A fun family Christmas!

We were bombarded with snow the last couple of weeks, a very rare occasion around here, and it kept me mostly housebound. It's nice to be out and about again with the snow mostly gone!


We had a wonderful Christmas - it was fun to celebrate with a little one! I just barely finished Benjamin's stocking in time for Christmas, and he was awake long enough on Christmas morning to "help" open his gifts!


We are so blessed to have both of our families nearby, and we enjoyed spending Christmas Eve and Christmas with them. Despite almost not making it out of our parking lot on Christmas, it was fun to have a white Christmas for the first time in a number of years!

Now I'm trying to get back in the regular swing of things with no more Christmas projects to work on!

One Month

My baby will a month old on Friday. This month has gone by so fast! He's already grown and changed so much. He goes to the doctor for his one month check-up tomorrow, and I'm quite curious to see how much he weighs now! He is such a blessing - we have really enjoyed him this past month!

Benjamin's First Snow!

It snowed Saturday night, and so we had to get a picture of Benjamin with the snow!

The snow is beautiful, and it has been freezing cold here! We've mostly been staying nice and warm inside. =)

I'm still keeping busy with my Christmas projects - I think I'll be able to finish them in time! =)

Scaling Back...

I had lots of great plans for all the things I was going to be making for Christmas...but I'm realizing that with Christmas only a couple of weeks away, and still a long list of things to do and not much time to do it all, I've been crossing some things off my list. So I won't be making Christmas cards this year and not everyone will be receiving homemade gifts. I'm very glad I was able to get some things done before Benjamin was born! I'm a little disappointed to not be able to do everything I wanted to do, but I would much rather be able to enjoy the season and Benjamin and not get too stressed out!

Getting Ready for Christmas...

This past weekend we continued our tradition of cutting down our Christmas tree...it was fun to take Benjamin out and do it!

We went to a tree farm with my parents and sisters and found some lovely trees to take home!

We were finally able to get our decorations up last night, and I'm enjoying them! Now the Christmas season is really here! =)

Adjusting...

We are enjoying our new little bundle and life is sort of settling into a routine! Life is of course different now, but it hasn't been as dramatic a change as I thought it would be. It's starting to get hard to imagine life without Benjamin! It's been so nice to have Seth off work for a while. It will be sad when he has to go back next week! =( So for now we're enjoying lots of family time! =)

Benjamin

Just thought I'd share a few more pictures of our little blessing:

Home with Benjamin (not the most flattering picture of me, but it was after being up most of the night and before I showered) =)

He found his fingers!

Cuddle time with Daddy.

It's a Boy!

We have been blessed with a beautiful baby boy! Benjamin Lucas was born at 1:36 am this morning, November 19!

He was a healthy 8 pounds, 4 ounces, and 21 1/2 inches long.

We're all doing well and looking forward to coming home tomorrow!

STILL WAITING!!!

However, we should have a baby by Tuesday, or Wednesday at the latest, although I'm still hoping it will come on its own before then! For now, I'm just relaxing and working on some projects!

The Little Things...

The little things really do make a big difference.

I was working on a sewing project Monday, and sat down to use my serger on some seams. I started sewing, and the tension was terrible. I played a bit with the tension, and when that didn't work, I decided to re-thread the machine, thinking maybe something was messed up somewhere. That didn't help, so I tried rethreading again, this time making sure to read the directions, in case I had forgotten how to do it properly. The tension was still as bad as ever. By now, I was quite frustrated, having spent half an hour trying to fix the tension. I was beginning to think something was wrong with the machine. About to abandon my sewing for the evening since nothing was working, I took one more quick look at the machine, trying to spot something that might be causing the trouble. That's when I saw it - the pressure foot, up instead of down on the fabric where it was supposed to be for sewing. I lowered it, and the stitches were perfect. Such a small simple thing, but it made all the difference.

How often do we overlook little things, thinking they're no big deal?

Still Waiting...

Three days overdue and counting....

Happy Birthday, Seth!

It's Seth's birthday today! Looks like he probably won't be sharing his birthday with the baby, as he had feared! =) He still has his own special day that's all about him! He unfortunately has to work most of the day, but we'll be celebrating this evening with family!

Solution...

The problem:  A three-bag laundry hamper that works great for dividing the things I wash separately: towels, socks and underwear, and clothes, but has no space for baby clothes.

My solution: A simple drawstring bag that I hung on the side of the hamper.  It took about 20 minutes to make and cost me nothing - I used leftover fabric from the baby's bedding and a drawstring that I saved from a worn-out laundry bag.

I think it might have ended up being a little too small, but I'll see how it goes.  It will work for now, and if I have to, I can always make another!

Waiting...

