Nest 'n' Home

musings.....

So yesterday was my birthday. A few thoughts have been rattling around in my head about life and aging and all that.

First of all, I don't feel old. Remember when 30 seemed really old? Like anyone that was over 30 couldn't really understand the way things worked, or how important certain things were?

Now I am coming to the realization that 30 is the age when things start to become understandable. I feel like I know what the most important things in life are and that I want them.

Family matters more now than it ever used to. Babies seem sweeter and more fragile than when I was having my babies. Why is it that we have our babies when we are so young tha we can't really enjoy them? If I could give any advice to a new mother, it would be to cherish that baby, and not to waste her time on silly things like cleaning the house or keeping up with the neighbors. I know that is the exactly the advise that I was given but didn't listen to. Sigh. Maybe what aging really does for us is make us realize that youth is almost always wasted.

Anyway, I had a great birthday. My kids, for the first time, really went the extra mile to make sure tha I had a great day. So did my wonderful husband. I am so blessed.

sorry for the silence......

I'm back.

 Both of my computers crashed, and so things have been very low-tech around my house.

Some things that have happened-

- Our kitty got ran over

-Cousin's cat had kittens, so in 6 weeks, we will have a new kitty

-We finally got the house inspection done, and it doesn't need too much work!

-I finished another scrap Grany Square afghan, see?

 

-Jack is playing football, and has a 2-1 record so far

-Patrick and I celebrated our 13th anniversary yesterday

-Today I am 32

 

Have a great day!

Canning

I love this time of year. The weather starts to turn crisp, the kids go back to school, and the fruit ripens.

Pears and peaches are what are currently filling up my kitchen.

For the peaches I make a light syrup with 4 cups of water to 1 cup of sugar. In the jars I add 3 allspice berries, 1 anise star and 3 cloves.

For the pears I use the same light syrup and add 3 allspice berries to each jar.

When we open these jars in the cold of winter, we will be able to taste a summer's day.

 

A (few) Day(s) at the Beach

I took the girls to the Oregon coast last week. Their brother was at Camp Merriwether with his scout troop, and I thought, if Jack can go camping on the beach, why not us?

We spent our first 2 nights camping in Seaside. Lots of fun was had. See?

Since Cannon Beach is so close, we played there too.

On Friday we drove down the coast and stopped at Cape Meares to look at the light house.

We stopped at the Tillamook Cheese factory and got some ice cream and squeeky cheese.

Next to Camp Merriwether is Sand Lake. Sand blew into the forest from the coastline. Pretty cool, huh?

We stopped in Pacific City and spent the night in a motel, with real beds. It ws a great nights sleep! The next morning we picked up Jack and played on the beach for a while.

Then we climed a giant sand dune to the top of Cape Kiwanda. It is so steep and long that I wasn't sure I would make it. Jack is such a spry little show off that he went up, then down, then up agin before I made it to the top.

But once you get to the top, the view is amazing!

We had so much fun, the only thing that could have made it better would have been if Patrick could have come too.

On the way home we stopped at Multnomah Falls and I stuffed the kids into a tree.

 

 

The Fruits of Her Labor

After 93 hours of labor, a labor that I'm sure was harder on her than the rest of us, my sister-in-law had a beautiful baby boy. A giant, beautiful baby boy. Hunter was born on August 16 and weighed in at 10 lbs 15 ounces.

I can't beleive that she managed to pull off a feat of this kind of magnitude. Thats how big my babies were after a few weeks out in the world. I'm pretty sure that Kat is a superwoman!

His auntie and cousins were very excited that we got to be there and we all think that he is the cutest baby boy!

 Pretty sweet, right? Just wait till you see this next one.

Sabrina just couldn't stay away from him for a second. She even took a nap with him!

Waiting

My brother and his wife are trying to have a baby. The poor girl has been in labor for over 2 days now, and I think that she is way past exhausted. My girls and I drove to Portland yesterday so that we could be here to help and snuggle a new baby, but there is not a whole lot for us to do yet but wait. We are all really hoping and praying that this silly baby boy will decide to make his apperance today.

Do you hear that Hunter? Stop procrastinating and get out here already!!!

More Afghan

I've put together another pile of yarns to start another scrap afghan. They are all wool yarns, most of them hand dyed colors.

This is what I've got so far. It's really fun and colorful!

 

Making Dresses

My neice Rian is a cute little girl and she likes girly-girl things.

 

So for her birthday this year I made her 2 little dresses and a purse. I made up the pattern based on a dress that my girls have. The first dress was trial and error, with a few curses and some ripped seams :)

When I got to the second dress I had all of the kinks worked out and the sewing went much faster ;P

I put a little pocket from the fabric of the other dress on the front of each dress.

I hope that she loves them! Ok, mostly I hope that they fit. (And she can carry around some treasures in the purse.)

Reprieve

Sometimes in this crazy life as a mama, I get a moment of reprieve.

These 3 things happened simultainiously.

Progress

The worsted weight wool granny square afghan that I showed you the start of the other day is done.

I have it up on Etsy if you like it!

 

Remember the pile of pretty laceweights? This is how far along I am on it. It has 6 sides, and I am loving the way that all of the colors are playing off of each other!

Do you crochet? I'd love to see waht you do with a hook and some yarn!