excuses. excuses.

It seems lots of us are apologizing for our lack of blogging lately.
Is it the change in the weather?
Here's one of my excuses, and I promise it's a good one!

I was able to spend last week in Oklahoma visiting my little sister and her sweet-as-can-be, brand new baby boy.

I had the hardest time saying goodbye.
I found myself swaying back and forth in the airport as I waited to board my flight.

Probably from doing lots of this all week...

And then I came home to this...

O.k., make that two good excuses!

hints of spring

I'm not sure what happened, but we've had the most uneventful winter this year.

Little green shoots are already poking their heads up all around the yard.

And recently I've smelled that hint of spring in the air.

Thoughts of spring now occupy my mind--kids playing out back, Easter dresses, working in the garden, and Cadbury Mini Eggs (yum!).

a bit of advice

"Mothers from miles around worried about Zuckerman's swing. They feared some child would fall off. But no child ever did. Children almost always hang onto things tighter than their parents think they will."

--E.B. White, Charlotte's Web

Isn't that the truth?

Sometimes good parenting advice pops up where I least expected it--

such a good reminder to let my kids be kids.

fondue

I'm so excited to have a couple of dear friends over tomorrow night for fondue and Emma.

On the menu:

dark chocolate sauce

strawberries

bananas

cheesecake

pound cake

pretzels

marshmallows

dried cherries

Do you fondue?

Do you prefer dark chocolate, white chocolate, cheese?

What do you like to dip?

letters

not Dear Jenny, but Jenny Dear...I love this!

Are letters a thing of the past?

I love getting email from friends, but letters--there's just something about receiving a letter in the mail. Agreed?

Back in the day, I remember how much I enjoyed writing to the friends I met at summer camp--even more, I enjoyed receiving letters from these friends.

I met one particular friend about 20 years ago when I was in high school. We exchanged letters for years. I can still picture her handwriting. I don't think I would have this connection with her if we had emailed each other. Sadly, she passed away about 10 years ago. She died of Leukemia at the age of 30, leaving behind her young husband and a sweet baby boy. It literally broke my heart, but I love that I have sweet memories of exchanging letters with her.

One of my goals for this year is to be more intentional about letter writing. It's been on my mind for a few weeks.

Have I written any yet?

No.

But guess what I got in the mail today?

A sweet, two-page letter from a friend. It truly was the sweetest letter ever. It made me smile.

But I was smiling even before I opened the letter.

That's how happy letters make me.

keepsakes

A family friend crocheted beautiful dresses, bonnets and baby booties for our girls when they were born.

They looked like dolls when I dressed them up in these sweet little outfits.

four days old, November 2005

While browsing around Tuesday Morning with the family today, I spotted these keepsake collector boxes for $3.99.

Perfect! I thought of these crocheted sets immediately!

I just can't help myself

Now that you all know I smell dryer sheets, I might as well tell you that I smell ballet slippers, too.

Actually, those of you who know me well enough know that I smell practically everything!

I've noticed that one of my daughters is already taking after me in this quirky area.

I'm not sure if it's in the genes or if she's learned it by watching me put everything up to my nose.

It's one thing I simply can't resist.

Ballet slippers.

And they have to be pink.

oh, january

I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.

January...it's such a drab month.

I looked out my kitchen window this afternoon and saw rain dripping from the pergola.

"Oh, January," I said with a sigh.

Then I noticed the cute red and white checked ribbons tying back my kitchen curtains.

I hardly notice these during the summer months, because we spend so much time outside.

And as I look around the house, I notice other things about January that aren't so bad...

piles of books all over the house

and brand new calendars!

Now I'm on the lookout...

what else do I over look as I glance out my window and see a dreary, gray sky?

laundry day

A friend of mine gave me a box of Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day dryer sheets. Here's the new laundry routine around here...

1. Place wet clothes into dryer

2. Grab dryer sheet from box

3. Smell dryer sheet

4. Separate dryer sheet along perforated line

5. Smell dryer sheet

6. Place dryer sheet into machine

7. Smell the scent on my hands

8. Close dryer door and press start

9. Look down at the box and smile

vintage books: eloise wilkin

Eloise Wilkin is my favorite children's book illustrator. Yesterday I found We Like Kindergarten in a local thrift store and bought it for 49 cents. In my humble opinion, it's one of the sweetest picture books ever written.

I wanted to be in Miss Hall's Kindergarten class. Who wouldn't want to spend morning after morning in a cheerful classroom singing, feeding turtles, painting, playing the triangle and napping on a colorful mat?

My favorite picture in this story--I remember wanting a blue sailor dress like Karen's

Other favorites by Ms. Wilkin...

Baby Dear
We Help Mommy
We Help Daddy
Where Did the Baby Go?
Baby's Birthday

and I would like to find a copy of The Twins. I didn't know this title existed, and I would love to read it to my own twin daughters!

*EDIT*

A friend of mine sent me this Etsy link and, I'm happy to say, the book is on its way!!!

I want to remember...

