Betsy Cradic's Weblog

cowboy caviar.

2011-08-19T20:11:00.002-05:00

We have a bunch of sweet corn and tomatoes from our garden to use up. What better way to enjoy them than in a bean salsa. There are lots of variations out there for cowboy caviar, but here's the [delicious] concoction we use:

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black-eyed peas
1 large tomato, diced
1 large jalapeno, chopped
2 cups fresh corn (you can also use frozen corn and thaw it)
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup Italian dressing
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 bundle of fresh cilantro, chopped
coarse-ground pepper and salt to taste

Enjoy!

bathroom reveal.

2011-07-29T15:32:00.000-05:00

Without further ado...

Bathroom before (post-gutting, re-plumbing, and installing a new toilet):

And after:

I absolutely love the way the sink/vanity turned out. I knew I wanted a warm, rustic look for the cabinet, in a natural finish, since the rest of the room is done in various white/cream textures (i.e. the large tile flooring, the board and batten walls, the mini metro tile around the tub/shower). It was built out of hickory, by my awesome husband and father-in-law, with turned legs underneath to give it less of a built-in and more of a stand-alone look.

We found the sink at IKEA. Yes, you read that right. IKEA saves the day again! The sink was a huge decision. We priced/looked at/debated over apron sinks and pedestal sinks (which leave you with no counter space to set things on), vessel sinks (which we already have in the downstairs bathroom), granite slabs with undermount sinks (which are very costly), and nothing was fitting with the room quite the way I wanted it to design-wise. So on a whim we decided to go to IKEA and see what they had. Bingo. Isn't she a beauty?

And from another angle, just because I like to look at her...

Okay, one more...

As you might remember from this previous post, the sconce lighting was another tough decision. I'm really happy with the one we ended up choosing. Classy, yet primitive.

On the opposite wall we added a linen closet, stealing a bit of space from the master walk-in closet. I'm so glad we decided to do that. Extra storage = extra happiness for an organizer like myself. :)

And who could forget the tiny 1x2" tiles that Manly ~~begrudgingly~~ lovingly installed around the tub/shower...

So there you have it! And only a couple months late. Next up on the remodel list: my office. Once we've replenished the energy and monetary supplies, that is.

fainting couch.

2011-07-27T22:00:00.003-05:00

The upstairs bathroom is finished! Well, except for a few little towel hooks and other odds and ends. Tomorrow I'll take some photos and post them for you. But until then, here is another fun before-and-after going on around here...

Before...

After...

Winn's dad gave us this fainting couch a few months ago. We had it restuffed and reupholstered by Barb at Fabrications in Fabric. She does nice work (and she's quick too!). I'm not entirely pleased with the end result in that the shape of it is a little different now. I wish the back part where you rest your head was a bit more pronounced as it is in the before photo. But I really like the sleek look of it, as well as the new houndstooth fabric.

cooling off.

2011-07-21T13:31:00.004-05:00

hello again.

2011-07-20T10:02:00.003-05:00

On this 92-but-feels-like-104-degree morning, while the still-not-walking almost-15-month-old is napping, I'm savoring a long-awaited morning at home and indulging in air-conditioning and an iced French vanilla latte (thanks to Maxwell House)...

...and sorting through my photos, contemplating where to even begin blogging after being MIA for a couple of months. So I decided to start small, lest I get overwhelmed.

I promise you that our upstairs bath is almost finished. It has, in fact, been "almost finished" for several months now, but when summer arrived, we turned our attention to the outdoors and such projects as building a new chicken coop, gardening, cleaning the garage, hanging a baby swing, chopping wood, and the like. But hopefully by the end of the week, Manly will have finished the doors for the vanity and the linen closet, and I will give you a complete virtual tour of the new facilities. :)

In the meantime, I'll let you in on a little secret. Remember this post about my lighting selection dilemma? Well, here's a peek at the sconce I ended up choosing...

at 12 months you...

2011-05-10T21:04:00.003-05:00

* Weigh 24 pounds.
* Measure 30 inches tall.
* Walk along the furniture.
* Like to empty all the kitchen cabinets within your reach.
* Bounce up and down when music starts playing.
* Love to crawl through the grass outside and go for walks in your stroller.
* Will be a big brother in about seven months.

roasted salsa verde.

2011-04-20T21:06:00.002-05:00

It's the closest thing to Chipotle's green salsa that we've found. You can buy it at Walmart. Please do. So that they never quit selling it. I'm not sure how I could go on living without it. :) Just the right amount of heat on your tongue and oh-so-yummy!

Especially when paired with Mission tortilla chips...

WARNING: EXTREMELY ADDICTING (as evidenced by the contents of our recyclable glass receptacle)...

learning to use a fork.

2011-04-07T08:23:00.003-05:00

at 11 months you...

2011-04-02T08:30:00.001-05:00

* Crawl all over the place and get into everything.
* Like to put the phone up to your ear and "talk."
* Pull yourself up along the furniture.
* Insist on feeding yourself at the dinner table.
* Love being outside with Sajak, Phinneas, and the chickens.
* Continue to flash your bright ear-to-ear smile at anyone who looks your way.
* Are growing up much too quickly for this mama.

a little april fools' day fun.

2011-04-01T14:02:00.005-05:00

This is the photo I emailed to Winn at work this morning.

He totally took the bait.

* It's the same pic I sent him in the fall of '09 when we found out Shepherd was on the way. :)

bathroom progress.

2011-03-31T20:49:00.005-05:00

Yep, those are 1x2" tiles.
Yep, it took poor Winn (along with some help from his dad) a looooooong time to install them.
Yep, I feel kinda bad about that.

But it's lookin' real perdy so far, wouldn't you agree?

blessed.

2011-03-30T19:04:00.003-05:00

While the baked ziti was in the oven this evening and the squash and zucchini and onion were sauteing on the stove, I snacked on some smoked Gouda and a glass of cabernet and watched Manly and his son through the window as they went outside to feed the chickens and collect the eggs. Over dinner we planned our catalog order of seeds for this year's garden, and we laughed when Shepherd put a fistful of pasta in his mouth and made a horrified face at the unexpected taste of spinach mixed in. And I sat there enjoying our sweet and simple life, marveling at a God who delights in blessing his children.

i'm too sexy for my socks.

2011-03-29T07:30:00.000-05:00

i'm in love.

2011-03-28T12:06:00.003-05:00

With this home...

And these knitting needles...

I wasted no time in ordering a handcrafted set for myself from Stitch Diva, and I can't wait for the UPS man to arrive!

* Thanks to my friend Kelly for another great link!

at 10 months you...

2011-03-07T12:56:00.002-06:00

* Are very close to being able to crawl.
* Cause your parents a lot of anxiety with the things you manage to find and put in your mouth (including popcorn kernels, the squeaker from inside a toy, an earring, and box elder bugs).
* Like to look at books.
* Have become a bit clingy at church or other crowded places.
* Make an engine sound with your lips while pushing your bulldozer around the floor.

fantastic enchiladas.

2011-03-03T10:54:00.002-06:00

And I do mean fantastic. And easy.

1/2 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
1 1/2 c salsa
1/2 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (I used fresh spinach because I had it on-hand)
2 t cumin
1/2 t salt
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
5 to 6 flour tortillas (we love to make our own using this tortilla mix)
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Heat in saucepan cooked ground beef, 1 cup salsa, spinach, cumin, salt, and cream cheese until melted/heated. Spoon 1/3 cup of filling down the center of each tortilla; roll up and place seam-down in lightly greased 8x8" baking dish. Spoon remainder of salsa over enchiladas. Bake uncovered @ 350' for 25 minutes or until hot. Add cheese on top and return to oven until melted. Serve with tortilla chips. (Makes approximately 4 servings.)

And just because I don't like to do a post without a photo, here are a couple of our other recent Emealz. Marinated pork fillets and spinach salad:

Baked tilapia topped with mango salsa and served with sweet potatoes:

not-so-fairweather friend: a knitted neckwrap.

2011-03-01T08:00:00.001-06:00

This hybrid scarf is designed to button around the neck on blustery days. There are no tails to tuck in your coat or leave flying around in the wind. It's a quick and easy pattern, so make one in every color for a little winter accessorizing! :)

Pattern: Not-So-Fairweather Friend
By: Betsy Cradic
Supplies needed: Size 15 knitting needles, one skein of Lion's Thick and Chunky yarn (shown in Grey Marble), and three 1 1/8" buttons

Cast on 25 stitches.
Row 1: Purl.
Row 2: Knit.
Row 3: Purl.
Row 4: P2, K3, P3, K3, P3, K3, P3, K3, P2.
Row 5: K2, P3, K3, P3, K3, P3, K3, P3, K2.
Repeat Rows 4 & 5 until neckwrap reaches desired length (approximately 2 feet), ending with a Row 4.
Next row: Purl.
Next row (buttonhole row): K2, K2T (knit 2 together), YO (yarn-over), K7, K2T, YO, K7, K2T, YO, K3.
Next row: Purl.
Next row: Knit.
Bind off.
Attach buttons and weave in loose ends.

{I hope you enjoy my free tutorials! They are for personal use only, please.}

v-day.

2011-02-28T21:08:00.003-06:00

I forgot to tell you. I had the perfect Valentine's Day. It was quiet and sweet. We put Shepherd to bed early, and I took a hot bath. When I got out, Winn had set out the wine and cheese and was grilling T-bones and sauteing vegetables and preparing a salad. After dinner he brought me strawberries and a warm bowl of chocolate to dip them in. He topped it all off with candles, a special music playlist created just for me, and a warm oil massage. Love that man.

the tile quest.

2011-02-26T13:01:00.004-06:00

So we had a small delay in the bathroom redo (i.e. me not being able to find and decide on the tile for the tub/shower surround). This happens a lot, not necessarily that I can't decide on which thing but more the fact that I can't find exactly what I'm looking for. And I'm kinda particular about it. Kinda. And it just might be a source of frustration for my poor husband, who just wants to get it done.

