What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow. ~ Martin Luther

Monday, November 30, 2009

Let her eat cake, for goodness' sake


Finally getting around to posting some birthday pictures from my not-so-baby-anymore baby.

I never realized how much having a birthday near (or on) a holiday can really stink until this year. I was SO unmotivated to make a birthday cake when there were dozens of Thanksgiving pies to dig into and within the Thanksgiving day bustle of visiting family and such, nary a thought was given to our Miss Addie Mae.

I skipped the whole "decorate their cake however they want" tradition because:

1) She couldn't TELL me (and didn't care) how I should decorate the cake

2) Pumpkin pie

3) Cupcakes work for the whole "feeding themselves" thing

4) Pecan pie

5) I had just made THIS cake for Matt's Grams' birthday party:

Oh yeah, and....

6) Apple Pie

I planned to make normal cupcakes and decorate them with green frosting because her most favorite food these days are PEAS. But when I went into the cupboard, would you believe I didn't have any normal cupcake liners?!? I had EASTER EGG and STAR shaped foil liners that I had gotten 90% off at Target after Easter.

So even the whole PEA idea crashed and burned. The girl got Easter egg cupcakes on her Thanksgiving day birthday. I am pathetic. Except. NOT on Thanksgiving. No, we ate her cupcakes two days later.

So she got pathetic excuses for cake two days AFTER her birthday. Wow. I am a winner.


But I made her a party hat!!! Does that make me a better mother?!


And we sang to her almost everyday for a week. That's gotta count for something.


You know...I don't think she minded even a bit. She, after all, got to eat CAKE! (And just so you know--that cupcake LOOKS burned on bottom but it wasn't. Promise.)


And the obligatory cake-in-face shots:






Yep-I think she had a happy birthday. Despite it all. ;-)

A mama does what she must



I wanted to get a picture of her in her ONE YEAR OLD hat

but the girl didn't cooperate.

NOT ONE BIT.

She cried, moaned and blithered on.

SO I put myself in the frame too.



Which managed to quiet her down and make her face return from flaming red to her normal rosy shade of pink.



It took the random tongue sideswipe/ finger-eating monster to get a smile.



And LOOKIE HERE! We have matching double chins!!!
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The Gift


As is customary with itty bitty's....the wrapping paper was almost as much fun as the gift!

I did it--I made my FIRST EVER stuffed animal! I have to tell you I almost chickened out and gave up (without even starting) half a dozen times. I figured it would be too hard so I might as well not even start. (Isn't it crazy how we can be our own worst enemy?!)

But I just. couldn't. give. up. Not without TRYING, at least. The monkey was too darn cute!

I used this wonderfully easy (and free!) tutorial here: Molly Monkey by mmmcrafts


And I did it! Without pulling out any of my hair in the process! Although, truth be told, I had to talk myself through the stitching around the whole monkey with limbs inside. That was bit scary.

And the stuffing was a bit...tedious.

But overall, it was not only pretty easy but also rather enjoyable! (Even if I did wait until the day before her birthday to get stitching!)

Some changes I made to the tutorial:

I sewed the face onto the felt first, then sewed the felt to the head: all BEFORE assembling. That was one of the last steps, which seemed like a much more difficult time to be sewing features.

I sewed all the felt pieces on. (The tutorial used fabric glue).

I added jingle bells to the toes. (you know Molly needed twinkle toes!)


And I added a bum tattoo with the year: because I hope that one day, Miss Molly will be all ragged and worn thin and a very old Adele' will hand her off to her grandchild with the story of her mother making it for her first birthday. On a day so far into the future that said great grandchild will look at the year 2009 and wonder if people really lived that long ago.

A girl can dream, can't she?


I used french knots for the nostrils and HAD to add the hair, since Miss Addie Mae has herself quite a headful too.


And YES-those are real buttons even though it is for a baby. I have always thought the whole "no buttons on things for babies" rule was sorta silly.

But maybe that is because I grew up with brothers, who successfully swallowed and passed quarters, dollars, and everything in between. (was that too much information?!)

