Thankful #4

I am so thankful that I live where I do. The little island where I live has such amazing natural beauty, I just can't imagine living anywhere else. Even when I have to ride my bike uphill in the pouring rain to get home, or when I have to walk a mile to work in a blizzard when it is -25 F (about -31 C) because my snowmobile wouldn't start, I love living where I do...

How about you - what are you thankful for today?

Thankful on Election Day

Today I am thankful I live in a country where I have the right to vote. My Great-Grandma Nell was born in 1889, so she didn't have the right to vote until she was 31. My Grandma Mary was born in 1920, the year women "got the vote" as she puts it. I exercised that right today - as I have in every election since I turned 18.

I'm thankful I don't have to wear a burka, have my husband's permission to travel, or have to worry about the secret police breaking down my door in the middle of the night. And while I don't think the United States is perfect, I certainly am thankful and proud to call this nation home.

Twice As Thankful

Every day I give thanks for my children. My son, S, is 4 and my daughter, K, is 2 1/2. They light up my life and make me smile every day. For years I didn't think I would ever have children and now I can't imagine not having them.

(S a few minutes old)

We tried for two years to conceive S, but I was pregnant with K the very first month we tried. S wanted to come out six weeks early. K on the other hand was pleased as punch to wait for the scheduled C-section to make her appearance. S was a quiet happy baby while K had reflux and was horribly colicky until we discovered infant Zantac. S didn't nurse well while K was a nursing champ. Such different beginnings...

(K just a few minutes old)

Looking back, though, I wouldn't change a thing. (OK, except for the reflux part.) The older they get, the more I enjoy my time with them. Each day brings new adventures, new squabbles, new discoveries, and new messes. And I enjoy every one, I mean most, of them. I can't imagine my life any other way...

Thankful

This month I am going to try to focus on all the things in my life that I tend to take for granted, but that I really do appreciate. Starting with...

My husband, to which (as of today,) I have been married for 13 years. Jokingly I sometimes say, "The happiest eight of my life," but that isn't true. I am sincerely thankful for him, all that he does, and how supportive he is of me.

So here's to you honey. I love you and look forward to our future years together.

Family Affair

It was beautiful here in Northern Michigan this afternoon. Sunny, warm, and perfect for spending some time outside. Everyone got in on the action. Grandma dug holes faster than I could fill them with tulip and daffodil bulbs, while Papa and the kids raked leaves. We also cut back all the perennials, mulched the roses, and raked out all the flower beds. My back is a bit achy tonight but it sure feels good to have that all done. Winter is welcome to stop by any time now. What are you up to this weekend?

Happy Halloween

My husband, A, says, "Happy Halloween!" I used our wedding photo as a pattern and carved his face into the pumpkin...

I Tried...

Over the past few days I've tried to get a few good shots of the kids in their costumes, but I haven't been very successful. I did get a few cute pictures, but they all include S or K's face. Great for grandma down in Indiana, but not so good for blogging.


Since I'm not posting photos of their faces online, and several good friends has shared with me that my "blurred face" method was creepy*, I just couldn't find a creative yet faceless way to show the outfits and include the head pieces. Which, in the case of K's Gingerbread Man costume, is one of the cutest parts! So, while the the photos may be boring, they do show most of the costumes. Of course, now that the photo is posted I realize I forgot to include the mittens with the Gingerbread Man, but oh well. They're just solid fabric that matches her little suit. It is usually cold here at the end of October, so mittens are very important. I also made the costumes a full size too big. That way both kids can wear warm clothes underneath and people can still tell what they are. There's nothing worse than having to cover up your cool costume with a winter coat. Plus that way the fox costume should still fit S for the costume class competition in the Horse Show next summer...


I also made S and K treat bags. They didn't show up too well in the photos, but the fabric is covered with little gingerbread cookies. (I was so glad JoAnn's put out their Christmas fabric early.) The bags look adorable while the kids are trick-or-treating and then after Halloween they make great storage bags to keep all the parts of the costumes together. I often lend out old costumes, so having a way to keep all the parts together is a good thing.

I hope you all have a wonderful fun-filled Halloween! Let the sugar rush begin...

*Thanks for the input M and A. I really do appreciate it!

Halloween Hauntings

The kids, Grandma Crissie and I had a great time trick-or-treating our way through town yesterday. I was amazed how many off-island kids there were! Silly me though it would be mostly locals. Anyway, I still can't get over the haul of stuff my little Gingerbread Man and Mr. Fox brought home - a bag full of candy each plus water bottles, key chains, pens, pencils, fancy chocolates, saltwater taffy, bracelets, necklaces, and a ruffly shower cap ("an old lady hat" for the costume box according to my son.) It was a great idea for the island's Tourism Bureau - what a super way to get people into your town's stores! We had such a good time, I think a thank you note to Chris and Mary over at the Tourism Bureau is in order...

Which Way?

We hike through the State Park on the island's trails a lot. Both my husband and I enjoy telling the kids we'll walk where ever they want to and then going along for the ride. I am regularly surprised at my son's sense of direction. He usually knows right where we are and in which direction home is. Which amazes me because I have to stop and think about it, only to discover he is right. S must have inherited that ability from his father, because he sure didn't get it from me...

Feeling Foxy

It's done and I'm feeling really good about it. OK, to be completely honest, the shoe covers and paws (a.k.a. mittens) aren't finished yet, but S needs his costume for the preschool party tomorrow, so it is done enough. I wish that I could have found some fabric that was a bit more reddish orange, but this was the best I could come up with.

My favorite part of the whole ensemble is the tail. I've never been a really big pattern drafter, but I couldn't find a fox tail pattern anywhere. So after a couple of attempts I came up with a removable tail that I am pretty happy with. (It velcros on and off so the suit can be washed.) One of these days, when I get a minute or two, I'll try to get some pictures of both kids in their costumes. Oh, and if anyone out there ever happens to need a pattern for a size 4T fox tail, let me know - it's yours.