Half Anniversary

This weekend, Joel and I were blessed to be able to run away for a little while and have a 12th Honeymoon. Even though it's not really our anniversary yet, this is when it worked out for us to go this time around. We try to do this every year. Just to reconnect and celebrate our marriage. It is a huge blessing every single time. We couldn't do it without Mom and my Sis. Thank you two, for being the best babysitters ever, and loving our kids.

This year, we went to the Oregon coast. Garibaldi. Where we stayed at the Garibaldi House Inn and Suites. It is a very nice place to stay. Highly recommend it. Very comfortable, good breakfast, nice people.

This was the view out our window:

This was the view in the opposite direction:

While I like the ocean view, the mountains are my favorite. This was a great place to get both. The Oregon coast is the best.

My date:

We went for a walk, and found this huge piece of driftwood that someone had obviously put a lot of work into:

It was a friendly dragon. Made of rivets, carvings, and stain. Very prettily done. So cool to find in a very out of the way place- that you can't get to in high tide.

We found where the otters lived, and they came surprisingly close to us.

Elk were hanging out on an island outside Wheeler, where we ate at the Tsunami Bar and Grill- a fantastic find. Very good food!

I even managed to get a shot of a Kingfisher. Such pretty colors!

It was a fabulous weekend. :D

Happy Father's Day!

About 12 years ago, I was talking to my Dad about my fiance'. My Dad gave me some very good advice. He said, "You don't need to ask yourself whether or not you want to spend the rest of your life with this man; you need to ask yourself, 'Do I want this man to be the father of my children?'."  So very true.

Thank you so much, Daddy, for all the amazing wisdom you have shared with me over the years. I am so incredibly blessed to have you for my father- and for my children's Grandpa.

I am also incredibly blessed for my children to have the father they have.

How wonderful it is to be surrounded by godly men that take their responsibilities seriously, and care for their families.  My Dad, my Father-in-law, my husband- what a legacy they are giving to my children. In a time when strong families are becoming rare, I am surrounded by men that know what it is to be a real man. To stand up for what is right, to keep working when it is hard, to give with no reward immediately returned.

Thank you to the men in my life. Happy Father's Day! I love you.

Summer!!!!

Ok, so it's not officially Summer yet, and if you look out my window today, you'll think I'm way off. It is a normal grey and cloudy Winter/Spring day in dear old weird Portland. But all the kids are done with all their school for the year, and it's starting to warm up- now that Rose Festival is over.

Ever notice that? Those of you in Oregon- Portland especially know what I'm talking about. The nice weather holds off being consistent until the Rose Festival is over. I think I remember one year in my 12 years in Portland where the Rose Parade got sun. All the rest of the years, it rained. And rained. And rained. Until the day after. Then the sun appears! That certainly happened this year! And we got 2 days of sun and the clouds came back today. But the forecast looks lovely. I am looking forward to the sun; and taking the kids to the park regularly.

They need to get out. We have a nice backyard, and we enjoy it, but a change of scenery is a good thing every now and then. Especially right now. My kids have had cabin fever for months.  And months. I think I have too....

I have not been knitting very much lately. In fact, in the last 4 weeks, I think I've averaged about 2 rows of knitting maybe every other day. That's not so good. I need to be knitting. In fact, I need to be knitting 2-4 hours per day. I have a lot of knitting to do in the next 6 months (not to mention what has to be done this month alone), and it's not going to do itself- unfortunately.

Normally, I love to knit. I knit every spare minute I get. Not just knitting though, designing. I like to be fully engaged in what I'm doing. I love a challenge. (Yes, I am competitive, why do you ask?) But lately.... the knitting I need to do-designing, I should say-is feeling like too much. Oh, I'm not working on crazy hard patterns (not really, after all, I'm not learning a new technique with these ones), or on itty-bitty needles, even. When I knit, I get to see growth in the pattern, and it's not boring. It's really just the right mix of challenge and boredom to keep me occupied. Normally.

But lately, I have so much on my plate that even boring knitting (as in plain stockinette in the round [yeah, if you're a knitter, you understand!] for 20 inches) sounds like too much to contemplate....

