Everyday Blessings

We've been at my parents' house all weekend. I can't download any of my pictures from this weekend until later tonight, so you get a random phone pic. :) Onto the blessings:

I am grateful for....

: : A weekend at my parents'! Of course! We had planned on just spending Saturday night, but ended up staying Sunday as well. It's been fun and a much needed change of scenery during Stephan's loooooong work week.

: : A successful shopping trip. I have such a hard time finding jeans that I like. I was down to a single pair, so my mom, the kids and I went shopping. I've never found pants so easily. They were on super sale, too!

: : Finishing the kids' Halloween outfits on time without any major rush or last minute panic. I wish I'd taken a phone pic of them all dressed up for Fall Festival Saturday night, so I could post it from here. Sniff, sniff. I have lots of pictures though. Promise I'll show them when I get back to my own computer. Sophia's owl costume was way more time consuming than I thought it would be, but it turned out awesome. And, Levi makes one heck of a cute dragon. We'll be trick or treating tonight, so they get to wear them again.

: : Time to knit. I haven't had much knitting time in weeks. Cry me a river, right? Anyway, I've gotten to knit some on Levi's sweater this weekend. I feel like a better person when I knit...not because of what I make but because the act of knitting calms my soul. That probably says something about how weird I am, but we won't go there, m'kay? ;)

: : Cozy sweater weather. Need I say more? I will though. I heart a cool, crisp breeze.

So, what where you blessed by this past week?

Sunday

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 
~Jeremiah 29:11 

*The photo was taken when we went pumpkin picking earlier this month. I still haven't gone through most of the pictures.

Weekend Loves

Levi at our library's story time in his unfinished dragon costume.

Good links for you...

: : Leigh's thoughts on unschooling.

: : A list of fun science experiments.

: : Nifty toy car storage.

: : Super adorable DIY doll.

: : Sewing inspiration...here, here, and here.

: : Recycled scribbles.

Happy Friday!

Everyday Blessings

It was a week full of them...

: : Stephan took half a day off last week to help my disorganized self get ready for a beach vacation because he's sweet like that. He also did a bunch of late night, last minute grocery shopping because I kept forgetting things. I'm super grateful for a patient and (mostly) helpful husband.

: : We went to the beach! Okay, okay, so Levi threw up the whole way there...not so much of a blessing, but then he was fine until the evening before we left, so yay for the strange stomach bug break.

: : The beach was a blast. It looks super cold in that picture because I took that in the evening when it was pretty chilly. During the daytime, though, the kids got to bust out their swimsuits. 

: : The waves on the beach in front of our hotel were too high the first day, so we looked for other things to do. We ended up finding an incredible beach spot that was protected by a natural rock wall. It was like a giant, beach-side kiddie pool. To top it off it wasn't as sterile as the hotel beach, so Levi and Stephan got to catch hermit crabs, chase fish, and even watch a raccoon go fishing.

: : Watching my kids experience the beach for the first time was priceless.

So, what are you grateful for today?

Sunday

Levi circa 2008

"Hatred stirs up quarrels,but love makes up for all offenses."

~Proverbs 10:12

Weekend Loves

The photo is from a trip to the Science museum that we took weeks ago. It makes me smile every time I see it.


And, now for some links

: : Stickman fun. You're welcome. :)

: : I want this for supper.

: : And, this for dessert.

: : I like this playhouse a lot.

: : This sweater is lovely.

Have an awesome weekend!

The Daddy And Kiddos

Last night I sat down to look through the pumpkin picking photos. Levi woke up twice and wasn't going back to sleep, so this is all I've got to show for it. 

Maybe by Thanksgiving I'll have the rest of them up. Hey, that's still seasonally appropriate at least.
Happy Wednesday, y'all!

Everyday Blessings

A few blessings that I'm especially grateful for this week:

: : After Levi was stung by the yellow jackets, I took him to the doctor where I was warned that his legs were going to look much worse the next day. I prepared myself for a day of comforting my little man, but when we woke up his legs looked nearly perfect! It was hard to even spot where the stings had been. Other than having to change shoes because one set rubbed on a sting, Levi didn't mention any pain the whole day, and he was super happy. Now that's what I'd call a blessing.

: : I know I've mentioned the autumn light in one of these posts already, but there's really nothing like it. It has a certain quality that makes me super sentimental, and I like it. I especially like the autumn light in the kid's rooms. The rest of our house is kind of dark and blah, but when I walk into their rooms I always feel good.