You might think that a 1"x2" white subway metro tile is easy to find. But not when you want it to be unglazed, brick-jointed, and in just the right shade of off-white, mind you. And not if you don't want to pay an arm and a leg for it. Grrr. However...I'm happy to announce that the tile has finally been found and ordered, and we're back at it in full force! Here's a sneak peek at some of the items we chose...

Now to decide on the wall sconces...oofdah. Any input?

Option No. 1:

No. 2:

No. 3:

No. 4:

Cast your votes now!

bathroom inspiration.

2011-02-14T09:26:00.005-06:00

When we moved to the farm, we had a very limited amount of time to make an unlivable farmhouse livable, and not only to make it livable but to pass a foster care inspection. Consequently, only the bare necessities were completed, and we have been making do with one bathroom ever since. Still lovin' the clawfoot tub we chose...

And the vessel sink...

And especially the perfect touches (like this mini monogram lamp) from lovely friends...

But, this bathroom is on the first floor, while our bedroom is on the second floor. Not so convenient. Unfortunately (and maybe fortunately), time and money run out very quickly when remodeling a nearly 100-year-old home, and we have been forced to learn patience. In the meantime, I've been dreaming and collecting photo inspiration...

Well, almost three years later, after many middle-of-the-night trips downstairs to the toilet and many mornings of squeezing two people in front of a small sink and mirror, we (mostly Winn) are finally working on one of the upstairs bathrooms! I hope to be back soon with some before-and-after photos!

at 9 months you...

2011-02-03T08:30:00.002-06:00

* Are developing such a fun personality and can be a bit of a clown.
* Love to play the piano.
* Weigh about 22 pounds.
* Measure 29 inches tall.
* Have dropped to the 70th percentile in size.
* Have started to throw little fits when you can't have something you want.
* Eat almost everything that we eat, but still love to nurse for your main diet.
* Can scoot backward, but for the most part remain fairly stationary.
* Say "Mama" and "Dada," but we don't think you know what they mean yet.

my cold weather 'must-haves.'

2011-02-02T14:55:00.012-06:00

* Pulse-warmers (shown above). I wish I would have known about these years ago, especially with Raynaud's Syndrome, but I only found out about them just over a year ago when my friend Rebecca got me a pair as a Christmas gift. Apparently, if your pulse spots are warm, the rest of your body tends to be warmer too, and it really does work! I wear them around the house all the time, working at my desk, knitting, etc. I recently purchased a second pair at New York & Company, complete with thumb slots. They look easy to knit, so that might have to be my next project.

* Puffer vests. I wear these all the time in the winter.

* Heated mattress pad. We turn our mattress pad on before bed, and then the sheets are nice and toasty when it's time to slip under the covers. It has dual controls, so Winn and I can each choose our own setting. Once in bed, I usually turn my side way down or off completely.

* Down comforter.

* Heated car seats.

* Hand-warmer coffee mug. My sweet friend Jessica bought one of these for me for my birthday a couple years ago, and I love it! Instead of a handle, it has a little pocket to slip your fingers into to draw the heat from your warm drink.

* Space-heater by my desk.

* Rice bag feet-warmer, like this one and this one.

* Cuddl Duds, found here.

* SmartWool stockings, found here. I usually get a new pair of these in my Christmas stocking from Winn.

simple sweater.

2011-01-22T16:43:00.003-06:00

Remember this spice sweater I was working on last fall?

Well, it was a wee bit too small. So I knit another one (this time in Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky, Lemongrass). I haven't taken any photos of it yet, but a friend took these at a Christmas party last month (and thanks to Facebook, I was able to steal them from her). Check out the Oatmeal Pullover Pattern if you'd like to knit one for yourself!

at 8 months you...

2011-01-05T09:48:00.002-06:00

* Celebrated your first Christmas and finally met all your aunts, uncles, and cousins on your daddy's side.
* Aren't a big fan of road trips and don't like to nap in the car.
* Clap your hands.
* Like to squeal at the top of your lungs and make growling noises.
* Have 6 teeth.
* Sleep about 11 or 12 hours at night and 3 to 5 hours during the day.
* Eat finger foods.
* Don't seem interested in crawling yet (which is just fine with your parents!).

2010 christmas postcard.

2011-01-04T08:30:00.000-06:00

getting back to "normal."

2011-01-03T12:41:00.005-06:00

Surprisingly, I don't feel compelled to take down the Christmas lights or the tree yet, especially after all the time it took to make felt garland and popcorn strings. I know that some people (Winn included) are ready to get back to work, but I'm not ready for the festivities to be over. I don't have another job until tomorrow, so I'm stretching out the holiday for one more day, staying in my sweats and SmartWool stockings, sans shower, and perusing the internet for fixtures for the upstairs bathroom, the next project on our renovation list, and eating up some of the leftover pork and cowboy caviar for lunch. Snow is falling outside (again), and Shepherd likes looking out the window from his high chair, watching Sajak sniff around the frozen pond. He's eating finger foods now and drinking out of a sippy cup, growing up way too quickly for this mama's liking.

He's done so well over the past couple weeks (despite the late nights and the cutting of new teeth), easily adapting to a crazy schedule, tolerating all the smooches from less familiar faces, and sleeping in a bed other than his own. We celebrated out of state for five days with my in-laws and then back home with my family for the rest of the year. Santa-Baby brought me just what I wanted for Christmas: a boyfriend watch by Fossil. I also scored big with an orange vintage suitcase and hand-sewn rug from my mom (who had my name in our family gift exchange) and a few fun and unexpected gifts from sweet friends.

Stockings are my favorite, and I always look forward to the traditional stuffers (i.e. a Starbucks gift card from Carrie, a tree ornament from Jess, an orange from Dad [he's been putting oranges in our stockings since we were little, and it is always the best-tasting orange of the year], a glass bottle of root beer from Bob), as well as the surprise ones (including yummy homemade chocolate-covered coffee beans from Polly).

My out-of-town sisters and their families left for home yesterday, and I miss them already. And I miss Scrabble and pecan clusters and Christmas. I found a little pair of white tights on my couch that my niece left here, and there are toys and crayon artwork strewn about our house. I have suitcases to unpack, laundry to fold, sheets to wash, bills to pay online, and a mudroom to scrub. But like I said, I'm stretching out the vacation for one more day. Tomorrow is soon enough to get back to normal.

e-mealz update.

2010-12-07T09:36:00.004-06:00

For those that wanted an update on the E-mealz meal planning, we're in our sixth week of it and still love it! And it hasn't cost us a dime yet. In fact, we've made money on it. We paid $15 for a 3-month subscription, and so far we've made $33.13 for referring friends to their site. Click the link below to check it out!

{E-MEALZ Easy Meals for Busy and Frugal Families}

at 7 months you...

2010-12-01T20:43:00.002-06:00

* Will not keep your socks on.
* Have a third tooth!
* Like to pet dogs, cats, chickens, and any other animal you've met so far.
* Finally have gotten the hang of solid food and LOVE it!
* Can drink out of a sippy cup.
* Roll around on the floor when you want to reach a toy.
* Are growing up way too fast.

the firepit.

2010-11-22T13:27:00.002-06:00

Supplies needed:
1 tractor tire rim
3 walnut logs from wood pile
1 bag concrete mix and stain for faux rocks
1 very handy and talented husband

we love suppertime.

2010-11-12T10:47:00.005-06:00

We pray and we eat and we talk about our day. We set Shep in his Bumbo seat on the table right next to us while we eat, giving him little tastes of what we're having. But I have to tell you this little secret that has changed our lives. In the past we absolutely dreaded the what-should-we-have-for-dinner-tonight dilemma. Ugh. And I dislike having an empty fridge, which we often do, because I also despise grocery shopping. But no more. Thanks to Emealz. For real. It.is.the.best.

Each week I print off a meal plan for that week, which consists of easy recipes for each night (requiring about 30 minutes of prep time) and a grocery list, arranged by department (i.e. produce, frozen, dairy) for ease of shopping. I email the ready-made shopping list to Winn, who stops at the store for those items on his way home from work (usually on Mondays).

In the above photo we're making tender chicken Parmesan with roasted vegetables. Next up on the menu: sausage-cheese chowder with celery sticks and biscuits! So far I have downloaded four weekly meal plans, and we haven't had a single recipe we didn't like. And almost every night at the dinner table Winn and I will say to each other how much easier (and yummier) mealtimes have been lately. A couple more reasons why we love it:

* You can choose meal plans for anywhere from 2 to 6 people.
* You can indicate if you'd like a vegetarian menu, gluten-free, low-fat, low-carb (no thanks!), etc.
* You can specify the store where you'd like to shop (Walmart, Aldi, etc.), and they will base the menu on the weekly sales.
* So far our grocery bill has been between $35-$45 per week (this doesn't include staple items).
* With the meal plan for 2, there are enough leftovers to pack for Winn's lunch the following day.
* Only the popular recipes are repeated and only every 4-6 months.
* Emealz was created by a stay-at-home mom of four kids and wife of an associate pastor and co-created by her sister, so these are real moms creating simple meals for busy families.

It does cost, but only $1.25 a week, which can easily fit into the grocery budget and which can be recouped by the money saved from buying groceries that you don't end up using and time saved from having to plan meals, make grocery lists, and take last-minute trips to the store for something to make for dinner. You can try a sample menu on their website for free.

Lastly, I have not been asked by anyone to write about this. I saw it mentioned on someone's Facebook comment a while back and decided to give it a try, and we have been oh-so-happy with it! It wasn't until after I had already signed up for Emealz (honest!) that I realized there was a referral program. So if you do sign up, please use the link below, and that way I can earn a commission when you sign up. Thanks!

