Crochet Girls

Rachael with BFFs, Leia & Ali, and Gabi

Rachael's new do, the messy bun

My 7-grain bread from OurBestBites.com! Love

Gabi and stitches on her cheek

I guess I should say from the picture of Gabi on the previous post, that Gabi had to get 2 stitches on her cheek last Monday. The kids were outside doing crafts with a friend and Rachael started cleaning up. She was swinging the outdoor push broom around and it struck Gabi, with the screw ripping a little hole in her cheek. So when I looked at it, I knew it would need stitches.

Gabi was such a trooper. They numbed her cheek with a topical for 20 min, and then gave her a shot still, which it didn't seem like it helped much, because when the Doc did the stitches, she still squinted her eyes and let out a couple of tears. And even after that, she wasn't saying that her face was numb or felt weird or talking different (like if part of her cheek/mouth wouldn't life in a smile). And that is only just now making me realize.... hmmm. And he put in a decent amount, like, it took him more than a few seconds to put the full syringe of numbing fluid in. Maybe it was water but they bill it as meds? LOL. Anyway, she was a strong girl and said she wanted cotton candy ice cream when we left. I said I hoped to find it. And we did, at HEB. Love that place.

I got mint chocolate chip for the rest of us.

It was a little adventure and now both Rachael and Gabi have had stitches. (Rach had one on the top of her head when she was in Kindergarten from bumping the top of her head under a bench on the playground). Wonder what it will be for Jake? Ha!

Thoughtful, creative daughter

Rachael has become my crocheting buddy. I got her a little yarn and needle basket for Christmas when she was 6 and tried to teach her how to chain, but we decided to wait a little bit. Throughout the past 5 years, we have gone over it with the last couple of years showing much improvement, but she couldn't settle down for very long to keep at it. Now she has friends (Plus they recently had an Activity Day lesson about crocheting), that inspires her to keep at it. She told me that she doesn't have time to do it, but I told her, that if we sat down together and gave it just 10 minutes, that she would be able to start completing projects she had started. So now, we have been sitting on the couch crocheting, and she finished her first project. By default, it became a shawl. Rachael said, It kind of ruffles at the bottom from not doing it too great. (First project, I think it is great!) and what did my sweetie do?? She turned lemons into lemonade and said, I could make it a shawl for Gabi. I just need a button to go right here (and she pointed to the top of it). I thought, mmmhmmm. And then she went to our sewing box in the closet and came out with a button and then got some pink thread and the needle and brought it to me. She was trying to sew the button into the yarn of the shawl but couldn't get it to work. I ended up getting the button where she wanted, and then, voila! She had a completed project. Kudos to her for finding inspiration on what to do. (Because she needed to finish because she was nearing the end of her yarn). And so now Gabi has a new shawl, which she pranced around in last night at our ward Family Game Night, and then wore to church this afternoon. So cute! I love that Gabi is excited about it too. Today Gabi saw us crocheting and wanted to join and so I was trying to teach her. We'll see how that ends up... I still think she may need maybe one more year. She may get it sooner, especially if she sees Rachael and I doing it a lot, and she is determined. Dad calls us his "little grannies". I think of us a pioneer women club. :)

Valentine's

So it is SUCH fun having a preschooler for special occasions, like Valentine's! We made play dough hearts for Gabi to give to her Busy Bee preschool friends. I found the cute printable labels here...http://the-wilson-world.blogspot.com/2012/01/play-doh-valentines-with-printable.html

As we were rolling the dough and cutting out the hearts, Gabi said to me that she was having a great time doing this with me. AW! She's my sweetie-pie! She always knows what to say and do to melt my heart! We had great mommy-me time as her older sister was at school and little brother was napping. 

This is the best recipe for home made play dough....

2 pkgs. Kool Aid (sugar free)

2 1/2 cups flour (sifted)

1/2 cup salt
3 t. cream of tartar
2 T. oil
2 c water

Mix first four ingredients in a bowl. In a saucepan, bring oil and water to a boil. Mix together by pouring the hot liquid on top of the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Let it cool till you can handle it. Knead until smooth. Store in Ziploc bag.

Can't wait for the preschool valentine party in a few min! Gabi's older sister made origami boxes and put candy inside and decorated the outside to give out to her classmates. Very creative. We thought of other projects, but she has been learning origami (heart, flower, box) in art at school and she decided she wanted to make everyone a box. I got to spend time with her and make a few with her, and that was our fun Mommy-me time, but the other two siblings were there "paper crafting", cutting with scissors and taping things.

Last night we also made and decorated sugar cookie hearts. Fun!

This morning I woke up early and decorated the table (as my annual tradition) and put rose petals on the table, our cards and boxes of chocolates, and red streamers from the light fixture over the table. We were going to make heart-shaped pancakes, but we decided not to and made double-cheese bacon biscuits that we love from Picky-palate.com.

Rach brought juice boxes for her class party and we have the guess how much candy jar, so she brought Valentine M&Ms in a jar for the game. I can't wait to hear how her party goes!

Okay, I'm off to take the preschooler to her party!

