Time sure flies when you are not looking. It has been far too long since I have paid much attention to this blog. My hands have been very full with family and our sweet new baby.

Gabriel Brooks was born at the end of March one day before his due date. Labor was crazy fast- a total of four hours. We barely made it to the hospital before he made his debut.

He is a very sweet and mellow little guy. We are enjoying getting to know him as we adjust to our larger family.

I hate to admit it but my garden is in shambles. I have not been able to find too much time for it these days and it shows- big time. Weeds have runneth over and my herb garden is being swallowed alive by mullein seedlings and chamomile. (I do believe the chamomile wishes to take over the entire garden.) Some plants however seem to be thriving on neglect. The French tarragon is huge this year and the Egyptian walking onions are about to flower. I miss the long hours spent fiddling in the garden and look forward to introducing the baby to it once the weather grows warmer and drier. (It has been quite chilly and wet here.)

I hope to find myself contributing to this blog more as the weeks go by. I miss the world of blogging and would like to find my way back to it. Until then I can be found snuggling my sweet little boy, enjoying these precious days that go by oh so fast.

I cannot believe that Christmas is only two days away! In some ways it seems to have crept up on me this year. I have been so busy as this year I vowed to make most of the gifts I give to everyone. I am happy with the results and am about to let out a huge sigh of relief that I have been able to pull of as much as I have! I hope to share some of my gifts here on this blog later once the holiday has come and passed. I’d hate to ruin the surprise for some!

For me and my family the holidays are full of traditions and each year we look forward to repeating them. When I was a child my family would purchase my sister and I a new ornament for the Christmas tree every year and to this day I look forward to pulling them out of the box and hanging them on my tree.

I have carried on this tradition with my children and love to watch them smile as they pull out their favorites from over the years.

It is also a tradition in my family to bake far too many Christmas cookies and there are a few recipes that get made year after year. One of my favorites is a simple, yet ever so good, butter cookie that is just heaven with tea or coffee.

This year I tried a new fudge recipe and I have been having to hide what is left from me and my boys in attempts to have any left for tomorrow and Christmas day! The recipe is so incredibly easy though that whipping up another batch is almost too easy- if you know what I mean!

Growing an amaryllis in attempts that it will bloom around Christmas day has become somewhat of a tradition for myself. They are such beautiful bulbs and every year I get close to having them bloom by Christmas but they never really make it.

They are always too early or too late. This year has been the closest yet though and I am still holding out that just maybe this particular one will actually bloom on Christmas day. After-all, I still have two more days!

Merry Christmas Everyone from myself and my (growing!) family!

Then

My little rose bud July 2008

Now

All Grown Up July 2009

She can even operate the hose for watering now