What a difference a month makes!

Here's where we were, just one, short month ago...

 ...and now look!

The sun has finally decided to make an appearance.  And it's supposed to stick around for another day or two.

You can't even imagine the excitement around here, what with new swim suits and sprinklers!

Our darling Daisy...well, most of the time.  She made sure to steer clear of the sprinklers and excitement happening on the other side of the yard.

 I'm hoping that while eveyone is outside, enjoying the sun, I might sneak away inside and finish up a cute, little top for Sophia that coordinates with her "Tangled" skirt.    I really should be weeding my garden beds, and getting them ready for planting.  I even bought a new hand trowel, since my other ones have all mysteriously "disappeared".   It's clean and shiny, and ergonomically correct.  I'm excited to think how my raised beds will look when they're all weed-free.  Hmmm.  It is supposed to be sunny tomorrow, too...why put off sewing today when weeding can be done tomorrow?!?  Hope the sun is shining wherever you live, too!

Cheap Entertainment on a Sunny Afternoon!

Living in the Pacific Northwest, we have our share of rainy, gloomy weather.
Today was NOT one of those days!

Oldest son still at home made a "train" and offered rides to all the siblings.

At first, the riding mower only had the garden cart hitched to it. But every few turns around the yard, another vehicle was added until it was pulling three ride-ons.

And yes, even I, the mature, responsible mom, took a few spins around the yard!

My goofball son

And while I was acting like a kid, my five-year-old grabbed the camera and took this picture. Not bad, huh? Hope you're having a wonderful, spring day no matter where you live.

More Snow Pictures

When the kids first headed outside, they had to squint because the snow made everything so bright.

Poor little daffodils...probably wondering why they bothered blooming so early!

At the neighborhood park, just down the road.

Dress Up!

Sophie is my girlie-girl. She loves babies and dress-up and anything that has something to do with being feminine. My boys are your typical boys. Dirt and bugs and legos, but not necessarily in that order. This particular boy has an "artsy" side. So every now and then I'll find him doing something out of the ordinary, like dressing up his little sister like a princess. He picked out her dress, which has become too short, so he also added a black, tulle skirt underneath to give it some length. Next, they raided the jewelry box for necklaces and clip-on earrings. When my mother passed away a couple of years ago, she left behind a box filled with costume jewelery which my kids love to play with.

Then came the hairstyling, and finally the hairspray to hold it all in place. Little sister is eating this up.

The stylist and his protege.

Just look at all that bling!

Here's "the pose". Little sister has got this one down good. It is her go-to pose whenever she sees the camera. And lest you think she is completely sugar and spice, about 5 minutes after this picture was taken, she was jumping outside on the trampoline with her brothers, wearing nothing but her underwear. In 40 degree weather. With gusty winds. I did not take a picture. I should have. But I think you get the idea.

Fifteen

Fifteen years ago today, at 10:19 am, my first daughter entered the world. All 8 lbs, 7 oz. of her. After three boys, I wasn't going to believe it until I saw it. In fact, I even took a boy outfit along with me to the hospital, because I wasn't willing to totally believe the ultrasound. Afterall, they make mistakes, don't they? But then, there she was. The nurses cleaned her up and presented her to me, and she had a little, pink bow in her hair. I'll never forget that. PINK. I could hardly believe it. Here was the little girl I had always dreamed of.

Needless to say, she was treated like a little princess. Her brothers loved her (at least until she got older and started getting into their stuff!) I sewed before she came along, but once she was here, my sewing really kicked into high gear. Frilly dresses, ruffles and lace. This was also when I learned how to smock. I discovered a magazine called "Sew Beautiful", which is full of heirloom smocking and sewing projects for children. I was hooked. I HAD to learn how to smock. So I taught myself. My very first smocking project for her was an Easter bonnet. The stitching was far from perfect. But oh, how proud I was of that bonnet. I made a matching coat, too, all out of light pink corduroy. I sewed a lot pink that first year! I sewed for my boys also, but there just isn't as much you can do for them. They did get a lot of flannel pajamas, though.

This must be the "new" fifteen. I can honestly tell you, I never looked this good when I was that age. I was a "late bloomer", awkward and gangly. I didn't have a clue about fashion, or how to make my hair look cute. I was horse-crazy, so I'm sure I cared more about how my horse looked than how I was dressed.

This girl has style, poise, and confidence. Not sure where she got that from, 'cause it didn't come from me. It took me a long time to acquire those attributes, and I'm still not 100% sure of myself!

Happy Birthday, Natalie. Your family loves you. Jesus loves you. I'm looking forward to seeing what the next fifteen years hold for you.

A Walk to the Thrift Store

We celebrated the beautiful, sunny (but cold!) weather today by running through a park. Hey, at least it wasn't raining. That's cause for celebration enough around these parts!

We also took a walk around the neighborhood, which led us to our neighborhood thrift store. I LOVE thrift stores...especially this one. Most of the items are not individually priced. It's the kind of store where you just bring everything you want to buy up to the front counter, and they say "how about $10?" Which is what I spent for everything in the above picture. This includes a name brand hoodie and a tee-shirt for my oldest daughter, a pretty, white shirt for the two-year old, a large, framed picture, a Ravensburger puzzle, a vintage china plate made in England, a vintage vase made in Japan, lots of kid books (because we love to read), and last but not least, a three yard piece of beautiful fabric by Robyn Pandolph for Moda Fabrics. I am really trying not to bring much new fabric home this year, as I want to use up what I have. But I just couldn't pass this up. It's a very, high-quality quilter's cotton that runs about $12 a yard at the fabric store. And I paid, I don't know, maybe 50 cents for it?

Son #4 on this cool spinny thing at the park. It's so much fun. You jump on, grabbing hold of the pole, and the g-forces whip you around like crazy. I didn't go on it this time. But I have experienced it, and let's just say, I'm not as good at handling spinning as I used to be when I was...um...younger.

The tomboy, the princess, and the sweetheart.

Can't go to the park without a swing picture, right? Sophia loved it. But she kept complaining that her fingers were "feezing". (She can't say her "r's" very well yet) I tried to get her to keep on her mittens, hat and coat, but, well, she's two. Enough said.

And here she is, doing "canon balls" off the slide. She is my risk taker/daredevil. I guess that happens when you're the youngest of eight and need to keep up with everybody else.

Son #5, my sweetheart. Sometimes, I could just eat him up, he's so sweet. Apparently, the fever he had yesterday was nowhere to be found today.

Here's wishing you all a beautiful, winter's day!