E-MEALZ Easy Meals for Busy and Frugal Families

at 6 months you...

2010-11-07T08:00:00.002-06:00

* Have two pearly whites.
* Can sit up by yourself.
* Make us so happy with your little giggles and smiles.
* Are taking fewer (and shorter) naps during the day.
* Still shudder and gag when we feed you solid food.

saturday morning favorites.

2010-11-06T10:31:00.004-05:00

Pulling Shep in bed with us and cuddling, playing peek-a-boo, and chattering/Donuts from Otto's Bakery/Working outside/A bottomless pot of coffee/Making things, like banana bread and applesauce/Feeding the chickens/Eating cashews while watching local tv

at 5 months you...

2010-10-04T12:55:00.002-05:00

* Wear size 12-month clothes.
* Weigh about 20 pounds.
* Have tried rice cereal.
* Like to play in your ExerSaucer.
* Are rolling over.
* Find the chickens to be very entertaining.

my favorite moment.

2010-09-16T21:57:00.000-05:00

It's that moment when he realizes he's about to be picked up. He grins from ear to ear while his arms and legs start doing the happy dance. I just can't get enough of it.

all in a [Satur]day's work.

2010-09-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

baby britches.

2010-09-11T12:41:00.006-05:00

If there's anything cuter than a round little baby belly, it would have to be a round little baby belly inside this vest. The Pebble pattern is so generously provided for free over at The Thrifty Knitter. With autumn coming on strong, I thought it was just the thing to knit up for our little man. For yarn I used Patons Shetland Chunky Tweeds in Earthy Brown.

Second on the cuteness scale would have to be these tiny trousers. I always love Anna Maria Horner's patterns and fabric, and her newest book Handmade Beginnings does not disappoint. The pattern for the Quick Change Trousers is just one of the many goodies found in the book. They're easy to whip up (especially in cottons and flannels) and comfy for babe.

The yoke on the back adds a fun detail.

And they're reversible, for little spills and spit-up.

Cuff the bottom, or leave them long.

And Winn's favorite side because, he says, they look like Carhartts. :)

the sweetest sound.

2010-09-06T17:04:00.001-05:00

(Shep with Aunt Sarah)

at 4 months you...

2010-09-03T17:20:00.001-05:00

* Weigh 17 pounds and 8 ounces.

* Are 28 inches long.

* Are getting to be very good at reaching for things with your hands and putting them right into your mouth.

* Giggle at funny sounds and being tickled.

* Are such a good sleeper, going to bed around 9:30 p.m. and waking up around 8:00 a.m., with a couple of 2- to 3-hour naps throughout the day.

* Still haven't quite cut those two teeth that you've been working on for a month and a half.

* Have been on your first vacation (up North to the lake) and loved being outside all day in the fresh air.

* Make us smile and say "Isn't he the cutest?!" at least 100 times each day.

fall is in the air.

2010-09-02T17:03:00.004-05:00

And I'm SO excited about that!

About digging up the rest of our potatoes and canning our tomatoes...

About knitting a spice-colored sweater for myself...

About the fact that the Golden Girls are finally laying...

About bonfires and pumpkins and piles of leaves. Call me a Minnesota girl, but I love the seasons. All four of them!

tomato cage lanterns.

2010-08-11T20:03:00.008-05:00

My lovely friend Kelly...

...sent me this link and the following note: "Please oh please make these for your farm!! I vote for making them upside down and leaving the prongs on so you can stick them in the ground and they won't blow away."

Your wish is my command, Kel...

They are just the thing for our barn parties! Don't you love them?!

our family.

2010-08-05T12:50:00.004-05:00

knitter's roll (a tutorial).

2010-08-02T12:01:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to make a holder for knitting needles for a long time. And Sara, my little knitting apprentice, was just the inspiration that I needed. Isn't she the cutest?

She just finished her first big knitting project, a baby blanket for her boyfriend's new niece. I'm so proud of her and wanted to make her a little something. And now that I've made her one, I totally want to make one for myself as well. Isn't this just the handiest thing??

Supplies needed:

* approximately 1/2 yard of fabric
* 2 scraps of coordinating fabric pieces
* Roughly 2 yards of ribbon
* 1/2 yard of thin batting

The finished product will measure 18 inches wide and 15 inches high. We'll be using 1/2-inch seam allowances throughout.

So here we go...and bear with me, as this is my first real tutorial!

1. Dig through your fabric stash for some fun fabric scraps.

2. Raid your ribbon jars and boxes for some coordinating ribbon.

3. Choose which pieces you want to go where, and then we're ready to begin cutting!

4. Cut 2 pieces of the main (background) fabric that are 19 inches by 16 inches. Cut 1 piece of coordinating fabric that is 19 inches by 11 inches. Cut 1 piece of coordinating fabric that is 19 inches by 8 inches. Cut 2 pieces of ribbon that are 19 inches long and 1 piece of ribbon that is approximately 1 yard long.

5. Take your two smaller pieces of fabric, fold one of the long sides under 1/2 inch, and iron flat.

6. This is the part where you'll want to add the 19-inch pieces of ribbon, sewing them along the top edge of the ironed folds.

You don't want to forget this step, or you'll have to go back and rip out the seams later on (*ahem*).

7. Now lay out one of your large fabric pieces and layer the other two pieces on top, largest to smallest, as they will appear on the front (top) of the knitter's roll. Just pretend that there is ribbon on the pieces shown here (sheepish grin).

8. Next lay the second piece of large fabric on top, wrong side up.

9. Pin and sew around outer edges, leaving a gap at the bottom that is large enough to stuff the batting into

10. Clip corners.

11. Turn right side out and iron flat.

12. This is where you'll add the remainder of your ribbon. My piece was about 3 feet long, but it's okay if you don't have quite that much. Fold the ribbon in half to find the middle, and mark it with a straight pin. Then pin to the right side seam, in line with the bottom ribbon on the fabric, and sew, going back and forth a couple times to make sure it's secure.

13. At this point, if you're like me, you may be getting hungry. Go to the fridge and take out the leftover cheeseburger from dinner the night before, reheat, and load with toppings.

14. Be sure and add lots of pickles.

15. After eating, go over and snuggle your baby for a few minutes, because he is just too irresistible.

16. Okay, back to work! The next step is to cut a piece of batting that is 17 1/2 by 14 1/2 inches. I like the "Warm and Natural" blanket batting, and I keep a stash of it in my sewing lockers.

17. Stuff the batting through the opening, making sure that it lays nice and flat inside.

18. Pin the gap closed and sew all the way around the outside of the piece, staying close to the edge (about 1/8 to 1/4 inch).

When sewing along the bottom edge where the gap is, make sure that you're catching the back layer of fabric as you go.

19. Almost done! Now we're ready to make the lines for the knitting needle pockets. A fabric pen would be ideal for this step, but if you don't have one on hand, you can use pins to mark the lines. I wanted one wider pocket and three thinner pockets, so I measured and marked the bottom of the piece with pins at 6 inches, 10 inches, and 14 inches.

20. Then do the same at the top of the piece and place pins in between, making a straight line to follow while sewing.

21. Lastly, sew along all three lines.

Congratulations! You're finished!

Fill with all your knitting needles...

...and roll up and tie for easy storing and mobility!

our garden.

2010-07-31T16:18:00.003-05:00

This year we planted corn, cucumbers, potatoes, beans, peas, lettuce, kohlrabi, onions, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, jalapenos, peppers, garlic, and...

...watermelon! I can't wait to try it! But in the meantime, we just picked these babies to throw in the crock pot with the roast for supper tonight.

photo op.

2010-07-30T08:14:00.000-05:00

We had burgers on the grill last night, made with beef from the 1/4 cow we bought from Farmer Leckness this past winter. If you know Winn, you know that he likes things to be precise. Even his burgers. He's been looking for a burger press so that we can have perfectly round 1/3 pound burgers. So when I was running an errand at the mall this week, I noticed a new shop called "Kitchen Collections," and I ran in to look for one. And I came back out with a little surprise for Winn. And that is why we had burgers for supper last night. That and the fact that we both love a juicy cheeseburger hot off the grill on a summer evening. Especially with a side of fresh-cut pineapple.

After finishing our meal at the picnic table, we sat and enjoyed the evening air, Shep napping upstairs in the nursery. The Golden Girls had waddled out of their coop and were pecking around for bugs. I noticed how pretty they looked next to the purple flowers alongside the barn and went to get my camera.

But as I started walking over to the hens to get some close-ups, Phineas (the cat we recently inherited from my sister because my niece is allergic to him) noticed them too.

And he loves to torture them, sneaking up and scaring them into thinking he's going to have them for dinner.

So they high-tailed it back to safety.

Man and his dog just watched and snickered.

And I didn't get any close-ups. But I did get these instead...

at 3 months you...

2010-07-29T11:40:00.003-05:00

* Are extremely social and interactive, smiling and "talking" to us constantly.
* Get called "94" by Daddy (because you're in the 94th percentile for weight), "peanut" and "peanut butter" by Mommy, "Snookers" and "Snuggerbutt" by Grandpa Gary, and "Bepper" by your little cousin Eavan.
* Think that the sound of someone coughing is the funniest thing.
* Like to cuddle.
* Flirt with all the ladies at church.
* Love being on your play mat from your Great Aunt Deanna and Cousin Laura.
* Are teething already (and have been for 3 weeks!).
* Sleep from about 9:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. (since dropping your early-morning feeding about a week ago).
* Like to sit next to the piano and listen while Mommy plays it.
* Have turned your parents into sleepyheads and homebodies (but they love it).

i love me a sleeping baby.

2010-07-26T18:09:00.001-05:00

$12-a-year laundry soap.