Last Friday, I tore apart our living room and dining room- literally took every thing out of them. And Joel came home after work to do a "screen and coat" on the hardwoods.  Then on Saturday evening, we put the dining room set, one couch, and my chair back. Oh, and my knitting basket, but I didn't actually touch it until today!  Our family room is crammed, and for once I can't park my van in the garage. But I'm not putting it back together any more than that. The bookshelves contents are in boxes, and there they will stay until August.

Today, the kids took down all posters and pictures off their walls and started sorting through their toys and choosing things they don't play with anymore to give away. Tomorrow, I'll sort through the rest of the books and pack up what we don't want to keep to take to Powell's books.

And so on it will go until my house is nothing but boxes. The end of July, we will take those boxes to a new home. And we are so excited!

Joel and I have moved a lot since we got married. This move will be our 12th. In almost 12 years of marriage. In 2012. I am really hoping this is it. I absolutely LOVE the house we are being blessed with. (It has a pantry. A big, beautiful pantry. I've never had a pantry before- and this one, well, this one is fantastic.) Joel calls it The Playground. The kids are going to love it. Not only does it have a large fenced yard (with gardening area) with a big concrete pad to ride their bikes on, it even has a treehouse. With a rope swing. And a garage already set up as a workshop for Joel. Every time I think about it, I almost cry. I can't believe how blessed we are. We have the most amazing God, and the best friends. I am just overwhelmed with how well we are taken care of. We hope to share some of those blessings from this new home.

So yeah, knitting is not in the forefront of my mind right now, I have to admit. And even when I do think about it, it's not usually with any desire to pick up the needles. Sort and pack yarn?? Sure! Design? Maybe in September....

So forgive the occasional blog silence this Summer. It's a very exciting Summer, and I'm a bit occupied at the moment....

The Week in Pictures

Ok, it's been more than a week since my last post, but this will give you some idea of what I've been up to in my busy life:

Also, today a new free pattern of mine has been released. This is the Shrug of Many Colors:

You can find out more about it, get the pdf, and read an interview I did with Galler Yarns here.

Have a great weekend!!!

Girls, Ponies, and Gardens

This last week and a half or so has been so beautiful. Portland in the Spring is a lovely place. And full of pollen. Which I admit is not my favorite. I get rather miserable with it most of the time. This year hasn't been too bad with that, though. I've been enjoying the change!

Last weekend, I took my lovely daughter to visit my parents for Mother's Day. With us went some good friends. We had a wonderful time. The weather was perfect, the food was amazing (thanks, Mom!), and baby animals were everywhere. The girls spent most of their time with the ponies and horses, though.

Something about girls and horses.... It was great. Even pony cart rides to finish the day! It was a perfect girls weekend together.

Today, I am planting a container garden with the kids. Mom sent me home with strawberries, tomatoes, lettuce, mint... and the kids and I got some dirt, containers and more seeds yesterday.  We were going to do  a full-on vegetable garden this year- but found out that we will be moving at the end of Summer! Containers are easier to move, and this way, we'll get to enjoy the harvest.

This Spring and Summer promises to be extra busy!  For right now, I'm just trying to focus on getting done with this years' school.  Only 2 more weeks!!! We are so looking forward to our break.  Being outside all day, gardening, playing....packing and cleaning.... Good times all around!

Derby Day Socks

This post is a bit late, as these socks became available last Friday from The Unique Sheep, but I have had a Crazy weekend, and have only just now been able to get around to posting these!

I designed these socks in honor of horse racing. I grew up on Walter Farley books, and graduated to Dick Francis. Besides just being a horse lover, I love watching them race.

For more information, and to get the pattern and/or kit, go here. Or here.

New Pattern

Lace Cuff Gauntlets.
My photography is horrible. You can find better pictures and pattern details here. This pattern is free. It will be available this Friday. Check back to the link above to get it in two days!

I loved knitting this pattern. It's a nice simple lace pattern with a fake cable.  The yarn is GallerYarns Parisian Cotton. This was an unusual yarn to knit with. It comes on a cone, and seems very thin. Similar to lace weight, but knits up more like a fingering or almost a sock weight yarn. It's a bit stiff, but loosens up with a wash and block. I love the stitch definition and the way it holds it's shape to keep the cuff a bit stiff at the end where it flares out.

This pattern is easily adaptable. You can make it shorter, longer for over the elbow, or add a couple repeats of the pattern and turn it into leg warmers. Versatile, pretty, lacy; perfect for Spring and Summer.

Enjoy!!! :D