{ A Beautiful October Day, Anticipating January }

A couple of weeks ago, Tim took our little family for an outing to enjoy the beautiful fall colors.  He was given a day off, which made for a wonderful 3 day weekend leading up to Oliver's birthday.  We made our way back to the church we had visited back in February, only then it was in snow.  We were excited to see it with the fall foliage and it was indeed very beautiful.  It wasn't until we were there, walking around, that I remembered we had gone there for my birthday earlier this year.  It was fitting that we should go back for Oliver's birthday, and that we would take maternity pictures at the same time.   

The busy and happy big brother

We also hunted out another church that we had been recommended to us.  It is still in use today and has been beautifully preserved.  It was a very special treat to find it open.

From there we drove to this lovely little church, also still in use.  

{ A Beautiful Fall Day }

Tim and I have had a strong desire to take advantage of the fall season and enjoy it as much as possible. It seems like weekends so often get stolen away by things that just have to be done, however, and playtime gets put off. This weekend we reserved a few hours to enjoy the season. It was difficult. There were things that needed to be done and we all came down with colds this week, but we stuck to our plan and made the time. It was so worth it! We drove not too far from home and enjoyed an absolutely beautiful day at a harvest festival. Oliver loved the pumpkin patch and we brought home his first pumpkin. He kept a hand on it all the way to the car!

My parents were also there so it was a great family day.

{ Getting Ready for Baby }

Today I completed a gift I'm sending off to a far-away friend who is expecting her first baby. It was so much fun to put my creativity to work and to sew for a girl! I admit they were a little difficult to part with, because they turned out so cute. I guarantee I'll be making another giraffe! Wanna see?

{the tutorial is over here}

{ready to go}

{all wrapped up}

This has gotten me thinking of all the projects I'd like to do for our January baby. It's sad but true that I have yet to start anything. Life is a lot busier this time around, granted, but my mothering instinct wants to welcome this little bundle of joy with some special items just for him or her.

I have visions for the nursery, too. Some that Oliver will appreciate most and of course I need to create of nest for the new one. I'll keep you posted as these projects, hopefully, develop.

{ Notes on the Breeze }

Across our neighborhood this afternoon, through an open window, I heard the oh so familiar sounds of someone practicing a violin. Obviously a beginner. My mind flashed back to those many hours I spent as a young girl in my bedroom, literally scratching out my lessons and dreaming of sounding good. I remembered my admonition to parents when I was giving lessons, not to judge anything for a year. Violins are one of those instruments that require extreme patience and a very diligent training of the ear. They say it's the hardest instrument to learn. I don't know. Every instrument seems intimidating!

I think I was supposed to hear that student this afternoon, because for the first time in over three years I was motivated to get my violin out and look at it. Confession: Tim has still never heard me play. It's sad, but I stopped playing when I no longer had a piano in the house to tune it to. It's a little embarrassing to admit, but I can't just pull the notes out of the air and tune it that way. That ability is sorely lacking in my violin related gifts. However, tonight that dilemma was solved with a complete "aha" moment... find an online tuner. Everything is available online. Sure enough!

Now I'm so excited to get back to playing. There are lots of cobwebs to dust off, but that's okay. It will be interesting to see what Oliver thinks of it all. He loves music and has been fascinated by the instruments he's watched being played, but will he like it when it's me? Our family cat used to run terrified from the room or stand outside the closed door to my room and yowl. We'll see what happens, but I'm looking forward to inviting music back into my days.

{ A Sweet Weekend }

September 26, two years ago, I married my best friend.

We spent a sweet weekend celebrating. Saturday we went out for dinner. It was just heavenly to spend a whole evening together alone, with Oliver happily playing with Grandma and Grandpa.

{ Dinner on our Honeymoon }

{ Two Years Later }

{ Breakfast Sunday Morning ~ My mom surprised us with overnight french toast when we came to pick Oliver up Saturday night! ... yummm.... no cooking for two meals, thanks Mom! }

{ Presents from my man. *Sigh* So spoiled I am }

After two years of marriage, I am so happy to know that we know each other better, we are better people and life has only improved since our journey began!

{ 10 Years Later: Remembering 9/11 }

That morning was beautiful. I woke up excited to celebrate my sister's 16th birthday. What should have been sweet 16 quickly became bittersweet. I was the first one up and I remember turning on the radio and hearing things I couldn't understand. What was happening? Words like attack and terror. I went and woke up my parents and my family gathered around the tv just in time to see the second plane hit. I just remember we were all very quiet, like we couldn't tell if what we were seeing was real. As the next few hours went by and we were able to put together what was happening, I remember feeling like life had changed for good somehow. We finally remembered to wish my sister a happy birthday and we tried to go on and make her day special. I still remember feeling angry that she would always share her special day, her sweet 16 with those horrible memories.

Over the next several days we watched the news almost constantly. It felt like we couldn't miss a thing. I remember the eerie silence of no planes overhead and the fear I'd never known of wondering if we'd be attacked again and where.

Little did I know in those following days that the man I would marry in 8 years was volunteering to join the war or that watching the efforts of our soldiers in the following months was a little of what he was experiencing. I didn't know that today, 10 years later I would bear a part in the healing from wounds of one kind or another that every soldier who faces war comes home with.

~One of Tim's pictures taken in Afghanistan~

On the anniversary yesterday, I felt like I had healed up so much from that day 10 years ago. I felt like being 10 years out really had made a difference, but then I also acknowledged I couldn't watch the commemoration ceremonies. I realized those emotions, the wounds from 10 years ago are still under the surface and in reality life just never will be the same again.

That day a lot of innocence was lost. Evil took on a very real face. But good triumphing over evil and the assurance that God is in control of this world no matter how bad things get, that protection and security comes from Him ultimately are lessons I have learned much better since that day. I am proud to be an American, but I'm so much more thankful to serve the God who has already won the victory!

{ First Art Project }

I found this project today and proceeded to carry it out when Oliver got up from his morning nap.

I'm not sure who had more fun, me watching him or him playing in the goo!

I was so excited to find this project because I feel bad sometimes that I don't know what to do "crafty" with Oliver since he's still so little. This was perfect.


Our first picture for the refrigerator. Yeah!