little red wagon



On deciding how to do presents for our girls this year at Christmas we thought we would do one or two special things.  Our girls are blessed with so much, too much probably.  My idea was to get Anna a play-dough set (more on that later), and Brett's idea was to get her a little red wagon.

He came home with a bright red Radio Flyer wagon.  I instantly fell in love as I began picturing all the cute ways I could use it as a photo or party prop. :) Brett put the wagon together during Anna Ruth's nap time and when she woke up we had her stocking stuffers and present inside.  
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She thinks the wagon is multi-purposeful.  She eats her snack in the wagon, carts her babies around, reads books, and plays her xylophone.   What a fun, classical, old-fashioned toy. 

I'm back! Resolutions and all!

Hi everyone! I am so happy to be back to blogging. I hope you'll join me in the new year and read along with The Rosy Life! You can easily subscribe to my posts, or follow by e-mail.  Just see the right-hand side of my blog to sign up! 
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So, although I've been on a "break", I've still been blogging!   I have plenty of posts scheduled, on an almost daily basis.  Sometimes people (usually fellow moms) ask me-How do you have time to blog? The truth is, my blogging happens a lot of times when I'm needing to be up with Betsy Grace anyway (and it would definitely not be my top choice to be up).  Middle-of-the-night feedings for example! It is my rest, my outlet, my "me". I'm very excited to announce that some of my Christmas present this year is a new blog look!  A sweet gal is designing some new things for me that you'll see later this month!
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Since I've been gone (Kelly Clarkson song, anyone?), Betsy Grace turned one month old! Anna Ruth went from "mo", to "wo", to a full-on "no".  Complete with shake of head and furrowed eyebrows. Heaven help us :)

I have compiled my yearly list of Resolutions and thought I'd share. I'll be blogging throughout the year to let you know how these are going. 
1.) Pins on Parade: Less pinning, more doing.  I'll be sharing my Pinterest inspirations, and be challenging myself to complete my inspirations, not just click and save.
2.) Baker's Dozen: One fancy dessert (no chocolate chip cookies) baked a month.
3.) Back to books: Compiling and reading a list of books that are forever piquing my interest.
4.) Worship(ful): Spending_______amount of time in true worship and giving prayers of thanks (not just desperate cries for help with the babies) each day.
5.) Marriage Course: Reading a particular marriage book and spending more time dating and falling more in love with Brett. E-mail me if you want the name of the book (not everything needs to be blogged you know) 
6.) Art journal: Create some type of art journal.  Possibly take this course along the way.
7.) Rosy Retreat: Put my collection of thoughts for hosting a creative, one-day retreat into action...with the first ever Rosy Retreat (and hopefully more to follow) Watch for details.

What do you resolve to do in 2013?

Break




Hi everyone! Just wanted to say an early "Merry Christmas" and Happy New Year's! 
I will be taking a very intentional break from blogging for the next few weeks.  
Just long enough to make some changes to the blog, reflect on the past year, and re-focus myself for the new year and this new season of parenthood I am in. 
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 I'll be back around the start of the new year with plenty of DIY and decorating ideas, updates on the family, toddler/baby play ideas, thoughts on marriage and mama-hood, and the usual peek into what makes my country life rosy.
Plus there are some exciting things coming up for The Rosy Life you don't want to miss!  I hope to see you in January! 
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In the meantime, you can easily subscribe to my blog posts by entering your information on the right side of the blog where it says "subscribe".
See you soon!