2010-07-21T12:56:00.004-05:00

We made laundry soap the other day. We've been using it for about a week and a half, and so far it's working wonderfully. It was super cheap and way easy to make, is free of dyes and perfumes (I personally like the scented stuff, but we're not supposed to use it on Shep's cloth diapers), and it's safe for septic systems since it's made with all natural ingredients. It's too good of a secret to keep to oneself, so here you go:

1. Put 3 cups of water in a 2-quart sauce pan, and warm it up on medium heat.
2. Shave 1/4 of a bar of Dove soap into the water and stir occasionally until dissolved/melted.
3. Add 1/4 cup of powder Borax and stir.
4. Add 1/4 cup of washing soda or baking soda and stir for 5 minutes (will foam up).
5. Remove from heat and let cool.
6. Pour in 100-ounce jug, add water, shake, add water, shake...until full.

* You can find Borax in the laundry soap aisle at the grocery store.
** I don't know that is has to be Dove soap, although it does suds up nicely.
*** I've heard that washing soda and baking soda are similar but not the same. Does anyone else know? I used baking soda.

happy birthday, dear rebecca.

2010-07-19T22:36:00.005-05:00

Pattern can be found here.

two cradic rules.

2010-07-14T07:54:00.005-05:00

We have a rule in our house that deep fat fryers are not allowed. Not because of the fat part, or the frying part. But because of the smell. Ugh. It takes weeks to get that stench out of the house.

But we have another rule in our house, and that is that long john donuts are about the best invention in all the world (I'm talking right up there with electricity). Especially with Bavarian cream inside and maple icing or chocolate frosting on top. So we made an exception. We borrowed my mom's fryer, plugged it in in the garage, and made these delicacies...

nothing that a little paint won't fix.

2010-07-12T17:18:00.002-05:00

I scored big time at an auction the other day, on a buffet for our dining room.

Before:

After:

say cheese.

2010-07-07T21:53:00.004-05:00

* Thank you to my awesome and talented friend Andrea for helping me with this photo shoot last week.

my little koala.

2010-07-06T15:56:00.003-05:00

happy (extended) independence day.

2010-07-05T21:38:00.001-05:00

Sometimes you just get lucky. And your sister comes to visit you, bringing your fun and super-cute nieces and nephew. And you set up the sprinkler for them and you play ball outside and have a hot dog roast over the fire. And your dad brings over the big projector and movie screen, and you all watch "The Tooth Fairy" out in the barn. With popcorn, of course.

And sometimes you get really lucky, because the very same week that all that happened, your old friends who have moved away say that they are coming for a spur-of-the-moment visit. And it just so happens to be a holiday weekend so you can take extra time off work and make homemade cinnamon rolls and relax outside and enjoy your friends' company.

And then when all your company has gone, on the final day of the holiday, you wake up and go to town with your little family and get donuts and coffee, and then you come home and your husband reads while you surf the web. And then he takes off the bathroom door and paints it, and you have one more thing crossed off the looooooong list of home renovations. And you take a walk outside and do the laundry and give the baby a bath.

And as you're preparing for bed, polishing off the butterfinger ice cream that your husband dished up for you, getting things ready to begin work again tomorrow, you think about how very lucky you are. Blessed really. To live in such a great country, to have such special family and friends, to love such an awesome God.

G'night!

cloth baby.

2010-06-27T18:14:00.008-05:00

I never thought I'd be the cloth diapering type. It's probably not for everyone, but so far I'm totally sold on them. Here's why:

1. We're saving money by not having to buy disposable diapers. Cloth diapers are fairly expensive up front, but we figured that if we got them for our first child, it would be a better investment since we could use them for the following kid(s) as well. Also, we were fortunate enough to get them as a gift for our baby shower, thanks to my mom, sisters, and sister-in-law! We used disposable diapers for the first few weeks after bringing Shepherd home from the hospital, both because we had been given several bags of newborn diapers as gifts and because we didn't want to bother with the cloth until we had gotten into somewhat of a routine. We started using the cloth diapers when Shep was around one month old. (And we still use disposables when we travel.)

2. Cloth diapers these days are so colorful and soft and easy to use (they've come a long way since the ol' diaper pins and plastic covers). And there are so many different styles and brands to choose from. Currently we use FuzziBunz pocket diapers, and I'd like to add some bumGenius all-in-ones to our supply.

3. They're not much more work than disposables. Honestly. I thought it would be harder. We have 12 cloth diapers in our rotation now (although I think that 18 would be an ideal amount), so I do a small load of laundry about every other day. When they come out of the dryer, I stuff the liners inside the pockets in the diapers, and they're ready to use. Sometimes I hang them out on the clothesline if it's convenient and if it's nice out, but you can just dry them in the dryer if you prefer. Next to the washing machine we have this diaper pail, and so far it has done an awesome job at containing the smell. In fact, it's probably less smell than when we used disposables for the first few weeks, because then we would just throw the diapers in the regular trash can, and it would really stink. The only time I smell the soiled cloth diapers is when I open the pail to wash them. People often ask if I have to swish the dirty diapers in the toilet. NO! Yuck. Thankfully we haven't had to worry about that yet since breastfed poop is water soluble. I just run a quick soak cycle in the washing machine before the regular wash cycle, and this has gotten them clean every time. At six months old, when Shep starts eating solids, this will change, of course. But they have this handy little gadget now, a diaper sprayer that you can attach to the plumbing on your toilet and just spray the diaper off into the toilet. So we'll probably invest in one of those when the time comes. Alternatively, you can buy little flushable liners to put inside the diaper.

4. It's environmentally friendly. Even though I'm not a fanatic when it comes to being green, disposable diapers really do take up a ton of space in landfills. Granted, it does take extra water to wash cloth diapers, but I've also heard that it takes a lot of water to manufacture disposable diapers. And the 12 cloth diapers that we have only make a small load of laundry altogether. Also, we have a well, so we don't have to buy the water.

5. We have fewer diaper leaks with the cloth. We tried Pampers, Huggies, and Luvs disposable diapers, and Shep was always leaking through with each brand. With the cloth, he's never had a blow-out up the back, and the leaking out the top of them is much more infrequent than it was with the disposables. There has been occasional dampness around the leg gussets lately, so I think we may need to tighten the leg gusset to the tighter snap or else add an additional liner as he gets older and wets more.

6. Supposedly you don't have to worry about diaper rashes because the absorbent fleece fabric is better for a baby's skin. We haven't really been using them long enough to test this claim, but Shep did have a couple of small diaper rashes with disposable diapers, and so far he's had none with the cloth.

We chose to go with the FuzziBunz brand because they're an all-in-one diaper that you just put on like a disposable diaper and snap together. They have a liner insert that you place inside the diaper after you wash it (and you can add an extra liner for nighttime or for heavy-wetters). Another reason we chose this particular diaper is because it grows with your baby. It has several different snaps at the leg gussets as well as at the waistline that keep it nice and snug. The size that we bought should work for Shepherd until he's about 6 months old, and then we'll buy the next size up, which should work for him until he's potty-trained.

There are lots of informative websites about cloth diapering. One of the sources that I found helpful in my research was Ali Edwards.

at 8 weeks you...

2010-06-24T08:27:00.000-05:00

* Love your baths.
* Have taken your first road trip.
* Sleep through the night.
* Look adorable in rolls, weighing in at a whopping 14 pounds.
* Like to stare at bright colors and shapes.
* Smile at yourself in the mirror.
* Are awesome.

distracted.

2010-06-22T08:25:00.000-05:00

Can you see why I haven't been blogging lately?

Yep, I pretty much can't contain myself when it comes to these chubby cheeks...

I have started plenty of posts, fully intending to finish them. Like this one:

On Sunday we came home from church and slept away the 95-degree afternoon on our king-sized bed, the three of us, under the cool sheets and spinning ceiling fan. Shepherd sleeping peacefully between Winn and me. It took the latter two of us a while to fall asleep because we couldn't stop staring at the former. We're so smitten with that boy.

Or this one:

I think he loves the outdoors already, preferring the stroller or front-pack carrier to any of the bouncy seats or other indoor amenities. I often spend the morning reading in my lawn chair, Shep in the shade beside me. While I was out on a job today, the hammock swing under the maple tree in the arms of his Aunt Peggy was the only thing that would soothe his tummy ache.

But before I can finish writing it, I get distracted by this...

I mean, wouldn't you? I never really understood how fleeting time is until now. I am afraid to go to bed at night because Shepherd is another day older each morning. And what's more, he looks different each day. I want to freeze this moment in time, and yet I'm excited to see what new thing he will do tomorrow.

So I will try, again, to write on a regular basis. But if I'm missing for a while, well, you understand why...

tomorrow, tomorrow, i love ya, tomorrow.

2010-05-26T18:16:00.001-05:00

You're only a day away!

i cannot believe my body just did that.

2010-05-11T10:23:00.001-05:00

Little Shep (10 days old)

I hate to bore everyone with a birth story, but inquiring girlfriends want to know...

Seriously, it was the hardest thing I've ever done. When we first got pregnant, I thought I was a huge woos. I was terrified about the labor and delivery. I planned on using all the drugs that were available to me. The least amount of pain possible for this girl, please.

And then we took our prenatal classes, which are offered by Mayo for all their patients. I would highly recommend these classes for all first-time parents. It really helped to ease our apprehension about what to expect. I slowly started to have faith in my body's ability to birth a baby. Putting together a birth plan helped me to walk through the different stages of labor in my mind, and talking through different scenarios with Winn and my mom (a/k/a the best labor team in the world) was good preparation for me. I went into it with the mindset that I would like to go without drugs if possible, but I gave myself permission to accept them without guilt if I decided to go that route in the end.

I started having painful contractions around 11:00 p.m. on April 28th. Thinking I would have a fast delivery like my mom and sisters did, I planned on being done with this whole labor thing in just a few hours (I can hear you all laughing). Who was I kidding?! 17 1/2 hours later...all back labor, I might add...Shep was born.

