Cartwheels!

A big grassy open field makes you want to run and do cartwheels!

Unfortunately this 40yr old body can no longer do cartwheels! Now that I think about it...not sure I ever was able to do cartwheels!

Oh well....it was fun to try!

WIP Wednesday - Ornament edition

Brrrrr.....it's cold this morning. A chilly 36 degrees. Driving into work I was thinking I really need to make me some mittens. It's on my long, ever growing list of projects I want to knit. I've never knit mittens, so it's going to be a learning experience for me.

As for my current works in progress(WIP) I'm making a few ornaments from Jenna Krupas aka Retro Lemon Christmas Favorites. Pictured here are the snowman and Christmas trees. We usually put our tree up the day after Thanksgiving, but with family staying with us we decided to do it this weekend. Along with our little town's tree lighting Friday night and Christmas parade on Saturday we are going to have a festive weekend! I love this time of year!

For more WIP Wednesday go here.

A Lil' Bit Country - Part 3

OK...this is the last installment of A Lil' Bit County. And it's all about the llamas! Being a knitter, llamas was the highlight of my day. The wool from llamas are spun into yarn. Beautiful, silky yarn.

To get to the llamas, I had to ride with Vicky(SIL)in a thing called a mule. I held on for dear life while we speed over pastures! Once we got to the area the llamas were, they came a running! Guess they knew it was time to eat.

The llamas looked so soft - especially the baby. I wanted to pet them, but they weren't having it! I was happy just being in their presence. Such amazing creatures and yarn providers too! Doesn't get better than that!

A Lil' Bit Country - Part 2

I LOVE horses! Love to ride horses. They are such beautiful creatures. I wasn't sure where I got my love of horses until Dad told me he grew up riding horses in Puerto Rico. I never knew that.

You could see the excitement on his face, the memories of being young, riding bareback in Puerto Rico. He was a little nervous at first to get back on, but once on he was an old pro at it.

I learned that I share a lot of the same loves and qualities as my Dad....horses being one of them.

For A Lil' Bit Country Part 1 go here.

A Lil' Bit Country - Part 1

So the day after Thanksgiving, we decided to take a ride out to the country to see my brother's and SIL land they are buying and the farm they help out on. We try to get them to move closer, they move further out.

The ride was about an hour long down country roads, over lakes, in the middle of nowhere. You wouldn't want to break down out there! Triple AAA would probably never find you! GPS couldn't even tell us where we were at. Phone service was almost nonexistent!

Jay finally was able to get thru to us and told us to pull over on the side of the road and he would come get us. So on the side of the road we sat.


The day was beautiful....sunny and about 75 degrees. It was so peaceful and quiet. Well...it was until we got out there. then you heard Christmas music and kids shouting, laughing, running in an open field. It was beautiful out there.

Jay finally showed up and off to the farm we went.


The guy who owns the property has a wedding barn and cabin which he rents outs. The barn is beautiful with huge fireplaces and twinkle lights everywhere. You go out on the back deck and can see all the animals, pond and property out back.


There were chickens, turkeys, bulls, goats, minature horses, regular horses, donkeys, llamas. So much to see and do. The kids loved it!


We gathered eggs, petted bulls, rode horses, and I got to feed llamas! There was even a baby llama. They were beautiful.

I took over 450 pictures! Uh yeah....what was I thinking! One post is not enough to share the pictures, so stay tuned for A lil' bit Country - Part 2 where I share our horseback riding and hearing my daddy's stories of growing in Puerto Rico.

Thanksgiving Recap

Our Thanksgiving break is just about done. Tomorrow it's back to work and school, but the past 5 days have been pretty great. It was filled with family, food and fun. I think I've gained about 10 lbs. the past few days, but have to eat all the Puerto Rican food I can while my Dad and s-Mom where here.

I just noticed I didn't take a lot of pictures Thanksgiving day. Was too busy enjoying the family. I kinda disconnected from the internet and didn't have my phone right at my side either. It felt good to disconnect for a few days.

I'm so thankful to have spent Thanksgiving surrounded by family, but also wished I could have had Manuel and his little family here.

One day....

WIP Wednesday - Coffee Monster

This is my first time participating in WIP(work in progress) Wednesday. I've been checking out all the old WIP Wednesday posts and finding so many great blogs and projects.

My WIP is Elijah's coffee monster for his teacher. I wanted to make his teacher a little ornament, but Elijah insisted she needed a monster and that she LOVES coffee. So coffee monster was born. It's one of Rebecca Danger's pattern from her Big Book of Knitted Monsters. We picked out this yarn for it's coffee colors. Dark coffee, cafe au lait, and cream. What's better than coffee and monsters? I say it's a great combination!

To check out more WIP Wednesdays, go here.

~RockStar~

My lil' rockstar!

Elijah harassed me all weekend to get his hat done. I could not sit down without needles in hand, or he was right there telling me to knit and knit faster!

FASTER MOM! FASTER! I NEED MY HAT!


Guess what happens when you put on a mohawk hat?

You turn into a rockstar!

Mohawks Rock!

Did you know Mohawks rock?

They do!

I am so happy with the way Ezekiel's mohawk hat came out. And it's even better that he loves it and is wearing it right now around the house. He keeps saying we need to go somewhere so he can show it off.


