Weekend Snippet

That's right, snippet, not snippets.
Our weekend was full and lovely, and had all sorts of perks

like corn on the cob

and hot tubs...

and so much more. 

I'd love to share more stories, and more photos

but see this little girl? 

she drank a too much water from said hot tub

her grandpa warned me about what she had done

...and sure enough, she has spent the morning puking on my lap

so this is all I can muster up today.

the end.

Weekend Snippets

The fun all started on Friday night, when the army of angry clouds marched through the sky. The weather radio was brought out, the tv weather channel played suspensefully in the background as we huddled by the windows, debating whether or not we should go to the basement.
I don't think that I'll ever get used to not having to run to the basement or cellar. 

Candles were lit by two boys desperately eager for a real storm, and they got it. 

Wind, rain, hail, thunder, and lighting.. And not just in one simple movement, but 4 seemingly separate shows, with sunshine and rainbows for an intermission. Little miss sassy pants seemed completely happy with the loud booms and flashes of lighting...clearly she fits in well.

I almost went outside to pick some tomatoes, but just as the raindrops slowed just enough for me to venture out another black cloud would roll in, causing more wind and more rain. 

There were some major power outages across the city, limbs down, basements flooded, and trees blocking road ways.
We were spared, for the most part. The mangled and tangled tomato plants might tell you another story, but at least they're still alive. I think they still have hope.

The storm drove away the humidity which is glorious because it made being outdoors became fun again. That heat wave was appreciated at first,(you know, from a gardener's perspective) but had long over-stayed  it's welcome.

A road trip to bass pro shop was in order, so Saturday we took it with the windows rolled down and music up loud. I got to knit happily during the 1 hour drive...we sure do drive a long way for this silly store, but it's such a (cheap) adventure for the boys. And I like their cookware section full of cast iron and smokers. More cast iron than I'd ever need or want, but still fun to look.

I must have looked a bit of a mess, because while Lotte and I were admiring the fish and waterfalls, I heard some muttering about "no make up, no wedding ring, long hair, girls have to wear skirts" (Lotte was in a dress, and I in a denim skirt) and the mention of  "religious cult? Mormon?"
I had to giggle a little to myself, and make a note to wear my wedding ring next time I venture out. Or maybe at least some makeup. Haha, because I wouldn't want to cause any confusion!

Sunday was met with cool temperatures and overcast skies. After church (note*, not cult) we had an afternoon at home of housework. The attempted relocation of a birds' nest from our roof, (not ready to talk about that) and then an evening of music in the park again. It's become a Sunday night favorite, I'll sure miss those Sunday nights come Autumn. It's been fun for our whole family and Lotte can run until her chubby little legs give out. Come fall, we might just have to go picnic anyway, without the music. Or bring our own ;)

Binding off, 

Corra

Weekend Snippets

we had a one photo kind of weekend
involving a lot of work and not much play
we had to do grown up things like

:buy food to feed our hungry hungry hippos:

:get stuck in traffic for an insanely long time at the canadian/u.s.a border:
 I'm glad I brought my knitting as we were stuck long enough to knit two whole toddler sleeves

:laundry:
:bedroom rearranging:
:repeated crayon removal from lotte's mouth:

:policing squabbles between two siblings:
:there was mixing of peroxide and baking soda, and cleaning all the things:

but it wasn't completely without adventure

there was a gutsy salamander who escaped and was roaming the bedroom
poor georgina didn't last very long out of her tank
there was a toddler who figured out how to spray the garden hose at her mommy and daddy

when they least suspected, of course
on the jet setting

and she didn't give it up very easily when asked

there were samosas and iced tea

sunday night live music in the park

evening picnicking with friends and their littles, who all danced together to the music
and of course little Evie who is dutifully and deliciously fat

who just laid there as the picnic center piece, enjoying the  commotion around her

Weekending along with Amanda

Weekend Snippets

Warm, humid breeze

...followed by rain showers

on a garden full of promise

evening songs sung by cicadas

a little road trip with Papaw Jake

a few rows in on a frustrating knitting project with a pattern full of errors

but it was all ok because there was fresh strawberry juice on ice

and stacks of cucumbers layered with dill 

bluegrass and blues for background music

played by our very own talented Zeke
an evening at the kitchen table, 

of doodling lots and lots of babies with a little certain someone
she made me draw the whole family

and then scribbled over each and every person
a late night of laundry duty

sunday morning church service

a quick trip (say what??) into my new favorite, local yarn store

a picnic of bruchetta sandwiches at the park with Mamaw & Papaw Willie

laying on blankets in the grass

while listening to a local band who rocked it

new dancing partners

snuggles with the newest family member...and kissing her chubby cheeks

lighting bugs on the walk home

a tall glass of good ol' Kansas style iced tea (there's no taste like home?)
while flipping through a fun magazine

tired bodies into bed.

