Recent projects...

We have lived in our house for almost 4 years & I have had nothing on my kitchen window. Would not be a big deal if I couldn't see directly into my neighbors kitchen window. Like millions of other americans I am hooked on Pinterest. Well, I looked up DIY roman shades & found a great tutorial. You can check it out here. I had to tweak a couple of things to make it work for me but it was pretty easy. You actually buy an inexpensive mini blind & cut it apart to attach the fabric. Brilliant idea in my book.

This is another hobo bag that I made for a friend as a very belated christmas gift. I'm so not a pink person but she is. I let her choose the fabrics & I think she did a great job. These fabrics are Joel Dewberry-Modern Meadow. Very sweet & feminine.

Last but not least a baby boy gift. Some friends of ours recently adopted a baby, they named him Asher. Cool name, huh? It was so awesome so celebrate him. They had waited for many years for their second child. God is so good!

Walking on thick ice - I hope!!

A few weeks ago after school Brent decided to taking the boys ice fishing on the lake just through the woods near our house. Anytime he suggests this as an activity with the boys I kind of cringe a bit & say "are you sure this is a good idea?" He always assures me that the ice is at least 12 inches thick and you could drive a truck out on it. Something I have learned the past few years is I have a major fear of myself (or someone in my family falling through the ice). The kind of fear people have of flying! I mean makes me tense up & have heart palpitations to be out in the middle of a lake on the ice. As you can see by looking at the pictures I'm the only one who has this fear in our family.

So, probably 100 yds out there you see Brent & Luke set up for catching a big one.

I walked down with Quinn & he took off RUNNING on the ice to his Daddy. He was so excited!

Clearly, no fear here.

Isn't he just the cutest?!

I only made it about 40 feet out on the ice & I just could not go any further or watch them out in the middle.

They did not catch a big fish but sure did have fun trying. I'm glad their Dad is building an adventurous spirit in them. God will use that someday I'm sure.

Been staying busy this winter

So last summer I got a "bug" to do some sewing projects. You know what...I really enjoy it! Was talking to my dear friend Lisa C a couple of days ago & she reminded me that I should post what I've been up to. So here it is...Several bags that I have made for friends, gifts, etc. Recently, I have been having fun making baby gift items. I'm really thankful my Mom taught me some sewing basics. At the time I don't think I enjoyed it nearly as much as I do now.

Having a creative outlet is really good for me. I like having a tangible product for my time. As a SAHM it's sometimes hard to look at your day & see what you have accomplished. I know caring for my boys is super important of course but I do like being able to complete a project & see the results.

I have also come to realize that I LOVE pretty, nice fabric and there is a ton of it out there. My friend Paige introduced me to Joel Dewberry's Aviary 2 line & I have been crazy about it. Love Amy Butler's Lotus collection too.

Mini mailsack in Amy Butler's lotus. This was a christmas gift for my friend Tracey.

Fun Hobo bag in Grey Chevron by Half Moon from Moda fabrics



Burp cloths, travel diaper wipes holder & a changing pad (also holds diapers/wipes) I'm thinking about making some of these to sell...anyone interested? :)

Pleated Shoulder bag...fabric from Joel Dewberry's Aviary 2 collection- Saffron pallete. Love it! The birds are a cute surprise inside the bag :)

This one is for a silent auction at Q's preschool. Wonder who it will go home with?

Mini mailsack in Amy Butler Lotus & Alexander Henry's Mocca. Love these fabrics too! Oh, there are so many fun ones....

This bag is from Amy Butler's Frenchy pattern & the fabric is again Joel Dewberry.

This was my friend Stacia's christmas gift. She loved it! Again, pleated shoulder bag in granite from Aviary 2.

This bag is called the "Birdy Sling" by Amy Butler & the fabric is from Joel Dewberry, aviary 2. I made this one for my friend Paige...it was kinda the beginning of the bag making frenzy. It's a great bag.

