hi blog. im jen. remember me?

december. today is december. oh wait. yesterday was the first day of december. yes, i am losing my mind. it usually happens when you only sleep 4-6 hours a night.

thanksgiving was full of awesome goodness. apple dumplings were amazing. (really, try that recipe. becuase its amazing. but dont blame me for the inevitable 3 lbs you will gain.) but of course, i have so much more to be thankful for than apple dumplings. though... they are a close second. ;) this year has been amazing. i have the most wonderful family. i cant believe how many friends - new and old- those who i see every single day, and those in other states i've never met... those who have enriched, blessed, and uplifted my life in ways i cant even count. thank you.


*like my tree skirt? yes, if you thought 80's, you are so right. it was mine as a kid. not quite the vintage i was going for... but it works. for now.

the christmas buzz is getting in full swing. i printed my christmas cards, addressed them... and i really hope to mail them this year. oh... and because my imaginary dog ate my list from last year... if you want a card- you'd better email me your address! (jenniferbertoch {at} comcast.net) im loving all your christmas cards! its so fun seeing your kiddos grow up. :)

the girls and i are gearing up to do some serious christmas crafting. (our tree looks a bit sad) we are making these darling birds to go on our tree. (i'll post pictures. i promise, its cute.) we are making gingerbread cookies tomorrow. (because of the cute story i'll talk about in a second) and of course, some fresh ground whole wheat bread. mmmm :)

the gingerbread story...
aly loves school. yesterday we got a letter saying they would be making a gingerbread man in school today. when the kids would go to get him out of the over, he will have disappeared. then family and friends can send a post card to the school saying they've seen the gingerbread man. the class will track the gingerbread man's travels through the country/world. then the last week of school in december, the gingerbread man will find his way back to the classroom. if any of you would like to send a postcard to aly's school- i would seriously love you forever. email me at jenniferbertoch {at} comcast.net for the school's address.

im not quite sure what amy will do next year with aly gone all day. but, she loves make-believe. candy. and fancy nancy. oh and ballerinas. and did i mention, she really loves candy? yes, today i found a half eaten sucker GLUED to the carpet. it rivals any super glue i've ever used. also, under her bed were about 6-7 wrappers of candy. so today, i went through all the cupboards and threw all the candy away. im so nice. :)

and... if you actually made it through that long post, here's a few recent pics.

i love this one. yes, she really is that tiny. she can eat as much as me, but she is just little. and every stinkin bit adorable.


and she can work it for the camera.


mims... i {heart} this photo


i also adore her cute curly hair