Clothes

Sage is in need of church clothes. So I went to my fabric stash and finished making this today: http://neverenoughhours.blogspot.com/2007/12/easy-skirt-tutorial.html

I had to take pictures as soon as I finished because I made her an adorable dress a few months back that I still have no pictures of. She'll look pretty cute with a clean shirt on and the hat hair controlled a bit :) She really likes it too - refusing to do any sort of posing for me, just wanting to work with the tools in the toolbox instead, and also refusing to take the skirt off. I'm also excited because it only took 1 1/2 nap times so make!

I'm presently making this, only making it several inches longer to be a full length dress: http://habitual.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/habitual_simplekimonov2.pdf

Next up is this: http://www.houseonhillroad.com/photos/twirly_skirt/index.html

And I'm dying to make this, only waiting for the perfect skirt to use: http://www.rufflesandstuff.com/2009/07/you-tried-it.html

This one is for me, just a bracelet that I thought was way cool: http://therubberpunkin.blogspot.com/2009/12/fabric-flower-bracelet.html

And now you all know!

It's All About the Accessories

Sage loves to pick out her own clothes, and is very adamant about it. So if you ever see her looking like this, please know it's not me...

Late Nights

I have had every intention to blog this week, but I've just been so tired. I've been falling asleep during nap time and waking up when I hear Sage squawking my name. Why am I tired ? No, it is not the pregnancy...

Most nights (all but one where I stayed up myself to finish my book - Les Miserables) Joel and I have been working on Family History!

I've had the bug for several years but have had a hard time finding and making time for it. I love the newfamilysearch the church has but I got discouraged when I couldn't merge people anymore because then it would make the files too big. If you've been on it, you'd know what I'm talking about...But it is Joel who has been the driving force this week.

Joel and his parents are the only members in his family. The only family history that has been done is what Katherine has put together. But people's memories only go so far back. Joel has started the family history class at church and so thought we'd try it out. IT HAS BEEN SOOOO EXCITING!!! We've found so much stuff from a book on Google. From what we've found from Google and then put on newfamilysearch we've found a line that goes clear up to the 1200s. There is a lot of information that is not there, but it has been addicting finding new people.

We laugh, imagining Joel going to work the next day and telling the guys at work that he had a late night doing genealogy. Yeah, they'd totally not get it. It has been really fun doing something together with Joel. We both have a lot going on, and they don't always overlap. Or it is me usually watching Joel do something that I can't really help with. I really enjoy joint projects, especially fun ones!

Prayers

Today I am thankful for answered prayers.

Sometimes they might seem like the silliest unimportant things that I pray for, but when they are answered it is a reminder to me that Heavenly Father loves me, even enough to care about the little things.

For that I am grateful.

Outside

I think the weather today was just for me.

It has been Spring-like this week, but today it wasn't cold in the morning. The kids have been feverish, yellow-nosed, and needless to say (but will anyways), have the attitudes to match. Today they were well enough and the weather cooperated to be OUTSIDE!!

We have spent the entire day exploring, playing, working. It feels so good to be outside. We are all MUCH happier there.

Thank you Heavenly Father for a little break. Now we just need to work on having the house magically be clean when we come back inside :)

31 weeks

Is it okay to start waddling yet?? 'Cause seriously, it feels oh so good to do so. I feel HUGE but know that it is going to get worse.

Wow, 8 1/2 more weeks 'til Charlotte is due (plus tack on the weeks of waiting after that). Things are going so well with Jack and Sage playing so nicely together, I'm totally enjoying both of their stages right now, that it seems a shame to ruin it :) But then I do get excited too. But I can't get too excited because then the time slows down ten-fold. So close yet so far.

Right now stretching every morning is my best friend. I have had a lot of back pain lately, something that I didn't have with the other two. Joel tells me it is because I've made it a habit of carrying the big feedbags around...thankfully I don't have to do that daily...

Last Monday we went to the specialist for an ultrasound and consult. The ultrasound was way cool, of course. This was the first time that I have seen it in 3D. As strange as it sounds, she already looks like Jack and Sage. The tech said it looked like she was really tall and was 4 lbs 5 oz already. Both the doc and the tech were disbelieving when we said that we already did the glucose testing and that we are healthy. They must be so used to seeing babies in distress because they thought she was huge. Well, everything but her stomach. Her stomach was perfectly proportional, nothing to worry about. That was what we were expecting, but it was nice to hear nontheless.

Here's to the last 2 months!

Projects Part 2

The biggest project I did for Christmas was the kids' one and only present they got from their parents...but Jack was absolutely delighted and so that helps take away some of my guilt for being a cheap parent. I used to have a pattern for making really cute ones, but for the life of me, the pattern is long gone. I was a little nervous about doing my own thing - I'm not really creative but can do anything as long as I have directions. No directions, nothing on the internet, thus a challenge for me. So we went out and bought a bunch of towels and had at it with scissors. The pictures don't do them justice, but they did turn out really cute, if I say so myself. Like I said, Jack and Sage being elated by them makes it so worth it. Jack's is the dog and Sage's is the frog. They do mix it up after baths. They both bark and ribbet crazily while wearing them. Merry Christmas kiddos!

Projects

Just quick snapshots of what we have been up to these past few months...

For Christmas Jack and Sage had to give presents to two of their cousins. Jack worked really hard on making these letters for them (gathered the wood, sanded them, drilled pilot holes and did the hammering). We also made them fleece sleeping bags.

A while back I finally finished one of the four Roman shades for the kitchen. I have another one done and waiting for me to get back into gear to sew the rings on the back.

Next up is Jack's calender. We do it every day. The bottom has little pictures of what is going on during the week - he is sure learning the days of the week fast and it helps him to know when things are coming and what is going on during the day. I think it looks loverly in the hallway under the key holder Jack made.

I did not manage to get pictures of the pigs before they were done for, but I did get one of the BBQ Joel made special for the pig that was for the ward Christmas dinner. Don't get too jealous you BGE lovers! This used to be the tool box in the bed of our truck. Joel cut it up, welded a few pieces here and there, and this is what we ended up with. The bishop came and helped Joel with the killing, hair burning, and gutting (Bishop always gives a great anatomy lesson for Jack and I). The pig tasted great. The BBQ presently has a new function until next year: Joel welded on a heavy duty handle and it is now Jack's feed box with everything he needs to feed TJ. So handy :)

Sledding

The kids were playing outside before naptime today while I was forming my loaves and putting them into bread pans. When I came out, Jack had his dump truck tied up with a ridiculously long rope. On the other end of the rope was Sage holding on, lying on her stomach on the sled, just joyously kicking her legs, waiting for Jack to pull hard enough to move her. It was a funny sight to see. When Jack finally got the rope tight and started to move the sled, Sage quickly got into proper position, Jamaican Bobsled form. I helped pull the rope while Jack, the mastermind of this operation, was leading us along. What a great afternoon. We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I know this is only the beginning of their little shananigins together...oh man...I think I am going to have no idea what hit me...

Here

Yes, I'm here and surviving. I've just been tired and we've been busy with holidays, kids, animals....Of course can't find my camera, so none of the fun things have been documented...But I hope to be up to writing more soon.