Father-Daughter Valentine's Dance and a Sick Baby

This has been quite a week. Just a lot going on, and my nerves are about shot. Today was such a beautiful, sunny day, and warmer than we've had in months! It was heavenly! I'll share pictures of our fun day later because I'm tired tired tired, but I'm going to post these ones from last night.

I was commenting to Bill a few weeks ago that we've never had the opportunity for him to take Isabelle to a Father-Daughter dance, and wouldn't you know, our elementary school put one on for Valentine's Day. Perfect!

Daddy and his special date

This is her Christmas dress from last year, but we switched out the cranberry colored sash for a light pink one - look at how pretty my baby girl looks! And not my baby girl anymore, either!

I'm not gifted with hair-dos and even less so with make-up, but I think her curls came out so well. They were beautiful. She wore a bit of lipstick and my favorite necklace and dangly earrings- she was most excited about the earrings, ha!

Looking pretty and dapper on the way out the door

I was helping out with decorations earlier in the day...see that ladder back there and all the hearts dangling from the ceiling? Yeah. All me. 

I almost made my friends take a picture of me up on the ladder because most people who know me know that I do not do ladders. At all. Like, even a little bit.

But I did it!

That's love.

We draped garland around lots of doors, set up a background for a photo shoot, and decorated lots of tables and easels. It looked really festive when we were done. I'm sure the girls loved all the sparkle.

And this little guy.

He wasn't quite himself on Monday, but on Tuesday around lunch time, he refused to eat and I noticed that he felt really hot. He wouldn't stop crying, poor baby. When Bill got home and was rocking him, his fever spiked and his eyes started to roll back in his head. It was awful. We called the doctor and got an appointment for that afternoon.
Right after I canceled the vet appointment for the dog and cats.
On Valentine's Day.
#soromantic
Cold virus plus a nasty ear infection. Poor baby.

This was Wednesday, and pretty much all day Thursday and Friday, too. It was rough.

I look like I'm smiling here, but I'm pretty sure I wasn't. ha ha

Not much worse than watching your baby in pain and not being able to make it all better.

Thursday morning we had another delay for snow, so we asked my Mom and Dad to come down for pancakes. This is looking out one of our front windows- the snow is halfway up the front door!

 Upstairs in my room, there are sliding glass doors and a balcony overlooking the backyard (perfect for someone who is afraid of heights, ha ha), and the snow covers more than 3/4 of the railings. Last year at this time, well after we got back from Florida, we had no snow and it was acting like spring- we were all outside on the deck for Levi's baby shower in early March! So funny how things change from year to year.

I'm flipping pancakes in the kitchen and I turn around and see this sight. These guys. Never a dull moment. 

Levi looks a little better here, but believe me, it did not last long. Yikes. Thursday was a horrible day.

I missed this happy face all week long!

Since Levi isn't a great sleeper anyway, I'm sure you can imagine how not great a sleeper sick Levi is. I am exhausted.

But today was such a nice change of pace! I'll share sledding pics and more later.

We're planning on going to the church we visited two weeks ago tomorrow and I'm nervous because the music is loud, too loud for baby ears, and I know he won't go in the nursery. #momlife

Goodnight!

Project Minded...But Still Having Fun!

Oh my crazy goodness, have we been up to our eyeballs in projects this week! Remember those awful, ugly, nasty orange front steps? Gone. The ongoing dilemma/debate in finishing off the upper 4 inches of Isabelle's walls? Decided upon and fixed. That Goliath-sized rock wall garden in our front yard? Oh yeah, finito. Done, done and done. We solved the problem of too-narrow shelving in the upstairs linen closet with, literally, the easiest, quickest, and cheap fix ever. And I love it so much!

So with projects, summer life- you gotta have beach days and trips to the farmer's market and impromptu ice cream shop visits- and an insane amount of sewing, I am tuckered out. Smiling deliriously, but seriously tuckered. I don't have pictures of all our projects to share, or any recent ones, really, that are edited and ready to go, so I'm posting about a very special, fun day with my main squeeze. It was our last hurrah before the boys came home from camp, and Isabelle Katie had a sleepover with my parents. Aah, I love my children so, so much, but those little breaks are nice too. =)

We strolled around historic Portsmouth. Such a beautiful, picture-perfect day.
Then we sat here on this deck overlooking the water and enjoyed lunch. Right beyond that bridge is Maine, which we spent about ninety seconds in because we were in such deep conversation that we missed a turn. ha ha

I must get one or two of these glass bottles with the pop-off tops. I've seen them all over TJ Maxx and other home stores but was never that impressed with them...until I saw this little spread awaiting us. While I'm on the subject, those cobalt blue glasses made me a little weak in the knees, too.