My Sugar (cookie): Christmas Tradition #2







 Brett requested I make sugar cookies so we could decorate them.
This is something I grew up doing with my family and really enjoyed!
I have so many good memories of Momma icing the cookies in her perfect way, and Daddy carefully placing sprinkles on the cookies with a toothpick. 
I told Brett I often got carried away with the sprinkles when I decorated.  This didn't surprise him a bit! :)
For our Torbett family FIRST YEAR EVER of making sugar cookies we decided to continue the tradition I grew up with and go homemade.  Anna Ruth helped me roll out the dough and had fun learning what a cookie cutter was.  
 At first Anna Ruth was just grabbing the plain cookies and cramming them into her mouth, before I could even get the icing on! Hilarious. 
In stepped "Dada" to help!
 Brett showed Anna Ruth how to use the shaker to put sprinkles on the cookies, as well as how to pick the sprinkles up off the cookie sheet and put them on.
She was thrilled with both options.
This was so fun to see.  I loved watching Anna Ruth experience sugar cookies for the first time!
Thanks to Brett for adding a bit of Christmas cheer to an evening at home with this fun idea!

in Deep Waters

We had a day recently that was just not good. 
It started out rough, and got worse as the day progressed.
I had two unhappy girlies, and very little sleep.
Trivial in the grand scheme of things-but mountainous feeling as the day wore on.
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I prayed that day like I haven't prayed in a long time.  Just desperate for the peace of God to fill our home.
Later that night I was reading my bible and read Psalm 18. 
It spoke loud and clear to my heart and I thought I'd share.

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

I love you, Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield[b] and the horn[c] of my salvation, my stronghold.
I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
    and I have been saved from my enemies.
The cords of death entangled me;
    the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called to the Lord;
    I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
    my cry came before him, into his ears.
The earth trembled and quaked,
    and the foundations of the mountains shook;
    they trembled because he was angry.
Smoke rose from his nostrils;
    consuming fire came from his mouth,
    burning coals blazed out of it.
He parted the heavens and came down;
    dark clouds were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;
    he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
    the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
    with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13 The Lord thundered from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded.[d]
14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
    with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
    and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, Lord,
    at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
    but the Lord was my support.
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;
    he rescued me because he delighted in me.
20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
    according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
    I am not guilty of turning from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;
    I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless before him
    and have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure you show yourself pure,
    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27 You save the humble
    but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;
    my God turns my darkness into light.
29 With your help I can advance against a troop[e];
    with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect:
    The Lord’s word is flawless;
    he shields all who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord?
    And who is the Rock except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength
    and keeps my way secure.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
    he causes me to stand on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for battle;
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
    and your right hand sustains me;
    your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.

When you're in deep waters-don't hesitate to tell the Lord.  He is just waiting to rescue us!  He rescued us from a day that was feeling overcome by Satan's plan to undo the peace in our home.  God set us in a spacious place and provided a peace beyond understanding! Oh, how He loves us.

Flying by the seat of my pants

To "fly by the seat one's pants"-Meaning-
Decide a course of action as you go along, using your own initiative and perceptions rather than a pre-determined plan.
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This pretty much sums up the Torbett girls' lives right now! We rise early, make breakfast a TOP priority (we all like to eat and wake up hungry!), and go from there.  The funny thing is, I was in major nesting mode before Betsy and made lists and lists (and lists to remember those lists) and planned away before she was born. Now-I am trusting in God's plan for me, that being a mama to 2 girls is exactly where He wants me.  As far as everything else...we decide most actions as we go! Need to go to Walgreens with two little ones? -just drive there and decide once I get there how to make it into the store :).  

Want to go to playgroup? Again-just get everyone dressed and fed, diaper bag packed, and decide how to tackle the poopy diapers, feedings, discipline, etc. once we arrive.  
(and breath a huge sigh of relief when things go better than you expected!)
 Anna Ruth recently got to color her very own ornament to hang on our Christmas tree!  She really enjoyed playing with the stickers, crayons, and markers.  I taped a long sheet of white paper down onto our dining room bench for her to draw on.  It was the perfect length and she could easily stand at the bench and draw/color. 
 Anna Ruth sure does love Betsy Grace.  She has started giving her "hugs" night night and likes to look at her and talk to her when she's awake!
Here is Betsy ready to go to her first play-group!  I have made it three places with the girls by myself this week-the grocery store, playgroup, and Walgreens.
As the older lady pointed out at Wal-Mart-"You have your hands full". 
Yes, my dear stranger, I do.
Full to the brim! What a BLESSING this fullness is!

