Chad posing with Charli's new baby doll doctor kit.
One of our many Christmas's
The doll house that Santa brought Charli, he also left his snowy foot prints in our house.
Decorating a gingerbread house. I couldn't get it to stand up so we decorated it laying down.
At Nana and Papa's house in Mt. Shasta. playing in the snow

Charli in her Christmas ballet performance. Danced to Winter Wonderland.
Ta-da our Christmas tree.
Our house addition so far!!! We decided that we are building an Arc.
Christmas bear cookies, decorated by Charli. So easy and so fun.
Yeah it is finally Christmas!!!!

They are multiplying!!!

9 cookie cutters
10 oranges
11 juices pouches
6 Letters of the alphabet

I am making a numbers book for Charli for Christmas. It is a book of things from 1-20. I have had to get pretty creative with some of the items to add up to a certain number, but overall it has been fun and I think she is really gonna like it when it is complete. She has no idea that I am making this book for her so please don't tell her if she asks. I was lining things up today and taking pictures and she kept asking me "Mommy what are you doing?'' I would just simply reply " Oh just taking some pictures of your toys, isn't it fun!!!"

Matching dish towels and pot holders. Funky Cats
Dick and Jane dish towels and pot holders.
Lemon and orange dish towels
Charli's first monogram shirt!!!
I sewed on Finch and the # 3 to the back. It looks like a jersey. It really turned out cute and Charli loves her new updated shirt.

So my dish towels and pot holders are some Christmas presents for some family members. I have tried to be crafty this Christmas. Since starting my Charli'z business I have been very inspired to make, sew or craft things instead of buying them and waisting money. I always enjoy something hand made than store bought. So I hope all my gifts are well liked and loved this year. All of these were so easy and not too time consuming.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!!!

We picked out our Christmas tree today!!! Charli was so excited!!!
She decided it would be fun to sit on one that was laying down. I had to take a pic of that.
Charli really had a lot of fun touching, pointing, feeling and looking at all the trees. We have it standing up in the tree stand right now and we will decorate it later tonight. So fun, I love all the things that go along with Christmas. It really has been so much more fun with a child.

This is my newest creation. I am piecing together a blanket for Charli for Christmas. All the fabric that I have been working with over the past 6 months or so, I have cut into squares and am sewing them together to make a scrap's blanket for Charli. She has been to the fabric store with me almost every time, she goes to my mom's with me when I have sewing to do for my Chalri'z products and gifts that I have made. She know's that I make baby products and is so good at not being or showing jealousy towards wanting one of her own, she just has accepted that this is what I do and she is there to watch it all. So I decided that she deserves a blanket made out of all the fabric I have used to make my Charli'z softi'z, bib'z and pad'z. When I told her I was making her a blanket, her eyes got so big and she had the biggest smile on her face. i think she was in disbelief that I was actually making something for her!!! i am really happy with what I have so far, and am cofident that it will be wrapped and tucked under out Christmas tree in time for Christmas morning.

Charli at ballet. (she is the one with her hair up ). They are practicing for their Christmas performance this coming Sunday. It is going to be at the Magalia POA and I have been told they are doing a tree lighting and Santa will be there as well. Charli has really taken a love for ballet. I started her in January and she has never once complained about not wanting to go. She re-enacts all her ballet moves at home, and Chad even has the honor of having to do some ballet, he seems to not be as flexible as her but he gives it his best shot.

Here are some Thanksgiving pictures. The only family picture I managed to get was of us in the morning before we showered. We were all lounging around and I took the oportunity to snap a picture of us. I love the one of Chad and Charli on the couch together. Charli looks so happy. She truely is a daddies girl!!! After Thanksgiving dinner at my mom's, Charli thought it would be fun to play with the drmum sticks. They were almost bigger than her head. Silly girl. We had a great Thanksgiving this year. It was the first time that I have had Thanksgiving with my mom and that side of the family. I am usually spending it with my dad's side of the family. This year it was a nice change, and I really can't believe I am almost 30 and have never spend Thanksgiving with my mom. Well it all turned out great. We had lots of dessert, as it should be and lots to eat for dinner. I made three things to share, a creamy apple pie, persimmon cookies and yams with apples topped with butter and sugar.

No more stitches!!!

Charli finally got all her stitches out and she looks amazing. Chad told me that Dr. Stewart is his favorite doctor. He is the Plastic Surgeon that did the stitches and also took them out. It was stressed to us at the hospital that it would be best to have a Plastic Surgeon do the procedure and we took their advice. You can barely tell that she had any injury or stitches on her right ear, and Chad and I are both very optomistic that her cheek is going to heal up nicely. Charli has been such a trooper through all of this.

Charli's first stitches!!!

So Charli got her first stitches on Thursday!!! We have all been trying to deal with this new thing the best we can, amazingly Charli is acting her normal self and is in great spirits depite what she has been through. So to make a long story short: Thursday afternoon Zilba our dog was asleep on the couch and Charli some how startled/scared him and he unfortunately reacted by bitting her in the face. He has never shown any anger or agression towards Charli, so I really believe he was taken by surprise, I do not think it was out of anger. We love our dogs and Charli does as well. So as a result Charli has some stitches on her right upper cheek, her right ear and some bruising on her lower left cheek. Thursday we rushed to the ER and it was recommended that a plastic surgeon do the procedure so we agreed. The surgeon suggested the best way to do the stiches was to have her awake and just numb the area that needed stitches. Well to do that to a 3 yr old you have to wrap them tight like a mummy. That was about a terrible an experience as when she got the bit. She really was a trooper through the whole ordeal!!! Our dogs have taken a step down in the family and currently when in the house do not free access to where ever Charli is. She has shown interest in petting them but does ask "Mommy will Zilba bite me?" When she goes to pet them. I do reasure her that he won't bit her but we always need to be nice to our doggies. It has given us a wake up call that dogs are animals and even though you might have to nicest dog, you never know how they will react to something.

Halloween 2007

Here are a couple pictures from our Halloween festivities!!! Charli chose to be Cinderella this year. She is really into all the princesses and dressing up. Cinderella has become her favorite princess so I thougth it perfect for her to be Cinderella for Halloween. We went to 4 different trick or treating locations this year. Charli really scored in the candy department, and she earned every peice she received. She really seemed to understand the whole trick or treating thing this year. It really was fun watching her.

Charli'z, new pictures!!!

Here are some better pictures of my Charli'z products. We bought a photography tent that allows you to take amazing pictures without being a professional.

I just took this picture today. This maple is in our yard and is one of the prettiest trees we have. I have always thought it was such a perfect setting for a picture. Charli insisted that Toto the dog be in the picture with her.

CHARLI'Z

Here are a few of my new creations. I like to call them Softi'z, inspired my Charli of course. I am in the process of starting a new business named Charli'z which consists of a small line of baby products. These two are small baby blankets that range in size 's of 17 to 20 inches square. Very unique & super chic. My products are currently on sale at Made in Chico, Chico CA and at The Heart of the Mountain in Mt Shasta, CA. I also make a line of bib'z and changing pad'z. I take special orders as well. It has been a real learning experience, this whole starting a business thing. It has been a lot of fun and Charli recognizes the fabric store when we pull up to it and asks "Are we buying fabric to make softi'z for boys and girls?"

The Finches new blog

Well I have decided I will start a blog. I am very new to this whole blogging thing and not the greatest at website stuff, but what the hey!!! Everyone else is doing it so I thougth I would give it a try. I am really bad a journaling so maybe this is a new way to journal. Or at least I am convincing myself of that. I wish myself that.