a beauitiful january day

It was such a gorgeous day today, we decided it was the perfect day to redeem our Pizza Hut Book-It rewards and have a picnic in the back yard.  The kids asked if I was going to come outside with them, because apparently I never go outside (except to get in the car, according to Regan).

So, outside we all went for a lovely picnic in the sunshine... that coke down there is your proof that I actually ate outside :)

And stayed outside long after the other kids had abandoned their picnic and most had headed back inside.

I cozied up in my furry blanket and played some Words With Friends...

And eventually Regan came back out to finish up her Essentials work for the day.

free february embroidery pattern

I finished stitching up my February embroidery piece over the weekend.  I am hoping to get started on March soon, but I've promised Max that I won't sew anything else until I finish his robe :)

In case you are curious about the details, I am sewing on an 8" square of white Kona Cotton and using wool-felt bought from this etsy shop and DMC embroidery floss (so far mostly 3 strands, but that will vary more in the next pattern).  I plan to border them in some fun cotton prints and possibly add some other embellishments when I've finished all the squares and can see the project all together.
February Pattern
Don't forget, if you stitch up your own version of my pattern I would LOVE to see it!  Please share pictures in my Flickr group!

random monday

Thanks so much for all your congratulations last week! We are all really excited about adding another brother or sister to the pack :)

So, since I found out I was pregnant I have been trying really hard to keep up with life around here, but lots of things have fallen through the cracks... like I have not checked my etsy shop since before Christmas, I don't even know if there is even anything in it anymore!  And I still have not finished the kids Christmas pajamas!  I did get two robes sew on Saturday, but still have another robe and the boys shirts left to sew... at this rate they will get them just in time for it to be too warm to wear flannel... who am I kidding, this winter has been so warm they have not needed their flannel jammies yet!

I also realized the other day, when thinking about things I have not blogged yet, that I have not mentioned anything about the new church plant we have joined, and that's a pretty major life change for us!  Long story short, we were approached last fall with an opportunity to serve with a new PCA (Presbyterian Church of America) church in our area.  After much prayer we decided to join the plant.  It was bitter sweet leaving our old church- they were (still are) like family to us and we loved the 6 years that we served with them, but we are super excited about this new direction that God is leading us in.  We started meeting as a core team this month and will "go public" in late March.

Just to add to the randomness, here are some picture I took the other night at dinner.  The hubby was reading to the kids and I was trying to catch this sweet moment of Lulu on her dad's shoulders and the other kids leaning in the see picture on the page (He's reading Little House in the Big Woods) but you know as soon as they see the camera everything changes and they all started hamming it up.  This is what I got instead...

I'll be back tomorrow with my February pattern.  Happy Monday!

i've been keeping something from you...

We found out just after Thanksgiving that I was expecting! I really wanted to be excited, but if I am completely honest I have to tell you that, after my miscarriage last spring, I was mostly worried.  I was happy to see the baby's little heart beating in a sono at about 6 weeks, and then again at 8.5 weeks.  I had made it past the point of my last miscarriage and finally started to allow myself to get excited.  We told the kids on Christmas but decided to wait to share the news with everyone one else until after my 12 week appointment.  

I had my appointment last week and not only got to see my little baby wiggling around but also got a sound recording of the heart beat!  (Now if I could only figure out how to get it out of my text messages and onto my computer!)  We are beyond excited around here :)

got any painting advise?

Yesterday I did a little rearranging to the school area of our great room which has had me all mixed up trying to find books and put them away today :)  That book case used to be on the other side of the room- near the TV, and my cabinet with all my fabric in it was there instead, but I decided that the cabinet will work better in the living area- even if it means I have to walk across the room to fetch my fabric.  I think I like the switch so far.

