Girls' Weekend

Caroline and I went up to Mayfield for my sister Erin's baby shower and some other fun. Here are a couple of fun moments the girls had.

Bubbles are always fun! See the necklaces? Caroline is definitely a girly-girl!


Autumn shows Caroline her "secret house".


Pretty, pretty girls


I made Erin's little boy a smocked bubble, too. I love the piping on the collar and the sleeves. He is going to look so sweet in this! I love this pattern!

Backyard

I love summer, especially lingering in the backyard on a summer evening with a cold beer. (Why does my beer never last as long as the evening?) And the backyard is starting to shape up this year! Not quite Eden, but getting there!

A little garden help


Shasta daisies


Kevin was so excited when he found this bush - elderberry. You know - Monty Python's Holy Grail? I couldn't resist his boyish delight. And its berries attract song birds, so that was a bonus.


Lilac - I've heard of both successes and failures with this bush. I hope we fall into the former category!


Sometimes I let my imagination get away from me. This is my lemon tree. Wouldn't it be nice to pick a lemon fresh from the tree and squeeze it into a cold glass of iced tea (sweet, of course)? I may not be picking any lemons until 2030.


I also dream of tasting fresh lettuce... This one might actually happen this year!


We love, love, love our little helper!!!

Caroline's chair

I love the Mayfield Big Lots. Everytime I visit my family, we always wind up at Big Lots. I always find a bargain. The last time I went, I had been looking for a Caroline-sized seating option (other than the dog nest). I didn't really know what I wanted, but when Mom and I saw this chair, we agreed that it was just right for our growing girl.

She loves it! In and out, in and out... I didn't really love the Dora and Boots image. Good thing I'm crafty! It's not perfect, but I'm very pleased (I can always think of "next time I make this..." improvements). I made a fabric envelope to fit over the existing cover and a flap at both the top and bottom to fit over the frame. It worked out well.


And here's a little hand-tote I made out of a placemat. Perfect for a diaper, a few wipes, and a book. Fun stuff...

Raspberry red jello

I let Caroline have a picnic last Sunday night - grilled cheese, peas, and raspberry jello. I usually let her pickup the jello, but I didn't really want to deal with the grass+jello combination and I made her eat from a spoon. She begrudgingly complied and ate about 2/3 of her dessert. She went to play and I left the picnic things on the blanket to collect later and watered my plants. I turned around to see what she was doing and she was elbow deep in red jello, helping herself to what was left in the cup. I didn't really have to worry about grass on the jello - what didn't make it to her mouth landed on her shirt. Tigger helped with the clean up. Jello really is yummier with your fingers anyway! (And, yes, it did come out of her shirt!)

Mother's day and mud bugs

It was a great weekend!

I got cards and a nice gift from my honeys on Saturday. It was a small celebration for both graduation and Mother's Day. I felt truly blessed.

"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her." -Proverbs 31:28

We went to our Sunday school's annual crawfish boil this weekend. We have a fun-loving class! I didn't get as many pictures of our little princess as I thought because I was trying to get some of the entire class. But I did get a few good ones!

I've got a couple more things to share from the weekend later this week. Hope you all had wonderful Mother's Days, too!

Scarf dance

Happy birthday, Kevin!

We love you!

"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." -Psalm 118:24

The bubble

Here she is in her new bubble - sewn by Mommy! It's a little bit big, but she's a growing girl. I'm so happy with how it turned out! I only broke out my seam ripper once (not counting the button holes)! I can't wait to make another one.

Favorite part of the day: Daddy comes home and reads books to her!

Close-up of the smocking

Excuses, excuses

Caroline has been skipping some naps lately. (I think we're transitioning to one nap a day. Bummer.) Anyway, I still give her a chance to take the nap if she wants it. One day this week I heard her beating on the wall and went in to see just exactly what was going on in there. This video is probably only a fourth of her entire explanation. She's quite a storyteller.

Kids' night

A much needed trip to SAM's led to dinner at Chik-Fil-A, where, to our delight, it was kids' night! Woo-hoo! Caroline got a 99-cent meal with a free book (better than any toy to her), a green balloon, and a Caroline-sized cupcake. I like the icing and sprinkles stuck to her lip - a sure sign of a great cupcake!

A project of a different kind

I recently finished my electronic portfolio. This is my summation of the work I've completed for the past 2 and a half years in the Learning Systems Design and Development master's program at The University of Missouri - Columbia. I had to provide sufficient evidence to my advisor and two other faculty members that I am competent in the program's objectives. And I got the good news yesterday - I am! I'll finish up my last class next week.

I'm happy to be finishing and a little sad, too. I really enjoyed all of my classes and learned so many interesting and useful things. I owe a big THANK YOU to Kevin - for always encouraging me, for letting me finish this degree after I became a housewife, for helping me with all that PERL programming, and for taking care of Caroline on deadline days! Couldn't have done this without you!

I'm sure I'll find something to fill my time - playing with Caroline, smocking, giggling with Caroline, crafting, reading to Caroline, sewing...

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. - Psalm 28:7

Visual DNA

This was a pretty fun way to kill a few minutes. (The only thing I didn't agree with was that I'm a "High Time Roller" because I picked wine twice. I just like red wine - I'm really not livin' the night life!)

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Ride on the slide

Caroline wanted to slide at the neighborhood Springfest. How can a dad refuse that request?

Two projects

Some little pink elephants found their way onto some burp cloths and onsies. We hope our new little friends Libby and Claire will love them.


And I'm so excited about making this little summer bubble for Caroline! It will be sleeveless and collar-less. The flower fabric will be the body and the green is for the bias around the neck and armholes. There are 2 inches of smocking on the front, too. It's cut out, pleated, and ready for smocking!

Random moments from our week

I found this neat little online photo tool. I think it's kind of fun. It's a good way to showcase more than a couple of photos. There are two pages of photos here - just click on the downward-pointing caret to navigate between the two. When you click on a photo, you can get some additional info about it.

I'm also putting the photos in an online album just in case a Mimi/Lee-Lee/Grammy wants to save one or two!

Uh-oh

I'm still waiting on "MAMA!"

Blowing kisses

Chef Caroline

Easter

The dress

The girls - both in lavender!

Caroline and Daddy ("DADA!")

Blowing a kiss - so sweet!

I love setting the table with our china. It always makes me think about the table Jesus has lovingly set for us. I know that my Savior has taken even more care and time setting his table than I take setting ours. I'm so grateful for that!

Roses from the backyard

Brined pork tenderloin, sauteed green beans, rolls, macaroni and cheese, deviled eggs,

and cupcakes! I thought that since we girlies wore lavender, the cupcakes should have lavender flowers and sprinkles.

Caroline wound up with a happy plate, as did Mama and Dada!

Happy Easter!

Christ Jesus lay in death's strong bands,
for our offenses given;
But now at God's right hand he stands,
and brings us life from heaven;
Wherefore let us joyful be,
and sing to God right thankfully
loud songs of Alleluia!
Alleluia!

Then let us feast this Easter day
on Christ, the bread of heaven;
The Word of grace hath purged away
the old and wicked leaven.
Christ alone our souls will feed;
he is our meat and drink indeed;
Faith lives upon no other!
Alleluia!

Words: Martin Luther
Hymn: Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands, music arranged and
harmonized by J.S. Bach