglected during Nov. and Dec.

-My darling youngest child keeps me ON MY TOES all day long, and when she goes to bed at night, I collapse like I've just finished a marathon. Or in a manner I would assume one would collapse in if one were to finish a marathon.

-My precious first-born also keeps me busy, but mostly with activities, not with toddler shenanigans like her sister. We had a busy fall with that girl!

So, I thought I'd throw out a few pictures and a list, and go from there. Shall we?

THINGS I'M HAPPY ABOUT OR LOOKING FORWARD TO OR JUST THINGS IN GENERAL:

-Starting a new spring bible study at church. We are doing Beth Moore's newest, which is "James: Mercy Triumphs". Excited!

-Mattie turns 6 in March. Perhaps I shouldn't include it under this list...maybe I should start a new list called THINGS I CANNOT BELIEVE AND ALMOST REFUSE TO ACCEPT BECAUSE IF IT WERE UP TO ME SHE WOULD STAY 5 FOREVER. Because that's how I feel about that.

-I did some major cleaning out right after Christmas while my girls were at my in-laws and took a HUGE load to Goodwill. It was much needed and my home feels so much more un-cluttered. I have huge aspirations of keeping it that way, and doing even more de-cluttering in 2012.

-Around the time Mattie was 2, I started running. Not fast, and not incredibly far, but I did do it pretty regularly, and even got up early in the mornings to do it (!). I did a couple of local 5k's and it was something I enjoyed. Matthew runs too, and it was something that we enjoyed together, even though we never really ran together (if that makes sense). BUT, when I became pregnant with Presley, I stopped and I have never started back. I've made a few attempts, but never stuck with it. I am determined 2012 is the year I hit the streets again. I've been walking everyday this week, and I'm thinking of starting Couch to 5k next week. I've heard great things, and it would give me a program to follow rather than just running my heart out. So I'm thinking a spring 5K might be on my list of to-do's.

-Matthew and I are trying to do some healthy eating, and after 3 days, I'm already so over it! We had a bingeful Christmas and both of us basically ate or drank anything that came within reach the entire month of December, and I can't speak for him, but my jeans are not just snug, they're almost inappropriately tight. SO, I'm trying to stick with it. For the sake of those who have to see me in my jeans.

-Around Thanksgiving, or maybe a little before, we went from the status of "Potty Training" with Presley to "Potty Trained". It has been my experience with both girls that at some point, something just clicks with them, and the accidents and headaches of potty training suddenly cease, and they are all the sudden potty trained. I am so proud of her for being such an easy one to train, and oh the joys of not buying diapers or worrying about messes anymore. She is sleeping in pull-ups still, but we are going on week 3 of waking up dry, so I'm thinking I'm not buying anymore of those either. Glory!

-I went through a severe Pinterest addiction a few months ago, and I think I have finally leveled out to being a normal user. Seriously...it's too addicting! But I have done SO MANY projects I have found on there. Maybe I should share some here??

-I have seriously considered deleting my Facebook profile. If my business page wasn't connected to it, and I didn't have several groups that I'm a part of on there, I probably would. I feel like Facebook has made me feel differently, and in some cases negatively, about people that I would have liked otherwise had I not been subjected to their lame or ignorant or negative or self-inflating posts. Can anyone relate to that? Has anyone ever deleted their profile and survived? Do tell.

-Matthew and I have a no-gift policy for Christmas. We like to focus our energy, efforts, and dollars on our girls, and that is enough gift for both of us. This year, however, he surprised me (truly surprised me) with a Kindle. This mama reads a ton, and he knows I have lusted after the Kindle for a long time. I got the Kindle Touch and I love it! I was in the middle of a real book at Christmas that I just finished, so I have yet to actually use it, but I'm planning to start something new on the Kindle tonight.

-Tomorrow is my 11th anniversary. And the Razorbacks are playing in the Cotton Bowl tomorrow night, so I think I know how my anniversary will be spent : )

On to some pictures!

I looked for some Thanksgiving pictures, but it appears I didn't take a single picture at Thanksgiving. So on to Christmas!

As I said, I was insanely busy during Christmas with sewing orders, so I never got around to making my own children a Christmas dress, but I did whip up these quick little skirts to match their scotty dog sweaters and this is what they wore to our Christmas Eve service. Way cute!

I had big intentions of getting family pictures made this fall in order to have one for a Christmas card, and it just never happened. BUT I STILL WANTED MY CHRISTMAS CARD! So, I invested in a $12 tripod from Walmart, enlisted my mother to help (by pushing the shutter release button), and basically took them myself. We got about 150 throw-away shots, but I did get a few keepers and one good one for the card. Success!

Here are my girls being sweet:

My precious, blue-eyed baby:


My little mess of a child:

This was our card:

I did the girls shirts super quick right before we went to do these pictures from an idea I saw on...Pinterest! It's just ribbon ironed on in different lengths to look like a Christmas tree with a button on top. Super easy, super cheap because I already had all the ribbon and the tees, and we got so many compliments on these shirts.

I think that's all for now. I may try to post some more Christmas pictures tomorrow!