And just to keep it real... this is what it looks like when you pan out... still quite a bit of work to do before I am done with this little room re-do :)

I posted this dark and depressing photo on Facebook the other day asking for input on a new color scheme and weather to keep the chair rail or tear it out (the general consensus was to keep it).  I am pretty sure I want at least half of the wall to be white (Sweet Vanilla by Behr to be exact- its the color that is in our kitchen) and the other half ?.  It is a big and busy room, so I don't want anything too overwhelming.  I actually really love the whole cottage look- white walls, brightly colored accessories, but am not sure about painting the walls all white with the chair rail.   The truth is, we have so much crammed into this space that you barely see the lower part of the walls except in a few spaces.

 We are in the  (slow) process of tearing out all the carpet and painting the sub floors (until we can afford the hard wood we really want).  Right now the plan is to paint the floors Slate Pebble (another Behr color) which is a taupe color (a shade grayer than the upper walls in the kitchen). I'd love to hear your ideas!

because we can't just have a normal week around here...

We started pulling up the rest of the carpet in our living room at 4:30pm on Sunday.  Now I am patching cracks, picking out paint colors, moving furniture, and trying to catch up on the school we missed while we were sick last week!

needle book

I've been wanting to make a new needle book for awhile, so the other day when I still was not quite up to moving around too much I sat at the table and stitched up this little needle book using Amy's tutorial (yay for actually making something I pinned on Pinterest!) 

I love the way it turned out.  I have always loved the look of postage stamp quilting, but have been too intimidated to try it.  I really was not that hard, I think I might actually try it again sometime.

  I only did a couple of things different from the tutorial, like using the patchwork for the front and back and not doing any applique.  I also machine stitched everything, no hand stitching.  I have not done any decorations to the pages either, I might add something later, but for now it is working just fine sans decoration :)

Here is the back.

What have you been stitching up these days?

adelaide is 2!

Yesterday was Addie's 2nd birthday.  For the life of me I can not figure out how two years have passed since she was born!

As is our usual tradition, we started the day with presents. 

She had something from everyone.  This tea set from her brothers...

A crayon box of her very own and a homemade coloring book from Tallulah...

And of course something handmade from Regan...

two birdies and little tree's for them to perch on.

By far her favorite gift was her etch a sketch.  Before she erases her scribbles she says "Say bye bye!"  Too cute!

And of course you've already seen a peek of Ellie the Elephant.

Unfortunately our celebration did not make it any further than this as she started throwing up shortly after breakfast :(  Things are looking up today though and maybe we will even get some cake and ice cream before the day is through!

Happy Birthday, Adelaide!

today i am...

-Making a slow recovery from the stomach bug I thought I had avoided.
-Catching up on missed school.
-Washing a TON of laundry.
-Menu planning and grocery list making.
-Enjoying watching my oldest help her sister clean her room, especially when there's been so much animosity between them recently!
Doing a little stitching on my February design.

-Wishing you a fabulous Thursday!

free embroidery/applique pattern

I am super excited to have finally started this project!  I've had the sketches for an embroidered/appliqued calendar in my notebook for at least a year.  I still have not decided what the finished project will be, possibly of quilt with a square for each month or maybe a banner.  Anyway, this is my first square.  This one is pretty simple.  The other sketches I have are a mix of simple and more complex and I am excited to see them all come together :)

I thought it might be fun to share my patterns with you as I go.  I would LOVE to see someone else's take on my designs.  So, if you stitch up any of my patterns please add a picture to my flickr group!
January Pattern

sunday sewing

While half the family spent the day laid out because of a stomach bug I decided to use the relative quite for a little sewing.  There are so many projects in this book that I want to do,  I chose the Elephant for Adelaide's birthday present (her birthday is on Saturday).  It is looking like I will be making at least one more if these, as Tallulah will not leave it alone!  I think I will make the next one with a printed fabric, just for fun.

I have another project that I have been working on that I hope to have ready to reveal in the next couple of days.  So I'm washing my hands a lot and praying that I don't catch the bug so I can get it all ready!

right now...

