I am playing catch up here…
We got a lot of snow on March 25th. Over a foot.
Which gave the kids the opportunity to try out Jonah’s invention– the Rocket Chair. It’s made from a broken dining chair and a pair of old cross country skis. Oh, and a rope to pull it back up the hill with, of course.
Now for photos. I think I’m done with the words for this post.
Lest anyone get the idea that we’ve enter into organized tranquility, I thought I’d post some photos of real life here. The big table is no longer out of reach. As you can imagine, this really complicates things around here.
I hope you all had a good Easter weekend. I love it when General Conference falls on Easter weekend. Don’t get me wrong, I love going to church on Sundays (all 3 hours of it) but the biannual break is most welcome, and when it falls on Easter it gives even more time for thought and rest and contemplation.
I try to be really positive here on the blog, try to make it a place where I can record my successes and hopefully inspire someone else out there, but I have to admit lately that I’ve been a bit overwhelmed. There are times and circumstances that just make us painfully aware of our weaknesses and shortcomings– and I feel myself in that place very frequently lately. I am doing exactly what it is I’ve always wanted to do. I’m the mother of a large family. I get to be with each of those little children everyday to help them learn and to try to help them discover and reach their full potential. I’ve been blessed with a view of the big picture, of what I want to create– I might even say I’ve been called to it. I always knew it would be hard, really hard, but there are just some things I didn’t have any clue would be this hard. Being a parent is difficult on so many emotional and spiritual levels I didn’t even know existed. Throw on top of that other relationships, church responsibilities, and never ending mountains of laundry and sometimes I just want to say– “Sorry, I just don’t have it in me. This whole thing you’ve asked me to do, Lord, is way more than I’m capable of. Is there some other way? Can it be easier somehow?”
And this weekend I realized I’m not alone in feeling that way. Jesus felt the same way. He knew what it was he was called to do. He knew the beginning from the end, the essential nature of his role in God’s eternal plan, but still he said, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me.” (Luke 22:42) Somehow, even with his infinite knowledge, the weight of what he was called to bear was surprising when he was actually experiencing it– more than he thought he could endure. But, he knew it was his role to fulfill, his feat to accomplish, and so he faithfully said, “Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. ” (Luke 22:43)
I know what I’ve been called to do does not compare in magnitude to what the Savior did, but it is important, even essential in some sense. And, it probably can’t be easier. I just need to trust in his will,
and draw strength from my angel(s).
So, did anyone out there follow the Celebrate the Boy month of February over at MADE? Well, I, being the mother of many boys, certainly did. I really wanted to get some 90 minute shirts made, but alas, they just ended up on that list. You know, the list of projects I would really, really, really like to get to. I need a laundry lady. And a school assistant. Then I could get to that list.
Then Meg contributed her Sweet Pea Pilot Cap pattern (gloriously, generously FREE here, just scroll down and look to the right). No pattern drafting needed to get the project started, just easy pieces to cut and quickly sew together. In a Saturday afternoon I had super cute, soft hats for my littlest boys.
Ian calls his his space-man hat and is rarely seen without it. (He’s 3 and wearing a size large. This hat fits my almost 6 and 8 year olds too.)
I love how it frames Hunters perfect chubby face. (His is a medium.)
The pattern suggests you use a walking foot and stabilizer to keep your knit fabric from getting all puckery, but I just couldn’t wait until after I made a trip to the store, so I did these without either. I did use a ball point needle and my machine has a special setting for knit fabric and can somehow sense what pressure the presser foot needs, so my hats turned out pretty pucker free.
I made a couple for gifts at a sewing date with RaeLyn borrowing her walking foot. I’m not sure if it made a difference or not.
I guess I’ll have to whip up some more to decide for sure.
My little guy turned one a week ago. I don’t even know what to say about it. I love having babies. I love watching them grow… if only it took a little longer to go from a little squeaky lump of perfection to a running ball of chubby energy. *sigh*
He wasn’t sure what to think of the whole celebration. To be honest I think he was a bit scared of the candle. (Nothing like the excitement of this first birthday.)
When I saw the hat that Meg made for Finn a few weeks ago I knew just the handmade gift I wanted to make for Hunter for his birthday.
It’s the Stella Pixie Hat and the pattern is gloriously FREE through ravelry. I knit it up with a strand of Knit Picks kettle dyed sock yarn in Spruce and a strand of Pagewood Farm Chugiak hand dyed sock yarn in the Peaceful colorway. I spent my week of no computer or computer genius to knit it. I stayed up really late. I didn’t do the button neck band, just made about 8 inches of i-cord on both ends of the neckband so I can tie it. I think that makes it easier to make it stay on.
I took my little elf for a walk, but he moves so fast the majority of my pictures turned out like this:
He must scrunch up his nose, squeal in delight and try his darnedest to run every second he’s outside. Unless he finds something to examine.
Then he’ll slow down for maybe a second.
He’s worn it near constantly since his birthday. It must pass the itch test because he doesn’t try to pull it off.
Or maybe he just knows how cute he is.
So stinkin’ cute I can hardly stand it.