hello ~

In whatever quiet and peaceful moments I’ve had this week, I’ve been finding myself reading, thinking, and knitting. I’ve noticed in reading through my favorite blogs since the beginning of Spring that a lot of great ideas are floating around. The crafting energy is picking up and it’s been inspiring to see a lot of wonderful and exciting ideas emerging. I’m hoping for some of that energy to continue to bring me new ideas as I have been jotting a lot of thoughts down this week. I even caught myself browsing the sewing/knitting sections of a bookstore or two . . . hoping to find some newly published material that has peaked my interest.





On a totally different note, we have a new family favorite – a homemade gingerbread muffin recipe I found here. I should have been more patient earlier in the week, it would have been worth it, but now I know!!! I wasn’t sure how the kids would like the lemon icing, but they loved it. These are definitely worth giving a try, and I’m keeping this recipe in my favorite’s file . . . and they might make it to Sunday . . . for company.

snacking ~

Since early in the year, I've been doing a lot of snacking (aka eating small meals), mainly to ward off the nausea, but lately, I’m finding myself wanting to be creative again, even in the kitchen. I have always loved the way my cravings have guided me through each of my pregnancies, knowing EXACTLY what it was I wanted to eat. Today . . . it was gingerbread muffins. I did cheat and used a store bought box of mix for times sake, but I decided to add a little somethin’ to make it more homemade.



It's hard to tell from the pictures, but I mixed up a couple tablespoons of light brown sugar and zested a tangerine – mixed together for a fabulous topping. The orange flavor with the gingerbread was wonderful and easy!!

number 4 is on the way!

Since finding out on Christmas Day that number 4 was on the way, I haven't felt like doing much. Hence, not so much blogging, knitting, sewing going on here. I'm on the upturn now, just finished my first trimester, I'm 16 weeks now and feeling . . . oh so much better!!! I'm thrilled to be feeling like knitting more, sewing more, and writing more. Plus with the weather turning warmer, I'm much happier these days!!!

Independence ~

Sometimes we are blessed in the mornings with little things that seem to brighten our day. Things that may not affect others in the same way. This morning Elise decided to dress herself. She went to her sock drawer and decided she must wear her knitted leg warmers under her pants with navy socks and her red shoes today. Not a combination I would have thought of, but it was adorable watching her feel so confident in picking out her outfit.



These leggings have really been the perfect winter accessory for her!! They seems to go with just about . . . anything!!

Those pesky leprechauns! ~

This morning we woke up to this sight in our foyer! Apparently in the night, leprechauns decided it would be fun (and tricky) to put every shoe in the house (even mine and Daniel's) in a big pile in the foyer by the front door. The kids were very surprised and loved every minute of this fun, even finding a few hidden shamrocks inside their shoes and through the house.

It has been fun to hear throughout the day different tricks these Leprechauns played on our friends. It seems like St. Patrick's Day is becoming . . . an early April Fools!!

Warm weather ~

This is starting to become a weekly blog, not that I want it to be that way at all!! Please bare with me, I have a feeling that once warm weather decides to stay, I'll get back to posting daily or at least 3-4 days a week. So please accept my appologies!!!



Early on this week, I had the pleasure of walking around on a warm afternoon and my eye caught a wee bit of color against the brown dull scenery in my back yard. I stooped down and to my surprise I had one tete a tete bulb (miniature daffodil) peeping up from the ground that made it since last fall when I planted it from a store bought forced pot of tete a tetes. It brought such a smile to my face that I vowed to plant many many more this fall to start a children's garden. {Elise wanting to pick my one little flower before I got my picture was what inspired that thought! I was lucky I got the shot!}



Jonmichael and Elise spent one morning digging up earthworms in the backyard followed by an outing to the river where the boys went fishing and us girls tagged along later for lunch by the water.



I'm looking forward to when days like this are the norm . . .

winter day of play

Interestingly enough, only 4 days since my last post, all 8 inches of snow have melted and we're back to spring-like weather, 60 degrees. It's hard to believe the differences in just one week. The girls spent Friday afternoon scouping up the leftover snow man and recycled him into a "soup" - how funny I thought.



I spent the afternoon in the kitchen cutting some shortbread I had made up the night before. These taste wonderful and I got the recipe here.





I have started my knitting back up again and will show/share more later.


Have a great weekend!!

It took until March, but we got our snow!

I have been spending the winter reading my favorite blogs, seeing all the snow and more snow happening in different parts of the US. Finally I get to share our little snow adventure that came upon up late Sunday afternoon and into the night!! We haven’t seen snow like this in about a decade – surely our children have never experienced snow like this. What wonderful fun we had today in our new outside world.