I've been home for almost a week now and it's getting harder and harder to be patient!  I'm quite eager to meet our baby!  Unfortunately, the baby seems to be happy as a clam and isn't too anxious to leave its cozy little home.  I've been really hoping the baby would be born before Saturday, which is Seth's birthday, mostly because I'm impatient, but also because he has to work all day on his birthday, and he wouldn't have to if the baby would come!  There's still a couple of days.  It could happen.  =)  In the meantime, it's been a long time since our home has been this clean, and I'm getting a jump start on Christmas projects!  So I've been able to keep pretty busy, although days like yesterday got a little lonely with Seth working all day and at night.  =(

Books, New and Old

Our local library had a book sale on Saturday, so I went to check it out.  This one was a bit different from most library sales, since it seemed like the books were all new.  Usually the library sales that I go to are all used books.  I ended up getting a couple of kids books - brand new books for $1 and $2!  The two dollar one was a hard cover, which I love getting when I can.  They're both really cute books, and it'll be fun to add them to my collection!

I recently started re-reading this book:

My sister gave it to me for a gift a year or two ago, and it's a fun one to have!  It was published in the 60's, and it not only contains great tips, but it is written in a fun, easy-to-read way.  While much of the information is timeless, it does have an old-fashioned, uncomplicated feel.  Hopefully it will help me find ways to keep things basic and simple!

End of an Era....

My husband gave me this card yesterday - sort of as a joke, but sort of not....the inside sentiment fit pretty well:

It was my last day at work.  It's kind of hard to believe that after almost 8 years in the working world, I'm done.  My job as a preschool teacher was by far the best one I've had, and I was sad to say goodbye to everyone.  But I am so happy to get to stay home now and am so thankful that I have a husband who is supportive of that and is willing to work hard to allow me to do that!  This has been my dream for years and it is so exciting to have it come true!  When I got home from work yesterday, one of my first thoughts was, "Now I can officially say I'm a homemaker!"  What a blessing!

Then and Now

I've only taken a couple of pictures of me during my pregnancy, but I thought I'd post them for fun.

Five Months:

8 1/2 Months:

Last-MInute Sewing

I had a couple of projects that I still wanted to get done before the baby, and I was able to finish them last week.  

I had one nine-patch square left over from the quilt that I wanted to use for a pillow...

And I wanted to make a nursing cover...

Simple Comfort...

It's funny how much comfort small things can bring.

Several years ago I purchased a gray zip-up sweatshirt, and I loved it.  I wore it all the time.  It gradually got dirty and worn, and then I got something (I can't remember what) on it that I didn't want to put through the wash.  Since it was fairly worn out anyway, I threw it away.  I've missed that sweatshirt ever since, and I've been on the look out for one similar.  I haven't seen too many of them, and often they don't fit right.  Every once and a while I'll mention my search for a gray sweatshirt.

Well, the other day my sweet husband surprised me by giving me the sweatshirt I've been looking for.  Apparently he'd been searching for one, and he recently found one, so while I was out the other day he went and purchased one for me.  It makes me happy every time I put it on, partially because it's so nice to have one again, and partially, of course, because it reminds me of my wonderful husband and his thoughtfulness!  =)

Ready and Waiting

I finished the baby's bumper pads a couple of weeks ago, and just the other day we got the bed completely ready, finished off with a mobile from my grandma!

Now all it needs is the baby!  =)

Autumn Blessings

A few things I love about fall......



Flannel sheets.

Pumpkins, gourds, and new centerpieces.

Colorful leaves.

Homemade soup.

Cocoa and cider.

Cozy sweaters.

Getting Ready....

We're down to 4 1/2 weeks! We just have one childbirth class left; at our class this week we got to tour the maternity center, which was fun. Everything is starting to get more and more real! =)
So far I've been able to get a couple of meals in the freezer, as well as some bags of cooked chicken, which will be nice to have available. Tomorrow we're planning to get the hospital suitcase packed so that's ready. I also need to finish shopping for Seth's birthday, since it's the day before the due date - I don't want to leave that to the last minute!

Necklace Jar

For years I kept my jewelry in a jewelry box, and I constantly had to struggle with necklaces that got tangled up. As I grew older and got nicer jewelry, I decided I needed a better system for storing necklaces. A friend of mine had a necklace jar, and I really liked it, but wasn't able to find anything like it. I saw a few plastic necklace jars, but not a nice glass one like she had. I decided to try and make one myself. I tried finding a glass jar with a wooden lid, but ended up finding a jar that had a cork lid, and thought that would work well. I bought some small screw-in hooks, screwed them into the cork lid, and had a nice necklace jar. I've had this jar for several years, and I love it! Not only does it look nice on the bathroom counter, but I have never had to fight with tangled necklaces again.

This has been such a great solution to my problem. All that is needed to make one is a tall jar with a cork or wooden lid, and some small cup hooks. After making mine, I decided that cork was probably better than wood, since it requires almost no effort to get the hooks screwed in, but I'm sure wood would work just as well. I haven't had any trouble with the hooks becoming loose in the cork, but they could be glued after being screwed in, especially if the necklaces to be hung are fairly heavy. I have had a hard time finding tall jars with cork lids, but was able to find one recently that I made into a necklace jar for my sister.

Here are a couple of pictures of the finished product:

Countdown...