More walking, strolling, and talking.
Without interruptions. Whoa.  ;)

One night when Isabelle was sleeping over at her other grandparent's house, we packed a picnic for our favorite park. So fun!

And now massive thunder clouds are rolling on in as the winds pick up. I heard there is a chance for a tornado. Ugh. An actual tornado ripped through a small town in Massachusetts this afternoon, destroying several buildings and homes. We aren't used to that up here, so that has me freaking out just a leetle bit. Okay, a lot. God is in control, God is in control....

Have a great week!  =)

Oh, and if you are interested in something from Rose & Ruffle, not to pressure you, but I will be taking some time off soon and won't be making more summer items. Just a heads up. Thank you as always for your support and patronage.(You can find the Rose & Ruffle blog here.)

Happy Summer!

Summer is in full swing around here! We still have yet to brave the beach or lake due to Caleb's poor little leg, but the great news is it has healed really well, faster than expected, so he is out of the cast and in a walking boot! Hooray! Summer.Officially.Saved!!!
He says it still hurts, though. It's so hard to watch your child be in pain.

We lovingly refer to the new brace as The Terminator. Or Darth Vader. Depending on the day.  ;)  It is HUGE in person!

Everything I've planted is growing so well! We've never had shade in the front of our house before so I was worried I wasn't growing the right things, but they seem to love it!
It looks like I won't be getting that veggie garden going this year, but I just don't have it in me. I still have to finish the rock planter wall out front and I just can't make myself do it anymore because I am soooooo sick of hauling rocks.

This boy has been gone since early Thursday morning. I really really miss him! He's having a blast up in Maine with my Dad and uncle. (I had gotten annoyed with him the night before but I didn't handle it well, so I ended up bringing him some French Vanilla tea with Hazelnut creamer and we hung out and talked for a long while- this growing up business is SO HARD and I just want to do a good job but there is so much out there is is bad bad bad...anyway, we had a nice chat and he said he'd like some of "that tea" for the road. That, I can do.)

We've been able to play catch and soccer a little out back, with Caleb as goalie, signed up for the summer reading programs at the library, and tapped into our creative sides this week. Jonah and I went out the other night and he found a drawing book at JoAnn's that he liked, so I told him I would give him my coupon for 40% off if he kicked in a couple dollars from mowing the lawn, and he agreed. They've all taken turns using it and have been sharing their masterpieces with me all day! I am very impressed with my little artists (insert French accent there)!

I was on my way to a dentist appointment early Wednesday morning only to discover the driver side tire dead-flat. What a terrible feeling! I was thankful I hadn't gone far, and was able to back up the road and back into the driveway. Of course I totally lost it (this is the 3rd problem with that same stinkin' tire, and they even replaced it with a brand new tire last time!), called Bill, called the dentist to cancel because I didn't want to get charged the $50 missed appointment fee on top of everything else! I think the tears might have helped with that one- she felt so bad for me, and by then I just felt kind of stupid, but in my defense, it was extremely upsetting because I had lots of plans with the kids that day!

Well, that handsome prince of mine called AAA, and the man was here within 30 minutes to take a look. He was super friendly so we chatted for a while, and come to find out there had been a tire slasher going around town last night, and he had already put 12 spare tires on by 8:30 in the morning! I think that's much worse, a deliberate awful thing versus a random accidental inconvenience. The AAA guy found nothing wrong with the tire after inflating it back up and suggested calling the garage to have them look at the rims and seals, so that's what I did.

Our day's itinerary was pretty much shot by this point anyway, so I decided to seize the potential and we turned the trip to the garage into a picnic lunch while we waited- they had said it would take 15 minutes, tops. Famous last words! It was well over an hour and a half, but everyone handled it so well, and I was really proud of my children. Ethan had grabbed some books and a ball out of the trunk when we got there so we played, read books...at one point, Isabelle laid right on Ethan's back while we all crammed together on the picnic blanket and played some game together on his phone. This story is probably boring the daylights out of everyone else, but I will always cherish that memory!
http://instagram.com/p/avx9TtAM6J/

Removing tile isn't much fun, but these guys have made it go a lot faster! We're almost ready for the new floor!!! Jonah was impressed that his tile came up whole, whereas most break off in several chunks. He's got the gift!

