Sunday Afternoon

These days are full of patch quilts spread out on the family room floor (or park grasses or community rooms in the back of churches or backseat of my car). I try to contain the toys (and sometimes the babe) to the fabric boundaries of a three by four foot spread but inevitably I defied by both blocks & chubby toes every time. This afternoon I am sitting on her alphabet quilt- stitched together in 1930 something and then again in 2013. I am also amongst the scatter of a rather extensive Eric Carle book collection with a babe who is trying to shut my computer laptop screen. Elizabeth Mitchell is playing "You are my Sunshine" in the kitchen and I am trying to find words again. Thanks to a morning heart chat with Kelly I can recognize that this is how it is now. Chaotic, unbalanced, time consuming, sleep-oriented, beautiful, soft and cuddly with flickering moments to try to find a little piece of yourself in the middle of it all. 

A little time out

Boo. No Wednesday fiction. I have been under the weather. The dishes are piled up in the sink. Wadded up tissues are on the floor (gross). Ben is making soup runs every meal. I don't have much of a voice. On the bright side, sick days have never been cuter. 

Family Pictures from the Vortex

Photograph by Kelly

Sound check.

Photograph stolen from Priscilla :o)

 Birthday brunch with Cathy

A little floor time reading. (My favorite book so far!)

Sunday afternoon post-church brewery stop.

Miss D in her Olivia shirt. 

Adoring Dad

Around the House

In case I ever worried that our living room was not colorful enough

or did not shelve enough written words. . .

And if I was ever concerned that there were too many hardwood surfaces

and not enough soft corners . . .

And perhaps if I ever I considered that our coat rack was way too plain. . .

And if I ever really needed an excuse to read books and nap 

beneath homemade quilts and blankets...

I think the addition of you solved everything. 

A little Family Life

My favorite mama-daughter photo from 

Miss D and my photo shoot with my friend Lydia

First social excursion on my own again with my bible study (5 years!)

Renee's birthday at Longman and Eagle

Miss D is closing in on her second month (meu!) and I am trying to avoid the strong temptation to catch her every face and her every sound with an iphone. Rather I am trying to sit and observe and interact. I do, however, still take a lot of pictures. This week she has started to smile at my voice and stare me, Ben, or the dangling jingling toys down with an intensiy that almost frightens me. I did not think I would find such profound joy in almost every moment we are together. With that said, I did go out to a whiskey bar Sunday afternoon for Renee's birthday while Miss D hung out with Ben and Pat to record the brass ensemble in the music studio. This week was filled with crafting and Vietnamese sandwiches with Cathy and Avery, bonfires and brats with the worship team, bookclub to discuss the fantastic read The Night Circus, a visit with JaJa and Gmo, return to Melissa and my 2+ mile walks around the city- now with little bundled babies, and a lot of episodes of Parks and Rec whilst cuddling with my little skinny love. What could be finer?

Christmas 2012

A few pictures from this Christmas...

Unexpected out of towers... or is that Teo?

Christmas Eve after our church service

Pippa... the dog wearing a thunder vest in hopes of 

comforting her stranger anxiety Christmas morning.

This year's Christmas ornaments. I loved the patterns I had to work with this year!

My 50 year old Christmas elf. 

And a few Christmas carols. 

Pacific Northwest... Into the Wilderness

A few days in the gritty city and then moving north.

Above: A mountain on the way to Whistler, Canada.

Standing among the same trees that hundreds of Olympians performed before.

Ben and Josh taking a few shots at the Olympic Biathlon 

Awww....

Winners!

Moving back to the far northwest side of Washington...

Into the rain forest of Olympic National State Park

And then over to the Pacific Ocean: Ruby Beach

Ben stopping to add a rock statue... 10 rocks high. 

Day One of the Pacific Northwest: Seattle

Happy Labor Day

Hope there is absolutely no labor in your day. 

Ben's Birthday

Can't really complain about our thirties. 

Note Mark a lounging in the back of the sail boat. Lurve.

Angelas Birthday

Fourth of July: the best holiday of the year

Rachel- my loverly sister-in-law- filled this red container up with

rosemary infused margaritas. Of course it's all about 

presentation too... don't forget the table cloth! 

(Grill master Ben in the background)

Mr. Teo on the paddle board. So skilled. So tan. So balanced!

Still smiling. 

Drinks on our blanket.

Miss Maye after our kayaking expedition. 

She got the free ride between her mama and Daniella. 

One of the hottest fourth of July's we've had in a while but we celebrated with absolute deliciousness and plenty of Lake Michigan water. This was the first time I ever found Lake Michigan not cold enough! My sister in law reserved some paddle boards and kayaks as well as prepared a yummy spread of herb and garlic infused burgers, herbed potato salad, and corn/ avocado salad followed by flour less chocolate cake. Despite the 100+ degree temperatures I could live this day over and over. We settled under a tree and when we became hot, we darted into the water for a few minutes dodging flying volleyballs and children in life vests.

After dinner we headed over to the fireworks at the boat yard (where a variety of people from our church and Ben's parents are usually camped out right on the shore), Teo (10), Daniella (13), and I weaved through the enormous crowds of families and fiestas (literally). 

Daniella to Teo: "I spend a lot of time at camp with little kids. I mean, you are a little kid but you are a cool little kid, you know? You're not a little little kid."

Teo: "Yeah. And you are an older kid but you aren't a crazy older kid. You are cool too." 

Can we please have more of these conversations in adulthood please?

In a friend's garden

I had the pleasure of spending Saturday afternoon in my friend Lydia's garden with Rachel, Lydia, her son (6 months), and their younger sister Lily. I don't know that I have ever left Lydia's home without a batch of freshly dug perennials. Thanks Lydia!!

Her vegetable garden... strawberries tossing their long limbs over the walls. 

Raspberries moving underground to expand into new homes. Imperfections 

can be so frustrating and so breathtaking at once...

Rachel and Lydia