making my way back

I'm still here. actually, I'm making my way back here.

while baseball kept us tied to home during june and july, as soon as the calendar said august we were celebrating birthdays and going in different directions. we're all home now and in our last week of vacation.

after taking finished project photos, I'll be sharing ADVENTure gifts, end of summer crafts, and summer recap photos. and I look forward to checking in with all of you!

summer is...

silly moments.

I got a chuckle this morning...

because mark is working so many hours and assistant coaching for two baseball teams, I've taken over the yard work for the summer. after my morning bike ride and walk with little guy, I came home to tackle the yard before the heat would prohibit it.

after two hours of weeding the beds, watering plants, using the weed eater, and mowing, I came in for a break. when I looked in the mirror, I got the giggles!

I had NO idea I had been wearing these reflective safety glasses all morning. I thought they were clear!! silly girl, silly post.

seven

friday he turned seven. celebrating and party preparations prohibited a timely post. but he so deserves one!

in seven words, he is:

focused

joyful

loving

loyal

genuine

tenderhearted

thoughtful

when I found out I was pregnant with child number two, the biggest question in my mind was "how can I love another, like I love spencer?" lucky for me, God's design for a mother's heart is for it to expand with more than enough love.

after spending a few moments with my second son, you'd probably come away with a similar list of adjectives to the ones I listed. yet we could bundle them all together and call him "mr. big." for when you get to know him, you'd see that he loves big, plays big, cares big, competes big...everything big.

this boy of mine is an early riser (seven am is late for him), and he is ready to go when his feet hit the floor. he loves waffles and honey nut cheerios. while his brother collected thomas the tank engine trains, he collects lego projects. he is patient to the nth degree when assembly is in session.

this boy of mine is an observer of people. as you watch him in a crowd, he is initially quiet and reserved, watching and analyzing his surroundings...he's always thinking. and then when the moment is right, he joins in.

this boy of mine is all about play. whether it's wii, psp, or wiffle ball in the backyard, this boy is a real live action figure. this action makes it easy for us to know when he isn't feeling well. if he's snuggling with you, there's a trip to the doctor right around the corner.

this boy of mine, isn't really. he's a precious child of God, entrusted to me for what will seem like a breath. he's a gift to everyone he meets. and every day I learn a little more how to possess a little less.

happy seventh birthday, boy of mine.

august ADVENTure

we've been busy tying up lots of loose ends in the home deco area this week, but I didn't want the 25th to slip by me without an ADVENTure update. Christmas is only four months away! can you feel the excitement and anticipation in my voice? here are my current completed projects:

Pattern: Dashing, by Cheryl Niamath

Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed, color 147- Dragon (green); 1 ball

Needles: US 7 dpn

Mods: I made them a few rows shorter than the pattern.

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back in february, lisa sent me these for my birthday. I feel in love with them immediately and have used them on every trip away from home since. we travel... a lot. and these shoe bags were the perfect gift. in fact, I think they're the perfect gift for anyone on your list. there's something so special about putting your items into beautiful fabric bags instead of gallon ziploc bags, don't 'ya think?

with lisa's recommendation, I followed betz's tutorial for the bag and larissa's tutorial for the french seams. my fabric was purchased at joann's, and I used cording instead of the cotton twill tape. do you know how hard it is to find 100% cotton twill tape in black?? H A R D.

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seems like my cross stitch projects scream for me in the summer. during july and august I was able to stitch up these additional santas for my collection. I'll be sewing these into pillow ornaments just like the others. have I said how much I enjoy the small project size of these santas? perfect for toting around and stitching while I'm waiting for this or that. if you haven't picked up a hand stitching project in awhile, I encourage you to find a favorite and begin!

I'm anticipating a spectacular september, hope you are as well. blessings to you...

the collection:

finished gift count: 9

finished santa count: 5

finished home deco count: 1

birthday girl

happy birthday, mom!!

she's a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend, co-worker, and volunteer.

she's fun, hardworking, and beautiful (inside and out).

she was my example to follow.

she's given so much of herself to others.

she has birthday position 3 out of 4 for august.

many blessings to you, mom!

I love you!!

forty two

for 161 days each year, he's married to an "older woman." then today he catches up with me. he had a few requests: egg bake and coffee cake for breakfast (check), chocolate cupcakes like these (check), and dinner at Baldo's (had to be carry out because of a sick little one, but check). I added a few extras along the way to make his day extra special:

he is my closest friend, my other half, the one I go to. he adores his children and genuinely enjoys spending time with them. he enjoys being at home. he's a great conversationalist and a talented writer. I am blessed to call him "mine." Happy Birthday Sweet!

thirteen

it's really hard to believe he turned 13 today. his requests: chocolate cake with chocolate icing and chocolate jimmies (check), a morning at the track (check), an afternoon of nothing (check), and dinner at J. Alexander's (check, check).

handsome :: funny :: sensitive :: willing :: fun :: smart :: athletic :: loving :: loyal :: caring :: creative :: trustworthy :: independent...that's what he is.

Happy Birthday to my very favorite teenager!

july, where did you go?

seems like just yesterday I was saying "goodbye june" and "hello july," and now I need to say "hello august." but I can't yet...because I'm playing catch up!

can time be slow as a turtle and fast as a rabbit at the same time? this summer has been balanced by a good bit of home time and cherished away time. and while time has passed both slowly and quickly, july seemed to speed by.

:: we finished baseball season with two championship games ::

:: passed level one and level two in swimming lessons ::

:: spent five days in chicago for national conference ::

:: reunited and met new family at our annual reunion ::

:: vacationed with our best friends the quicks ::

:: and met a friend I knit with ::

I've crafted all along the way. I'll show you my projects next week, for tomorrow we begin our month of birthday celebrations!

hello july...

the weekend was slow and easy. some might even call it boring. other than a couple family activities, we each "puttered" around the house...sleeping, laundering, purging, knitting, reading, wii gaming it...you can probably guess which of those activities I was doing.

it was good.

:: flying flags::

:: favorite family spots ::

:: fireworks ::

:: being wide open ::

:: new things ::

:: favorite games ::

hello july. your pace is suiting me just fine.

goodbye june...

amazing. I turned the page of my planner today and landed in july! we're half way through 2010. can you believe it?! summer has started.

goodbye june, you were good to us:

:: we played four baseball games a week ::

:: finished first and sixth grade ::

:: saw NPR's Prairie Home Companion live ::

:: honored dad ::

:: enjoyed family moments ::

:: celebrated a new couple ::

:: started swimming lessons ::

:: and learned new skills at football camp ::

I hope your favorite activities include your favorite people during these sunny summer days.

hello july.

have a safe and happy halloween!

planes, parties, and pools

seems like just yesterday, but, in fact, it's been a week since we celebrated connor's birthday at Walt Disey World. mark was so generous to surprise connor and me with tickets for a mini birthday vacation. he was such a good little guy.

he found creative things to do as we waited for airplanes.

he celebrated #6 with all his favorite characters.

he swam his little suit off in gramma and grandpa's pool.

and he slept the entire flight home!

it was a birthday to remember!

go visit mark's blog to read his tribute to our son.