I see a few improvements I can make with other hats, but overall I'm happy. I even plan on making myself one. Pink and grey sound good! But first I have to make Fonzy and Elijah a hat. Elijah insists he needs a hat NOW! I think he's a little jealous of Ezekiel's hat.

Giggles

Love this picture of Jonah and Manuel....so sweet!

Weekending

This weekend, I plan on finishing Ezekiel's hat, starting Elijah's coffee monster for his teacher, and maybe even knitting up a few ornaments, snowman, gingerbread man, and a tree.

And in between all that knitting, I plan on reading more of The Help....really liking it. I haven't seen the movie, but like to read the book first. The book is always so much better.

Weekends....don't you just love 'em!

Pink Power!

"He's gonna help me scare all the bad stuff away" ~ Becky

So the secret is out. My special monster went to Becky, my cousin. This past year she has been fighting breast cancer. Fighting being the key word here. Cancer is NOT going to win with her!

I've always looked up to Becky. She is what a Supermom and Wife look like and if I am half the woman she is, I'm doing good.

I love you Becky!

{Little bit of this - Little bit of that}

Today is a dreary, rainy day. Kinda day I wish I was home KNITTING!

I had a knitting breakthrough yesterday! Ezekiel has been asking for a mohawk earflap hat since LAST winter. I have several patterns and tried a few of them, but could never figure how to join the earflaps correctly. Kept twisting stitches, messing up on casting new stitches. It was a mess! I've ripped out several hats and finally gave up! Well, this week I was determined to make Ezekiel's hat. I got this pattern from Ravelry(see lots more hats on Ravelry) and started again. First try I had to rip out! UGH! Put it aside for a few days and started again last night and got it! No twisted stitches, no issues of any kind. The pattern was actually pretty easy! Maybe I was just making it hard. I should have the hat done tonight and then all I need to do is add the mohawk! Yay Me! Of course I will post pictures when I'm all done!

So everybody gearing up for Thanksgiving? I am. My Daddy and stepmom are coming for the week. I'm excited! They came for Thanksgiving 2yrs ago, but we didn't have enough room in our apartment, so they stayed elsewhere. We have the house now, so we will all be together! We plan on decorating our tree and house Friday after Thanksgiving, so lots of pictures to be taken!

I have so many projects I want to knit. The list just keeps growing and growing! I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving break to work on a few of them. Elijah has asked for a monster for his teacher - a coffee monster. He said she LOVES coffee and drinks it all day. I would probably need coffee all day too if I had to deal with 27 9-10yr olds! I can't wait to see how the monster is going to turn out since I LOVE coffee too!

Speaking of monsters, my surprise monster is out for delivery today! Once the recipient receives it, I will post a picture in all it's awesomeness!

The Holiday Joy UP

Have you heard about The Holiday Joy UP? I found it while browsing around on some of my favorite blogs and instantly wanted to be a part of it. 

The holidays can be a stressful time. I find myself wanting to create these perfect memories, and then feeling like a failure when everything is NOT perfect.

I want to find the JOY in the season, the sparkle, the magic. Wanna join me? I can't wait!

The Holiday Joy UP

What's for Dinner?

The question of the day, EVERY day - "What's for dinner?"

I hear this before I even walk in the door. Heck, before I even get home, I get a call asking What's for dinner. If you're a mom, you know it's hard to come up with meals everyday that everyone likes. Oh....it's not hard for you? Really? Well, it's hard for me!

I hate making the same thing over and over again. I'm always looking for new recipes, but this is one meal I can make over and over. It's Pioneer Woman's Marlboro Man Sandwich. I LOVE this sandwich. It's so quick, easy and delicious! The last thing I want to do when I get  home from work is cook, so this sandwich is right up my alley! Want to make the meal even quicker, throw some tater tots in the oven and call it a night. Yes, I said tater tots! What? There's nothing wrong with tater tots. My boys love 'em!

Monster Lovin'

I finally finished my special monster and tomorrow it will be on it's journey to it's new owner.

I hope this monster brings lots of smiles and Monster lovin' to it's new owner!

More!

Looking up into the tree

I know, I know......more trees! Really? YES! More trees! I can't help myself! I LOVE Fall!

This afternoon was perfect! About 70 degrees, sunny, the smell of dried leaves in the air and the crunch of leaves under my boots.



In a few weeks, all the leaves will be gone...a memory until next year. But these pictures will take me back to today, to this perfect moment in time.

Beauty All Around

This is one of the reasons I fell in love with the house and subdivision we moved into last year. The drive there.

I always thought of myself as a city girl, but I've come to realize that I'm really not.

Give me long, curvy country roads. The trees, the farms, the horses. Beauty as far as the eyes can see.



We live right outside of the city, but sometimes it seems a 100 miles away. We have the best of both worlds, country living, within minutes of the city.


I savor the drive home every afternoon. It gives me time to unwind, leave the office at the office and just breathe! The horses are normally out grazing, and I slow down just to watch them.


The trees.....the TREES - right now are GLORIOUS! Vibrant reds, oranges and yellows. You can't help but slow down and take it all in.


Turning into the subdivision I get my mind right for being Wifey and Mommy. Homework needs to be done, dinner needs to be cooked, family needs to be loved on.

I'm home.....

Thank God for my FAMILY and HOME!