I went to a lot of work and was super excited about it all, but I tried to rein my excitement in with the reality that babycakes is only a YEAR old and will probably think nothing of it and toss it aside for the wrapping paper.

I worried so wouldn't even take a second glance.

BOY. WAS I WRONG!
(which you know thrilled me to pieces!)



I have about 15 more pictures just like this.

If that girl only KNEW how delighted she made her Mama with that reaction!

Friday, November 27, 2009

Foto Friday: THANKFUL

It's Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. I don't anticipate much participation this week, but who knows~I might be surprised! Let's see who the diehards are!

Last week's challenge was THANKFUL.

I often write lists of things I am thankful for here on this blog, and I have far surpassed the broad and general "family. kids, husband" mindset. For this reason (and the fact that I wanted to actually CHALLENGE myself) I opted not to take pictures of things for which I am grateful but rather, to try and take a photo that evokes the FEELING of thankfulness.

To convey something intangible is actually quite a bit harder than I thought! I had something in my head involving a child, a field, a beautiful sky and sunglare. But the sun did not shine all week long! And of course, the few SHORT pokes out of clouds it DID make found me preparing for Thanksgiving and birthday days. In fact, all (but the bedtime one) were taken approximately 30 minutes ago! Cut me some slack this week, pretty please?







(my first ever camera-suspended-from-the-ceiling picture!!)



Anyone else participate this week? Anyone? ANYONE????




I am excited to see a few newbie's starting to pop in here and there so a review might be in order.

Each Friday a new challenge is presented for the upcoming week and everyone shares their photos of the last week's challenge. Because of the nature of a "challenge" the photos you post must be taken THE WEEK of the challenge. You may post archives photos ONLY if 1) you also include a the weekly challenge ATTEMPT and 2) you TELL that they are from your archives.

Anyone is welcome to participate in these challenges and we look forward to seeing everyone's contributions. If you participate:

Post your photo(s) to your blog (and when you do, please link back to this blog {you may use the button if you like} so that perhaps we can get lots of participants! Because, you know, the more the merrier!) Then simply link to your Foto Friday post with Mr. McLinky here so that we all can visit you and compare notes...

Most importantly~challenge yourself, but HAVE FUN doing it.

This week's challenge is: LITTLE FEET!! And hey, if you want to do BIG FEET, that would be ok too. ;-)

(Where do we come up with these?!?!)


Thursday, November 26, 2009

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Us x 200



And one in front of the house, for posterity and all.


The yearly saga of a Christmas pictures has begun.

Times ten.

Because, add to Christmas pictures:

  • the fact that my mother begs for an updated family picture every time we visit (the last one was when Andrew was a baby.)

  • My own wall testifies that I have only two children, not three (how awful is that coming from a girl who takes pictures EVERY DAY?!)

So-the pressure was on.

But wait! I DESPISE (as does Matt) going to get photos "done" because the timing is never right, children are inevitably cranky, and the only ones we could afford are Walmart brand and frankly: those have only ever STUNK of our family.

So-got me a handy dandy remote and "figured I could do SOMETHING".

ha.

HA!

over 200 pictures. 4 different "locations". And not a one that I am proud of.

You see, anyone with half a brain would realize that a baby doesn't look at a camera if no one is trying to GET her to look. So the only time she ever did was when I was BY the camera--and by default, not IN the picture. (So much for a family picture then...) But, sometimes half of my brain is on hiatus and that thought didn't occur to me.... Until 300 pictures later. After all was said and done I cursed the camera, cursed the remote and cursed the notion of ever trying to take a family picture in the first place. Then laughed as every. single. picture had someone yawning/staring off into space/a head turned/etc. then I cried. (not really-but almost.)

It is sorta funny. In Picasa if you go through the pictures as fast as you can it looks like a movie. really funny stuff. So I made a slideshow, but it doesn't have the same effect since it won't switch pictures fast enough. Oh well.

Remind me next year to fork over the cash, would you please?!?