* * *

joining Amanda in Weekending

Weekend Snippets

car loaded to it's full capacity with sleeping bags and pillows

out of the city and into the green

surrounded by the trees
together with family and old friends

laughing, singing, playing
strawberry cheesecake, popcorn, coffee and s'mores
cool nights, sunny warm days

new foundations of life-long friendships

afternoons, ankle deep in pond water with nets
buckets of water and squirmy tadpoles
campfires that start at dusk and go 'till dawn
mosquito bites for souvenirs 

a few stowaway salamanders in pickle jars
home to meet a brand new baby cousin, all fresh and flaky

...the cherry on top of a perfect, long weekend.

A Warmed Heart {Weekending}

It's been so long since I've made a weekending post, and this week I've been feeling the itch to get back to my (neglected) blog space.

March has always been a dreary, long month around these parts. Yes, March holds the first days of spring, but it certainly doesn't feel like it, and the constant cold feels so defeating. 
And during this time of the year, I always feel so completely uninspired, and down. It's pathetic that something as simple as the weather can make a person feel like this, but alas, there it is.
I'm a warm blooded person, and I'm thoroughly convinced that I was not designed for the cold.

I'm simply stunned sometimes at the thought of pioneers settling in a land such as this. (Or anywhere that it snows, for that matter.) What on earth would possess someone to do such a thing?
 I do know that I'm probably in the warmest area of Canada...but you have to realize that I'm also the world's biggest wiener when it comes to winter. I like snow on Christmas day, and through new years, but then after that, I'd really be just okay with that white "magic" melting away into spring. 

 I had a great, great, great grandmother, who was a pioneer in Kansas. 
They settled in an area that was extremely underpopulated, and what little population was there, was an all black community. And understandably, at those times, white settlers did not exactly receive the warmest welcome in that area.

Now, Kansas prairie winters are pretty dismal as well, although quite a bit shorter.
I would imagine though, with babies and small children to take care of in a drafty cabin, by herself, with no family in sight other than a husband who spent his days working the land, and complete lack of communication with the rest of the world, her winters must have seemed pretty long. Very long.
She died at a very young age, and of what could be chalked up to being nothing other than the sting of loneliness. Somewhere along an old fence row near Nicodemus KS, is a tombstone that reads "Nancy Ellen Persley... died of 'Pining'" .

Every time this kind of grey, cold-to-the-bone bite of winter gets me down I think of her, and how much of a total wuss I must be compared to her. And how thankful I really should be.

 I mean, I have a warm house, family nearby, my children are fed and clothed much more easily, and aren't dying of things like common colds. I don't have to go chop ice each morning for drinking water, or light any fires to fight death on a daily basis. As a matter of fact, with the push of a button or the twist of a handle, I get heat, and instant hot water. How completely petty are my complaints against winter?

This weekend though, I did see the light at the end of the tunnel, with a warm sun, and even some April showers.
 Stepping out onto the porch and being overwhelmed with the smell of rain in the air before it even fell was so completely reassuring, and promising.

Windows open, fresh air in, warm sun on our skin, hints of new life and growth everywhere we look, and free time together for family gatherings and meals, to play, sing, and worship our creator on Resurrection Sunday.
We are blessed.

Weekending

our weekend started with a slower saturday
breakfast out with church ladies at a new local restaurant that serves breakfast all day long
afternoon visit with the new babies 
who smell more amazing each time I sniff them
home to my own babies for lots of cuddles and snuggles and a movie night
high hopes of some uninterrupted illustration time
i'm a bit behind
grand mal household failure as our water intake began to leak
cleaned up, taken care of
and half an hour later our furnace sputtered sounds of death and dispair
space heaters rounded up and hauled in, blankets unfolded, socks doubled
furnace part ordered
the next 3-5 days will be furnace free, luckily we aren't in the heart of winter yet
need to find things to bake each day to keep the kitchen warm
I don't think we could (or even should) eat that much bread

I've been meaning to share this video of these talented girlies for a little while now-my nearly photo-free weekend (gasp) calls for perfect opportunity. enjoy!

playing along with amanda in ::weekending::

{Weekending}

our weekend was spent completely (involuntary) in the comfort (?) of our own home.

the local flu hit us like a ton of bricks 

that brief but intense form of flu that leaves you wondering what's real and what's not
the "i don't remember how to knit, or even write my own name" type of flu

first me, then the boys

the littlest has been spared thus far, and i'm more than alright with that.

mark made sure that we were all well looked after with gingerale and dry toast

we had such lofty plans for this weekend, some of them recreational, 

like a birthday dinner for mark's brother

with my mother in law's amazing homemade lasagna

i'm really sad to have missed that

but then some of our plans were more necessary errands...

that really needed to be completed

like getting some fresh produce into this house

and babies can have their one year portrait taken at thirteen months, right? 

will her great grandchildren who one day admire her sweet baby portrait ever know the difference?

