Easter

While being a firefighter's wife has a lot of perks, (like Justin being off for 3 weeks after Tobin was born) it also has it's share of challenges. Example A: the garbage disposal never breaks and the kids never start vomiting until Justin leaves for his 24 hour shift.

One of these challenges is that I also have to spend a number of holidays and Lord's days without him. I don't generally mind since we are blessed to have him home so many other days of the year but it is teaching me to be more creative in my planning and preparation. Like, just what do I do with my 6, 5 and 2 year old if my 6 week old needs to eat or starts crying in the middle of the service? Leave them alone in the pew? File them all out of the sanctuary with me? Fortunately, my parents and brother and sister attend church with us and on mornings when Justin is gone the kids are happily managed by their aunt and uncle or grammy and groompa if I need to step out.

So today was Easter and it was one of those days. It was busy and a little chaotic at times but we had a wonderful, worshipful day. Even if I did come up with the fabulous (crazy) idea to stay up until 2 a.m. and sew Adia a navy and white dress so all the kids would match. I mean, Tobin was going to wake up and need to eat anyway so why not stay up and sew? Seemed like a totally rational thought process at the time...

After celebrating Resurrection day with a service and brunch with our church family, we went to my aunt's house for all of our traditional Polish food and an egg hunt. As I went back and looked at these pictures, I was so thankful I thought to hand my sister, Abbey the camera. I was inside nursing Tobin and missed the whole egg hunt. Looks like everyone had a great time!

So sad Tobin didn't get in any of the pics.
He was either sleeping or eating.
He matched too though!

Steele and Uncle Gabe

Steele and Mimi

Xochi and Great Aunt Terri

Little Adia Foo Foo
Adia's dress:
Summer Vacation Dress
Pattern from Dana at Made

Ahhhh...

That's me. Sighing a sigh of relief. Today feels a little better. Yesterday, by 8:30 in the morning, I had already driven through Starbucks and McDonalds and I may or may not have had tears streaming down my cheeks. But today? Today I feel more emotionally stable. My hormones feel more under control. I'm more rested. I've eaten healthy food. I have discomfort but no pain. I feel like I can manage my childrens' behavior more patiently and consistently. For this moment, at least. God's grace for today. I'm thankful for it. I'm going to make good use of it.

After the drive-through incident my husband came home. He always makes things better. We went and got our Christmas tree in the afternoon. Aside from a little crying breakdown in the car when I was ravished and could not find food (Yes, this is a true story. I was irrationally crying because I was hungry. I knew it was irrational, I kept telling myself that and still, I could not stop crying.)... we had a great time. We always go with my parents and my grandma comes along. We found our tree quickly. Not the most stunning tree we've ever had but I still love it. We took some beautiful photos. We went to dinner and came home to a clean house courtesy of Pam the house cleaner who our families have so generously helped to pay for during this time. We decorated while the Polar Express played in the background. It was good.

The sun is shining into my Christmas house today. When I'm done here I'm going to finish my coffee, school my children, direct a thorough bedroom cleaning and then perhaps relax with some knitting and crafts for the rest of the day.

Hunting

Loving (after some sister strangling..)

Smiling

Great-grandma-ing

Topping

Honoring

Enjoying

Creating

Shining

Brightening

Happy Holidays

Knit Edition

Pattern: Thorpe Hat
Yarn: Cascade 128 Superwash Chunky
Needles: Hiya Hiya interchangeable size 9

As usual, I was busily knitting away during the days and nights before Christmas. I wasn't about to let a family-wide stomach bug keep me down for too long.

A few weeks prior, I decided to bag the individual hat patterns I had chosen and went with variations of the Thorpe for everyone. It is quickly becoming my favorite hat pattern - especially since learning the magic loop method. Using chunky yarn makes this a particularly warm winter hat and I really like how it goes down a little further in the back to keep little necks warm. A friend of mine passed along a neat stranded design which I easily adapted to the Thorpe to make it a little more interesting. I also couldn't resist adding a pom pom to Xochi's (post pic). What little girl doesn't look cute with a pom pom? After taking this picture I also added braided ties to each of the ear flaps.



