Happy Heart Day!

 Happy Heart Day!

We had a pretty good Valentine's Day.... It started off a little shakey when Jordan and I, bleary-eyed from serious lack of sleep last night, hugged and said good-bye in the morning.  But the day perked up, friends came over for a little Valentine's day playdate party, my sister showed up and we sat down, all of us, for a beautiful dinner together in the evening.  And now, both kids are in bed and we are flopped on the sofa reflecting on the day.   We have to agree it was pretty good.

We had a little Valentine's Day playdate with some mama friends with littles that go to our church.  I have met some really wonderful women there and am so very glad to be connecting over our children.  So looking forward to more playdates with these kiddos.  They are so adorable.  I made some red velvet cupcakes and got some cookies from our favorite little bakery, Cordi's and our friends brought various things.  I got out my grandmother's old tea cups and sipped tea while our children ripped around the house, bouncing up and down creating their impromptu band.

 These two hit it off!  Pretty sure they are going to be really great friends as they get older.

 Seriously, very very good cookies.  And beautiful!

These kiddos made their own impromptu airband--Roman on the drums, Olivia the lead singer and Gabriel on guitar.  They were hilarious!!  So glad I got a video.

We made our valentine's cards this year and Gabriel made one for his dad and drew a picture of an airplane for him. 

My sister showed up for the weekend and we are delighted!  You might remember I wrote a little blog about her here. She just swooped Gabriel up in her arms, spoiled him with treats and has been playing with him nonstop.  She took him outside in his snowsuit with his new bike that we got him for his birthday.  And then they got out the rolls of wrapping paper (make-shift hockey sticks) to play a game of hockey in the livingroom.  Gabriel is really into skating and hockey these days--maybe some influence from watching the Olympics.  

 

I love this man so very much.   Thank you for coming home every day, not knowing what disaster you are walking into.  He must think "I've been working ALL day."  But he keeps on going--playing with Gabriel, cleaning up the mess from the day, reading stories, doing bathtime, walking the dog, grocery shopping, holding Madgalene so I can catch a shower and listening to the run down from our day.  I mean, how does he do it all?  I am such a lucky woman.  Really.

And just a little picture of Magdalene's pouty lip.  We know where she got that from. 

Happy Valentine's Day!  Hope yours was beautiful.  And that you were able to spend it with the ones you love. 

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The BIG Reveal!

Well......  I was going to wait for another few weeks for the "Big Reveal" of baby girl's room.  But the truth of the matter is that we are just too excited!!  (And I have a feeling that with Christmas coming and company and then baby girl arriving as well...  That I just might end up being too busy).  So for all my friends and family who have been asking, here you go!

The lamp above was my grandmother's lamp and when my grandfather recently passed away, it was one of the most treasured items passed along to me.   If there was anything I remember about that old house behind the hardware shop from my childhood, it was this lamp.  Now restored to its original beauty, it just had to be a part of baby girl's room.  This is completely what inspired this room--the vintage floral theme with pinks and greens and aqua.  Feminine.  Whimsical, but not too overdone.

So along with a few other family treasures--a chair and painting belonging to Jordan's grandparents, and a rocking horse from Jordan's childhood--and other things we picked up along the way.... well, it appears the room is just about done.  And now just waiting for baby girl.

Mom and I had so much fun putting this room together--unpacking all of those adorable girl's clothes and putting up pictures and mirrors.  I think Mom and Dad are really looking forward to having a little granddaughter they can spoil.

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Late Night Painting Sessions

It's one am.  And I am staring at the painting above the fireplace.  Correction.  My painting.  Not sure how I feel about this new adventure.  Highschool was a long time ago and I am feeling incredibly rusty.  A few sleepless nights filled with the exhilaration of inspiration, the afterglow of our visit to the Torpedo Factory, was followed up a trip to the arts supply store and the almost completing emptying of tubes of paint onto canvas.  It started out with an image in my head, but somehow this wasn't it.  But sometimes I think the process of making art isn't as selfish as emptying the beauty in your head as it is working with the canvas and allowing your brush to do what it wants to do.  That's what I discovered over the past couple of late night sessions.  Every time I tried to make it do what I wanted, I ended up having to paint over it.  Or maybe I was just too terrified to actually to really "let go."

Anyway, it's still not done.  But it sits there taunting me from its perch above the fireplace.  I think I have a lot to learn but it's a start and it's an outlet for the creativity....  Because obviously writing, blogging, gourmet cooking and photography aren't enough yet.  This is just a teaser....  Enjoy!

I promise the next post will be ALL about Gabriel and the wild things he is doing.  An update is long overdue.  This kid blows my mind!


See FINISHED PRODUCT.