Monday, November 30, 2009

the trail



last week i packed the double jogger in the 
van while paisley played in the dirt:



we ran 4.5 miles along the beach:

it was heaven. 
except for the running part.
i detest running.


at our halfway point, the kids got out to play in the sand:



the boy discovered many things and never wanted to leave:




ocean
iphone music
kids
exercise
sand
playing 
homeless people
cheez-its
thoughts




nothing better.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

this is the story of a boy...

...who wears his sister's pants,






and even knows how to pose in them.



* the boy accidently put on paisley's pants after going potty. 
both their jeans were lying next to each other,
and he never even realized.


sad thing is; they fit him!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

headboard


i found this ga-hetto headboard on craigslist for 10 bones!
it was probably handmade, but it's very sturdy and the ugly furry fabric made nice padding for what i was planning:




i recovered it with an adorable michael miller dot.
it only took like twenty minutes.



the boy watched me and asked about 324,984,750 questions as i stapled.
he's excited for a revamped bed!

i'll post more pictures when i get all his bedding together.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

long story, short: ER version







8:15 am saturday
paisley wakes up in pain.
she is grunting and her belly is hard as a rock.
so much pain.
9:15 am- good neighbor nurse convinces me to take her to ER.
little do i know that sheryl calls the ER while i'm on my way to give me some VIP 
treatment since she is a balla nurse there.
9:30 am- admitted to ER
with xray, urine, & blood work to follow.


waiting for results:



results: pneumonia
i freak out a little bit, but regain my composure

1:00 pm- admitted to pediatric unit for an overnight stay.



after  pokes, prods, needles, popsicles, antibiotics, and lots of sleep, my baby comes back.



8:00 pm- wide awake and singing! it doesn't take her long to react to her antibiotic treatment.
quick recovery for this little miss. thank goodness! coloring and stickers help
distract her from the IV in her arm.





11:00 am sunday
after 24 hours in the hospital we are ready to go home!




i'm so grateful to have my baby home with me. experiences like these remind us how fragile life is and what a miracle modern medicine can be in our lives. the prayers and thoughts from family and friends were much appreciated as well! i am so humbled and renewed as paisley's momma. she is my baby girl and watching her in that much pain was hard, but getting to snuggle her in the hospital bed
made things a little better:)


shout out to sheryl: not only did she walk and talk me through this whole experience via texting, she watching kavi for me for 2 days, cooked me dinner, and even secretly cleaned my house. i'm so blessed to have a neighbor and best friend like her. i know it wasn't coincidence that i moved in right next to her. even though she DID throw me in the pool the other day, i really do love her.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

wanna see some gorgeousness?





check out my beautiful friend gena:
she has started her own photography business!


Thursday, November 12, 2009

quilting progress



my sewing has been put on the back burner 
due to some recent headaches and dizziness (ugh)
but i am slowly getting this quilt done:



of course the picture is awful, but isn't this the craziest quilt ever?
i'm loving the colors and fabrics!
can you spot the marimekko fabric?

the red flowers with black centers.
kelly brought a small cut back for me from sweden.
she spoils me... what can i say?!

and these pictures are the mess of my creation.
i'm such a disaster!



this is my first time paper-piecing and i'm kind of liking the technique...






Wednesday, November 11, 2009

veterans day




look what
my eldest brother
brandon found 
on the internet:



this is our president 
walking among grave sites at arlington today
do you see my brother?
Mark T Carter
bottom left


crazy right?
do you know how big arlington is?
my grandpa is also buried in section 60.


my love to all the veterans and current service members of this wonderful country we live in.
i am so proud.




Tuesday, November 10, 2009

a snack story





once upon a time there were three hungry three year olds begging 
for snacks...

they were told  to "get out of the kitchen" a million times
by the mean old lady that was watching them.
'


but once they finally got their snacks, 
they turned into three happy three years olds...




... who scarfed down their fruits and veggies
like there was no tomorrow.


THE END




ps. there was one scavenger who cleaned up the leftovers...









*note: the boy has made two best friends here: eva and isaac.
i love to watch them play together and use there cute three year old imaginations.





out





this is what learning a level 4 
(the hardest level) 
language does to you:



the mister used to watch movies in bed with me.
now he falls asleep while studying his brains out.
my poor boy.
he works so hard.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

consider this a book review









i have had a really. hard. week.


note to self:
do not attempt to potty train your first born son
during the same week
that you are switching anti-depressants.


i have never cried so much about the stupidest things ever.

examples:
boy peed his pants.
a car won't let me in the other lane
forgot my ID at the grocery store
boy peed his pants again
we have no money
i'm dizzy
husband looked at me wrong
my kitchen knife won't cut the squash
my headache
boy won't nap for me
etc...
etc...
etc...


i hate depression, and it's taken me years to realize that i truly suffer from it.
but watcha gonna do?
get on some good meds, that's what.


i did however finish this book this week,
 and it lifted me out of emotional craziness for an hour each night.

the red tent



if you are a woman, you need to read it.

in short, it describes how women in biblical times spent their menstruating days in a red tent.
(maybe this is why God made women's cycles emerge together 
after being around each other for a while?)
these woman truly celebrated their periods as a sign of fertility and womanhood.
they spent three days in the tent relaxing, gossiping, and eating.
it was a break from their laboring lives.


as i started my period today after this week from hormone hell, i almost cried again, but then i thought about how grateful i am for these crazy hormones that heighten and drop my emotions like a roller coaster.
i am a woman. i bleed for a purpose. and that is to give life.


now if only i could take three days off to eat, play, and chat with my sisters.
only instead of a red tent, can we go to a spa?
who's with me?




you know you're turning into your mother when...



...your hand soap is almost empty,
 so you add a little water 
to get the rest out to use up every drop!


as i unconsciously did this the other day, 
i stopped myself and gasped out loud. 
when did i turn into my mother?





what things do you do that your momma does?










Friday, November 6, 2009

in the middle of fall





my neighbor, and new bestie sheryl knocked on my door and declared that we were going to the beach.
2 more friends, 9 kids, and a mcdonalds stop later, we were there.


i love living here.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

halloweenie- OZ style


halloween 2009
wizard of oz


the scarecrow                the tin man



dorothy           the cowardly lion






the boy, trick-or-treating with his friends






all costumes were handmade this year, although not all by me.
dorothy: i happened to have the material laying around so i sewed the dress, added rick rac to a onesie, and bough the shoes at target-$12.
lion: this fabulous costume is in it's fourth year and was made by my quilting mentor, my SIL's mom.
scarecrow: shirt-$5, pants-$5, rope-$2, hat- made with felt i already had, straw ties-$6
tin man: funnel-$1, gray sweats-already had, spray paint- $3, hand made axe, face paint- $2, clock heart-made of felt