I made a pair of One Cable Mitts for my sister Abbey to match her hat I made her. (I would list the yarn except I got it on sale, threw away the label and can't for the life of me remember what it is) She loved them. I am thankful for a 13 year old sister who loves and appreciates my knitted gifts. AND wears them... thank you home schooling.

On Christmas Eve, we get together with my mom's side of the family and exchange gifts. Several years ago we decided to exchange small stocking-stuffer sized gifts, $5 and under. As soon as the Mrs. Meyer's seasonal scent was released I snatched up about 10 bottles of dish soap and then set to work knitting some simple dish cloths. As a side story, a month or so ago my grandma had to make an unfortunate and unexpected early morning trip to the emergency room. She called me and asked me to call 9-1-1 for her. On my way out the door, I had enough sense to grab my needles and yarn and was able to knit up about 3 washcloths in the 8 or so hours I sat at the hospital. As it turned out, she was fine... she just needs to schedule the gall bladder surgery she's been putting off. Using a bit of twine, I tied the wash cloths to the soap and used them as my stocking gifts. I wish I had a picture to show you - I was so glad with how they turned out.

Pattern: Basic Knitted Dish Cloth
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpaca Worsted Cotton

The one thing I didn't get finished before Christmas that I really wanted to was a knit Secret Santa gift for our Jazzercise gift exchange. I finished them today though and will present them tonight at our big reveal party.

Pattern: Mitten Cuffs by Jane Richmond
Yarn: Cascade 128 Superwash
Needles: Size 10

I'm super excited about this little pair of mitts and can't wait to make a pair for myself! I love how you can wear them long or buttoned short.

And finally, I started on this hot water bottle cover for my grandma. She always appreciates my knitted gifts and I know she'll love this one just as well. I saw it on A Friend to Knit With - Leslie is using Cascade 220 (which is an absolute favorite, versatile yarn of mine) but I went with something else I had in my stash.

While there were plenty of knit gifts for other people, Christmas didn't pass without a couple of kniting related gifts for myself. Justin, as thoughtful as ever, got me two knitty gifts that I'm so excited about.

First, the Knit Kit. Love, love, love it.


And second, this wonderful book which I had seen on a blog before Christmas and told Justin I wanted before I initiated the "no Christmas wish list rule" in our home.

Knitting at Home

I can't wait to get some yarn, pull out my needles and cast on
for something out of it.

Oh!! And did I mention that those needles are my new Hiya Hiya interchangeables that I bought completely with consigned clothing money? Our local yarn shop is a combined yarn/consigned clothing store. Imagine my delight when the clerk told me I had $80 credit... sooo.... I bought the whole set!! Woo Hoo!!!

New Santa Poster

Here, in the living room, where we'll all get to enjoy it more often?

Or here, in the hallway, where we obviously need some art?

Would you like one too?
It's from Cavallini
I got mine for $5 at a cute little vintage shop,
but you can probs find it on-line somewhere.
$3 or so will get you a poster frame
from a thrift store.
Add a little blue spraypaint and voila!
Adorable Christmas.

ps. Cavallini has other amazing wrapping paper/posters
that could be used for a myriad of art
around the house.

pps. And if you're really lucky my kiddos will make
creases in it so it can be just like mine.
Bah humbug.

On Thanksgiving

The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings! ~Henry Ward Beecher

Ahh... thankfulness. I try to live always with thankfulness by my side but today, I am especially thankful for this outside my window.

When I no longer thrill to the first snow of the season, I'll know I'm growing old.
-Lady Bird Johnson

And these silly girls:


For Adia and how she tells me she loves me as we're baking pies together.



For Xochi and how she she sings her way through life. She is our common denominator - everybody loves her.


For Steele and how when Justin is at work and Steele sleeps in our bed, that even if he is asleep when I lay down he snuggles close and puts his arm around me.

And for Justin - that he truly is my closest friend.

Brain Stuffing

Not to be confused with Thanksgiving stuffing... I am grain-free you, know. (I say this in all bitterness as I've been drooling over recipes like this and this. I'm choosing this. I'm choosing this.)