This is a full size Mail Sack. My friend uses it as her work bag. She manages to get her computer, ipad & i'm not sure what else in there. This baby holds a ton! The fabric is home dec from JoAnn. Have no idea what it's called.

You are probably wondering...when in the world do you sew? Well, a little at naptime but mostly late at night when everyone else is asleep. I'm the only nightowl in this house. It works out pretty well :) That's all I have for now. Next post will be more about life with cute little boys (& a cute big boy :)

Let me know what projects you have been up to...

Summer Project

We went to Kenya this summer with Oasis for Orphans. We served on a teaching team & spent the week in the school there. I taught a couple of nutrition classes for the kids and did some teaching for the women. I loved being a part of this team.

One of the most special parts of the trip was getting to meet & spend the week with Mercy Napono. She is the lovely young lady we sponsor through the ministry. How amazing that God gave us the opportunity to travel to the other side the world & meet this precious girl. Both of her parents passed away and she was one of the first children to move into the home. She has 2 brothers, but they were not in a place to provide for her & give her the education opportunities she is getting with Oasis.

In thinking about what gifts I would like to give her many things came to mind. I love to give gifts! She had requested some basics, clothes, etc. I wanted to give her something she could keep forever to remember our trip by. My grandmother and great grandmother were quilters. Sewing is an art the has been passed down through several generations in my family. I'm certainly no seasoned seamstress but I can use a machine & sew in a straight line. So,I decided to try my hand at making a quilt for Mercy. I met with a friend who was gracious enough to set me up with a simple pattern & gave me some directions. I stayed up many nights in June & July after the kids went to bed. I finished it! I was really happy with how it turned out. Check out the pics below.

I just LOVE her smile!

She was so happy with the gift.

Now, I want to make one for myself :)

Again, we were so thankful to have the privilege of meeting our Mercy.

Off to Kindergarten!

Luke started kindergarten on August 25th. He goes to Big Hollow School. Doesn't that sound like the name of a school in TN? I like it :) He has 2 teachers, Mrs. Leginski and Mrs. Alberts. He seems to be doing very well & really likes going- so thankful for that! His teacher says he keeps them laughing with all the big words he uses. He's our very articulate one for sure, always has been.

Lining up to go into class. Look at all the boys! Glad there are 2 teachers & an aide in the class.

What have I been doing since May?

Yes, it has been about 4 months since I posted anything in blog world. It was a great summer. Busy,adventurous, FUN. Just did not lend itself to much computer time. That's ok. I think that's what winter is for around here :) Wanted to share a couple of snapshots...

Sunset at the beach in Holland, MI--awesome week camping!

Luke & Quinn couldn't get enough of the beach. Yes, it was sunny & cool enough for fleeces in early June.



Fun times riding the garage sale 4-wheeler Brent picked up. Best $20 spent all summer. You should see Quinn go on this thing!

I made a quilt- for real! It was for someone very special. More on that later. I gave up facebook to get this project done. Lots of midnight oil here.

Kenya!! 2 weeks, just me & Brent. Glorious.

Here we are just arrived on "the Hill" & met our Mercy. It was a sacred moment.

So, you have a glimpse of our amazing summer. More coming soon.

Easter

We had a great Easter this year. The services at church were amazing. My Mom was able to come up & celebrate with us. This was a huge blessing for me because for about 4 days that week Brent is doing services at church. In years past I have resisted the "Easter outfit" pressure. Our church is very casual & the dress up expectations are low so I usually put the boys in khaki's & a golf shirt & call it good. This year I decided we would do the traditional dress up. We went with argyle sweater vests with coordinating shirts. I admit, it was fun to pick them out. I thought the boys looked so adorable :)

Here are a few shots of them at an Easter egg hunt.

I found one!




Could they be any cuter?!

My friend Andrea prepared this spread for everyone. She does amazing things with dark chocolate!

Great memories with family and friends.