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!