Brain stuffing.... it's basically what happens this time of year when my brain is swarming with Christmas ideas, yarn, patterns, gifts etc. and I cannot keep everything straight. I used to tell my Jazzercise students that right before I taught new routines I would just stuff them all in my brain and hope they stayed in there long enough for me to get to class and puke it all out at them. And that's how I feel - except I'm experiencing a little blockage. Brain... constipation... maybe? Whatever it is, it has me frozen. And it can't be frozen! Because I need to start knitting, people! Are any of you like this? I just keep looking at pattern after pattern and yarn after yarn - the frugal part of me wants to use as much yarn from my stash as possible. I made a rule a while ago that I wouldn't buy any more yarn without a specific project to use it for. But I broke my rule... grr.... and I have some beautiful yarns to use but I'm just not quite sure they're the most *perfect* yarn for the projects I have in my mind. But I need to order whatever I need off of Knitpicks... and you see, my mind just keeps going around and around.

Kind of like my friend Suzy. Hooping. Another thing I can't seem to get out of my mind.

Go here and watch. You'll be amazed. I never knew.




Anyway, I've been watching birthing videos. I've seen six births in person but for some reason when I was watching the videos tonight and thinking of that being ME I actually said out loud to my computer (in a high-pitched squeaky-freaked-out voice), "I don't think I want to do that!"

I am Scared people! See that capital "S"? I keep telling myself that millions of other women have done it. I can do it too. Jazzercise has been prepping me for years - Breathe and push. Breathe and push. Breathe and push. I say it to my students all the time. Ack!!




To conclude, here's a sweet Christmas gift idea for your little girls. I cannot even tell you how much I want to post knitting patterns... but I don't want to give away my secrets. I'm going to think on this and see what I can do.

Magnetic Paper Dolls

Slowly but sweetly, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here! Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Favorite Things

Ok... enough Halloween.

I'm moving on to: Christmas!!!

I know, I know. We haven't even had Thanksgiving. But really, isn't Thanksgiving just sort of an extension of Christmas? I think so.

So in order to more fully enjoy the season - I'm going to share some of my seasonal favorites with you over the next couple of months. As I find them, as I get inspired - it'll be like a big seasonal surprise!

To start off - it wouldn't be the holiday season without:

Mrs Meyers! You know my obsession - and this year, their seasonal scent is SO yummy. So yummy, in fact, that I bought up 9 bottles of dish soap, a few hand soaps, some counter spray and a candle. I can't tell you what I'm going to do with them - shhh... it's a surprise.

So without further adieu... I present to you Mrs. Meyer's Orange Clove. I hope she doesn't mind me stealing one of her photos (sorry Mrs M) but I'm hoping she'll have a little grace toward me if I bring a few more dollars her way.

Yum Yum.

I'm also hoping to get my orange-clovey little hands on one of these:

Doesn't it sound holiday-licious?

*Hot Tip* The Orange Clove is on sale now at Fred Meyer! Run!

Next up: Theo Chocolates. Now, I've heard of Theo for a while now but had never tasted their chocolate until recently. A few of my friends have toured their factory and I was impressed with the fact that they're local(ish) - Seattle. And of course, very impressed with the fact that they're organic. But most of all - it tastes a-MAZE-ing. Especially their holiday flavors - of which I've sampled several. Specifically:

Peppermint Stick

Nutcracker Toffee

Gingerbread Spice

And now that I'm looking at their web site, I cannot for the life of me figure out why I didn't buy any of the Milk and Cookies. Must make a trip back to Fred Meyer (which is where you can purchase them - at least locally. AND! They're also on sale right now)


And finally - at least for now - I haven't tried this particular favorite yet but it is sitting on my kitchen counter waiting for me. But seriously - how could it be anything but crazy delish?

Oregon Chai Peppermint Original

So stay tuned! I have my Christmas playlist on my ipod, I'm dreaming of knitting projects and gift ideas. There is more seasonal goodness to come!!

Happy Halloweenies!

We decorated

We carved



We haunted

(ok - not really, but that's what Xochi looks like to me here)


I sewed

Mrs. Potato Head


details on Jesse's shirt


chaps




I glued

belts and bats


We gave

Our little Reformed town celebrates on Saturday night
when Halloween falls on Sunday


And received



We visited

Grammies and Groompas, Mimis, Aunts and Uncles


Friends


and neighbors


We munched


And fell...


into...


a candy coma.