Wednesday, December 18, 2013

For the First Time in Forever...

...I have a computer that really works! ;)

Okay, I know those aren't the real lyrics.  I just had to get a "Frozen" reference in there somewhere. ;)

It's so good to be back!!  As many of you probably noticed, I did have the chance to change my header here and on Jane Austen and Unicorns a couple days ago, but the computer was still having issues, so I wasn't able to do more than that.

Hubby has finally worked out most of the problems with our computer, so I should be set now. :)  I'm also over my upper respiratory infection, and while Middle Gal and Little Gal are once again fighting colds, at this point they are fairly mild and the cough syrup we've been using is helping them sleep.  So for now, things are definitely better than they were.

I did learn a few things this past month. :}  First, it's very easy to be kind and have a great attitude when things are going well.  When everything seems to be falling apart around you, it's a lot harder to remember to glorify the Lord with your actions.  Okay, maybe that's a lesson I relearned...I already knew I struggled with that. :}

Second, you don't have to be stoic all the time!!  Having a few pathetic breakdowns in the midst of difficult situations can actually be helpful.  Not only do you get rid of all of that bottled up emotion, but crying really hard helps you sleep...provided you don't stuff your nose up too much.  Plus, when you completely lose it, your family tends to realize how much you really need help, or a break, or maybe just an afternoon nap, and they make things happen. ;)  (Thanks Hubby, Mom, Mom and Dad-in-Law, and everyone else who came to my rescue this month!)

Third, God is there, even when you've completely lost sight of what's important and are wailing to Him on the couch about how you need to finish decorating the living room and shopping for Christmas gifts. :}  I'm so thankful He's patient with us. :}

Fourth, never tell a nine-year-old that if she'll just stop coughing in the middle of the night, you'll pay her $10 in the morning.  Not unless you want to be $10 poorer.  Honestly, I have no regrets...she stopped coughing, and I got three more hours of sleep.  Best $10 I ever spent.  I'm sure not going to make it a habit, though. ;)

I probably learned a few more things, but I think you've heard enough for now.  :)

So, what have I been up to, besides napping, coughing until I felt I was going to turn myself inside out, and waiting to talk to all of you lovely folks?  I'm glad you asked. ;)

I realized that I never shared with all of you about my Thanksgiving.  (That was before the computer problems but got lost in the shuffle amid all the sickness.)  The girls and I were all feeling pretty awful on Thanksgiving Day (I was on cold two out of three, and I'm not even sure where the girls were at), so we had to spend the day at home with just the five of us.  Hubby had to work for a few hours in the morning, so the girls and I flopped on the couch and watched some of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

I didn't have very high expectations for Thanksgiving.  We didn't have a turkey, and I wasn't feeling up to putting out a lot of effort in the kitchen.  But Hubby had other ideas.  He made a quick stop at Walmart and brought home a mini Thanksgiving feast. :)

He had a little prep work to do first, so he started by making these appetizer trays for the girls. :)

Seeing him hard at work in the kitchen put the girls and I in a festive mood.  I found a placemat and a few little Thanksgiving figures to decorate the table:


Middle Gal made a pumpkin picture to add to the decorations.

When Hubby was done, we had a delicious spread...much better than my original plan (peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or ramen soup). ;)

We had a little rotisserie chicken (which Hubby carved up like a turkey)...

...baked potatoes...

...homemade gravy and croissants...

...olives...

...carrot sticks... 

...cucumber and pepper slices...

...and green beans.  

Everything was wonderful.  I was so thankful that Hubby took the time to make the day special, even though we couldn't be with our extended family.

Middle Gal remembered our Thanksgiving tradition of passing out beads and sharing what we were thankful for.  Without any prompting, she collected some of her favorite beads and passed them out.  Then she passed around a custard bowl, and we all put our beads in and shared what we were thankful for that Thanksgiving.  It was so precious to see her applying what we'd taught her without any hinting or instruction on our part. :)


We got our tree up and decorated the following weekend. :)


The next big event after Thanksgiving took place in December, when we got an incredibly deep (for our town) snowfall that lasted for a couple of days.  It came at a time when I was starting to feel a little better, so I managed to sneak outside for a few photos. 

The snow came at night.  Usually when that happens, it's gone by the morning.  The girls were so worried there wouldn't be any left by the time they woke up!  They were all recovering from colds, though, and I didn't want to send them out in the chill air right before bedtime.

Thankfully for all of us, the snow was still there in the morning.  It was the deepest snow we've had in the past several years!  Hmm..."Frozen" is released, and we suddenly get the biggest snow we've had in a long time.  Coincidence?  I think not!  Elsa must have somehow escaped the movie to cover our land in a...two...day...long winter. ;)


Our beautiful backyard. :)


I took a break for a while (had to warm my toes and all) and then decided to get just a few doll pics.

Tess and Maggie needed a new header, after all. ;)

I thought I was done for the day, but as I put Tess and Maggie back in my room, my Disney Store Frozen dolls caught my eye.  I realized this was a very unique chance to take pics of them in real snow.  It was a chance I couldn't pass up, cold or no cold. ;)

I'm so glad I did...the pictures turned out amazingly well. :) 







I also had a rather major doll restringing session in preparation for Christmas.  I'll share more about that later (probably after Christmas).  I will say, though, that after putting off the restringing for a few months, I finally made myself get it done and was thrilled when all three of my restringing jobs turned out nicely. :D

Oldest Gal's Josefina has been one-legged for a while now...

