I have had the headband fever for a few weeks now. I had come across a really fun blog by a designer and super creative woman and saw that she had a pretty neat pattern for headbands. On Christmas morning at the G’s I received a pattern that I had been longing for. Brad’s mom had to purchase it off eBay and the seller included a free pattern for the same headband that I had come across online. After finally remembering to purchase elastic today I sat down tonight to accomplish this headband. I used some of my super fun fabric and I am really excited about the way that it turned out. I am anxious for birthdays now as I think that this will be the new gift this year!

Our recent 60 degree weather forced most of my bulbs up early…sad! With a wintry snow on the way I headed out to the yard this afternoon to see what I could save or at least capture to share with you. A few of the Miniature Daffodils had begun to bloom so I picked what I could but I think that a majority of the Regular Daffodils will be lost as they have not even begun to bloom but all their leaves are up. The Crocuses are in full bloom but seem too small to pick. They are quite beautiful in their vivid yellow and purple. They will look pretty in the snow that is if we actually get it…I am still hoping.

I have finally recovered enough from Christmas (I always try to make to much) that I thought that I would post two of my favorite projects that I made for our niece and nephew. I knew that I wanted to make an apron for our niece and decided on the same for our nephew. I know that it is not so much a “guy thing” but I decided that he too could help mom in the kitchen and he could use it while painting etc. I just bought a craft apron from our craft store and used it as a pattern. The kids craft apron was pretty small so I ended up adding a few inches to all the sides. It also turns out that the adult apron is pretty small and it worked great as a pattern for our 8 year old nephew. Just a little FYI there for you! I ended up backing the aprons so that they would have a more finished look especially after I monogrammed them. Ciara’s apron was definitely a little bit more fun to make since you could add the ribbon and tassels just to make it that much more girly. For Austin’s I just stuck with the fabric since it was guyish! Enjoy the pics!

Brad has done a great job helping me to update my blog! Thanks Honey for the spiffy new site! There are still a few more things to add but I am really excited about it. I decided that the old blog was a bit to “happy” and the new blog while happy just seems a little bit more like me somehow.

This is my favorite picture to see on our local forecast! I would love it even more if it was not for that question mark! In the next week there are nine chances of snow in the forecast (including days and nights). This is the most of these little pictures that I have seen in quite some time for our local area. The thing that always tends to happen though is as those days approach the little pictures turn into sunshines! I do love the sunshine but if it is going to be cold it might as well snow! Come on snow!!!

I found fabric this week that I fell head over heels for! Our Joanns store is just kind of hit or miss for fun prints. You have to really be searching to find a gem sometimes and this was one of those times. I just randomly happened across Alexander Henry’s “apples+pears” it was in the wrong section and I am so excited that it was! I think that this fabric is destined to become a purse soon and maybe a headband or two. I bought extra of course because I just loved it so! I am sure that it will show up on quite a few little items over the year.

I am not a huge fan of bright and early, truth be told I am not a fan of bright and a little bit later either! I usually cannot put full sentences together until about 11:00am. Morning just isn’t my thing. I was really enjoying my slumber this morning…I mean really really enjoying it! Charis is a bit under the weather and woke up a lot during the night but she had fallen back asleep and was snoozing soundly. I am getting to the part in this pregnancy where it is really hard to get cozy and sleep so I was really happy about my slumbering self this morning. I was so warm and cozy and asleep! Then it all began…the doorbell rang and I jolted up thinking everyone knows not to ring the doorbell in the morning. I decided that it was not important and turned back over trying to go back to sleep when it rang again. I was frustrated and just so hoping that Charis would not wake up. I got myself out of bed and to the window to see that there was a tree cutting service at my neighbors house. Now someone was pounding on the front door so I pulled myself together and ran down stairs to find no one at the door. I went outside to find the tree guys working away. I asked them what they needed and they just wanted permission to get in our backyard to help with the tree cutting. So nice of them to ask but please feel free to wonder into my backyard anytime especially early in the morning without asking. The guy that I was speaking with started to look at me and made it to my feet to see that they were bare. He asked why I did not have shoes on. Without attacking him I just said well you were franticly pounding on my door so I thought that it might be an emergency. I promptly turned around and went back inside. I was pondering bed again when I heard all the chainsaws start up and the wood chipper kick on. I just sat on the bed for a bit awaiting Charis’s awakening as everything was so loud I knew it would just be a matter of time. She was a little concerned about the sounds and kept asking if there was a train outside. I took her to the door and showed her the wood chipper and then to the window to show her the tree they were removing out back. The crew made quick work but we were already up and at em’ by this point in time. The backyard just isn’t the same anymore and almost looks odd! Our neighbor had a huge Bradford Pear Tree removed and in all honesty it really did need to come down as the top was starting to split and if it fell on the fence that would of been a hassle. With the large tree gone though our back corner now has light which it has not seen in probably 13 years or so. We have two trees in that back corner that are extremely crooked as they were just trying to get to the light. It did not look so odd with the huge tree there but with it gone now we have these wacky sideways growing trees. I guess we will be calling the tree service now but maybe we will add a little note not to come until later in the day!