Tallulah is sitting across the room from me playing with American Girl dolls...

Kit and Emily have been talking a lot about the 14th amendment :)  I love it when what we learn in school pops up in their playing.

things you did not know

Okay, so my friend Joanna included me in her "Tell Me About Yourself Award" post today.  I am supposed to tell you 7 things about myself you don't already know and pass the award on to 15ish other people.  I think I will start with saying:

(1) I am not one to always play by the rules- but telling you 7 things you don't know about me sounded like fun- so I will do that, but I am not passing the "award" on (Sorry Joanna!)

(2) I laughed when Joanna listed this as her #1 thing, but I too am not a "kid person".  At least not other peoples kids :)

(3) I have taken a number of Spiritual Gifts tests over the years and have scored a 0 for the gift of teaching every time (and yet here I am homeschooling my 5 children!  Doesn't God have a great sense of humor?).

(4) During High School and College I traveled extensively (like to 15 different counties) doing short term mission.

(5) Despite all that travel 15-20 years ago, it has been nearly 10 years since I last left the country or even boarded a plane!

(6) I sooo wanted to bungee jump off of this bridge while I was at Victoria Falls in 1996, but did not have enough $.  Several of my friends did get to jump though :)

(7)When I was 3 years old I was diagnosed with Scoliosis.  I wore a back brace for 10 years.  The Dr's said surgery (when I got older) was the only solution.  God healed my back (the curve went from 40 degrees to 18 degrees in 5 months and my back now has a normal 10 degree curve).  God is good.

i love this age

Adelaide will be 2 in just over a week.  I think this is one of my favorite ages. 

She is happy to join us at the table with a few of her own activities during school time, even if only for a few minutes.  She is getting better at communicate her feelings with words instead of cries, and so often the things she says are followed by our surprised "did she just say...?".  Like yesterday, when I stepped in a box of crayons that had been left on the floor.  As they scattered across the floor, Addie looked up from across the room and said "Mom make a mess!"  I am trying to hold on to these moments.  Live each day fully here, because the time passes so quickly, and I can hardly remember the other children at this age and all the cute and wonderful things they did.  That is why I started this blog 4 years ago- as an attempt to capture just a bit if the wonder.  A way to hold on and remember.  Sometimes I get caught up in the projects and things crossed off my to do list and forget to capture our lives here too.  That is something I want to more of.

semi-finished bathroom

I promised picture of my finished bathroom this week... well, it is not exactly finished- we still have to install the baseboards and we are having a paint issue that may result in us having to sand down the walls, prime and paint all over again (boo). But my vanity is installed, mirror hung and new shower curtain made :)  So here is a little peek...

And here is the platform my dad built for the zip line! 

If you want to come try it out I will have waivers waiting :)

today, in bullet points.

We started school today.
I yelled a lot.
I really hate whining.
But we finished everything before lunch.
7 weeks is too long of a break from school.
I have two fully functioning bathrooms for the first time in nearly a month!
Yay!
Have I mentioned how awesome my dad is?
He (and my mom) came down last week and finished all the plumbing.
He also built a platform for the zipline.
Now I am drafting a waver to be signed by all visiting children's parents before they can ride.
Just kidding, but I do have a firm "must have your parents permission to ride" policy.
The hubs has got the boys cleaning the kitchen after dinner every night.
I love it.
Even if it means I have to re-wash the pots and pans before I use them again :)
I hate having to clean up my messes.
Seems I've passed that on to my daughter.
Only she has exceeded me in her skill at moving from one unfinished project to another.
Speaking of unfinished projects, I've got a few I better attend to right now.
Happy Monday!

just popping in

I know I've been MIA this week.  We are enjoying a quick visit from my parents and gearing up for school next week. 

Hopefully I will be back here soon with pictures of my finished (mostly) bathroom(s).  Enjoy your weekend!

happy new year!

From our family, to yours!