Lion Brand Yarn Catalog

So, in order to get myself motivated to try a new skill I knew that I would need a goal.  I hesitate to even say this goal... but, I think that I would like to knit & crochet through the Lion Brand Yarn catalog this year.  The patterns are free and they range from beginner to experienced.  There are some patterns in the catalog that I am not sure about; but I figure it would be a great place to start!

If you want to order a copy of the catalog (free), then go here:  http://www.lionbrand.com/catalogDisplay.html 

The first thing that I think I am going to attempt is a cowl...  here it goes.  :)

Crocheting

A couple of weeks ago I wanted to begin a new craft... something that would be calming (since my life isn't) and peaceful (since again, my life isn't...).  I have heard others rave about crocheting and knitting being these things.  So, I thought I would start with crocheting.  I have knitted before... using a knitting wheel type thing.  Josh still wears the scarf on occasion :)

So, I bought a book to teach me how to crochet & my grandma (who is home arts extraordinaire) started some examples for me.  My mom also is quite good.  So, I have the tools to start.  I bought yarn that I LOVE, found some patterns to try and I have been off work and able to do it for 5 days now...  yet I haven't started.

Thing is, I am kind of afraid to start.  I feel like I never stick with things.  Or maybe I am afraid because I won't be able to make beautiful things out of the yarn.  Instead I will make a jumbled knotted mess. 

Hopefully today, I can get it together to start. 

Kaleigha turns 5!

Kaleigha had a Gingerbread Girl themed birthday party for her 5th birthday. I can't believe she is 5 already. She is such a sweet thoughtful girl. I love when she smiles and when she is happy. She is very creative and a great problem solver! I am so thankful that she is my daughter; we love her SOOOOO much!

I did her 5 year old interview on her birthday and am just now posting it.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

That part I haven’t decided. (I asked again… she said “Doctor and school teacher.”)

Where do you want to live when you grow up?

In the country and the city.

Where do you want to go on vacation?

Florida

What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy?

Make crafts

Daddy?

Climb on him.

Jillian?

Chase her, because we always run around the house and Jillian chases me too.

Drew?

Tickle, tickle, tickle

What is your favorite place to go for fun?

Ikea and Totters Otterville.

What would you do with a million dollars?

Buy an expensive peanut car (which is a VW beetle); and give some to my friends.

What was the best thing about being 4?

Getting a big bed and getting to sleep in a sleeping bag sometimes.

What are you going to do now that you are 5?

It’s pretty much the same as when I was four.

What did you learn about Jesus this past year?

He died on the cross for our sins, he was born for our sins so we could go to Heaven and be with him forever.

What are you looking forward to about being 5?

That I am a whole hand. And I can do more than when I was four.

Favorites:

Store?

Kroger, because it has three things for kids… balloons, stickers and cookies! That sounds like three stores stuck together. And plus it has two sides to go in.

Place to eat?

McDonalds

Food?

Sunflower seeds and pistacios

Color?

Purple, White, Red, Pink

Toy?

Kit (American Girl Doll).

Book?

Pinkalicious and Fancy Nancy and Tea for Ruby

Thing to wear?

Hello Kitty clothes

Is there anything else you want to say at the end of this interview?

The End. Thank you for coming to our story, this is the end.

Happy 5th birthday, Kaleigha! We love you!

Drew... over due.

Our first son, Andrew "Drew" was born in October. He was a week late and I am two months late updating this to my blog... Oh well.

I adore little Drew. He is so sweet and I just can't get enough of him. He sleeps through the night and started that around 7 weeks, which was good - since I went back to work at 8 weeks. I am really having a hard time being back at work - and I only work part time. It is just pretty crazy with me being at work right now. But, that is another post :) We all love Drew and are so happy he was added into our lives! I have such a feeling of having our family complete and I truly am filled with so much joy just thinking how God has blessed me/us so very much.


We love you Drew!
(And, yes I do have some pictures of him all alone... but they are still on the camera and it was such a pain to get these pictures to load on here...)

Energy & feeling safe...

