Thursday, February 17, 2011

Valentine's Day Banquet

We enjoyed a Valentine's Day banquet at church last week, complete with an ice-cream bar, which was a big attraction. The girls had a good, relaxing time. I am so glad we went. Tonight, Sadie and I have plans to attend a SkyWarn class together. Keith is going to stay home with Maggie tonight. Sadie and I are going to sneak in a meal out together, a real rarity for us.











Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Hometime

More pictures from our 4+ day unexpected winter break. We spent so much time at home; it was lovely. Sadie slept as late as only a teenager can. Maggie found some droppers and called them her "test tubes" and did liquidy experiments.





Monday, February 14, 2011

One Project Finished


I completed a sewing project for Maggie last week; these days it seems to take every spare moment to complete anything. But I enjoy the process. The top is fleece and a sturdy cotton for the sleeves. The pants are elastic waisted denim with appliques made from the sleeve fabric. I love Simplicity patterns; I rarely sew with any other type pattern.
I think Maggie will be able to wear this next fall/winter as well.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Happy Half-Birthday, Sadie



Happy Half-Birthday, Sadie. You are 14 1/2 years old today.

When Sadie was small, I started a tradition of celebrating half-birthdays with small, family celebrations. We have a small cake and a small gift, but the main idea is just to enjoy each other and celebrate together. The years go by so fast.

I am so proud of you and your accomplishments, Sadie! It doesn't seem so long ago that you were small. I look forward to the years ahead and all the places you'll go.

{this moment}


{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.
Feel free to leave a link to your special moment in the comments section.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

My Clothesline

I am a devoted user of my clothesline; I guess the politically correct name for it is my "Environmentally Friendly Clothes/Laundry Drying System." The last few weeks have not co-operated weather-wise, but I can normally hang out the majority of my loads year-round. I once read that the average family of 4 saves $1200.00 per year in electricity costs by using a clothesline. The only loads I dry in the dryer are my whites, such as wash cloths, towels, etc. Even though my washer is high-efficiency, there is no such thing as a high-efficiency dryer, as I was told by the salesperson who sold me the pair I purchased. So, I feel like I am helping my wallet and the environment, plus saving the fibers of my family's clothes, since dryer heat wears clothes out much more quickly. Plus, I have a nice view and enjoy the fresh air as I work.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Winter Storm February 2011

What a restful, surreal week we have enjoyed. We woke up to sleet/snow on Tuesday morning, with low temperatures and icy roads. We spent Tuesday - Friday at home; school cancelled. On Friday, we had 3 more inches of snow on already icy roads. I left home only 2 times during those days. I will remember being housebound with pleasant memories. Today, we are up to a balmy 50 degrees, so we made a snowman as a family project. A few of the pictures had a cloudy lens. We really enjoyed watching the birds eating the seeds we put out during our time of being housebound. I think we have all had a special week to remember.