Anyway, back to 11:00, I went downstairs so I wouldn't disturb Winn. Around 4:00 the next morning, when the contractions were coming on hard and regularly, I woke Winn up. We showered and packed the car and cleaned the house in between contractions. We called the hospital a couple hours later when they were around 3-5 minutes apart and stopped and picked up my mom around 7:00 on our way to the hospital.

I was surprised to learn that I was only dilated to 4 when we got there. After monitoring me and Shep in the triage area for a while, they admitted me. For the next 9 1/2 hours my mom, Winn, and I found ourselves in some pretty awkward positions as they helped to try and alleviate my back pain, me on all fours, Winn squeezing my hips together while Mom applied pressure to my back (I'm sure you're grateful to have that picture in your head). We tried the birthing ball, the shower, walking, kneeling, you name it.

When the contractions started to piggy-back, they told me that as far as drugs were concerned, it was now or never. But then I was dilated to 10, and I thought it must be almost over. I can do this. No drugs, thank you. I had always heard this part was short and would pass before you know it...

Wrong-O. Three hours later they finally suggested I try pushing.

And 40 minutes later, at 4:26 p.m., they laid the sweetest little boy on my chest.

And I'm not going to say I instantly forgot everything I had just been through (in fact, I think I said something along the lines of "I can see why people say they're never going to have another kid after this"), but I will say that I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. I realized how devoted my husband is to me. And I watched him cry as he met Shepherd for the first time. I gained a new appreciation for my mother and what she has gone through for me, and continues to go through. I marveled at how perfectly God designed our bodies for this. And I learned that I am strong. Much stronger than I ever gave myself credit for.

Shepherd Owen

2010-05-08T12:09:00.003-05:00

Born April 29, 2010
7 lbs 15 oz
21 1/4" long

Shepherd: One who cares for and guides a group of people, as a teacher; one
who tends sheep

Owen: "Desire born" or "well-born" in Scottish/Welsh (Winn is
Scottish); "young fighter" in Celtic

at 40 weeks (and 2 days) I am...

2010-04-25T21:56:00.004-05:00

* going to refuse to take another photo in the event that we go to 41 or (heaven forbid) 42 weeks
* looking forward to being able to bend over again
* knitting baby hats
* wondering what our home will be like with a third person living here, after nearly 8 years of just Winn and me
* eating a lot of popsicles
* getting a lot of phone calls, text messages, emails, and Facebook notes asking if I'm in labor yet (which I really don't mind--the attention is a fun distraction!)
* trying to keep my legs shaved at all times :)

waiting well.

2010-04-24T18:34:00.003-05:00

I have never played this kind of waiting game before. Waiting to meet someone that you've known and loved for 9+ months but have never seen face-to-face. Someone who is about to become, and is already, one of the most important people in your world. I have been extremely blessed with a healthy and fairly comfortable pregnancy (I have friends who have gotten terribly sick or struggled through their pregnancies, so I don't take this blessing for granted), until a few days ago when I woke up with a pulled or separated muscle in my upper abdomen. Not fun. I struggled to find a position, be it sitting, standing, or lying down, that was even remotely comfortable. It seems I use that muscle for everything, including breathing.

And nights have been torture. That seems to be the baby's most active time (yay), and even the slightest movement takes my breath away with pain. And so a couple of nights ago, after moving from our bed to the guestroom to the couch in search of a sleep spot that was manageable, if not comfortable, I ended up on the guest bed so that I wouldn't keep Winn up all night. I was so exhausted that I finally gave in to a fit of tears and self-pity.

And then I remembered a note that I had received earlier that day from a sweet friend in which she had asked me, "Are you waiting well?" Thank you, God, for dear friends who help to hold us up through times like this. I chided myself for losing my composure so easily and instead asked God for strength and patience. And today I can say that I am waiting well. And thanks to my friend, my sore stomach and growing discomfort are now sweet reminders that we are so blessed by this new little life that we will soon get to meet.

In the meantime, while we're waiting to hatch, we got our new little chicks. They're the cutest and softest things you ever did see. We call them the Golden Girls. I can't wait until they start laying yummy brown eggs for us!

survival manual.

2010-04-23T11:11:00.000-05:00

This being our first child, Winn and I are both really glad that we took prenatal classes together. I think it helped to prepare us for what to expect during the pregnancy as well as giving us some tools to use for the labor and delivery. But no matter how much planning and preparing you do, there is always some anxiety about the unknown, and Winn is often asking things like "What should I do if..."

So I thought it might take some of the pressure off of him if I made a little booklet (cheat sheet) for him to bring along to the hospital. It has ideas of different things he can suggest to me during different stages of labor, the special instructions for hospital staff that we decided on and included in our birth plan (details like who's allowed in the delivery room), little reminders and love notes, etc. I know, I know, call me anal retentive, overly organized, whatever. Maybe I just have too much time on my hands now that we're in the "waiting stage." (The *official* due date is today!)

boppy slipcover.

2010-04-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

I was fortunate enough to have two Boppys given to me, one by my sister Carrie and another by my cousin Gillian. It will be very handy to keep one upstairs in the rocking chair and have one downstairs in the living room. I wanted to make a neutral slipcover for one of them out of this fun orange fabric I found, so I carefully took apart the cover that one of them came with and made a pattern out of it. I love the finished product!

tweaking.

2010-04-20T20:30:00.004-05:00

Yes, I did a little nursery tweaking already. I wasn't really happy with the look of the ribbon on the lamp shade...

I thought the room needed a bit more color in the corner, so I made this little wallhanging...

I painted an art canvas with some green paint leftover from the dresser, and then I cut a picture out of fabric scraps and decoupaged it onto the canvas...

Plus, I thought an uplight might be better so that you don't have to stare into a light bulb while sitting in the rocking chair. The light was silver, and I painted it a soft blue and rubbed off the edges...

*For those who have asked about the paint color that I used on the dresser, it's called Crushed Oregano, by Valspar.*

nursery tour.

2010-04-11T21:57:00.008-05:00

Well, there's still a little tweaking to do, and I might add a bit more color after Baby is born, but for now, the nursery is done. It's a compilation of old and new pieces, mostly things that were bought used and repurposed.

The crib we bought used on Craigslist.

I purchased the dresser at a thrift store and gave it a fresh coat of paint, and Winn made new drawers for it (re-using the old drawer fronts) so that they open and close easily.

There was a mirror that came with the dresser, which we also painted and hung above the crib. And I love the old school chair that I found in the barn and painted orange.

As you saw before here, I bought a used ottoman and recovered it. The bookshelf next to the rocking chair is made from some old crates that I've had since my college days. The old blue window above the changing station is one that used to be hanging in our bedroom.

Most of the wall decor (like these shelves) was put together using things we already had.

Winn made the bowed curtain rods out of PVC pipe. I made the mobile out of felt and wire (instructions can be found here).

The rug was purchased from Target.

The two splurges were the new rocking chair and the linen fabric to make the window valances and crib bedding.

The drawers and closet shelves are all stocked with soft little baby things just waiting to be used.

We've received enough blankets to survive several Minnesota winters. I love the variety of handmade quilts, crocheted blankets, soft fleece cuddlies, flannel receiving blankets, and swaddling wraps.

Don't you love the orange hobo diaper bag?

And my favorite part of the room has got to be these little organza star lights that I hung above the changing station for late-night diaper changes.

They're especially pretty at night.

Now all that we need is a little baby! We're due a week from Friday, so it should start to feel "real" soon...right??

at 38 weeks...

2010-04-09T09:00:00.001-05:00

* We're getting so excited to meet this little one and are really curious to find out whether it's a he or a she!
* I've washed and folded or hung all the baby's blankets/sheets/clothes and have them ready to use.
* I'm working on getting the diaper bag and my hospital bag packed and ready to go.
* We have finally finished the nursery (full tour coming this weekend)!
* Our doctor says that the baby is head-down and ready to make an appearance anytime now.
* I'm enjoying getting in some "girl time" with friends while I still can.
* I am eating way too much chocolate.

playground hoodie.

2010-04-08T08:05:00.000-05:00

I love Spud & Chloe patterns, especially this Playground Hoodie. I recently finished knitting two of them for our little one. The denim/lime green is a 12-month, and the paprika/cream (my favorite) is a 6-month. Wouldn't you agree these are must-haves for Minnesota babes?

shower gifts.

2010-04-02T23:10:00.004-05:00

I think my favorite was this library of books...

Or maybe it was this adorable handmade carrier in vintage-style fabric...

Or wait, maybe it was this set of linen swaddle blankets...

Or this sleek stroller...

Or this Dr. Seuss set...

Or all these soft and fuzzy cloth diapers. Or the hand-sewn quilts or the crocheted blanket. Or the tiny onesies and sleepers and stockings and hats. Or...oh dear, I just can't decide! All I know is that we have the most generous and creative and dear friends a couple could ask for.

portable diaper caddy.

2010-03-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

We were at our friends' house the other day, meeting their new baby girl, and they showed us this portable diaper caddy that they had. They said they keep one on each level of their two-story house and that it comes in very handy because all the supplies are right at hand when you need them. We have the changing station upstairs in the nursery, but I thought it would be nice to have one of these caddies downstairs for quick diaper changes. So here's an easy do-it-yourself project for all you mommies (or daddies) out there. Take an old basket like this one...

...and give it a fresh coat of spray paint and make a liner for it (I used a soft blue toile fabric). And voila!

nursery teaser.

2010-03-28T22:17:00.006-05:00

I know I've been promising nursery pics to everyone. I will get them posted soon. I'm just waiting on Winn to finish making the curved curtain rods, but he's been very tied up lately with a big project at work, fixing our well, church involvement, etc. I think things will slow down this week, so hopefully I will have something for you soon. In the meantime, I'll give you a little peek at some of the items in the room.

This is my $2.50 thrift store bargain. Kinda nasty, huh?

