catch up

I can't believe I'm already behind on my daily thanksgiving posts!  I guess I'd better get caught up :)

DAY SIX:  Yesterday I was thankful to spend some time with a friend we hadn't seen in a long time.  I was also thankful to my husband for spending hours outside doing some serious snow removal.  I usually don't mind shoveling (and in a weird way enjoy it because, hello, it means there is snow) but I am too clumsy to spend to much time walking around outside our house without the snow already being removed.  I almost fell about five times today out there just letting Beau out and getting the mail (it snowed about another four inches last night after Steve's hard work - he spent another hour out there today cleaning up after that lol).  So thankful he is home and happy to spend his day off making it safe out there!

DAY SEVEN:  Today I'm thankful for a cozy house and lots to keep me occupied while I'm sick.  I finished off my little rigglet's afghan (finally) and love seeing it draped over his cradle in our room.

I don't know what I would have done without some recliner friendly projects today.  Sinus headaches are no fun when you can't really take anything for relief (I chose not to take any medications while I'm pregnant, not even Tylenol, just trying to do what's best for baby), but having fun projects to work on make it much easier to ignore how bad I feel.

snow & sickness

It snowed again last night and it's a winter wonderland;  I love it so much.  It makes it so much more cozy to stay home and work on projects.  I finally got the cold that's been going around,  but at least I get to look outside and smile about the beautiful weather :)

32 Weeks!

8 weeks until my due date, I can't believe it! I've been feeling great and love that I can interact with Rowan more and more!  He is head down with his butt to one side and his little feet sticking out to the other, and it's VERY obvious when he decides to stretch out...sometimes I swear it feels like he is trying to break free!  Steve and I are beyond ready for him to be here, we are so excited to actually meet him and get to know him.  But luckily physically I have been feeling great, not like a 8 month pregnant lady.  I have some lower back pain now and then, but in the mornings especially I still feel pretty spry :)

Here's some info about what's going on with baby this week:

"Your baby is continuing to grow at an amazing rate.  Right now, he measures about 16.7 inches long and weighs about 3.75 lbs.  By the end of the week, he'll have added nearly 3/8 of an inch in length and about 1/2 a pound.  He now has toenails, fingernails and real hair.  His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth."

So exciting!  I hope he gets nice and plump for birth (but maybe not too big? lol).

PS: It snowed about three or four inches last night and it is so beautiful outside! Here's a picture of Steve out shoveling:

Day 5

DAY FIVE:  Today I am thankful that my husband had a safe day out riding with good friends and beautiful weather. It makes me so happy how much enjoyment he gets out of it; when I go with him I love seeing the excitement and pure joy on his face the entire time, and when I stay home I love hearing all about his day and looking at all the pictures. He works so hard and I'm glad he finally has some time to go do something he loves. I just wish I could have gone, but I don't think I'll be doing much riding this year lol.

Golden Snitch

So I've been spending too much time on Ravelry and found a pattern I HAD to try.  It turned out pretty dang cute, which makes me very happy.  I think I will be making quite a few of these!!!  Maybe I'll do a Harry Potter theme for my Christmas Tree :)

Had to have a picture of the original...

golden snitch ornament I crocheted :)  so pretty and sparkly

yay for crochet!

Yesterday I started and finished a super soft newborn hat for the rigglet, and I can't wait to see him in it.  I love the yarn I used (Mirasol Miski yarn - 100% baby llama) and the pattern was extremely easy.  I think you could finish it in 20 minutes if you just buckled down and had no other distractions.

I also finished an adorable little owl ornament this afternoon.  I can't wait to make many more of these...so cute and easy to make look very different.

"hello!" I think I might give the next one tufted ears :)

little owl on a tree (or door handle in this case :)

TGIF

DAY FOUR:  Today I am thankful that it is Friday!  Even though I don't really have a set schedule during the week, Steve does and I am excited to get to spend time with him.  This is only his second two day weekend since busy season ended for his crew so it is still a novelty to have him home both days.  This weekend I'm not so sure I'll get to see him much Saturday, as I think he might go try out his new snowmachine, but at least he will get to be doing something that is fun rather than working.

