Holiday Comforts

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It's crazy to think that Christmas is just around the corner. It's one of my favorite times of the year, so special and a magical season. It's my fave holiday to decorate for as well.

For us in our home Christmas is about celebrating the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. He is the center of everything we do, daily we are thankful for his saving grace, love, and provision. This season is also a time to reflect and take time out as a family to celebrate traditions, and make new memories.

Our Christmas traditions start out like most families by putting up the Christmas tree. There's something special and magical about this. Pulling out ornaments that you made as a child. Stringing each light on the tree till it's glows perfectly. Then standing back, turning off the lights to admire it in all its glory.

Every year I look forward to the small comforts and traditions of this season. The first snow fall. I used to love the first snowfall in Minneapolis. There's something amazing about a fresh blanket of snow that glitters off the lights from the city.

I miss snow on Christmas.

The last couple years we've enjoyed a fire in our fire place during the holiday season. Such a small little thing, but it becomes a holiday memory as we gather round it while sipping on hot cocoa or watching one of our fave holiday themed movies in front of it.

Plus stockings are so much more perfect hung on a pretty mantle.

This year we are looking forward to spending our first Christmas with family in three years. Ultimately this is what the holiday season and Christmas is all about. We're also looking forward to experiencing another Christmas with our daughter, she's older now than last year and I can't wait to see her be more involved and take in the JOY of Christmas.

It's also about creating new traditions for us as a family. I already have a slew of ideas for different things I want us to incorporate into our Christmas this year.

Spreading love and JOY about Christ.

Celebrating with family.

Those are our holiday comforts.

What about you? What are your favorite things about Christmas? What do you do to celebrate together? What holiday comforts do you enjoy most? Tell me about them.

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{COOK IT} Grown Up Mac N' Cheese

I saw this mac n cheese on Pinterest, I'm always looking for a good mac n cheese recipe. So I thought I'd make this one and try it.

This mac n cheese is based off of a fondue cheese made with white wine. Have you ever been The Melting Pot? This is just like their cheese fondue there.

I call it grown up mac n cheese because of that. Here's my disclaimer, if you don't like dry white wine or have never had cheese fondue made this way you probably won't like this. It has a bit of an after taste of wine, although all the alcohol burns off in the cooking.

Here's the recipe; Enjoy!

Swiss Mac & Cheese
recipe inspired by Tyler Florence

1/2 pound imported Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch nutmeg
2-3 cups cooked macaroni or shell pasta
2-3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 cup crisply cooked bacon, chopped

Place the shredded cheeses in a bowl and sprinkle the cornstarch over it. Carefully toss the cheese to coat with cornstarch.

In a saucepan over medium heat, add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a gentle simmer. Gradually stir the cheese into the simmering liquid. Melting the cheese gradually encourages a smooth sauce. Once smooth, stir in the mustard and nutmeg. Carefully add the cooked pasta and chopped parsley to the cheese sauce and fold in to combine.

To serve, plate up the mac & cheese and garnish with the crisp chopped bacon.

The Real Reason I'm Not Pregnant with #2

It's that season again, somethings in the air and people are drinking the water. I have a bunch of friends who are pregnant again, and 3 who just had babies within the last month.

It seems like every time I log onto Facebook someone is announcing the news, or saying they just had their baby. It's a really exciting time right now for a lot of people I know. And, I know just first hand how exciting this time of life can be especially when it's your first baby.

Sure it would be exciting and fun to be pregnant with them, and experience that together. I'd be lying if I didn't say I've thought about it. Then, my husband gently reminds me that just because your friends are pregnant doesn't mean you should be too.

I suppose he's right. ;)

Orion and I are hitting that natural time when our first child is over a year and people start to ask when you're going to have another?! Friends, family {especially family} they all want to know. I can't blame them.

We do want more kids.

It's not even the fertility issues that scare me. Well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about them from time to time.

But, the truth is I really am just enjoying Ava. There are days when I fight motherhood guilt stronger than other days. The reality for me is that I hardly feel like I am with her, it tears me apart. I spend 10+ hours a day away from her and by the time I get home I don't wanna do anything but be with her.

I don't want to cook, or clean or do really much of anything except play on the floor with toys. Sing silly and annoying {but she loves them} Yo-Gabba-Gabba songs together. I'm tempted to keep her up past her bed time every night just because I want to spend more time with her. But, I know that I shouldn't and so I do my best to keep her on her schedule so she can get the rest she needs.

No, the real reason is I long for time with her.

There's still so many things that I want to experience with her. I want to take one last family vacation

with her. There's still so many things this family of three hasn't done yet.

The other truth?

Being a working mom, isn't my calling. It's been a little over a year since I went back to work full time. Truthfully, it's the hardest thing I've ever done being away from her.

It's something I've cried over. Something I agonize about. Feelings I fight daily.

Prayed over. Found peace in the sense that it's only for a season. But, it doesn't make it any easier. It makes it a little easier but not really.



I truly know that every mother no matter if they work inside the home or outside works so very hard. It doesn't matter to me what you do, or how you make it work for your family. The beauty is that you get to choose what's best for your family.