Okay, so being 16 1/2 weeks pregnant I thought that by this point I would have energy. I have been wiped out since I was about 6 weeks pregnant. Last night we were in the basement for about an hour in the middle of the night - so I didn't get to bed until 2:30. Thought I would be so tired today, but praise God - I actually feel a little bit like myself again. When I am not pregnant I totally take for granted that I have enough energy to walk up the steps and sort laundry. Hopefully this is the end of the lack of energy!!

Something else I take for granted... last night when I was sitting in the basement and could hear the emergency sirens going off and the wind howling, I was holding a scared little toddler and my four year old was sleeping next to us. We were sitting under the I-beam in our basement and my dear husband was hooking up a TV so we could follow the weather. I had this moment of feeling safe. Because we live in the middle of Ohio in a nice community, there aren't really many opportunities that I have to reflect on my safety. Because I am usually safe, I don't think about it. I wondered about people in this world who face attacks on their live daily and what a sweet feeling safety actually is.

Gardening

Going out to do more gardening today. I tilled some ground a few weeks ago, but since I have been pregnant I have been SOOO tired and lazy! Kaleigha and I are going out to plant some of our seeds. I expanded from what I planted last year. Last year I had: cucumbers, carrots (tiny ones), tomatoes, 1 zucchini, green peppers, basil (lots!!). It worked out well, so I am doing it again - on a larger scale...

This year I am planting:

Tomatoes (three varieties)

Carrots

Basil

Cucumbers

Zucchini - I guess if I grow 2 I am successful, right :)

cilantro

radishes

broccoli

turnips

onions

lettuce (two types)

Peppers

Rosemary

Strawberries and Blueberries...

Wow, when I see it typed out - it is a lot of things to take care of. Hopefully it will all grow well and the rabbits will keep out of my garden! I am like Mr. MacGregor now! :)

Pain in the world.

It stinks when you find out that one of your best friend's has lost her mom.

It stinks when you find out that a previous student, a ten year old little girl lost her momma.

It stinks when you have a 26 year old friend with failing kidneys and who has been given only years to live without another transplant.

There is pain and sickness and grief all around. I had to answer about it to my young daughter earlier this week.

"Mommy, why did God make me sick?" My four year asked. Because to her, she knows that God is control. It didn't make her mad, she was just wondering. And, then I had to share with my sweet face daughter more about what happened when sin entered this world. She knows about sin in her heart, but she hasn't been exposed to the sin of the world (praise God for that).

It's just a matter of time and she will see what I see, how life stinks sometimes. But, like her faith, she knew God would make her better and down the road God is coming to heal this planet and make things better. He is coming to fix what has been broken and fix what stinks and I am so thankful that He is the God that I serve.

My Mini-Me.

My daughter is so my child! Kaleigha loves the things that I love and does many things very similar to me...

Today, I went shopping and bought some second hand clothes. Some of the clothes I bought to sell at a mom's sale, but most of them I bought for our girls.

Kaleigha couldn't wait to see what I bought. She went and got a snack and commented on every single item that I bought, while we ate our snacks together. Then, after I showed her what I was going to sell, she ran around the house and started grabbing toys. She made her own adorable little price tags that she attached. She is such a hoot!

Kaleigha's Prayers

Kaleigha has been praying for some cute things lately:

1. Summertime: "dear God, please let summer come quickly."

2. Healing: "dear God, please make all the people in Ohio to be better."

3. Babies (our nanny has a little baby): "dear God, please give us two baby boys. And, God if you give us a baby girl, please take it back and give it to someone else."

4. Taller: "dear God, help me to be taller and to be six, like the number six.

Gotta love out of the mouths of babes! :)

Changing Churches

My goals for my daily life...

So, I have some goals that I have for my life. I think that if I am consistent in achieving these goals, I will have accountability in areas that I struggle with maintaining. I do many of these things, but not always daily.

The daily checklist is:

1. Did I spend time with God today?

2. Did I do something healthy today?

3. Did I do something to save money today?

4. Was I creative today?

So... January 3, 2011

1. Yes

2. I exercised with wii fit for 30 minutes

3. I did not go shopping at a store that was having a sale.

4. I made gifts for Kaleigha's teachers.