Wishing For Pine Needles

Yarn Along ~ November 30

Yarning along again today with Ginny!

 

A lovely Thanksgiving weekend brought with it some extra time for knitting....almost done here with Lena's raglan!  It's a newborn size, so I really don't have very much more to go.  The color of this yarn is "woodsy" to me, so I plan to use a couple of woodland animal buttons on the front.  Does anyone know of any good on-line places to buy such buttons?

I love this Scandinavian Stitches book and have been scouring it for some fun Christmas gift-making ideas.  If you happen to sew, I highly recommend it for many fun and colorful projects.

Also, I received this gorgeous yarn as a gift and am just waiting for some time to spend on Ravelry to find an appropriate project for it.  I love the color so much, that it might just have to be something for me!  Which means that it will most likely have to wait until after Christmas.  Darn.  (Isn't it something how the yarn is exactly the same color as our cat's eyes?)

Happy Knitting to You!

the Holiday

 

Hoping your Thanksgiving holiday was a happy one!

 

 

(and that your week is off to a good start!)

Yarn Along ~ November 23

Linking up with Ginny again this week....

Progress is being made on this raglan for Lena...yay!  I'm hoping to find time to finish it up during our Thanksgiving holiday...perhaps I will find some downtime somewhere?

I am still teetering on the newborn haze and have not committed myself to a book quite yet, but have been thoroughly enjoying my subscription of Country Living magazine and the short and readable articles that are perfectly suited for a new mama.

And along with thinking this week of all we have to be thankful for, my heart goes out to friends who are in the hospital with newborn twins who were born 15 weeks early and fighting for their precious little lives. 

Also, thinking often of Alicia Paulson and their recent adoption that fell through.

Our prayers are being lifted up for both of these families for God to provide His comfort and peace during this holiday.  And for all three of these beautiful babies involved.

(Hoping your holiday preparations are well-underway!)

On The Go (on Car-Nursing)

Life, in all it's fullness, means that some things have to give.  And right now, those long, cozy, home-and-on-the-couch nursings are one of them.

Miss Lena has eaten many a meal in a parked mini-van.  My car battery has died twice already because of this.  Once because I unknowingly left my headlights on, and once because I used the built-in DVD player for my impatient young son without the engine running.  For a little too long.

(But most people are happy to help a lady with a newborn jump-start her car.  Thank goodness!)

Every once in a while, though, car-nursing can lead to something that makes everyone happy.  Like finding a parking lot right across from a state-wide marching band competition on a beautiful Fall day!

October Grocery Challenge - Final Update

In the midst of Lena's arrival, I've realized that I never posted a final update to the October Grocery Challenge!  (My challenge posts are here and here.)  Although I had much fun trying to maintain a $400/month budget, I must admit that it does not seem completely realistic for our family of five (now six!)

We ended up spending $435.45 for the month which was actually quite close to our goal.  But the catch is that after the 19th, we spent no money at the grocery store thanks to the hospitality of friends and family who brought meals and groceries while I gratefully rested up with our new babe.

Some ways to "trim" the monthly grocery store budget that I would like to try include....

• Couponing even more!
• Purchasing meat from a farmer in large quantities
• Re-joining our CSA
• Baking, baking and more baking
• Trying out Once A Month cooking

Do you have any grocery-store trimming suggestions?

Happy Monday to You!

 

{this moment}

Joining Soulemama today in.....

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~Amanda Soule

 

Happy 11th Anniversary, Dan!  (And 'Happy Birthday' to the family that we love so much :)

Love, Kristen

 

 

 

 

Babies Don't Keep!

Growing up, my aunt had this poem in cross-stitch form hanging up in her bustling home.  I'm not sure why, but it stuck with me even as a young child.  But now, with this fourth little one, quite a lot of bustling of our own, and little experience under my belt, I finally really get it. 

Happy Day to You!

Babies Don't Keep

Mother, O' Mother, come shake out your cloth,

Empty the dustpan, poison the moth.

Hang out the washing, make up the bed,

Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,

Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due,

Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek - peekaboo.

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew,

And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo.

But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.

Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?

Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow,

But children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

~ Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

 

 

{this moment}

Joining Soulemama today in.....

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~Amanda Soule

The Makings of a Prairie Girl - Part 2

Hours after Lena's arrival into the world, my oldest girl got to spend a day back in prairie time.  And being the fantastic dad that he is, Dan left me and our new babe to go and spend a couple of hours with Rylen and her classmates...with explicit instructions to snap a few pictures for mama!

Her grandma packed her an honest to goodness lunch from the 1800's (thanks, mom!), complete with a leather satchel that Rylen made herself.

(You may have seen the first part of her dress here, but I finished the pinafore and you can get a small glimpse of it above even though she is sitting down.)

The children spent the morning at an authentic pioneer cabin....

 

 

...and then after lunch headed back to school for a prairie sing and dance a-long, a corn husk doll craft and some good, old-fashioned butter making.

So glad my girl could have this day to experience and learn, and to live out her inner prairie girl.  Don't we all sometimes wish we could?!

 

 

 

 

Yarn Along ~ November 9

Joining up with Ginny again after a lovely 'babymoon' break!

I must admit that lately, if given a choice between knitting or napping, I would go for the nap.  But since no one seems to be giving me that choice, I have decided to tackle this little sweater for my sweet Lena. My first attempt at it was back in the summer, but I scrapped it because I realized that the markers I used were too thick and caused a bigger than necessary gap in between stitches. 

We'll see how it goes this time.  Right now I'm just a couple of rows past the cast-on. 

And I just have to show you some finished products on this little girl!  The pebble dress is a gift from my dear friend Ellen of Hurrayic.  Lena wore it to her debut at church last Sunday and both she and the pebble were quite a hit!

I made the hat last Spring in anticipation of my girl's arrival.  It seems long and high on her little head, but something about it is cute and quirky anyway. 

Hoping this Fall is bringing lots of cozy knitting your way, too!