I knew going back to work that it wouldn't be forever, when I started working full time it became abundantly clear that this wasn't where I was to be. It took me a long time to come to grips & have peace about the season the Lord had me in.

The other reason I'm not pregnant with number two, is because I don't want to work full time.

I want to be at home with my children. Teaching them. Playing with them, raising them the way Orion and I want to, and feel called to do.

And, before that happens I want Ava to have time with me. More like, I want to have time with her. Just her. I want her to feel completely and utterly adored and cared for. I want to take the time and nest with her and a brand new baby.



I know this season will come to an end.

The Lord knows the desire of my heart. I believe that he has a perfect plan for us.

I believe in the right timing of things too.

Sure, I think about how far apart in age Ava will be to her future sibling, sure I wonder about the age difference, I go back and forth in my mind playing these situations over and over again life a broken record.

But, then again I am reminded of God's peace he's given us about this decision.

Remaining faithful to his promise to me.

In the mean time, we will wait. We will enjoy every single day. hour. minute with our girl!

Cherishing those family mornings when we're all snuggling in bed together. The endless amounts of gabba on the t.v. and every moment in between.

I Made This Contest Week 2 {Lifestyle Crafts}



Lifestyle Crafts has some awesome and exciting prizes coming up in their I Made This Contest Challenge. Week #2 is no exception! This week their giving away this:

What do you have to to enter?

All you have to do is follow their blog & tell'em I sent you!

How easy is that?! And, you'll be entered to win a dream craft space!

Click here, to start following their blog. 

Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them you follow along from Worley House!

Go shopping while you're there and use my code to get 20% off your purchase!

ps- have you "liked" Worley House on Facebook yet?
Go here to like us, or scroll down and hit like in the box to the right!

Blog Roll Monday: All For the Boys



Blog Roll Monday is a weekly feature here, where I share with you one of the blogs on my reading list and tell you why you should be reading it too! For a complete list of all the blogs I heart click here.

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Happy Monday Friends!

I'm today to share with you a blog I'm lovin' these days. All for the boys is written by Allison Waken, Mom to two boys, married to one! Her blog is filled with all things for boys! I had the pleasure of finally getting to meet Miss Allison just a couple weeks ago at a blog event for Down East.

What I love most about this blog, is her ability to see a need out there and have a passion for sharing with the Internet world ideas for boys in a girly, girl, parties everywhere all the time land of pink and ribbons. Allison shares with you some great ideas for crafts for boys, party ideas, simple experiments to keep your boys occupied.

Meet Allison;



(from her blog)

This space was created for boys, moms with boys, and people who love to find boy things! Basically All for the Boys! I found myself wandering down isles of craft fair booths always trying to find something new that was created just for boys but it always seemed to find very little and what I did was just like everything else. Boy stuff doesn't have to be all baseballs, footballs, and soccer balls am I right?! The Internet is much the same - there is some amazing boy inspiration to be found but it is often buried under the (maybe much easier to please?) girl stuff!

Isn't that awesome! See I told ya!

I don't even have boys in my life, I probably wouldn't know the first thing to do with a boy but Allison's blog makes it look easy and fun to come up with great ideas for your little ones. A lot of the stuff I find on her site I think is fantastic even if I am a Mom to 1 girl.

Some of my favorites are her Fort Fridays. Seriously, what boy doesn't love a good fort? I think I love them too just as much. And, if you're a big fan of Harry Potter check out this amazing birthday party she threw for her son. Allison also took her kiddos and Hubs on a little road trip this summer, she was awesome enough to record all the details along the way in her Road Trip Round Up series! It kinda makes me wanna take a road trip, to bad I can't get my Hubby on board with that.

If you have sons, if you home is all boys all the time, or maybe you have 1 boy in a sea of girls check out her blog. You'll leave happy and full of inspiration and ideas for your little boys!

Happy Monday Everyone!

Making Carmel Apples

Now that Ava is getting older, it's fun to start doing more fun things with her. This Fall she's able to do a lot more than last year. Last weekend we made our way to the pumpkin patch. On our way home we picked up stuff to make Carmel apples.

Ava was more interested in eating them.

We dumped sprinkles on the floor. We had sticky fingers. Carmel on the stove.

IT. WAS. A. GOOD. EVENING! 

Gather your supplies.

Grab yourself a helper.

Who also doubles as a taste tester.

Makes for a very fun night with your family. 

Love them. 

What have you been doing to make this Fall special with your family?! 

Happy Sunday! 

{Photography Inspiration} Ava's 18 Month Photoshoot

I've had this idea for Ava's 18 month photos in my mind. I love styling shoots, coming up with creative ideas and inspiration. Sometimes, I think I have more ideas than clients. For Ava's shoot I saw this picture of a hot air balloon on Pinterest. I was inspired by the colors, and the idea of using balloons.

Here's the inspiration:

Source: bippityboppityboo.tumblr.com via Andrea on Pinterest

I hunted down a great outfit and put all the styling together. Wanna see more of how her shoot turned out? Go here to see more of my little one. 

Happy Friday!