Nothing a little fabric and cording can't help...

Well, hello, lovely footrest for the rocking chair! Where have you been all my life?

And who doesn't love the half-price sales at Hobby Lobby?
(Unfinished birdhouse: $2.00. Small carved embellishments: $1.50.)

Brush on a little paint, add a bird, and here's what you get...

I thought Mr. Turtle would make a cute footstool after a makeover, and he was only $1.99 at the thrift store...

And these shelves have been in a box, not being used, since our move...

There, that's much better, don't you think?
(Also shown: a little old chair I found in our barn, and a "Happy" sign that I already had that was in need of a paint job.)

And a few of the things I have made are this little stuffed elephant...

A lap quilt for late-night nursing in the rocking chair...

And a knitted crib blanket and blue ruffled slip cover for a throw pillow...

Full nursery tour coming soon!

random bits of our life right now.

2010-03-27T15:25:00.009-05:00

* I think I may have overdone it. I don't know why I decided to rearrange the living room and my sewing area all in one night, the same night that I finished a big two-day job and needed to have all four transcripts turned in, the same night I had to clean, get laundry done, and get ready for weekend guests, and the same night that Winn was away at a meeting. I was on a roll and couldn't bring myself to stop the nonsense and crawl into bed until around 1:30 in the morning. The next day (yesterday) I had a lot of contractions, and today I am really sore. I think I should maybe slow down.

* This morning I made quiche, pumpkin muffins with cream-cheese filling, and fruit smoothies. We chatted around the breakfast table for an hour and a half with good friends. That is my favorite way to spend a Saturday morning.

* My sister Polly is a music major, and tonight we went to her senior recital. She did an excellent job, and she even made this non-crier cry. A couple weeks ago we went shopping to find just the right dress for her to wear. We ended up with a fabulous black number with a cinched waist and slouch pockets and paired it with an oversized pearl necklace with a big flower attached to it. Some black leggings and ballet flats completed the look. She looked radiant.

* Our well quit working last weekend. We were without running water for four days while Winn dug up the pump, replaced all the old pipe and the old pump, tested the electrical and the capacitor and the relay switch and anything else he could think of, only to find out that it was a simple matter of cleaning off the corroded ends of a switch that wasn't working properly. On the bright side, at least he knows the inner workings of our well for future reference.

* I can't believe we'll be bringing home a baby within just a few short weeks...yikes! It doesn't seem possible. Here are a few samples of my maternity pics from a few weeks ago, taken by Krista at The Moments of Life...

one year.

2010-03-13T17:09:00.004-06:00

I was still lying awake at 1:00 this morning, thinking about how this day began one year ago. One year. It doesn’t seem possible. And yet, in some ways, it seems like more time has passed. Because one year is a long time to live without this sweet lady when you have had the pleasure of having her in your life for twelve years.

Shortly after 1:00 a.m. we got a call from Winn’s dad asking how far down the road we were, saying we should hurry, that she was in a lot of pain. And I will never forget the words Winn said next, the gift he gave to his mom that night. “Tell her she can go. She doesn’t have to wait for us.” And I remember how helpless we felt, knowing we were still too far away, already speeding through the night, held captive by distance. We had come back home for a couple days, to check on things and get a few changes of clothes. But 300 miles is a great chasm when death sneaks up on you, sooner than you were ready for it. The next phone call from Winn’s brother, dreaded but expected, came just an hour and a half later. Sherill had breathed her last.

In another 60 miles or so we arrived there, and although she was still warm when I touched her face, her beautiful soul was with her Creator, finally free from the ugly cancer. And that thought got us through the days ahead. And still gets us through.

I love and miss you, Sherill. I can’t wait to see you again "in the sweet by and by, when we meet on that beautiful shore.”

baby mobile.

2010-03-12T19:46:00.003-06:00

I should get the World's Worst Blogger Award for my complete lack of attention to posting lately. We've been working on the nursery, so I'll be posting photos of that soon. But for now I'll just show you the mobile I made for above the crib. I've been wanting to make this felt garland ever since I saw it on Anna Maria's blog about a year ago, so when I was trying to decide on a mobile to make, this idea came to mind...

And I love how it turned out!

blue or pink?

2010-03-01T13:13:00.002-06:00

Found these cute little koala jammies on sale to bring Baby home in. I knew I wanted something soft and cozy instead of "real" outfits. Can't wait to find out which one we'll get to use!

hospital bag.

2010-02-25T11:06:00.005-06:00

I made this rice pack to take to the hospital with me when I go into labor (and it doubles as an awesome feet-warmer while I'm sitting at my desk). Vanessa has some super-easy instructions on how to make your own here. On the advice of our prenatal class instructor, I'm trying to start thinking about what I might like to put in my take-to-the-hospital bag. Here's my list so far:

Rice heat pack
Book/magazines
Snacks for Winn
Gum/mints
Warm socks
Toiletries
Diaper bag
Car seat
Going-home outfit for Baby

My friend Cindy gave me all kinds of great tips while she was cutting my hair yesterday (thanks again, Cindy!), and it got me thinking that I should call on all you experienced mommies to help me out here. So here you go: any secret tips or items that would come in handy for me to bring to the hospital on D-day?

at 31 weeks (plus a few days) I...

2010-02-23T16:41:00.006-06:00

...have "graduated" from the prenatal class and breastfeeding class; experience Baby's hiccups regularly; passed the 3-hour glucose test after failing the 1-hour test; did not enjoy being hooked up to an IV during said test; am excited for the baby shower that my sweet friends are throwing for me next month; think I have the kindest and most attentive husband in the whole wide world; have scheduled a maternity photo shoot; am in a crafty mood of late, sewing receiving blankets, knitting baby sweaters, and making a string of felt garland for a mobile in the nursery; have committed all the cardinal pregnancy sins, including sleeping on my back, taking hot baths, dyeing my hair, painting, and drinking coffee and am wondering if our babe might be born with three eyes as a result; still feel pretty good overall, albeit rather large.

love is spoken here.

2010-02-09T17:51:00.007-06:00

I'm snowed in this week (well, I could get out, but it's a good excuse to stay in). So in between knitting a crib blanket, working on our birth plan (a/k/a prenatal class homework), and watching a Jane Austen PBS special, I made a sign for above the patio door that I've been wanting to make for a long time. It's a reminder to me to speak in a loving tone, be it to my husband or to the annoying salesman on the phone.

While scavenging around the barn the other day, I found the perfect piece of barn board to use for my project (not to mention the cutest little chair for the nursery...but more about that in another post). Here is the piece of board after Winn cut it to size and sanded it for me...

I then painted the board a vintage white, letting some of the old barn paint show through, and sanded the edges to give it a more weathered look. After deciding on a font I liked, I made a stencil on the computer, cutting it out of card stock with a utility knife (the tedious part) and temporarily adhering it to the board with spray adhesive...

Then I experimented with my craft paint to come up with a bronze-ish brown color (a little orange, mustard, brown, black, and cream did the trick) and dabbed it on with a sponge brush...

Next I watered down the paint and dabbed it in the cracks and on the edges to make it look a bit more aged...

And then I roughened up the whole thing by giving it another sanding, including the painted-on letters, and attached some hanging brackets to the back. And here she is...

Cradic Farm B&B.

2010-02-08T16:47:00.006-06:00

How to turn your home into a bed & breakfast get-away for your friends...

1. Set out lots of extra pillows and quilts and rugs in the guest room.

2. Have some wine and cheese and chocolate-covered strawberries ready for your guests when they arrive.

3. Light candles all around.

4. Set up a home theater for a midnight showing of a favorite movie (be sure to have popcorn on hand).

5. Fix lattes, crepes, and quiche for brunch the next morning and enjoy good conversation (forgot to take photos of this step).

Let's do it again soon, friends!

Handmade Christmas No. 5: Stenciled T-Shirts

2010-02-06T17:10:00.004-06:00

With the recent loss of my mother-in-law, breast cancer awareness has been on our hearts this past year. That is why this gift was probably my favorite project of the season. I started out making one for myself as a trial run, and then I made them for my three sisters-in-law's stockings. I wish I would have remembered to snap a photo of all of us wearing them!

Supplies Needed:
1. Plain t-shirt (pre-washed)
2. Double-sided fusible webbing
3. Fabric paint
4. Small foam brush
5. Card stock

Mini tutorial:
1. Decide on the font you want to use and print your saying onto a piece of card stock.
2. Cut out the stencil using a utility knife.

3. Iron the stencil onto your fabric per fusible webbing instructions, being careful that all edges adhere.

4. Using a foam brush, apply 2 or 3 thin coats of fabric paint, letting it thoroughly dry in between coats.

5. When washing t-shirt, be sure to follow the fabric care instructions on the back of the paint bottle.

couch potato or knitting machine?

2010-02-05T13:29:00.008-06:00

All I want to do on these days when I'm not working is sit on the couch with a cup of something warm to drink and knit goodies for our little one. It makes me feel a bit lazy, but I guess I will take advantage of the quiet time while I can. I'm working on a blanket for the crib and have finished knitting two cocoons (one creamy and the other avocado). Since I don't have a little model to go inside them yet, I'll show you the photo that came with the pattern...adorable, right?

Baby Cocoon (Photo and pattern found here.)

Winn has finished skim-coating and painting the nursery and plans to get the trim finished up this weekend. Last night we made a trip to Lowe's for some paint for the crib and dresser. In the meantime, I'm recovering an ottoman for the rocking chair and sewing a linen bumper pad, bed skirt, and curtains. I'll post photos of the nursery when it's finished, but here are some "before" shots (post skim-coating and pre-painting):

And now I'm going to grab my veggie pizza out of the oven and inhale it (as I seem to do with all food these days) and then go for a walk in the snow to get my daily dose of Vitamin D.

