Our Week

This may be my favorite kind of post: simple descriptions of our week and pictures. 

I enjoy remembering the fun we had just doing every day things and especially if unpleasant circumstances came up (stressful business stuff and little boy sleeping issues). 

A happy little shopper ready to fill her cart:

Olivia and I went grocery shopping Sunday and she had so much fun with her grocery cart.  I could not believe all the people who stopped us.  She warmed hearts and elicited so many smiles.  The cashier let her put her groceries down her own side and she bagged her groceries.  I should have snapped another picture on my phone, but we were in a hurry to get home for our company.  She loved it!

The little nuts helped me make carmel corn for Peyton's birthday party.  Nanny, I know you don't approve of "pooper holes" on the counter, but rest assured this was an exception, not the norm :)!     

Little Indians at the Harvest Party:

They were most excited about riding the boat.

They both had to get a mess of shots the day before, so were a little droopy at the party, but still had fun.

Olivia and Abbey climbing the hay:

We all got muddy, but Peyton got the dirtiest!

Way to go to everyone who helped with the Harvest Party!  It was incredible!

And thanks, Mom for the Indian ribbon.  I quickly stitched it on the night before and it made their costumes!

A few fun things for us to remember from the week:

- Peyton now has Psalms 23 memorized (a goal we recently set), but you have to sneak to catch him saying it.

- His new favorite song is "Cotton Fields"  We love us some Johnny Cash! :)

- His favorite book right now is David and Goliath.  It cracks me up how he wants to get in the picture with the characters.  He wants to hold David's lamb and go swimming with Jonah.

- Olivia told me she will pray for me when I'm in the hospital that I won't have to get my tummy cut open.  Amen, sista!

- Speaking of which, I've had a few days of just being done being prego.  I'd like to have her on the outside of my body!  So, anytime she wants to come?:)  No, I can wait a little longer and I've been soaking up this time that I have with the little nuts before she arrives, but I am eager to hold her too.

- Oh, David and I saw a shooting star.  God is so good!

God Bless!

Birthday Boy!

Happy 2nd Birthday to a Very Special Boy! 

I can never forget meeting him and how he looked at me for the first time.  Look at his expression just minutes after birth.  He knew I was his Mama!

We have been buds ever since.

He keeps me on my toes.  He is exceptionally loving and caring, and a bit mischievous too.

He has been described as endearing and it is true.  He gets right in my face to tell me something and is more thoughtful than a two year old should know how to be!

He loves tractors, trucks and getting dirty.  He thanks me for "the yummy food that you made" every day.  Soup, tacos, oatmeal, and apples are among his favorite foods.  He has the funniest strut when he walks and runs.  He may have books memorized and a vocabulary that astonishes, but still selectively pronounces "s".

I love you, Peyton Gordon!  I am proud of you!

"One little, two little, three little Indians"

We are keeping with our Indian theme of late and the little nuts will be going as Indians to the Harvest party.
 
My mom and our dear family friend, Patty H. were the inspiration behind this project.  They picked up a string of feathers at the fabric store for me to make a costume for Peyton (Olivia already has the Pocahontas costume).  Patty pointed me in the right direction and it was actually quite simple.  Another sewing triumph!  I am getting less intimidated (not skilled, mind you, just less intimidated).  Thank you, Mom and Patty!

This little guy served as my inspiration for Peyton's outfit. I don't know, do you think Paytay (I mean, Powhatan) could pull off a mohawk?

Are you surprised that Olivia wanted me to make an Indian costume for Abbey (the new Abbey)?

She is pretty happy with it.

I'd like to embellish Peyton's costume, but we'll see how the week goes. 
Here it is...

"One little Indian boy"...

To Blog or Not to Blog

I recently passed the 100 posts mark and it made me think about (or at least revisit) the whole idea of blogging.  I was hesitant to start a blog as I am leery of screen time.  Most days, it is enough just to keep up on e-mail!  For whatever reason, I made the plunge to try one.

What I like:
1. It makes me sit down
2. I am taking pictures more pictures
3. I am more reflective
4. It is a journal for our family
5. It encourages me to search out different facts to make sure I'm not giving out bad information
6. It provides downtime (we don't have television),but I guess this goes with #1.
7. For whatever reason, it has helped me see the beauty in the mundane/ordinary things of life.
8. It helps me collect my thoughts, however random and silly they may be.

What I dislike:
1. I am not a writer (my English teacher thought it was more important to teach about transcendentalism)
2. Nor a photographer (I am asking for a camera for Christmas, which may help!:)
3. Nor do I possess some amazing talent, so I sometimes wonder what in the world I'm doing with a blog and can get concerned about what people think.
4. The word 'blog' is so dorky!
5. I think I probably like my obscurity/privacy a little too much (whether right or wrong), so it is unusual for me to be sharing so much information.  Too much? 
6. I can see how having a blog could be a substitute for normal face-to-face conversation.  I'll find myself thinking, "oh, I don't need to make the effort as it is on the blog" or people may rely on the blog for keeping up with us, so it is like talking to the blog not to me?  Make sense?
7. Oh, and my husband thinks it is trivial (at least he did, I'd have to ask him again)  OK, he is really teasing me as he sees I am blogging about blogging!  HE, HE... I am laughing too!:)

I could add more to each list.  It is a somewhat ambivalent relationship, but the pros outweigh the cons for now and I'm having fun:). 