: : One and (almost) four are currently my favorite ages which is especially nice since that's where both my kids are right now. Levi has entered into this incredibly fun stage of pretend. His imagination melts my heart. Sophia's curiosity is really starting to blossom, and she's becoming so playful and engaging. Snuggling itty bitty babies is very sweet, but when they make the leap into toddlerhood it's just plain fun.

: : Sophia has discovered brushes. She'll hand one to me and say "Mama" which is her way of asking me to brush her hair. I brush it very gently, and she gets the sweetest look on her face that totally turns me into a giant puddle. I have a girl, people! It's so much fun. (Not that having a boy isn't a barrel of fun. It totally is. It's just a different kind of fun.)

: : We've been able to spend lots of time outside every day lately. The weather has been awesome, and the vitamin D does me good. Even on days when we're super busy, I squeeze at least one walk in for us, and it puts everyone into good moods. 

: : Months ago our favorite park closed for renovations. We were so sad, but it reopened this weekend!!!! It is awesome now. Yay! We will be there weekly. I'm so excited. Lately when we've passed it Levi looks over and says, "When our park opens me and W (his buddy) are going to play there." Gotta put a playdate on the calendar!

So what are you feeling blessed by these days?

Sunday

"And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?"

~Mark 8:36-37

Just A Sweet Moment

During Sophia's naps, Levi and I have our special time together. Often it involves a cup of tea and some snacks followed by a game. Sometimes I feel like I ought to be doing something else with that time (like cleaning), but I know that someday he won't think it's cool to have tea parties with his mama. I guess I'll have plenty of time to clean then.

Weekend Loves

Is it Friday already? Not that I'm complaining, but it doesn't seem like it's been a whole week since the last one. I still haven't gone through the pumpkin photos. Shame on me, but here's another instagram one...

Alrighty then, on to some links...

: : Awhile back I did the whole shampoo free thing (no this doesn't mean I quit showering or cleaning my hair). Anyway, I loved it for months and then not so much. I went back to shampoo which I still didn't love. Then I read this article. I'm back to being 'poo-less, and I like it. Yay! I think I was using too much vinegar before.

: : Levi has been collecting pine cones lately. I'm thinking wreaths.

: :  Small scale marble painting looks like fun...doable fun.

: : All For The Boys is cool....I'm especially digging the diy's like this plane and this stethoscope.

: : Soup...It's that time of the year.

Happy Weekend, Y'all!

P.S. Levi woke up in a very cheerful mood this morning. I think he's feeling much better after yesterday's yellow jacket incident.

The Wrath Of Yellow Jackets

This afternoon we headed out to a nature trail to meet some friends. We enjoyed a leisurely (albeit mosquito riddled) jaunt through the woods. When we came to the end of the trail Levi and his buddy did a bit of exploring while his buddy's mama and I chatted. (The boys were well within eyesight). As we were considering packing up (due to the pesky mosquitoes), Levi started screaming and came running towards me. I asked him to use his words and tell me what happened while I checked him for wounds. And, then I saw them....angry yellow jackets buzzing around. I yelled for everyone to run. We headed for the parking lot, and I started frantically trying to get all of the yellow jackets off of Levi. Of course, the bad thing about yellow jackets is that once they're angry they lock onto you and don't back down. I kept knocking them off and killing them, and more kept coming after him. Thankfully we were next to a fire station, and two of the firemen saw us and came over to help. I'm so glad they did. I think it would have been much worse had we not had the extra hands. We were finally able to make a full escape but not before Levi was stung 11 times. Ugh. Thankfully no one else was stung. The firemen checked Levi for signs of an allergic reaction and scraped a stinger out of him. Then we headed for the doctor's office where they dosed him up with some Benadryl and told us what to watch out for. Levi is fine...sore and a little grouchy, but fine. 

When asked how he'd managed to get into yellow jackets, Levi said, "I stepped on them."

"On purpose?"

"Yeah." 

 "Why?!!" 

"To kill 'em dead." 

"Please, don't ever do that again."

Levi was, of course, properly spoiled by BawBaw who brought him pickles and Nanno who bought him a piece of strawberry cake. Then he got to watch a movie (a rare event around here)...

When it was all said and done, I realized that I had indeed touched yellow jackets without hesitating or flinching. Apparently motherhood combined with adrenaline = fearless.