I love the child like wonder in the simple pleasures of life. Not only the wonder but the pure joy as well! Charis gets more excited about Choo Choo Trains, Garbage Trucks, Rain, Snow, Flower Patterns on her clothes, Blankets and her Night Night Guys. These are such simple things in our almost everyday life that I fail to notice pretty often but to her it is a chance to rejoice, jump up and down and yell excitedly! Sometimes I long for things to be new, that child like wonder, awe and pure joy! We are definitely made us to worship! The question is what will we choose to worship! I pray that someday Charis will rejoice, jump up and down and yell excitedly because she knows the Lord! I pray that I will do this daily myself!!! I know the ONE who created the snow and rain! I know the ONE who gave great wisdom to men and women to construct Choo Choo Trains and Garbage Trucks! I know the ONE who gave creativity to those who put flower patterns on clothes, who make Blankets and Night Night Guys! I know the ONE who sees my sins, forgives me and chooses to love me unconditionally!

“You make all things new
You make all things new
Come redeem and come transform
Come renew and come restore
You make all things new
You make all things new
And forever we will watch and worship You”

All Things New by Steven Curtis Chapman

I love that our little Charis loves trains! We live a few miles from some tracks and she can hear each and every train with her little radar ears that are tuned specifically for trains evidently. She will run to us and let us know that she hears a choo choo and then she will make the whistle noise and the noise of the wheels clacking on the tracks. If we happen to see a train she will sit there just mesmerized by it. I love that she loves trains because they have always been apart of the stories that my grandmother would share with me. Her father was a train engineer on the Clinchfield line. From an early age my grandmother would take me on train day trips. Trains seems to be from such a romantic era to me maybe that comes from the stories that my grandmother shared and the letters left behind that her Father and Mother wrote to each other. I am excited to share these stories and letters with Charis and Cai someday so that they might pass them on to their children as well.

We have begun spring cleaning a little early this year although the temps (highs near 70) make it feel just like spring in the middle of January. With the warm weather and the “threat” of a cold front we decided to tackle the attic today. Half of the attic is Christmas decorations and the other half is currently baby gear and Charis’s clothes (the kid has gone through the clothes). With a baby boy on the way we will have no need for little girl clothes so we are passing those onto some friends. As Brad sorted through some miscellaneous boxes I tackled Charis’s clothes. There are a few things that I know I can list on eBay to make a little money to buy boy clothes so I needed to pull those out. We also had some boy looking clothes mixed in with Charis’s stuff that I needed to pull out as we will have need for that soon. It was sweet to see all of Charis’s old clothes and remember different occasions. It made me a little sad to sort through things especially when I found her monogrammed burp clothes (I am not sure why this was emotional chalk it up to crazy pregnant emotions). I so miss her baby days but I love her toddler days! Every stage I think is the best until the next stage comes. I hear this ends by the teenage years! At any rate I pulled through and we made it through the Charis things and sorted out the things for Cai. Even though it did make me a little sad it made me quite excited for this new little ones appearance. It is fun to think about getting out all the baby items again! Brad got everything placed tidily back up in the attic for safe keeping until the big day is a little closer and we were able to gain a lot more room. We even cleaned up the garage a little while we were at it. Over Christmas break we tackled a few closets in the house so the only big spring cleaning left besides cleaning the actual house (which we will put off until I begin to nest or until Brad begins to nest; that is what happened last time) is Charis’s room. Since Cai and she will share a room we need to get some organization going on. I feel good about our accomplishments and the spring weather has really helped. I think that we are pretty pooped now so we can look forward to the colder temps and hope for a snow day to stay in and do nothing…although snow days with a kiddo are probably a little different than the snow day that I am thinking about. Hmmm! I shall save that for another post I suppose if it ever snows!