And lastly, Bill and I headed downtown to walk around, enjoy the Supermoon above us, and bring home Chinese food and a movie. 

http://instagram.com/p/a1zgXFgM_7/ 
**I can't get Instagram pics to upload here- any advice?**

Our little excursion even involved a fabric store...because I ran out of white thread! What!?! Who ever runs out of basic white thread, in the middle of a project, with not a spare spool in sight? Yup, me. I mailed out 6 or 7 nighties and an eyelet bonnet this week, and I'm finishing up some more orders...well I was until I ran out of white thread, that is. Ha!

Oh, one last last thing -- I wanted to share some end of school pics. It has been a big year! We had literally just moved the weekend before school started, so all of their pictures from the first day are at Bill's parent's house. All except Ethan, actually, who flat out refused to have a First Day of School photo, so I used one from his birthday. He has changed SO much!
I'm just throwing this one in because I love it so much! He is a thoughtful, super smart, funny, all-around great boy, and while it's hard watching him grow up, I love it at the same time!

They have all changed so much, but I see it mostly in Isabelle's sweet little girl face and Ethan's more serious face. I had also forgotten Jonah started the year with braces, and Caleb was on both feet, ha ha! At least we're on the home stretch! I'm so thankful for wonderful doctors and for insurance!

We've got a big BIG day ahead of us so I'd better skedaddle! Happy Saturday!

Daddy's Girl...DATE NIGHT!

There is something infinitely sweet about the bond between a little girl and her daddy, the way the world is set right again -- for both of them -- by a simple smile and a hug.

And Date Nights.  =)

Isabelle Kate has been talking {and talking and talking} about this night for several days now, she is beside herself excited! She wanted me to curl her hair with the curling iron, so after I dusted it off, sad but true, we went to work creating the most gorgeous head of bouncy curls I've ever seen!

She wanted to wear a pink bow to look her "prettiest," and wear her church sweater and fancy sandals. Who am I to say no to that? It is a date after all!

Oh, and princess lip gloss. Of course.

I've been getting texts all night with pictures of her getting her nails done, and at a restaurant with her Daddy-date. Oh how I wish every little girl was as lucky as she is! Aside from the fact that she looks fifteen in this picture, I just love it so much. I am so very blessed!

This and that

Word around these parts is that a Nor'easter is on its way. I'm actually hoping so, because winter without snow is just plain boring! Isabelle and I made a quick dash through the grocery store yesterday so we wouldn't have to deal with the masses today. I hadn't brought her to the store in a while since I'd been going while she was in school, so that was fun.

Celebrating 100 days of school this week! She was so proud of having cut out the glasses on her own. Except for the middle parts, because they was tricksiest.

We've also been baking and cooking over here like it's going out of style! I think I'll share some recipes on the new blog soon. You're welcome!  ;o)

Oh, this? Yeah, no, this is just regular cake from a box, gussied up a bit. It sure was good!

I am also thrilled to report that poor, itchy, miserable Caleb is now a FREE man! So long cast!

It looked awful sad in there...
adios smelly cast!

Bill and I had such a nice time at our little getaway last weekend. I'm going to try and make that happen on a regular basis because, well, I just need to! We love our children so much, but there is something so energizing about leaving them- and the responsibilities- behind for a little while and just doing whatever the heck you want! No cooking, no cleaning, no refereeing....bliss!

Luckily we found a...

 Soooo good!

I'm working on my sewing area too, so it's easier to sit down and sew something here and there without it being such a production. That helps a lot, and I've been excited to get lots of things completed this week. I'm working on a small table runner (really small, so...more like a jogger, I guess) for Valentine's Day- okay okay, that one has been taking slightly longer, but that's because it's quilted! I haven't quilted anything for a long, long time, and I'm eager to get reacquainted with it.

Isabelle made the cutest card for Mrs. Murray and her new baby! She is one of the secretaries at the elementary school, and she is just the nicest, friendliest person, so we became fast friends. I am deliriously happy for her because she had all but given up hope of ever having a child, and God surprised her (totally- she was 4 months pregnant when she found out!!!!!!) with a son! Such a miracle! Baby boy was born on Monday, healthy and happy. I can't wait to meet him!

Of course when I went to wrap this, could I get my hands on even one little gift bag or roll of non-girly wrapping paper? So we went with it, and I think it looked okay.
Who loses gift wrap??? I know I have it, just can't locate it!

So there you have it! If it doesn't snow tonight I think we will all cry because we're already geared up for a snow day tomorrow- who doesn't love a 3-day weekend?

Baby Showers, Soccer Games & Anniversary Dinners

I got to see some of my former high school students this weekend! I was SO excited to see them! It has been a long time!

I met these beautiful ladies 16 years ago when I got my first {paying} job as a teacher.

16 years ago!