So, how was your Thursday? Hopefully better than mine. :)

Everyday Blessings....on Tuesday

We've been busy in a good way, and it doesn't seem destined to stop anytime soon. I guess it's the gorgeous fall weather keeping us out and about more than usual. So, better late than never, here are a few things I'm grateful for...

: : A husband who gets me.

: : Pumpkin picking with the family...Stephan, my parents and my sister included! One day maybe I'll get to sit down at this computer long enough to sift through the pictures and post a few.

: : New Bolga baskets. I buy one every year at the pumpkin patch. This year I splurged and bought two.

: : A trip to the fair with Stephan and the kids. Have I mentioned that I love having Stephan home more. Yeah? Maybe once or twice, huh? ;)

: : Planning a vacation! Gasp! A first for us.

: : Two sweet munchkins curled up asleep. They look like angels.

What are you grateful for today?

Sunday

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

~Matthew 6:21

Aunt Annie!

My sister and Levi have quite the special bond. This was how they greeted one another at the pumpkin patch this morning...

Seeing the two of them together brings a smile to my face.
More pictures with actual pumpkins to come....once I sift through the 400+ that were taken. About half of those were Levi's doing. I think the boy needs his own camera...

Weekend Loves

Some lovely links...

                                         Source: carladyck.blogspot.com via Madeline on Pinterest

: : Brown Paper Flowers 

: : Thrifting Tips

: : 7 Steps To Manage Yourself When Your Child Melts Down

: : Glitter In Salt Shakers. Yes.

: : More Owl Inspiration

 

Happy Weekend!

Making

This sweater has been in the works for a few weeks. It's Levi's Gramps Cardigan...

It's my first go at cables, and I can't believe I was actually scared of them. Not so very terrifying after all. However, there are times (like when my children are bouncing off the walls) that I need a super easy project to turn to, so I cast on for the hat that Stephan has been asking for lately. (What he really wants is a Fair Isle hat. Ha! He's going to have to wait until our children are grown for that one. Maybe I'll manage a Fake Isle hat before then.) We went to The Knit Studio where he picked out the yarn and the pattern.

I measured his head, and I even did a gauge swatch. I knitted away for a couple of days, and voila. A hat......a hat that was way too big. What is up with my math skills? Sigh. I unraveled it, and cast on again. Then I set it aside because really I was a tinge aggravated. It didn't help that my failure coincided with Sophia teething and thus not sleeping much. I was in need of some immediate gratification knitting therapy, so I went with a cup cozy....

It was fast, easy, and patternless which made it oddly even more gratifying. Now maybe I can get to work on that hat again.

In between knitting I've started making Levi's Halloween costume....

In case the pile doesn't give it away, he's going to be either a dinosaur or a dragon. I'm thinking I'll make the wings detachable so that he can change his mind all last minutey. I've actually finished the spikes going up the hood, but I just haven't managed a photo yet. He's pretty particular this year. He wants eyes, teeth, and claws that "go like this not like this." Ahem. I think I'll have to teach the boy to sew soon if he's going to be so picky.

Everyday Blessings

Taken a few weekends ago on BawBaw's new tractor.

I am in need of a more grateful heart this morning for sure, so here we go...

: : Sophia, my mom and I had a fun girls' night out on Saturday. We checked out Table 100 which was oh so very delicious. 

: : It's been awhile since I mentioned Sophia's eczema. Turns out that she is definitely allergic to corn, eggs, and cow's milk. That doesn't exactly seem like a blessing, but I'm grateful that we were able to figure out the main triggers for it. Since I've avoided eating those things her skin is looking about a million times better. So, yay for that!

: : My sister is coming up this weekend, and we're taking the kids pumpkin picking. Levi is going to be so excited. He talks about his Aunt Annie nearly every day.

: : When Levi was a baby he would play with my hair all the time but especially as he was going to sleep. Even though he is older now and swears to me that he is going to do everything all by himself including driving, he still reaches for my hair when he's tired. It's sweet and it makes me smile.

: : The weather has been picture perfect lately.....clear blue skies and nice temperatures. It looks like it just might stay that way too. It's supposed to be sunny and in the mid to low 80's all week. Nice!

How about in your neck of the woods? Any blessings?

Sunday

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
      Remind me that my days are numbered—
      how fleeting my life is.
You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
      My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
      at best, each of us is but a breath.”

We are merely moving shadows,
      and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
   We heap up wealth,
      not knowing who will spend it.
 And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?
      My only hope is in you.

~Psalm 39: 4-7

A Song For Saturday

I found Gungor via Emerging Mummy. This is my favorite...so far...