Monday, October 31, 2011

ghosts of halloweens past

there was a time when i didn't think much of halloween.
i don't understand the appeal of scary
and we don't "do" scary...
but we do "do" cute!

here is a look back at our little cuties over the years...

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

and finally 2011

my how they've grown!

Friday, October 21, 2011

a first

no school today,
so we enjoyed the slower pace.
breakfast at PCC,
bummin' around,
playdate this afternoon.

ok, i enjoyed the slower pace,
my kiddos were going totally nuts,
like caged rats going stir-crazy.

so we hit the park.
it was crisp and blustery, but dry.
my friend and i walked in circles
around the "woods" the kids were playing in.
they were little nature explorers,
finding hideouts in the brush.

and i thought - 
why are we not getting outside every day?
granted, we live in the NW...
it's rainy most days,
but still!

anyhow, today we got out 
and it was fabulous.
big win.

then tonight we had a first.
after nearly six years in our home
we finally have a fire in our fireplace!


so cozy, so warm, so lovely.
perfect end to an up and down (but mostly up) day.



Tuesday, October 18, 2011

the lines

i am getting comfortable with my face.
this is who i am.
this is where i've been.

i feel no need to cover it up with makeup,
an inactual mask.
i am making peace with what i see 
when i look in the mirror.

i look at myself and i wonder where
all these lines came from?
where is the girl i once was?

i wouldn't trade them.
not one.
these lines have been fashioned
from the spirit of my life.
the peaks and valleys are etched on my face.

and through it all do you know what i see?
smile lines.
it's joy.

amazingly, miraculously.
i have been created as a work of stunning originality.


and it reminds me of this song:

All of these lines across my face
Tell you the story of who I am
So many stories of where I've been
And how I got to where I am
But these stories don't mean anything
When you've got no one to tell them to
It's true...I was made for you
from The Story by Brandi Carlile

embrace who He made you to be today.
there is no one better to be.

Monday, October 17, 2011

a welcome addition

i am blessed to have a 
thrifty and resourceful husband
who has been wanting me to have
 a sewing table for quite some time.

so, when he found a good sized table
 that was being given away (for free!),
he jumped at the chance.
yay!


now my sewing machine
(and accompanying paraphernalia)
has a home!

that means i can sew more regularly
because i don't have to put my machine away.
i can squeeze in a few stitches here and there.
i have a home base for my creative outlet!

it may not be much to look at (yet),
but i'm pretty excited about it!

come back to see some of the projects
 i have already managed to finish!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

carving

this afternoon was filled with 
excited little voices 
as the pumpkins were carved!



each kiddo got to pick their own diagram,
scoop out the guts,
and daddy carved the design.

here is how they turned out:

moo-moo's tree

the boy-boy's googly face

the girly-girl's cat

the hubs' awesome cave


we love fall!

preserving

well, one of the things that has been 
happening around here
(between laundry, dishes, and kiddos)
is preserving!

my father-in-law shared 
a generous amount of fruit with us.
tons of apples, some plums,
 a good amount of tomatoes,
 and some rhubarb.

so here is some of what has come out:

from a small bowl of blackberries, 
picked by the kiddos and some friends, 
we made a jar of jam.

all of the tomatoes in the background were blanched 
and frozen to be used in place of canned tomatoes.
did you know that canned tomatoes 
are one of the seven most toxic foods?

some giant stalks of rhubarb became some delightful sauce.

 these plums were canned and dehydrated.  yum.

the apples will be tasty, chunky applesauce!

but now i must find a good, large hot water bath!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

back from darkest peru

this school-year has started with a bang
and has definitely kept me on my toes.

i have managed to squeeze in 
quite a few delightful projects
(you'll have to come back for more on those),
but alas, my blogging has fallen to the wayside.
something had to...

today we had a lovely adventure 
to the local pumpkin farm.
here are some pictures of our fun afternoon.











i am so excited to share all of the 
fun projects in the works around here...
if only i have the time to come back
 and post them all!