It's official...

Well, I  got a phone call from Logan City the other day, and it is official: we are in business for ourselves!  Just in time too, what with the Home and Garden Show coming up in just 2 weeks.  However, we do need some help.  I think the stress is getting to me a little bit since it feels like my brain has leaked out my ears.  But we still need to figure out a good catch phrase to use for the business (on business cards, flyers, etc).  So I am hoping that someone out there will be willing to help.  We need to find a way to introduce our business with just one sentence...at least enough to give people enough info for direction and still leave people curious enough to look.  Any ideas?  We are actually even going to offer a 'prize' to the person who comes up with the best catch phrase: a personally chosen wood-burned plaque.  So bring on the ideas, we only have a few more days to finish getting all that put together and delivered so it can be included with some things (important) for the Home and Garden show at the university.  Heeelllllllppppp!

How simple encouragement can be...

So we managed to survive the open house Saturday more or less intact. By the time everything had happened way too much sleep had been missed by both John and I, but we made it. The open house itself wasn't a huge crowded success, but we did manage to get our first paid orders! Hurray for friends willing to take a risk! Now, the next challenge: a friend of mine has proposed joining forces and having a stall at the Home and Garden show at USU March 19-20. One down, one to go I guess. But at least this time I'll be a lot more prepared and aware of things to prepare for. Plus I can finally say that we are starting to see a little money. A little, but hey encouragement can come is small and simple forms as well as great and overwhelming!

On a more familial note: the boys are still alive as well, plus I'm being an evil mom and making Dad feed Damon sometimes just to get him more open to a bottle for those times when we have babysitters here. He seems to be taking it...from Dad at least. Caelen and Kieran have also more or less survived, though they are mostly just exhausted from driving Dad nuts while Mom has been gone. Tia got to spend a couple of hours with me during the open house to "help"...she's actually learning to crochet and having a blast to see how long it will take her to crochet the skein she got from Santa for Christmas. I promised her that after she practices for the whole skein that I'll teach a granny square next, and she's anxious. But her excitement persists, and she can't wait to start making projects as well. I guess we'll see how long it lasts, but I figure that since crochet projects usually require a lot of patience (as well as time), this is a good a way as any to see if she is going to stick with it long enough to learn the patterns so she can start designing her own stuff. I guess we'll see. I sure am proud of how quickly she seems to be picking it up, though. She's sure doing a lot better than I did when my Grandma began to teach me!

The luckiest Mom ever...

This is definitely one of those "Mom" moments but:

The last few weeks have been completely nutso. Between the fact that I was dumb and over did during the holidays, plus trying to get some things caught up sorting through the business stuff and trying to get stuff ready for our Valentine's open house (more details to follow), and the kids getting back to school...things have been crazy. Then last week Caelen started to sniffle and wake at night with a super sore throat that would then leave him grumpy the next day. Couple all this with the inversion, and the kids were starting to climb the walls (literally in Caelen's case). So I was a little worried earlier this evening when I had to go to a meeting for Headstart. A sweet girl from our ward was brave enough to agree to babysit (I take the baby with me) for the 2 hours necessary, and I deliberately wouldn't let the kids sit and drool at the t.v. before hand in case she needed the chance to catch up with some of their energy. So imagine my surprise when I walk in the door to a clean house, calm kids, and three beautiful pictures (I wish I could scan them for you to see, but you're just going to have to take my "unbiased" word for it) full of art, stickers, glitter, and "I love you"s. If that wasn't enough, after taking the hero of the hour home I get a late dinner running. Not only do the kids actually let me, they start playing with the baby...each taking a very careful turn in holding his hands and making him giggle. Kieran even came over to the edge of the kitchen and waited ever so patiently just to show me how he could make the baby smile at him...

I know, I told you. It was a night of "Mommy" moments, but it really did help remind me that I really am the luckiest Mom ever...

Merry Christmas!

I know it is a little blurry, but at least with this one you can see everyone's gorgeous smiles! Christmas this year was amazing and wonderful...and quiet. This is the first year we've had as just our family since John and I's first Christmas after we were married. It was different, that is for sure. Different in a good way, that is. We invited everyone over for our traditional Christmas Eve feast (Christmas Eve pig out might be a better way to phrase it...), which was so wonderful. Thanks to everyone who came, it meant a lot (especially to Rachel, who is still hyper emotional after the baby and all the lovely hormones that come with...). After that, we mostly just got dinner cleaned up, dishes done, Christmas cartoons watched, Christmas stories read, Santa's milk and cookies (and of course carrots for the reindeer) put out, and kids put to bed. The next morning there was no mad dash to prep anything, so we just took it easy. At our house, Santa doesn't wrap any gift he just puts your stash in a pile with your stocking in front to identify who's whos and covers it all up with blankets. The next morning, the rule is that the kids can't wake us up before 7 am...little did I know that I was going to wake up at 6 and not be able to get back to sleep! Everyone finally woke up about 7:30, and after shuffling around to make sure their rooms were all clean we got to uncover everything. Oh, what joyous rapture, can you believe it? Santa came! He ate all the cookies, fed his reindeer, drank his milk, and even left stuff for everyone...everywhere! After managing to sort out who's stuff was who's, Rachel spent the morning helping to unpackage toys while John made breakfast (you know how the Who's down in Who'sville would "feast, feast, feast, feast"?). After that, the kids had so much fun playing we couldn't get them to get things completely cleaned up until about 4 pm. Then we finally got to the business of unwrapping all the gifts under the tree and we were off again! At least we didn't have to worry about cooking anything...

Anyway, since then we've had ever so much fun playing and watching and playing some more. Thank you to everyone for all the wonderful gifts and thrills, not to mention all the goodies and treats. And that doesn't start to mention how much we've loved all the phone calls and e-mails and Christmas cards!!! We love you all, and give our thanks to God every day for all the wonderful people we have in our lives. We send our love out while wishing every good thing for you this next year, and since I'm feeling terribly original I'll just end by quoting Charles Dickens: "God bless us, everyone!"

Grand Beginnings!

Well, it is official: I'm finally getting the sales blog up and running. I even had my first open house today! Check it out and let me know what you think: www.thehandmadeheritage.blogspot.com. If anyone is wanting to try and sell anything through the site, let me know. For that matter: please check out the site and let me know what you think. The more input I get, the better the blog will be (assuming I can figure out how to work your suggestions in!) and the more people will approach it. Let's help each of us find the Christmas money we are all looking for!