I'll see you back here tomorrow for the final Handmade Christmas post!

Gratitude List: Nos. 104-117

2010-01-22T22:03:00.003-06:00

104. Maternity sales (can you say 7 items at Gap Maternity for just $27?!)

105. Homemade lefse from a friend

106. Safe travels to and from Colorado, despite the Christmas snowstorm

107. Public libraries

108. Spending unexpected time with my grandparents over Christmas

109. A fun gift basket from family under the tree just for Baby

110. A strong husband to shovel the snowdrifts in our loooong driveway when the snow blower breaks down

111. The anticipation of having our washer and dryer moved upstairs soon to the new mudroom (no more trips to the dark, icky basement to wash clothes!)

112. New on-the-job experiences/challenges

113. Knowing that our baby has now developed enough to survive outside the womb

114. Chicken pesto pizza

115. Humidifiers

116. Walking into our closet to find my niece and nephew trying on my high heels

117. Thrift stores

Handmade Christmas No. 4: Sweet Stockings

2010-01-16T08:30:00.001-06:00

These baby booties were knit for Little Miss Fancy Pants Marryn. I found the pattern online at Knitting Daily. I knit them on Size 1 double-pointed needles, using Panda yarn by Crystal Palace (primarily bamboo fibers but also cotton and a bit of elastic/nylon to give them a little stretch). It proved to be a harder pattern than one would expect out of a little pair of stockings, but after ripping them out and starting over again (and again...), the finished product was irresistible. Wouldn't you agree?

hello third trimester.

2010-01-15T08:00:00.001-06:00

At 26 weeks I…

* Miss being able to bend over effortlessly

* Have experienced my first excruciating leg cramp (a jump-out-of-bed-and-plead-for-it-to-stop kind of cramp…this might give you an idea of what a trooper I’ll probably be during the actual labor)

* Get winded walking up the stairs (or down them, for that matter)

* Never knew the heartburn would be this bad

* Never knew that having a baby growing inside me would be this cool

* Am ready to splurge on a couple pairs of maternity jeans

* Have heard the baby’s heartbeat!

* Started prenatal classes with Winn (who got to try on the “empathy belly”...hilarious) and enjoyed meeting the other first-time moms (and dads) in the class who are due around the same time we are

* Am doing a bit of sewing and knitting for Wee Cradic

* Think body pillows, Belly Bands, and antacids were genius inventions

nursery inspiration.

2010-01-14T11:07:00.000-06:00

This morning I sat down with my latte, banana bread, orange, and laptop, knowing full well that I have two transcripts to finish, yet unable to tear myself away from surfing the web for vintage nursery fabrics and paint color ideas. Trying to keep it simple, we've collected a select few items for Wee Cradic's room, including a crib from Craigslist and an old dresser from the thrift store, but I'm finding it harder than I thought it would be to come up with gender neutral textiles.

Being one that likes to prepare, I've been surprised at how not worried I've been about having things ready for Baby's arrival. My sister has given us a car seat and many other goodies, and we registered for some of the necessities like crib sheets, burp clothes, and a stroller, but so many of the gizmos and gadgets out there seem so extravagant that we've decided our strategy would be to wait and see what we need. But then last night when I came home from an out-of-town job to find that Winn had begun the process of skim-coating the nursery walls, I guess it made me kind of excited. Our little one might not have to sleep in our closet after all!

I'll leave you with a few snippets of inspiration I've found so far...

Simple bedding:

A bold piece of furniture:

And a plate rack bookshelf:

the BEST tomato soup.

2010-01-13T22:14:00.004-06:00

By popular demand, I give you...

Garden Tomato Soup

1 cup chopped celery
1 small chopped onion
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 small green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup butter
4 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided
4 cups chopped, peeled tomatoes (about 7 medium)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup flour

In a 3 quart saucepan, saute celery, onion, carrots, and green pepper in butter until tender. Add 4 cups of the broth, tomatoes, sugar, curry, salt, pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. In a small bowl, stir remaining broth and flour until smooth. Gradually stir into tomato mixture. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly (about 2 minutes).

**Note: I didn't have any celery on hand, so I left that out. I didn't have any curry powder either, so I substituted 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder instead. I used a jar of canned tomatoes from our garden, just cooking them down instead of chopping them, and it was mouth-watering! Thank you, Aunt Janice, for the recipe!

the crouton routine.

2010-01-12T23:46:00.001-06:00

I love croutons. Sometimes I just sit and eat them like they're potato chips. I like to make them because we seem to always have lots of leftover bread and because it makes the kitchen smell heavenly while they're baking. In case you're interested, here's the method to my madness...

* Whenever we have a heel or a partial loaf that's getting old and stale or one or two hamburger buns leftover, I throw the bag in the freezer. Then when the freezer is bursting at the seams with bags of old bread (as ours was today, evidenced by the amount of empty bags shown below), it's time to make a batch of croutons!

* First I throw all the bread bags in the refrigerator to thaw for a day or so (it always gets soggy if I thaw it on the counter). When it's all thawed, I remove the bread from the bags, chop it into small squares, and mix all together in a large bowl (this way we end up with a nice blend of white, whole grain, sour dough, rye, or whatever array happens to be in the freezer at the time).

* At this point I might notice Farm Dog staring longingly through the kitchen window and drooling at the sight of his absolute favorite snack on this earth (no matter how old and stale it is). And I might invite him in for a couple slices that accidentally fell on the floor.

* Next I melt one stick of butter (for each bowl full of bread pieces) and add seasonings to it. I like to use about a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of garlic powder, a teaspoon of French fry seasoning, a half teaspoon of pepper, and a half teaspoon of onion powder. But it's not an exact science, and sometimes I experiment with different seasonings.

* I then pour the seasoned butter over the bread pieces and toss in the bowl until it's evenly coated, spread onto a baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees until crispy (about 30 minutes). We store them in a large Tupperware container and usually run out around the time that the freezer is overflowing with old bread again...

We had some of today's batch for dinner in our tomato soup. I'll have to share that recipe with you sometime when it's not so late...it's from Winn's Aunt Janice, and it is hands-down the best tomato soup I have ever tasted. But for now, my new body pillow and I are off to bed. Sweet dreams, everyone!

Coming soon: Handmade Christmas No. 4

Handmade Christmas No. 3: Carry-along Felt Barn

2010-01-11T13:26:00.006-06:00

My little friend Ashton (2 1/2 years old) likes barns and, because we have a barn, calls all barns "Betsy's Barn." So for Christmas I came across this nifty tutorial and thought I would make him his own Betsy's Barn. I tweaked it just a bit, making it bigger, giving it Velcro fasteners, and using polar fleece sleeves around the plastic canvas rather than quilt batting. I tossed in a tube of plastic farm animals from Michael's craft store, and here is what came of it...

Handmade Christmas No. 2: Kissing Ball

2010-01-07T21:56:00.003-06:00

Bet you thought I had forgotten, didn't you? I almost did. But almost doesn't count. Now that I'm warm and fed and our truck is unstuck (from the snow drifts in our own driveway), I am ready to show you the mistletoe.

I made kissing balls for three friends this Christmas. You hang them in the doorway and you're careful who you are next to when you stop underneath them. ;) It was a fun and simple project, requiring the following materials: 4-6" grapevine ball, red berries and/or other florals, ribbon, and a hot glue gun.

Up next: a travel toy for tots.

Handmade Christmas No. 1: Heritage Shelf

2010-01-06T10:09:00.006-06:00

Despite much whining and protesting from certain family members about doing a handmade Christmas gift exchange this year, I think it was a complete success (and you have to admit it was too, sister mine). It was so much fun to see everyone's creativity come out in their clever gift ideas. There was everything from woodcrafted lawn games and magic tricks to a week's supply of freezer meals to handstitched mittens, scarves, purses, and aprons. I wish I would have thought to take photos of them all.

I had my sister-in-law Sarah's name and made her a heritage shelf (inspired by my friend Andrea). I found an old shelf at a thrift store for $1.99...

Then I removed the heart cutouts in the corners, as well as a couple of the little cubby dividers, and painted it, sanding the edges to give it a more rustic look...

Next I chose several photos from their wedding last summer and turned them into black and white prints in the appropriate sizes, decoupaging them onto the back surface of the shelf. Finally, I painted some wooden letters and glued them to the smallest cubbies and finished the project with a few coats of clear spray sealant...

Coming tommorrow: Under the Mistletoe.

Hello New Year.

2010-01-05T12:04:00.005-06:00

May you bring:
More frequent posting; a finished mudroom/office/nursery/attic/upstairs bathroom/chicken coop/wrap-around porch; disciplined meditation time; a healthy baby; enough coins in the piggy bank for a Canon digital SLR; better communication (including listening) skills; fewer insecurities; deeper friendships; and easier laughter.

I hope you all had a warm and fuzzy gift-giving, holly-hanging, family-seeing, junk food-eating, photo-taking, past-reflecting, Christchild-honoring Christmas season! After celebrating in Minnesota, Colorado, and Minnesota again, we are finally wrapping up the festivities for another year and slowly welcoming routine again, picking up the remains of several parties, stripping beds, doing laundry, restocking the cupboards, getting back to work, sorting through emails, and trying to cut back on our sweets and caffeine consumption after a three-week sugar high.

(Paxton reading the Christmas story with Grandpa)

And now that the handmade gifts have been given, I can finally share with you some of my fun December projects! I'll be back tomorrow with the first one...

at 20 weeks I am...

2009-12-04T17:08:00.002-06:00

...feeling very frequent belly flutters, appreciating the bottle of Tums on my bedside stand, signing up for prenatal classes, lovin' onion bagels with butter and cream cheese or a big bowl of raisin bran cereal with a banana sliced into it, keeping my eyes peeled for deals on the maternity clothes racks, sticking to our resolution of not finding out Baby's gender at the ultrasound yesterday (as much as I kinda wanted to peek!), putting together (with Winn's help) the rocking chair we ordered for the nursery, feeling really good!

