Just because...

... I can't get enough of these girls.

Yarning

Just a couple of the projects I have been working on since my last yarn along. I have since finished the blue adult size Gnome hat, also made a child sized one, a couple Soulemama favorite hats, two pairs of socks, a cowl, fingerless mitts, and a scarf.
I have just cast on another pair of fingerless mitts and a pair of baby socks.And waiting to be knit is 3 pairs of fingerless mitts, and another warm wooly hat. Phew, then I think I will be done with the holiday knitting!

Keep Calm and Craft On

Some of the many crafts going on: beewax candle rolling and me once again pulling out the fabric for Nuala's quilt and seeing what I want to do about it. I am thinking it may have to wait until after Christmas and actually become a birthday quilt. I ordered a couple more fabrics in pink to add a bit to the mix of white, green, and blue. We shall see.

Joining Nicole from Frontier Dreams for KCCO

Life and things

fiona playing in the puddles

at the AZ science center

at the AZ science center

at the AZ science center

at the science center

water works at science center

st nick's day morning: hot cocoa and candy cane

tree hunting

this is it

Wow, we have been so busy, but in a good way (well, most of the time). Can I just say having a three year old around makes the holidays so amazingly awesome.

Gratitude Sunday

Right now, I am so grateful that we have enough. Enough time, enough money, enough togetherness, enough love.
Over the past month things have gotten a bit nutty, but I feel that life is once again falling into place, perfection!

Knits

Holiday knitting is in full swing! Since this picture was taken I have turned the heel and am now working on the foot of sock #2. They are going to be some cozy socks! I'm sorta, kinda, not wanting to give them away. LOL
I have been reading my book on breastfeeding and also reading Jurassic Park, and when I am knitting I am watching silly ABC family holiday movies. Nothing beats a good sap fest, that is for sure.
After these socks are done I am planning on starting sock set #3 and also casting on a pair of fingerless mitts. I have to get busy with the knitting, so much to knit so few days left!!

Halloween and such

At the DBG pumpkin festival... it was about 90 degrees

my pumpkin patch girl

all done with this pumpkin patch business

Row making a sugar skull at the Homeschool Co-op

Fiona working on her sugar skull

Fiona in her face paint

scooping out the pumpkin

Sagan carving his pumpkin

Cae carving a pumpkin

My trick or treaters

dia de los muertos at the DBG

flags in the breeze

Ofrenda at the DBG

Sagan

Desert

The celebration of Halloween lasted many days this year. We started it with a trip to the DBG for their annual pumpkin festival where we picked up our pumpkins and the kids played silly games and did craft projects. It was a warm day and after a couple hours everyone was just done.
We went to a neighborhood restaurant that was giving kids free dinner if they wore their costumes, the homeschool group talked about Day of the Dead and made sugar skulls and had face painting, then of course there was tricks and treats on Friday. Sunday we went to Mike's grandma and grandpa's grave site and cleaned it up a bit, left flowers and candy, then we meet the big kids at the DBG to celebrate Dia de los muertos. I am thinking it was probably wonderful, but my people just got tired, hungry and were cold (it was 70 degrees), so we left after less than two hours, sadly before the procession which I was really excited to see. Ah well, there is always next year.
Now it is a candy gorge fest and planning next years costumes. Can't wait!

* Gratitude Sunday *

Joining Taryn from Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday. Sunday's heartfelt tradition. A time to slowdown, to reflect, to be grateful. A list of gratitudes.

~ Lovely sunlight fulling the house every morning
~ A dear friend talking me through a rough patch
~ M&Ms
~ New days
~ Sitting out side in the grass with the girls
~ Having a nice visit with my oldest
~ The park

Yarn Along

First, I just want to give a HUGE thank you to Donna for the yarn...see those blue striped socks? They are completed because she so kindly sent me the left overs of her Felici Splash. I can not tell you how happy I was to get that yarn in the mail, it was like a miracle. I hopped right on them and finished up the one last toe... knitted gift #3 done!!

The pink socks are coming along, it is a super easy pattern and a quick knit with the aran weight yarn and size 5 needles, but I just can't seem to find the time everyday to knit more than a few rows. I was hoping to be done with them in a week, I am only on the foot of sock one. Hopefully this coming weekend I will have more time, until then it is one row at a time!

Joining Ginny for the weekly Yarn Along!

Craft On

The autumn nature table is looking so lovely this year. The kids have really enjoyed adding to it this year. Of course, it is so easy, the neighborhood has so much more plant life. Even our own yard is over flowing with little bits of goodness. Not in either photo (because they were added after I downloaded the pictures) is a bee, a butterfly, and a moth.

* Gratitude Sunday *

Joining Taryn from Wooly Moss Roots for gratitude Sunday. Sunday's heartfelt tradition. A time to slowdown, to reflect, to be grateful. A list of gratitudes.

~ Cool mornings
~ Rainbows flitting all over the living room
~ A lovely reader sending me yarn to finish a pair of socks
~ Hummus
~ Butterflies
~ A dear husband willing to listen
~ Cream for the coffee
~ Great finds at the Goodwill
~ Fiona in tap shoes

A trip to the garden

The kids and I took a quick trip to the Desert Botanical Garden the other day. It is one of my most favorite places. I just love the wild, crazy look of desert plants. And how even in mid October the plants are going NUTS because of the healthy amount of rain we have received recently. Everything is so vibrant, healthy, and alive.
They had the annual butterfly exhibit going so we popped in there for a bit, sadly my batteries were dying so I couldn't get too many photos inside the butterfly area. It sure was amazing, 100's of those lovelies flitting around. We learned how to sex a male and female monarch which was very cool. And Fiona even had a couple land on her... they told her that might happen because of her pink outfit. She was very happy about that.
It was a lovely visit.