 I think this is what they mean by "Sleep in heavenly peace."
If we can just transfer that peace to a bit of the night now... 
:)

Tails and Tickles

 Oh my.  This melts my heart to pieces!  This is a picture I quickly captured at home one day.  It is such my girl.  A bit of ornery mixed with sweet and smart.....Plus I like that you can see her light patch of skin on her neck that she's had since birth.  Normally Brett and I are the only ones that notice it.  Again-unique to Anna. 
 Anna Ruth recently got her very first big girl pig-tails!  It felt like a rite of passage. :)
She continues to love a good tickle fest with Betsy Grace!  I hope and pray these two are big buddies someday :).

Playing Photographer: My Sister's Family!

Photography is such a hobby of mine.  I recently had the chance to play photographer for an hour or so and capture my twin sister's sweet family in some pics out on the farm!  Yet another reason why I love our country living.  Plenty of natural photo ops! I also used some props we had around the house/barn.
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My sis used some of these photos for her yearly Christmas card.  I had such fun taking them! 
Enjoy :)

It's a GIRLS world!

 It's a full-on girls world at the Torbett house!  These two girls keep me busy, busy!  Hands that are busy hugging, holding, diapering, and feeding.  Feet busy trying to keep up with Anna. Arms busy protecting Betsy Grace from big sister's BIG love (a.k.a. loving with hands that aren't so gentle-big sister doesn't know her own strength!).  Ears busy listening for cries and Anna's sweet voice.  A heart and mind busy with prayer, scripture, more prayer, and lots of love. 
A good, bustling busy-just how I like it ! (Most of the time that is, if I'm being honest)
 And just so you don't get carried away in the lofty, rosy paragraph above-let me bring you back down to reality. LOL.  One day I needed to call the social security administration and Betsy was also needing to be held. My point-my hands were literally full! Anna Ruth has recently learned to climb into her own chair at the table, while using a diaper box as a step-stool.  She thought this would be a prime opportunity to climb from the box to the chair, and then onto the table.  And then knocked over the entire vase of water you see....
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I disciplined her and she got very, very serious.  Big sister is definitely learning right from wrong, and how to choose a good attitude.  She keeps me on my toes!
 I am a nursing mama and breakfasts like this are absolutely necessary! Betsy Grace uses up my calories so quickly.  Cocoa covered almonds are my current favorite snack :) because I can stash them in the bathroom for all the fun hangout time Betsy and I have at night! Great Value even make the almonds so they are a bit cheaper than the name brand. You should give them a try!
 Something I'm trying to do consistently is make sure to spend one-on-one time with Anna Ruth when Betsy is asleep and ignore the call to do laundry, or clean up the house.  Of course sometimes that's just necessary.  But not every time....  My sweet first-born.  She holds a special place in my heart, as does Betsy. 
 This is how I am able to blog :)  When big sister naps of course.

We love watching Anna Ruth's personality unfold.  Girl has some serious personality and quirks!  She is so much like her Daddy at times.  For example-this week at church she evidently found a tiny scrap of paper on the floor, picked it up, and had to carry it to the trash can.  At home-she constantly wipes up the floor with any little towel or rag she can find.  Oh. my. WORD. It's like a little mini version of Brett. :) 
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I'm pulling for Betsy to be a creative, free spirit like her mama, who loves a good happy mess.  As Curious George says "George didn't see a big mess but a lot of little messes."  
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In all honesty-Anna Ruth has some of her mama's personality, some of dad's, and mostly a whole lot of Anna.  We can't wait to see what Betsy Grace will be like!  Time will tell. 

I've got a new blog! Come see. :)

Room for the Rosy  is my new blog. I hope you'll come see.