What are your thoughts on blogging?  Oh, that word again! :)

Week Recap

We're back again with just a few more pictures and a peek into our week.

My parents were given a battery operated Jeep and car.  Did they score the hand-me-downs of the century or what?  The car isn't working, so we're going to try a new battery, but they had a blast in the Jeep.  

Paytay taking his sister for a cruise (very touch and go). 

Evelette was a riot!  She jumped in and knew what to do right away (her foot barely reaching the gas).  I love this girl!

Is it really the end of October or still summer?

Girls and their trucks!

Big cousin Olivia taking her sweet cousin for a ride.

The garden is coming to an end.  I love these beautiful peas (a second planting), although it doesn't look like they will get to produce.

We picked some of our pumpkins.

And I dug a bunch of carrots.  Last year we used our food processor to slice up carrots and froze them.  They were yummy in soups, etc.  They cook down nicely and are a healthy, cheap filler.

My Nanny has a cool trick that I love.  She has a 'soup bag' in her freezer where she adds leftover chopped  onion, carrots, celery, spinach,(you get the idea).  I hate to waste, so I love doing this!

I am definitely starting to slow down.  I'm ready to hold my little one and just enjoy her.

 

I've been hungry too!

 Ahem.  I stopped to pick up a gallon of milk on the way home from Moms and Tots last week, and walked away with a Cinnabon.  The box read, "Life Needs Frosting".  I couldn't agree more.  I consumed the warm, gooey deliciousness before lunch.  Geesh!  They are quite tasty, but not cheap, so I made some of our own this week.

I also made these this week.

.  On my "want" list for Julia was some new burp cloths, but I decided to try to update a few of Olivia's with some fabric scraps.  I'd like to try some more with different vintage fabrics (if I'm not too tired that is- he, he).

Happy Friday and weekend!

Adventures at the Pond

We took a little break from our obligations and sickness last week to do some exploring at the pond.  It is the most beautiful, peaceful place. 
I spent my childhood cooling off here after long days in the berry fields.  Growing up we thought we were in heaven building forts in the nearby trees and on the banks of the adjoining creek. 

Does anyone remember Salamander Kingdom?  I was showing the little nuts the entrance of the creek and remembered the spot.  My brother, Daniel knew what I was talking about right away. 

On this particular trip we were on a mission to get cattails.

They loved them.

Cousin Marcus is such a precious boy.

Checking out the spillway

I have a few more pictures to share tomorrow and then I promise I'm done for the week.:) 

October has been so beautiful, I can't help it!

Fall Portraits

I took pictures of the little nuts last October in this spot and we had fun taking them again this year!

2010

2009

Wednesday Wisdom: Week 11

Good Wednesday Morning to You!

 I've said this before, but my husband is a natural and gifted father.  It is not because he reads so often to the kids or plays with them on Saturdays.

David is a lot like my dad.  He is a provider and works very hard (often 6 days a week and many evenings).  My dad put in long hours with the farm, and I doubt he read to us regularly.  BUT you can be sure we all know the book he did read to us, and have the best memories of it.  It was magical when he'd read, Billy the Dog that Made Good. 

My dad made quality time with us by jumping out of the truck to pick wild daffodils or stopping to appreciate something in nature (often on the way back from checking a field). 
I guess it is no surprise that my favorite flower is the daffodil and I love the outdoors.

David is making the same kind of memories with our kids.
The kids walking back from a little exploring in the field while making firewood with Daddy.

I am learning how important it is to step aside and let my husband parent the way he was created to.  I can see how, we as mothers, might think we have the corner on parenting, but it just isn't so.  My husband can walk in, know exactly what to do, and get amazing parenting results, whereas I may have been trying for weeks to get to the bottom of an issue.  We are the nurturers, but our husbands have a strength and courage that sends the message to our children that they are not the center of the universe (a message that a doting mother may inadvertently send, right?).

I could give many examples, but this post is getting long.  I think (ha!) what I am trying to remind myself is that I need to lay down my expectations of how often, in what way, where David should parent.  The little nuts don't need a mother and a mother, but a mother and a father.  Thank God for our fathers!

A Weekend to Remember

My brother, Daniel and his beautiful bride, Liza's wedding went off without a hitch, but not without a little chaos and adventure mixed in.  :)

A few things to remember... tomatoes spilled all over the BK parking lot, multiple potty accidents (no, not me), Friday Seattle traffic, husbands/fathers MIA due to hectic work schedules and injury, pregnant Mama slipping and getting a bum leg (yes, me), moving grandparents post-wedding with the help of our very large, incredible extended family, and so much more! :) 

My parents... pretty gorgeous, eh?

I am still in awe of how it all miraculously came together despite everything that seemed to be going awry.  The bride and groom were among the happiest I have ever seen!  The details of the beautiful day were exceptionally noteworthy.  My new sister-in-law is so gifted (she made everything!).

The kids were healthy in time for the wedding!  Praise God!  They did a wonderful job too (it was a crack up witnessing Peyton be the ring bearer).  Olivia has been excited for months to be a flower girl again.

Thank you to all the family and friends who made the trek up to Seattle for their special day!    Congratulations, Daniel and Liza!

I didn't bring my camera, so the pictures are from my mom's camera, but I'll share more if they trickle in.

My mom with 4 of her 7 siblings

 My four handsome brothers

 Prego me, Popum & Peyton

 Popum, Marcus, Uncle Ladd, Nanny

 The very happy couple