This is Amy on the left, and Loralee, who is going to have her first baby in October, so this was her baby shower.

They look so lovely, but of course I think I was instructing my Mom on which button to push to take the picture...oh well. I tried to have her get Loralee's belly in the picture, but this was the best I got. 
It was a fun day! Loralee's mother is my parent's interim pastor at church...what a small world!

One of the shower games was to write down family "pet" names for male and female body parts. I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry- it was horrible but oh so funny! I just about clamped my hands over Isabelle's ears at one point, ha ha!

I had to miss Jonah's first soccer game Saturday because of the shower, but several friends facebooked me to let me know what a great job he did. I thought that was really neat! Of course Bill gave me the low-down, too.

Ethan had his first game Friday afternoon. Soccer is Ethan's true love. It's really the only sport he cares much about, so he plays outside in the summer and fall, and indoors during winter. He's so much fun to watch!

 GO #3!!!!!!! So proud of him for working so hard and making the A team!

Thursday night the kids made pizzas with their grandparents so Bill could whisk me far, far away to...well, downtown to a very nice restaurant for dinner. It was deliriously good! We ran into friends there and ended up sitting together for over an hour. What fun!

Ethan was the photographer this time, and I hadn't changed out the big lens so he couldn't fit us in very well. He was ready to hop up on the edge of the deck, but, since I didn't want my camera killed, I told him we were good to go. 

Well, I didn't want Ethan to get maimed either.

It was such a warm, summery night, not at all what I'd originally planned for, so I wore this cute dress and sweater for the last time this year. Today it truly feels like fall- I got goosebumps hanging out the laundry earlier! It feels wonderful! 

I do have a problem, though. I cannot for the life of me find my jeans! I have no idea where they are, or why I would have packed them away somewhere! I probably put them someplace "safe" and they're most likely in some box in the very back of the storage unit. So I'll take that as a good reason to look for some new jeans.  =)

Swings, Baseball, & Service

We're having a low-key, rainy Sunday here in the Northeast today, but we desperately needed the rain so I don't even mind. It gives me an excuse to be a little lazy, I think.  =)

These are some snapshots of our week:

A cute little someone has finally mastered the fine art of pumping on the swing!

 OhMyGoodness, I just melt over this picture! That face, that smile, that wild hair!!!!!

Baseball is now in full force!

No longer rivals! Practices and games are SOOOO much easier when they're actually on the same team!

They said they didn't like "versing" each other, either. Such champion brothers!

Swimming breaks

Go, Ryder, go!

Yesterday was a great day for finishing up some sewing projects! The weather was so beautiful, and the kiddos were outside playing with friends, helping neighbors mulch flower beds, and just, well, out. Insert grin here.
I worked on some things for my Etsy shop, and everything came out so cute! I love it when that happens! There may have been a baby bonnet involved...eek! ADORABLE! I'll share those pics later...
 

Isabelle and I were very excited to make a little girl living in poverty a beautiful dress to call her own (info is on the sidebar). I just discovered this wonderful opportunity a few days ago through a sewing blog, and I'm so glad I did! Isabelle chose the style and the fabric, but I didn't have a large enough piece, so I had to mix things up a bit. This is the dress...

What do you think?
The dress is a size 6/7, so it's a tad big on my little size 5 beauty. I tried something I'm not used to because the idea of having to be so exact with all those pleats in a large {daunting} circle scared me just a little bit! So I completed the front and back as separate panels, if you will, and then stitched up the sides in one long side seam. Ironed in and stitched the yellow hem, and voila! Easy peasy!
We are going to pray over the dress before we mail it to our representative in CT. Bill and I both feel so blessed that all of our children have such sweet and tender hearts, and I know they will grow up eager to serve others. We all want to help in our own way, don't we? I think God put something in us that just makes us crave helping others in need. I've been on the giving end, but I've also been on the receiving end (and desperately so), lest I sound high and mighty here.

I was a little embarrassed in church this morning with Ethan sitting beside us because the subject matter was...Ruth and Boaz, which of course branched out into several different areas of discussion. I felt my face get all red and hot at one point, ha. I know I wasn't the only one, either! Some things are just not that easy to talk about no matter how great your relationship with your child is.  

Now, Ethan is sleeping over at my parent's house (vacation this week), so it was just the 5 of us this afternoon. 

There was dancing...

Jonah made us Brownies all by himself! He likes to pour chocolate chips on top when they come out of the oven and spread them like frosting...yummy!

I think I see a nice, relaxing evening of take-out Chinese food and Friday Night Lights {season 2} with Bill on this cool, rainy day.      :)

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Sew Many Ways