She was overjoyed when Josefina was returned in one piece. :)

I took quite a few detailed pictures of my restringings, which I hope to share in a later post (again, most likely after Christmas).  I also need to restring one of my mom's dolls, so I was thinking about possibly doing a restringing video on my YouTube channel, just for fun. :)  We'll see how it goes, though.

I have several posts in the works.  I'm not sure how many I'll be able to crank out before Christmas (since it's only a week away...YIKES!!).  I really want to focus on getting Belle's Bulletins officially wrapped up and getting Jane Austen and Unicorns back into the swing of things, so it may be a bit quiet at Never Grow Up for a while.  Rest assured that I'll have plenty of interesting things to share next month. :)

Thank you so much for your patience these past few weeks as I've been MIA.  I hope that all of you have a wonderful holiday season with your families, whether you celebrate Christmas or not.  Talk to all of you again soon! :)

12 comments:

jordan sky said...

Your pictures are lovely as always :)
Your daughter's pumpkin drawling was really cute too.

Juliet XD said...

I'm so happy that you'er feeling better! I know how you feel about snow, we almost never get any in my area. I love the header and your pictures. You have probably been asked before, but what kind of camera do you use?

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks, Jordy. :)

Juliet XD, I use a Canon PowerShot
SD1200 IS. I've been very happy with the quality of the pictures it takes. I still need to find the manual, either in my house or online, to really use it to its full potential. ;)

Nina said...

I hope everyone feels better soon!

Your Thanksgiving was so sweet! After all, it's not what you eat, it's what you say at the table:) We had like 30 people at my house! We had to put a table in the living room! My cousins and I put on a show about the pilgrims. It was really fun and I loved spending time with my family from out of town:)

Have a great day!!!:):):)

BlackKitty said...

In spite of the problems, it seems like many wonderful things happened too! Glad to see you back :)

Anonymous said...

I just started following your blog. I am glad you are feeling better! I really liked this post b/c your Thanksgiving day feast was absolutely precious! The beauty was in its simplicity and the love your family has for each other! I also really enjoyed the Frozen pics. They really showed off the dolls!

The Dolls said...

Your Thanksgiving sounded sweet and the snow must have been nice!! Jack Frost at his best, ;)

Abbie R,

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks so much, everyone. It's great to be back, and I'm glad you enjoyed my pictures and hearing about what's been going on. :)

And I agree, the simplicity and sweetness of my Thanksgiving is what will make it a special memory for many years to come. :)

Ampy said...

Yay! youre well again!!
^^
*gives virtual hug
xD

nice pics!(as always :D)
I Lol'd at the 10 dollars thing hahaha,kids these days =3=

I know your feeling about christmas being one week away,it all kinda feels like its happening a tad bit too fast...but I regret nothing...

sorry for the sudden request but I kinda need help.

In your opinion,which one of these dolls will be perfect for a princess-loving 7 year-old?

Party Princess Ariel doll:
http://www.amazon.com/Disney-Princess-Party-Ariel-Doll/dp/B009M2TKU8/ref=sr_1_12?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1387527035&sr=1-12&keywords=party+princess

princess sparkle belle and friend:
http://www.amazon.com/Disney-Princess-Sparkle-Friend-Giftset/dp/B00CEQ1AZC/ref=pd_sim_t_3

this rapunzel doll
http://www.amazon.com/Disney-Tangled-Featuring-Rapunzel-Decorate/dp/B004L2LBO2/ref=pd_sbs_t_5

Cinderella doll
http://www.amazon.com/Mattel-X28439993-Cinderella-12-Doll/dp/B006O6FIE2/ref=pd_sbs_t_1

color change elsa doll
http://www.amazon.com/Disney-Frozen-Color-Change-Elsa/dp/B00C6Q8EA4/ref=pd_sbs_t_6

color change anna doll
http://www.amazon.com/Disney-Frozen-Color-Change-Fashion/dp/B00C6Q5N2Q/ref=pd_sim_t_1

sorry for this trouble,and sorry that their mattel dolls,as I mentioned in my past comments,disney store doesnt exist in the phil.

thankyou~

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks, Ampy. :) I'm very happy to be on my feet again.

Glad you enjoyed the pics. And yes, I had to chuckle at the $10 myself after the fact. Never make promises to a kid when you're half asleep. ;)

As far as the dolls go, first off, don't worry about them being Mattel. It's not like I HATE Mattel dolls or anything. I just prefer the Disney Store ones. I completely understand the issue of not having a Disney Store nearby...the closest one to my house is several hours away. :}

So, since I have a princess-loving 7 year old in my own house, I thought I'd get her opinion. Her vote was for the color change Anna. ;)

I think all of them are really cute. The Ariel and Rapunzel were my favorites. So I at least narrowed it down to three...hope that helps! Have a Merry Christmas.

Casey said...

I am so glad to hear that things are looking up :) Merry Christmas!

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks, Casey. Merry Christmas to you, too. :)

Btw, thanks for the Christmas card...yours is on the way! :)