Hubby and I have Valentine's EVERYDAY. He is so romantic and sweet and loving. He compliments me everyday, slow dances with me in the kitchen, helps around the house, and is just absolutely wonderful. I love him so very much and feel so blessed to have him. We have a wonderful family.

Happy Valentine's Day friends and family! Hugs to all!

The week of Thanksgiving and all through the house...

Food. Food is good. Food is fun. Last night I baked zucchini bread with chocolate chips. Turned out fantastic! Crispy on the top, moist in the center. Yum! I didn't take any pictures. But speaking of pictures, I wanted to put some cute ones up of the fam, so I am making this post about my many Thanks. :)

1. I am very grateful for my wonderful family. To be blessed with a wonderful husband. He is my best friend. He is so great to me. I am grateful that he is mine forever. My children, I am blessed to have three. With so many friends of mine that struggle with infertility even after having even one or two children, how their hearts ache for more. I am thankful for our three, whether we keep it three, or also we have talked about adopting others in the future when Jake gets older. I love children. I love that ours are big sweethearts and that I want to be around them. But yes, I feel blessed that I have had the opportunity to be able to carry three.

2. Which reminds me. I am so blessed to be able to stay at home with my kids and raise them, and be around them 24/7. I loved when I did work, and wouldn't mind it if I did again, but I am sure glad that I get to spend this precious time with the kids; they are growing so fast. Being home also allows me to care for the home and develop domestic skills like canning/sewing/menu planning/couponing, etc. I am a work in progress. But I can't wait to see how I end up! (and teaching these skills to my kids as well)

3. I am thankful for my faith in my Lord. Without my faith, I would be lost. Sometimes it is hard for me not to be driven about everytime the media says something. I think I want to go this direction or that direction. I wonder sometimes if I am doing the right things. But when I center myself and pray, I am reminded that my path is the path that gives me peace, that brings a quiet happiness, as opposed to the party lifestyle that the media portrays as being the way towards happiness. I know I have a Father in Heaven, a brother that died on the cross for me, so that I can repent and try again. I am grateful for repentance as it gives me a clean slate, which gives me joy, instead of misery, that I am a horrible person for the things I have done. I also love the eternal perspective that was reminded to me on Sunday in Relief Society, when we discussed how the Lord knows our Spirits, and knew us before we came here, and so we feel bad about ourselves, but our vision is so small about who we really are. It's a beautiful thought, and I love it. I am more than I am now. And God loves all of me. I try to think of that when I am hating on  myself.

4. I am grateful that I live in the United States of America. What a blessing! I know it has it's imperfect moments, and right now there is drama, but the fact that I can walk down the street and do what I want, that I can go to what church I want, have what job I want, raise my kids the way I want, marry whom I want... FREEDOM, it's fantastic. I love the American Flag. I love our military fighting for my family's freedom. I am grateful for the protection I have here. I am grateful that our set-up isn't so corrupt, that we can't even trust the police (I'm sure there are bad experiences out there, but for the most part). Anyway, I am glad I get to vote, that there aren't shootings and trampelings and threats and all these problems for who we get to decide who goes into office. I am grateful for a President, not a King, or a Prime Minister. I am grateful we have a checks and balance system. I know the Founding Fathers were inspired, and although they were not perfect, they did their best. I am grateful for freedom of speech. That we don't live in a country that censors what we can see on the internet. I am grateful I can blog about whatever I want. :)

5. I am grateful to have a roof over my head, electricity and running water, clothing, bedding, that I and my family can read and write. I am grateful that we are not starving but can go to the grocery store and basically pick whatever it is we feel like eating.

6. I am MOST definitely grateful for me and my family being healthy. I know this is huge!! The fact that we can see, and walk and hear and are not in a hospital or doubled over in pain, or having to be on any medications. Whenever I do have a problem, I feel such empathy for those who struggle with health problems every single day.

7. So on that I am sorry if I haven't been a better person because of these blessings. I am sorry if I haven't been a better friend, mother, daughter, or person in the community. I am sorry if I hurriedly passed you by if you were in need of a helping hand. I hope to be better, every single day. Please forgive me and know that I am working on being better. Please ask me for help if you need it. I get so caught up in my brain that sometimes I don't really stop and look around. I hope I haven't offended anyone, I really try not to. :) I do put my foot in my mouth from being opinionated.

8. If I know you and you are reading this, I am lucky to know you. Thank you for all that you have done for me or my family. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and know that we are more blessed because of you!

Cheers!

Happenings

Today I am recovering from a Strep infection in my leg, sewing patches on Kev's work shirt (company logo) and trying to sew Rach's dress. Beef jerky is also dehydrating. And awaiting the word from a house we are trying to rent. We hope to get it! When/if we do, we will put up pictures!


Jake dragged a doll stroller upstairs. He is hilarious. Gabi and Rach both have friends over and are about to go swimming. Ahh, summer days!

Quilt

I also made a couple quilt squares to go to a family in our ward, the daughter has a rare brain cancer and so we all rallied around to do something nice, and (well, there have been tons of things!) but this is one project that I helped work on. I can't wait to see what the final results are with everyone's quilt squares put together!