church was also missed which also throws our whole week off balance

throws me into some form of infinity loop

and makes me wander through the week as if dreaming

searching for a 'reset' button of some form

sunday afternoon the temperature rose to golden warm

the nausea began to slow, and the windows were all opened

there was a short, but much needed trip outdoors

into the freshness

and then back inside

where i finally got to admire and play with some of my recently thrifted yarn

tidy up a bit (goodness knows we needed it)

and then to curl up together as a family

and watch a movie 

only to discover, shortly after...

it's mark's turn

time to get some more gingerale!

playing along with Amanda in ::weekending::

Weekending

Our weekend was loaded, but oh so blessed.
It seems like only yesterday that we were welcoming my new baby niece and nephew into the world. They've grown so much, and are doing so well. They bring us all such joy and laughter, and now I can't imagine our family without these sweet souls.

This weekend we welcomed two more babies, born to my other sister, again boy and a girl-

this time not as early, which is pure relief, but early enough that they still need to *bake* a little longer. I haven't been able to meet them yet because I've had a cold and didn't want to bring them that kind of a present. 

This is a joyous occasion, and our family is celebrating the arrival of two more tiny blessings, however, it is bittersweet. While we did welcome two new babies, there was also a third babe who was scooped up in the arms of God and taken to heaven to live with him, much earlier than anyone can comprehend.

This verse has been in my mind all weekend as I rejoice and give thanks, but also weep for my sister and her husband...

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” ~job 1:21

I'm trying to let go, and stop trying to understand.

*******

If we could easily understand God, and all that he does, and his great plan, he really wouldn't be the almighty God, would he?

Weekending

Our weekend began on Friday this time

the sew hungry food truck rally was creating all sorts of fun on our street

the mister even took the day off work to help out with reuben's soda sales

zeke was out on the sidewalk busking

both boys made some decent coin while busy at their work

i observed from the sidelines, as i knit, watched the girl

and enjoyed some treats from cake & loaf

lotte tried out her new squeaky shoes and took them for a spin around the block with daddy

i have a video of her squeaky shoes but it won't upload right now

which is too bad, because it's cute, really cute.

later, i promise

saturday was wheelchair basketball practice for the mister (long story)

and zeke, who's decided to play along this year
while reuben and made preparations for mark's evening birthday party

with chocolate oreo cheese cake, veggie samosas, and bruschetta

some thrift store hunting for pants for reuben

while we did find one pair of pants, we also found a gorgeous shiny metal apple bowl

and her baby sister
the largest of the sister had no lid, so she got left at the store

i wonder if we hurt her feelings, or if she'll miss her younger sisters?

the boys found a brand new table hockey set at a yard sale after church, for $1

we've been having some dining room table tournaments

i watercoloured one of my favorite quotes, about my favorite season

i put on a cozy sweater and was happy it was cool enough to do so

warmed up some cider

and followed our tradition of filling the pumpkin with candy corn and peanuts

playing along with Amanda on weekending.

Weekending

writing this post whilst under sleeping babe
the sleeping babe who seems to be nocturnal
this weekend was void of stretches of slumber greater than one hour
but there are 2 new teeth coming through, so hopefully this passes
an evening coffee house and open mic night 
where zeke played "here comes the sun", beautifully
a campfire, complete with marshmallows and hot dogs
a bit of reading from this book that a friend passed on at our knitting night last week
-short stories that warm my heart, just what i needed
lemon poppy seed loaf with way too many poppy seeds
the bag spilled right into the batter
which is a good thing if you ask my mom
a few inches of stockinette stitch on charlotte's lovey dovey
some pattern hunting for an idea of what to do with some new wool
a wedding celebration with childhood friends
washing and stemming and canning bushels of tomatoes
that's right, i don't bother skinning them
lotte helped squeeze the tomatoes for me
she thought that to be a very important step to the whole process
church with family
feeling my sister's babies kick
learning that they might be coming sooner than we thought
a bit of shopping for shirts that don't have baby stains on them
working up the nerve to wear one around the baby, ever
some back to school shopping
a purchase of 120 cahiers at 5 cents a piece
no, they aren't all for our family
a tiny leap of joy in my heart that my kids aren't actually going anywhere 
but will be continuing to learn at home and outside like they always do
watching mark and the boys build a little seat in our tree so they can pretend to hunt
with their bows and (rubber ended)arrows
a strange neighbor who really did think that the boys were going to hunt (and kill?) his cats
and who was angry that the boys now had a seat in our tree
because they would now be up there even more than they were before
and he doesn't really like children
especially children who do things like climb trees
trees that overlook a tiny portion of said neighbor's yard
because someone has to be the antagonist, I suppose
we told the nice (embarrassed) policeman that no, there is no real hunting happening
he showed up right as we were headed out to church
it was all very tom and huck
but now I want to send them up the tree with a kazoo and a trumpet


because I can