Sew distracting...

Dan drove off into the sunset on Sunday, (well, actually- he left early Sunday morning) and my"distraction" from worrying about the move was taken from me. I had been sorting, tossing & packing for 2 weeks. With the rig all packed & gone with my love, how was I supposed to cope? I discovered it about an hour after Dan drove off...my overflowing bin of "sewing projects to be!" By Sunday evening, I had cut out 15 of Sammy's little t-shirts and a baby blanket- for a quilt I had planned for his new bed after we move. I had never attempted a quilt, and had no real instructions, but I dove in & got it 1/2 way done by that evening.

I like to start and stop projects at will- I'm a bit wild that way- so I stopped working on the quilt before getting frustrated with it, and started cutting up one of Dan's old shirts instead. I have been noticing a lot of really fun ways to repurpose men's & women's shirts online lately. Mainly into little girl's dresses, or into purses. Olivia is a dress-girl, so I went with that. This is what I came up with Monday afternoon:

Her favorite part is the back:

Tuesday, while the kids were at school & my laundry was drying, I cut up another shirt of Dan's & how cute is this?!

I've got few more shirt/dress transformations coming, but need to go buy some supplies at Joanne's first.

I think I'll get my crochet hooks out tonight while I watch Glee....

Traditions

Last year, we decided to start a family tradition. We happened upon this little farm during our spring break "staycation". It was empty, except for us & the farm animals. It was a wonderful family time, and we said we'd be back- every spring. We made it back a few times: spring, summer, then fall, for pumpkins- it was a busy place that day! When we were approaching spring break again this year, the kids wanted to know when we'd go to the farm- and since Dan was due to visit that first weekend, it was the perfect time. We enjoyed fresh apple cider donuts & honey sticks. The kids snacked on Tillamook icecream, and of course we visited the goats & bunnies & chickens! While the kids jumped into the nuthouse, and ran thru the fields, Dan & I walked hand in hand- eyes meeting- sharing a silent "conversation" - we knew that this would be the end of this tradition for a while. Who knows when we will be back to the cute little farm in Aurora? Who knows what new traditions we will discover in a new place? For now, we have great memories of this farm, and dreams of new favorite places to visit.

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(my attempt at our final "Oregonian" family portrait)

Lucky

I'm lucky to have fun kids that like to craft with me, and lucky to get ideas from crafty mom's blogs!

This cute shamrock garland was crafted by the 3 of us, from scrapbook paper & staples. I love it!

I'm lucky to live in a world full of new technology. Even though my sweet husband is thousands of miles away, we can see him. (and he can see us!) Each night after dinner, the kids get Daddy time, and last night, Sammy dressed as a dragon for the occasion. I'm lucky to have silly kids :)

I'm lucky that Leprechaun Traps never really work. What would I do with a little green guy running around here? The kids can't wait to see if the traps they designed work!

Hope the luck of the Irish kisses you this week!

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”

Miss Cat in the Hat!

Sam I Am!

We celebrated love of reading on Dr Seuss's birthday this week. Mom helped at the book fair, princess had a "read in" at school with favorite books in the gym. Grandma went to lunch with princess and visited the book fair. Pirate was a sick boy. He stayed at home with mom & dad, read lots, and had a special lunch of green eggs & ham. It was a good day!

*****

Wednesday was also Great Grandpa's birthday! I had a fun project all ready to make a gift for him, but no one was interested in helping me. No worries, it was easy & I did it all by myself :) 

(found it on one of my favorite blogs...Skip to my Lou)

Birdseed hearts: Mix 2 packets Knox gelatin with 1 cup boiling water. Add 1 cup ice water & stir to thicken. Add 2 1/2 cups birdseed, pour into heartshaped mold/cookie cutter, and refrigerate 2 hours. Take out to dry 3 days. Put a ribbon in it & hang for your birdy friends!

Cute, right?

We will be making more of these. So easy, and I think it's a pretty neat-o gift. 

*****

 And, finally, the Dad has left for the move to our new hometown...very exciting...more about that soon!  

A different kind of paradise...

Our trip to Juneau, Alaska. Snowy days, snowy nights, much needed together time.  Learning new things about myself and my husband. Finding new strengths, remembering how to relax, appreciating the beauty that our Earth has to offer. Small town in a capital city, snowstorm in a rainforest, exploring with my love. Perfect.

Think of a wonderful thought...

With the help of my husband, prayer, and dramamine, I made it thru (and enjoyed!) my first flight in 21 years.

A whole lotta love.

Here's a taste of what valentines day was like at our house:

It was a lovely day. Followed by a night with a sick little princess :(  Our movie/dessert night was postponed to the next evening, and the princess is doing much better now. One more day till Juneau!!!