Skip forward a few chapters

The last time we met, Charming and I were raising three precious princesses and a small garden in the West. We've had some plot twists. Time will do that to your story. Now we are razing a modest cottage on the East Coast, and we've added a knight it training to our fearless band.

It's a new year. Send out the trumpeters! With Fall and the wonderful winter holidays behind me, (and my family sacked out from partying hard last night), I feel like I can sit still a moment and be introspective.

I'll need to catch you up a little bit with some amazing pictures, but here is a list of things we accomplished in 2015:

• Beginning Young Sir Grey's training.
• Clearing a forest to extend the castle ground.
• Sending Peach to princess school.
• Gallivanting around the countryside on adventures.

And here's a list of things I'd like to do this coming year:

• Plant a new small-ish garden.
• Continue the castle renovations: the next rooms on the list are the Master Bedroom and Bath, the Living Room, and the Kitchen. =) This will be an exciting year.
• Start using some of my crazy skills for the good of the kingdom. More on that later.

And then, because I'm willing to try cyber-accountability as I strive to keep my personal goals, here are a few of those.

• Read more, because readers are thinkers.
• Set a schedule that I can stick to: a little time for me, a little time for the kids, a little time for Charming, a little time for keeping my little castle in order, and a little time for the kingdom at large.
• Do the stuff I know I should, but I've been putting off for later. (You probably won't hear much on that, maybe a little snippet here and there.) You know, just the little things that build character.

So that's it. And I've introspected too long, because now the children are all crying and the new Christmas toys are scattered across the floor like a mine field. Little Cherubs.

Here's to a Happy New Year!

What are some of your dreams and goals for this new year? Please share, I can always use a fresh idea or two.

Sugar Plum Fairies

We wish you a very sweet Christmas and a New Year filled with many Happily Ever Afters.

Love,

Fair Maiden, Charming,

and the Precious Princesses

Painting with Peach

 It was an adventure.

 Art with my 3 year old is never as easy and magical as I think it should be.

 I think, and hope, it's more magical for her.

 I have to remind myself that it's my daughter & not the beauty of the house,

 or the cleanliness of the paint set,

,

 or her hands and clothes

that I'm trying to encourage and develop. 

Mixing the colors together might be magical to her, even if it does absolutely nothing for me. 

Precious Princess Pear

Presenting Princess Pear! She is sweet and smilie, she is almost 2 month old, and she looks lovely in peach. We love her!!!! She belongs with us and we are ecstatic about the fact that now she also belongs to us.

And while you're admiring my baby, also admire that lovely dress. It is made by Sharon at Cherry Groove Crafts. You will love all of her other dresses too. They are beautiful. Hurry over and look right now.

Magic Words

Today, I asked Peach what Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother says and she answered, “Please.”

“No,” I said, “What is her magic word?”

She got a big knowing grin on her face and said, “Thank you!”

Well, at least some of my more important lessons are getting through.

Marrying Her Prince

Peach is at that age where Charming is her true love. I don't have the heart to tell her that Charming is MY true love, and that she will have to keep searching. I figure she'll figure all this out soon enough.

Today, Charming took Peach and Plum on a special trip to see a special place.

 

This is the Brigham City Temple, and to learn more about it you can go to: http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormon-brigham-city-utah-temple-open-house-dedication-dates

Peach knows that temples are the place to go if you want to be married to your charming prince forever. She was very excited to go see this pretty building. Charming was excited to take them. I, sadly, had to stay home and do boring, everyday things like go shopping and get a hair cut. The castle doctors were pretty firm about a 38 week prego princess not taking any all day road trips. Can you believe that?!?

Princess Books

Do you know what this color means?

In my 3 year old Peach's very refined opinion, PINK is a sure sign that something is going to be fabulous. And how can I argue. She has picked out some fabulous pink things lately. My favorite pink items usually come from the dollar store and the library and usually have something to do with princesses or fairies. Here is an example:

Rapunzel retold by Sarah Gibb. It's the same lovely story, but the pictures are divine. In fact, Peach had a hard time listening to the story because she just wanted me to turn to page to the next fabulous picture, most of which are pink, by the way.

And here is a less than pink story but an enchanting one. Maybe it's just me, but I choked up at the end. It's simple, it's lovely, and again, the pictures are very beautiful.

The Apple-Pip Princess by Jane Ray. You should definitely patronize your local library and let them find this one for you.