Gratitude List: Nos. 84-103

2009-12-03T12:09:00.006-06:00

84} Meeting up with my sisters and mom and niece at a hotel in Des Moines for a girls’ outing.
85} Parents who have been married for over 30 years.
86} Combines out in the fields around our house late into the night (It makes me feel safe and cozy to know that our neighbor farmers are watching over things while I’m asleep).
87} Feeling the baby move for the first time (and several times since!).
88} A large extended family who keeps in touch with one another.
89} Buying a crib on Craigslist for $20 and meeting the nice family who sold it to us.
90} The dusting of snow on the ground when I awoke early this morning.
91} A kind police officer who didn’t ticket me when he pulled me over for having expired tags this week (Apparently expired since July?? Where have I been?!).
92} A healthy and active baby upon ultrasound yesterday.
93} Working on homemade Christmas gifts in the evenings with Winn.
94} Seeing and visiting with so many people I adore at church on Sunday mornings.
95} Planning the schedule for my side of the family’s New Years’ Eve get-together, to include a breakfast crepe buffet, a homemade Christmas gift exchange, games, iceskating on the farm, white chocolate mochas, and an awesome family.
96} My mom’s new job (which will allow her to have the holidays off!).
97} A conversation with a fun gal at the coffee shop this morning.
98} An attached garage and a car that starts easily on cold mornings.
99} Sajak, our big clumsy lab who is getting old and lazy and just makes us smile. (We took him to doggy day care while we were out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday, and they said that he was so well-behaved that we could bring him back anytime. We’re so proud. :))
100} Southern gentlemen (attorneys in town from Memphis for a deposition the other day) who say “yes, ma’am” and who stand up for you when you enter a room.
101} A friend like Rebecca who is willing to help me register for the baby, her two young children in tow.
102} Homemade jerky from my brother's deer.
103} Our first Christmas card of the season in the mail today!

photo bombardment.

2009-11-30T20:43:00.007-06:00

Thanksgiving-time in my grandparents' small town (spent with dozens of aunts and uncles and cousins and friends) was jolly as always, and too short. We crammed a lot into three days, including games, visiting, a wine and cheese party (courtesy of my aunt and the treats she smuggled in with her from The Netherlands), swimming and hot-tubbing, and of course plenty of turkey and stuffing and pies, to name a few. I'm already looking forward to next year.

My "little" siblings Jim and PJ

Cousin Ellie

Sister Polly and Niece Eavan

Exchange student Lucciano entertaining my cousin's son Oliver

Wearing purple ribbons (pancreatic cancer awareness) for my sister-in-law's mom

And these photos were taken by my Aunt Brenda's beau Richard...

Sisters

My nephew Joel loves him a piggy-back ride

Aunt Amy

Grandpa and his friend Larry playing one of their favorite games

My sweet grandma

Cousin Drew and his wife Sam

Miss Evelyn and my cousin's daughter Joely

Oliver

Aunt Barbara

Uncle Jon

Cousin Crystal

I wasted no time in setting up the tree the day after we got home, with help from my niece and nephew, and hanging some holly around. And now it looks all cozy and festive from my place on the couch where I recently awoke from my after-dinner nap. The kitchen still smells like garlic from the meal I scrounged up and threw together with ingredients from our nearly bare cupboards. Thankfully you will rarely find us without at least a couple pounds of pasta in the jar, and we still have a pile of carrots in the fridge from our garden, as well as some broccoli in the freezer. So I sauteed the veggies with basil and cheese and chicken broth and piled it atop the noodles and was pleasantly surprised to find its taste to be second-helping worthy.

Now I have a stack of baby magazines next to me, a husband sprawled across the living room floor working on a Christmas gift project, Enigma radio playing on Pandora, and three recently devoured chocolate chip cookies in my belly. And to top it all off, I came home this afternoon to find we had finally caught the darn mouse that ran across the kitchen floor right in front of me a few nights ago! Life is good.

just the two of us (for now anyway).

2009-11-29T21:18:00.001-06:00

My sister signed me up to get these fun email updates each week from ParentsConnect that tell you how big your baby is, how you might be feeling, maternity tips, etc. Last week's note said to take advantage of this time together with just your spouse, so we've been trying to heed that advice, whether it's Winn bringing home Chinese for dinner to surprise me and snuggling together on the couch with it; seeing a Saturday afternoon matinee; having a mocha and pastry at the coffee shop; or lighting candles over our grilled T-bones, sliced pineapple, and loaded salads.

trash to treasure.

2009-11-21T10:44:00.004-06:00

We needed some coat hooks at the door since our mudroom isn't finished yet. Conveniently, I had just discovered an old barn door in our basement! I gave it a fresh coat of royal blue paint and then antiqued the cracks and edges. Hobby Lobby had a 50% off sale on all their knobs and hooks, so I found some fitting iron ones and Winn attached them and hung it on the wall by the front door. And voila...

at 17 weeks I am...

2009-11-13T21:54:00.003-06:00

...eating constantly (my favorites are fresh fruit and cereal), waking up several times throughout the night, starting to pack away select pairs of jeans and finding that many of my old shirts aren't long enough, collecting a few hand-me-downs for the baby, still finding all of this a bit surreal, thinking about how much I need to start walking more, looking forward to feeling the baby move any day now, loving it when Winn kisses my belly or puts his ear up to it.

grateful today for...

2009-11-02T08:04:00.004-06:00

64. My sister bringing her college friends over for an evening of caramel apples and pumpkin carving

65. Sunshine

66. This "book" written by my 7-year-old niece Caitlyn

67. A successful presentation to a law firm this week

68. My little buddy Ashton calling me on the phone last night when he wasn't feeling well

69. Vita-C skin nutrients

70. This post (about having kids) that made me laugh

71. Crisp fall air

72. Tall leather boots

73. Ultrasound technology that lets us see our baby

74. Hearing my sisters and brother sing in the choir concert at St. Mary's Chapel

75. Getting to talk to a neighbor on the telephone and discovering that she sounds really sweet

76. The ability to keep in touch with old friends via Facebook

77. Receiving a tour of the Transplant House and realizing again what a wonderful facility the Mayo Clinic is

78. Listening to "The Luckiest," by Ben Folds

79. Planning an overnight girls' outing with my mom, sisters, and sister-in-law

80. Looking at my friend Jen's photography

81. The anticipation of hanging out with my extended family at Thanksgiving-time

82. An unexpected phone call from my far-away friend Andrea

83. Amazing grace

this was us today.

2009-10-31T19:03:00.006-05:00

No special plans. My favorite kind of Saturday.

Sleeping in and then chatting and giggling in bed for another hour ~ Meandering down to the kitchen for some coffee and puffed oven pancakes ~ Driving to town to drop off our recyclables and go to the bank ~ Admiring the colorful leaves along the country roads on our way home ~ Going for an invigorating walk through the trees on our property and finding a fort the neighbor boys had begun and pondering the reason for some trees that have been stripped of their bark ~ Coming back inside a warm house and making chili taco salad for lunch ~ Curling up on the couch together to watch Wall-E ~ Spending the rest of the afternoon on small home projects and our laptops.

no. 64 on my gratitude list deserves a post all his own...

2009-10-27T16:37:00.006-05:00

64. A husband who works hard all day and then comes home and helps with dishes and laundry, without me asking him to; who makes me a homemade dinner of sun-dried tomato stuffed chicken, with Parmesan broccoli on the side, because I saw the recipe in a magazine and it looked so good; who works tirelessly on our home renovations on the weekends, not to mention his other responsibilities at church; who suggests that we should carve some pumpkins, just the two of us, and he makes a clever design out of the wart pumpkin while I carve a bat into mine (reminiscent of our encounter with them earlier this year); who takes time for his friends as well, taking a day off work here and there to help them with their home projects or go golfing with them; who is so quick to forgive; who every so often will ask me, "What do you think of the name _____ or _____ if it's a boy?"; who I would marry all over again if given the chance.

a head start on christmas.

2009-10-15T18:42:00.004-05:00

(Louet roving, imported from New Zealand sheep)

Is it weird that I’m having an apple w/ peanut butter, tater tots, and chocolate milk for supper? Winn is eating the leftover pizza that we had for dinner last night (courtesy of our out-of-town guests), and that didn’t sound good to me. I figure this way I’m getting my fruit, protein, carbs, and dairy. And chocolate (in the milk), which is a food group, right? At least when you’re a female. Or pregnant. Or, in my case, both.

I am thinking about Christmas gifts today. Because the challenge for our family’s gift exchange is to make a homemade gift for our recipient. My sister Carrie and I were the ones to devise this fun plan and impose it on everyone else, much to my sister Jessica’s chagrin (she doesn’t think she’s creative enough, but we disagree). Thankfully I drew a girl’s name, so I’m trying to decide on baked goods, sewn goods, knitted goods, or some other crafty endeavor. I also need to get on the ball and make a couple of baby gifts.

So I was all over town this afternoon searching (oops, I just dipped an apple slice into the ketchup pile instead of the peanut butter pile…not so yum) for supplies for these various projects, as well as a stop at my office to pick up the smallest check I have received in my career thus far (gotta love freelancing) and a stop at the library for a book of knitting patterns and a new novel to read (since I finished all the maternity books on my nightstand). I was unsuccessful at finding any roving, so I will have to buy that online. I have never used roving for a project before, but apparently it’s wool that hasn’t yet been felted or spun into yarn.

While I was at Kristen’s Knits, I found the perfect bamboo cotton in tomato red to make little baby socks out of, and I couldn’t help myself. Our baby absolutely must have a pair of stockings made out of it. I have never tried knitting socks before, but I found a free pattern for them online. I’m going to give it a whirl this evening...I'll let you know how it goes!