We were blessed to be able to drive down to California to visit family this year for Christmas. The trip takes about 18 hours with kids :)

Here are a few things I want to remember...

the anticipation of going "home" for Christmas
a cozy little log cabin to stay in along the way
waking up to snow
the kids singing in the car
first hugs after being away for awhile
coffee with my mom
the safe feeling of being with family
how much I love candlelight
laughing with my sister
how much my kids love being with their cousins
good peppermint bark
Christmas cards
warm kitchens
driving in the country at night
stars...lots of them!
tears at goodbye...not so fun, but it means we're loved

hope

One of the things I enjoy about the fall is the coziness of spending more time indoors. My journal entries are always plentiful during the colder months.

As I venture out with my kids I love to watch all the leaves fall to the ground. In reality, it would be quite devastating, had I not the hope that life will soon return.

"But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him

and cause him grief.

Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,

he will have many descendants...for many will be counted righteous."

--Isaiah 53

'Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:
The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease."

--Lamentations 3:21-22

evening play

When the voices of children are heard on the green,

And laughing is heard on the hill,
My heart is at rest within my breast,
And everything else is still.

"Then come home, my children, the sun is gone down,
And the dews of night arise;
Come, come, leave off play, and let us away,
Till the morning appears in the skies."

"No, no, let us play, for it is yet day,

And we cannot go to sleep;
Besides, in the sky the little birds fly,
And the hills are all covered with sheep."

"Well, well, go and play till the light fades away,
And then go home to bed."
The little ones leaped, and shouted, and laughed,
And all the hills echoed.

--"Nurse's Song" by William Blake

bruschetta pasta

Last week I racked my brain to think of a meal to bring a friend who recently had a baby. I simmered roma tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic and red onion for about an hour to make a sauce, purchased fettuccine noodles from the refrigerated section of the grocery store and called it Bruschetta Pasta.

I placed the ingredients in this mini burlap sack that I found stashed in my every-growing collection of gift bags. I opened the package of noodles and placed them in a zip-lock bag, added a few cherry tomatoes and extra basil leaves in another zip-lock, and some Romano cheese in another. I used one of my Farm Chicks Labels to write out the instructions and tied it off with some raffia.

I get a little nervous when I cook for other people. I'm always afraid they won't like what I bring over. What meals have you prepared to take over to a friend's house? I could use a few more ideas.

goodbye summer

"Ah, when to the heart of man

Was it ever less than a treason

To go with the drift of things,

To yield with a grace to reason,

And bow and accept the end

Of a love or a season?

-from "Reluctance" by Robert Frost

Autumn is my favorite season, hands down, but this past summer has been quite memorable.

Nothing amazing happened. Just lots of little things--lots of sweet memories all wrapped up into one memorable season.

We vacationed, camped in the backyard, swam, roasted marshmallows, barbecued, rode bikes, planted a garden and read lots of books.

But I'll miss little bare toes running around in the green grass.

I'll miss walks out to the garden to cut a few flowers.

I'll miss the smell of summer air.

I'll miss sitting on the swing out back, kids climbing all over me.

goodbye, summer...

guest post

I'm over at 4 Reluctant Entertainers today sharing a few thoughts on entertaining moms and little ones in my home. You can find my post here.

...and Happy Fall!

my love

Phil and I were able to go away last week. We stayed at a beautiful bed and breakfast in Leavenworth, WA, for the first couple of days. The rooms were so cozy with lots of great amenities like bikes, backpacks, coffee makers that grind coffee beans before each brew and old typewriters.

We spent the rest of the week in Seattle enjoying beautiful sunny weather, the U District, Mars Hill Church, IKEA, The Melting Pot, coffee and holding hands.

hee hee

This made me giddy.

home

We had a wonderful time in Southern California visiting family. My sister-in-law, a terrific hostess, planned wonderful meals and activities for our family of 6. We swam in her pool, played at the beach, enjoyed the zoo, the circus and Disneyland.

Later in the week, we met up with my husband's family in Big Bear and spent a great weekend staying in this cabin. After such a busy, fun-filled week, it's good to be home!

off we go!

In the morning we'll be heading out the door for a family vacation.

Destination: Disneyland!

Our family has been blessed with an all-expense-paid trip (including airfare) to So. California and Disneyland. We've been counting the days and we're thrilled that tomorrow is the day! The kids are excited to take along the hats that their Auntie Emy brought back for them last Fall. My girls have never flown and my boys don't remember their "lap child" days, so this should be an adventure for all 6 of us. It was so much fun to pack these little surprise travel backpacks for them.

...be back soon

pillowcase shirt

I used this tutorial to make this darling shirt out of a pillowcase.

I've never sewn with elastic thread before, so I faced lots of challenges along the way. Just before giving up, I found this site with great tips on shirring fabric. As it turns out, my length and width settings were off.

isn't this beautiful...

"Mommy, I picked strawberries for dinner."

notice the dirty toes

july 4

Happy Fourth of July!

I love three day weekends...I really do. But this year our car quit working the day before everything closed down for the Fourth, so we'll spend Thursday-Monday morning at home with no car.

I was kind of bummed at first, because I felt like I was just throwing things together for our company this afternoon. I went through my kitchen drawers and cupboards in search of red and blue serving platters and linens. After scrounging around the house this morning, I found this old blue quilt and a red gingham curtain panel for the picnic table.

I placed little American flags in a jar of beans (my husband's idea), and there you have it...we're all set for company!

strawberry picking

We spent the morning out in the warm sunshine picking delicious strawberries!

There's just something about kids in a strawberry field that makes me smile.

Happy Summer to all of you!