I hope everyone else enjoys their Friday; please keep my dad in your thoughts/prayers.  He is going to have to have surgery at some point soon for a torn rotary cuff, and I know he is very bummed to miss out on another winter with full mobility.  Thank you in advance!

unplanned cleaning day

DAY THREE:  I am thankful for having a house full of nice things to put back in their places, lots of warm, snuggly clothes that need to be washed, folded and put away, and plenty of dirty dishes that need to be washed, dried and tucked away in the cupboards.

My mom has a plaque in her kitchen similar to this, and I always look at it when 

I'm washing dishes.  I really need this at my house as a reminder every time

I wash the dishes, sometimes multiple times a day, to be thankful.  It's so, so true!

Today I planned on cutting out the rest of the pieces I need for my Christmas yellow brick road quilt.  I also need to cut off the extra batting and backing so I can sew the binding on the quilt I made for my little rigglet Rowan.  I left my rotary cutter at my sister Kelsey's house last time I was there, and it's always more fun to cut with company, so I just planned on going over to her place and having a cutting party.

In the back of my head I knew I had some cleaning to do that I've been avoiding by working on Christmas crafts, but I figured I'd get it done tomorrow.  I got my stuff together that I needed to take with me and took Beau outside for a quick (and chilly!) morning walk.

Then I took a shower, and the water didn't drain.  I mean it did eventually, but I can't stand it when things don't work properly and especially despise bathtubs that don't drain efficiently.  Usually I would try to get on my knees, bend over, and get in the drain myself with a wire hanger, but I looked down at my rather large belly and decided to just call the plumber.  I had just cleaned it out about three months ago anyway, and had gotten a rather large amount of hair out of there, so I figured it's probably further down the pipes.  I live in an old house, and the pipes for the sink and bathtub are interconnected and hook up to the main pipes after a pretty sharp corner, which we've had problems with before, so I'm glad to be getting it good and cleaned out.  Last time we had it snaked was over three years ago, so I guess it probably needs it anyway.

I called the plumber around 9am, and was happy to hear they could fit it in today.  But they couldn't come straight over of course, so I had to cancel my plans for a cutting party.  Instead I've spent the morning cleaning, and cleaning, and cleaning.  I always forget how I am about cleaning; once I start I just can't stop.  I just see more and more things that need cleaning, or organizing, or putting away, and I just keep going and going!  I decided to take a quick break to blog about what I'm thankful for before I forgot (and to eat lunch) and realized that I am so thankful just to have things to clean!  I'm also thankful for the energy and lack of back pain I have today - it makes going on a cleaning spree a lot easier and more productive.  But now I have to get back to organizing Steve's desk.  Hope you have have a thoughtful, thankful Thursday!

Vegetable Roast

Tonight I felt like something wholesome, easy and delicious for dinner.  I wanted a roast, but we didn't have any meat thawed out.  So I just made a vegetable roast...and I made it in a cast iron dutch oven in the oven instead of a crock pot (didn't want to have to lug the crock pot out and have it take up the entire counter).  We have some frozen scallops that Steve can cook up for protein when he gets home.  It turned out delicious and looks amazing too so I thought I'd share.

washed and sliced carrots and potatoes

sliced onions

add some chicken stock and brown sugar

all done and steaming

Yummy, can't wait to dig in :)

taking time to give thanks

November is one of my favorite months of the year, mostly because of Thanksgiving, but also because it means December, and more importantly Christmas, is right around the corner.  Both Thanksgiving and Christmas are holidays that have been commercialized to the max yet have great meaning.  This year I would like to really focus in on the meaning behind each holiday and think very hard about why we are celebrating.  For the month of November, I would like to share something I am thankful for each day leading up to Thanksgiving Day.  Since it is already the second day of the month, I will share two things today.

DAY ONE:  I am thankful for the snow and how beautiful it makes everything.  Even the wind is beautiful in its own way, and I am thankful to God for creating such an intricate, amazing earth for us to live on and enjoy.

snowy view from my house

DAY TWO:  I am thankful for having the means to do crafts and hobbies, while others in this world are struggling just to get enough to eat each day.  I love to spend time each day working on sewing, knitting, crocheting, and other craft projects and am so grateful for the chance to do so!

What are you thankful for?  Maybe you could also try to make it a goal this month to take time each day to recognize something you are thankful for :)