Monday, November 23, 2009

Multitude Monday

holy experience



238:: opening my eyes this morning. Somewhere, someone didn't wake up to see the new day.


239:: pouring a glass of beautifully clear, cold water. Somewhere, someone knows only mucky river water.
240:: Flipping on the light switches in evening:: I didn't have to butcher the cow, render the tallow, melt, mold and make the candles.


241:: beds with mattresses, more comfortable than hay.
242:: food abundant while others, walking skeletons, yearn.
242:: apple gnawing


243:: Family, close by, while soldiers pine for home
244:: a home to come into, while others seek cardboard shelters or even stables.
245:: knowledge and the desire to seek it
246:: HOPE, when so many have lost it
247:: the grace to get through another day
248:: the mercy to start anew, even when you fail


249:: visits with elderly and seeing the joy pour forth from within at the sight of you
250:: a Sunday dinner with parents...with wine and fancy dishes
251:: children who play together for hours, best friends
252:: a library, right down the road
253:: a librarian who knows I love to sew from all the books I request...who brought me four garbage bags of fabric since she no longer wanted it.
254:: old memories, rekindled, that make you laugh until tears squeeze out
255:: winks from across the table, from the one you love
256:: children mimmicking your ways, and realizing they DO notice
257:: gigglefests and funny faces
258:: little bodies leaning into you during church service
259:: loving so deeply that it hurts

260:: a young one who has entered into the joy of the written word
261:: a quiet tongue when all you want to do is shout.
262:: eye twinkles
263:: baby teeth
264:: The TRUTH and people who profess it
265:: A girl who is about to lose months and gain a year instead
266:: happy thoughts that make your soul take flight
267:: sister snuggles until baby falls asleep


268:: rest-time ART created by a talented six-year-old artist. Most recently: a nativity
269:: determination and the challenges that drive it
270:: the whole world in His hands


271:: happiness with what is REAL, realizing what really MATTERS. And finding PEACE and contentment with it all.

So many things to be thankful for, I am at 270 and have barely scratched the surface.

A life overflowing with gifts and gratitude:: There is nothing more fulfilling than seeing God's work in your life.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Foto Friday, MACRO day


It's that time again! How did everyone like getting "upclose and personal" with their camera this week? For those just joining us, we challenged ourselves to try out MACRO photography. Without a macro lens, that is.

This week was a bad week for me AND my camera; I didn't have time to get outside and snap pictures, I haven't really been in the right frame of mind, no fresh flowers in the house AND my camera is acting up on me. (I think I work the poor thing too hard and she decided to go on a vacay)

With all those things swirling about, my my almost favoritist genre of photography challenge week was a bomb. I leave you with my breakfast and a map. (all taken about five minutes ago) WOW. Profound.






This is pathetic to me because, as I said, I get all goose-bumped when it comes to taking a good upclose shot. The challenges are photos taken within the challenge week.

However.

Since:

~I bombed this week ( I blame the camera)
~some people might not know exactly what I mean by macro
~some people might not believe a truly upclose view can be achieved WITHOUT a macro lens....

I give you some examples from my archives:










None of these were taken with a macro lens. In FACT, all but the spider one were taken with a....

BRACE YOURSELVES, PEOPLE..........

POINT AND SHOOT!!!

In fact, that little point and shoot takes better close up shots than my canon does. Goes to show you~ you don't need fancy equipment to take fancy shots.

Alrighty then.

Hope everyone else did better than me this week!!!!



In order to participate in these Foto Friday challenges, you must take a photo (or several) pertaining to the challenge and post it to your blog (and when you do, please link back to this blog {you may use the button if you like} so that perhaps we can get lots of participants! Because, you know, the more the merrier!) Then simply link to your Foto Friday post with Mr. McLinky here so that we all can visit you and compare notes...

Most importantly~challenge yourself, but HAVE FUN doing it.


The challenge for this coming week is THANKFUL. (This was a challenge that I pushed forward since it is the week leading up to Thanksgiving! We will share our THANKFUL photos next Friday.

Same time, same place. Now, go shoot something! :-)