Only 6 more weeks until the baby's due date! I think we have pretty much everything we need. As the due date approaches, we're getting more and more excited to get to see and hold our baby! Next week I'll be cutting back on the hours I'm working, and I'm hoping that will allow me to get some things done before the baby comes - things like thoroughly cleaning the house and getting a few meals in the freezer. And maybe put a few thoughts towards Christmas, as all of a sudden the holiday season will be upon us! =)

A Shower of Blessings!

We were so blessed by our church this weekend as they put on a baby shower for me, and everyone was so thoughtful and generous in their gifts! We received so many wonderful gifts! We are so thankful for such a caring church family!
We received all kinds of things - blankets, clothes, bibs, socks, burp cloths, baby care items, diapers & wipes, wash cloths, towels, books, and toys. We now have almost everything we need for the baby.
Here's a glimpse at some of the many lovely things we received:


A darling antique rocking chair - the perfect size for our apartment!

A bathtub and adorable baby bathrobe!

Beautiful handmade gifts

Cute clothes!

Books and toys

Cute diaper bag!

We've been having fun organizing all this great stuff!

A few of my favorite things....

These are a few of the simple pleasures in my life! =)

Popsicle molds - I have so enjoyed my popsicle molds this summer! It costs almost nothing to make popsicles this way, and it is a wonderful treat for a hot day.

Brita water pitcher - after using water filters, I don't like the taste of other water, even a lot of bottled water. Nothing compares. We had an on-the-faucet filter in our other apartment, which I loved because it didn't take up room in the fridge, and you had immediate filtered water instead of waiting for the pitcher to fill up, but since we have the washing machine that has to hook up to the sink, we have the pitcher now, and I greatly enjoy it!

My hook-up-to-the-sink washing machine - I have absolutely loved this! It is so nice to be able to wash clothes whenever I need to, and to not have to pay for shared machines, or worry about what has been washed in there!

Sewing machine - mostly I love this because I love to sew. But it is so fulfilling to be able to make things for my house or for the people around me. And I can usually make things for less than it would cost to buy them.

Simple pleasures.....

Baby Quilt

I got the baby's quilt all finished. I enjoyed working on it!


Now I'm working on the bumper pads - they're all cut out and ready, I just need to sew them together.

I washed up all of the clothes that I have and sorted them out based on size. Looks like I'll still need to get some things.

It's so much fun to be getting everything ready!

Portland, Oregon

We just returned from our anniversary trip to Portland, Oregon. We took the train there and back and loved our ride! The scenery out the window was lovely!



We had a fun time walking around and going in the various shops they have there. It was a nice relaxing trip!



I used some of the time on the train to make this Christmas hat for the baby! =)

Summer day...

It has been unbearably hot today....

But, despite that, I've been accomplishing things....

We picked blueberries this morning, and they are in the freezer ready for us to use them this winter! I've been able to get our home mostly back in order, and I've done all my grocery shopping for the next two weeks.

Now I just need to pack - we're leaving in the morning for a trip on the train, as we go away for a couple of days to celebrate our 2nd anniversary! =)

Should be nice to get away from it all and relax for a couple of days!

New Dryer Rack

One of my purchases from our most recent trip to Ikea was this drying rack. At first I thought it was a little too big, but after using it for a couple of weeks, I think it actually seems to take up less room than the clothesline, since it keeps all the laundry in one location, instead of being strung across the room. Another thing I love is that I can hang two loads of laundry at once, so I can do laundry a few days a week, instead of a load every day. I still have the clothesline, also, that I may need to use when I'm washing baby clothes and diapers, but for now I'm enjoying the new rack!

Getting ready for baby...

I was able to get the baby's quilt top all finished, now I'm working on getting the batting and back put on, and I'll start quilting. I'm happy with how it turned out so far - it is so nice to see the results of your work! My next project will then be bumper pads!



We got the baby's crib all set up - it fit just perfectly next to our bed, and it looks really cute! We're happy with it. The bedroom's a bit more crowded, but it's not too bad. It will be nice and close for me to get up in the middle of the night. =)

A day in the past...

We enjoyed a fun afternoon Sunday. There is park near my grandma's house that features around a dozen old buildings from the late 1800s, all of which are set up like houses or shops from that period. Every year this park hosts an "Old Settlers Picnic" one weekend in July. They have a parade, musical performances, and the buildings are open for touring, and they also have a carnival and food and merchandise vendors. I have gone with my family every now and then over the years, and I hadn't been for a few years, so Seth and I took my sisters and went up after church. We looked around in the old buildings for a while. Doing so always makes me think about what life would have been like for the early settlers. When I was a child, I loved to pretend I was in the "olden days", and I sort of wished I actually had lived back then. Although their simple lifestyle still appeals to me, I am thankful for many of the modern conveniences I have that they didn't. The volunteers that keep up the park have done a great job preserving the past, and I always enjoy my visits there! When we were done looking, we stopped by my grandma's house to say hi to her and my aunt and uncle and cousins.

A trip down memory lane - I have several pictures like this of my younger self sitting at a desk in the schoolhouse.

Using an old-fashioned wheat grinder.

One of my favorite houses at the park.

An old wagon - can you imagine having to put everything you own in something like this and traveling thousands of miles across the country to a new home?