Adjusting my mindset a bit

My dad the-boy-at-heart, is a second child. My sister Em had a girl first, and then her second was a boy. Merritt had a boy first, and their second was also a boy. Eirene, as most of you know, just had her second child, baby boy Ike. Cory's wife Katie is pregnant with their second, a boy due in February. Allan's younger brother is the second in his family. His dad's family had a boy second as well. Due you see a pattern? As Allan pointed out to me before we found out, the second child in our families were 100% of the time boys.

And we are no exception.

I've gotta say, I'm O-2 now. I was convinced Josie was a boy, and well, she wasn't. And then with this one, I THOUGHT it was a girl ( I NEVER claimed to have any sort of real feeling guiding me) and again, I was exactly wrong.

But of course I'm thrilled! I'll just have to adjust my mindset a bit. And Allan couldn't be prouder of course. When I told my dad the news he said, "tell Allan he's the Man." And I did, but I'm pretty sure I didn't have to. He's walking with a little bounce in his step today.

So that's it. IT'S A BOY!

And PS to all those who wondered whether or not I'm showing?.........Yeah. I am. This is my best attempt at a profile shot.

AHHHH!!! It is FINALLY Christmas!!!

I've had a skip in my step ever since we put up our tree. I don't know what it is. Actually, I know EXACTLY what it is. It's the smell of the pine, and my clean house, and the way my ornaments actually dangle from the bows, instead of just resting on the branch. It's my little birdy ornaments, and the bright colored wool balls, and my Christmas tree skirt, and the MAGIC of the lights...

Allan says he doesn't understand my fetish/obsession/utter delight with Christmas Trees, (especially our tree this year) but you know what? He digs it. It's mysterious to him, and I think he likes it when I bring a pillow and blanket out and just lie next to it like a seven-year-old. I think he thinks it's really weird and a little bit cute.

Here's the Christmas tree skirt I just made. I sort of made it up as I went, and used what fabric I already had. Aren't the pom poms cheery?




Ok, and here's my new ornaments. I saw some similar ones at Ikea, and I just recreated these from some craft wood at Jo-Anns. They were really a pain in the elbow to make, but I love how they turned out. I made some in green too, but I forgot to take a picture. You get the idea.



I tried to use a method of wet felting on these ornaments, but it really just didn't work like I thought. I ended up giving them all a glue bath. I think the effect is the same in the end--I love the vibrant colors! I made them in this turquoise, periwinkel, red, orange, purple and yellow. And also I made this wallet cause I wanted to. Isn't that selfish of me to make something for myself during Christmas season? Yeah, I thought so too. I had to though. This fabric forced my hand. I found it at an estate sale, and well, you know...I really had no choice. I found the tutorial here, but I added a coin purse instead of the middle section of card holders. A significant improvement, I think.

And, funny story, I went up to my mom and dad's for Thanksgiving, and forgot to bring Sundy clothes. What I did remember to bring was stuff to make a dress. I had seen this picture in a book at the library (I wish I could show you), of this SUPER cute maternity dress on some really cute short-haired woman from the 1960's. And then I found the perfect pale pink linen-y fabric at DI for $4 bucks, and decided to bring the stuff up there just in case there was a boring moment. There was NOT a boring moment, but nevertheless I say unto you that I was FORCED to make it before Sundy, which was incredibly challenging considering there were 7 kids ages 4 and under running around. I definitely had something in mind when I started, but it kind of evolved as I went along. That's a good thing, because at one point it really looked like a 5-year old's birthday party dress in 1984. I didn't get to the sleeves done yet because a) it was ridiculously late, and 2) I can't decide what kind of sleeves really fit this dress. Any ideas? Puff? Puffed capped? Just capped?
Ok, I all the sudden got really tired. Good night, ya'll. I think I'll curl up by my Christmas tree.

What we found under our bed

So to provide ourselves with a little bit more storage, Allan and I put our bed on risers. It was almost as fruitful as our Christmas will be.
We found:
-23 hair bands
-41 bobby pins
-3 hair clips
-4 safety pins
-a pair of snow gloves
-a beanie
-a pair of MUCH looked for snow pants
-a staple remover
-marshmallow roasting sticks
-9 pens
-a notebook
-my favorite roll recipe
-2 big FAT spiders
and drumroll please...........................................

-MY WEDDING RING!!!!!!! (It's been lost for over a year, and no, I did NOT even clean it for this photo)
So, clean out under your bed already. You might find something that you thought to be gone forever.

She has my smile!

I agree that feature-for-feature, Josie looks a lot like Allan. But you've GOT to admit, when she smiles---it's all me!
PS. I realize this is a really crappy photo of me, but I'm taking one for the team in order to illustrate a point.

What's new with me?

Well, for starters, I've got this growing fetus in me. That's pretty new. About three months is all. I guess she/he is only about 3 little inches long, but you wouldn't believe how this kid eats!! I'm not kidding. I've got to eat constantly to keep him/her happy. And guess WHO is due the EXACT same day as me?! Again, I'm not kidding. I was destined to never be pregnant alone. Small world, when you're having babies. (May 2, since you're all too lazy to do the math). Also, my two sister-in-laws April and Katie are both due at the end of February/beginning of March. Both boys. My parents have done quite well for themselves, in their grandparenthood. The youngest Tribe will be numero TWELVE!!

Let's see, I'm teaching sewing lessons now. It's been great! I get to stay in the comforts of my own home, and enjoy PAID crafternoons! Thanks Trine, for opening my eyes to the possibility! Besides being fun, it is much needed income, as it fuels my ever-depleted craft fund.

(My quilt progress)

Also, Merritt and April were just in town, and we had ourselves a heck of a good time together with all the family. I can now say with confidence that 25 people CAN fit in our basement. It was a bit of a squeeze, but it since we consumed nothing gaseous, it was nothing but fun.
Check out the murky water!! What can you really expect from a tub full of cousins! (Or gudgies, as we refer to them. Gudgie: Noun that refers to the title cousin, neice, nephew, and grandchild all in one convenient term.

We also attended a party of special magnificence. I don't want to steal from the post that Eirene will no doubt write ( well, at least I hope she writes it), but we all had a marvelous time at her costume ball. The atmostphere was magical, the decor was breath-taking, the food was good, and the costumes were brilliant. It was a wee bit cold, but the blazing space heaters added to the general splendor of her backyard. If my newly-made-mother-of-two-sister does not post about it, I'll show photos of everyone, but for now I'll give you sneakiest little peak of my little clan. Who were we? I'll give you a hint. I wasn't autumn. I was Peter Pan. Accompanied by a really attractive lost boy, and an irresistible little TinkerBell.

YES, that IS a gutted teddy-bear on Allan's head. Brilliant, I know.

Helllllooo!!! Can you even HANDLE how cute little Tink kissing her neighboring woodland fairy is?!

Allan is taking the GRE this Saturday. Wow. That's a beast of a test. He's studied a lot, and I'm proud of him. We're both excited for this test to be behind us. WOOHOO!

I'm in charge of our ward's primary program this year, and it's been....awesome. SO much work! Do women all over the world REALLY do this EVERY year?!? I just can't wait for this Sunday to be over. I've put a lot of work into it, and I really do hope it all comes together, and that it helps these special little kids feel the spirit as well as their families. Despite the chaos of putting it all together, I really did enjoy spending time with the kids one-on-one, and hearing their sincere and simple understanding of the gospel. Kids now-a-days are soooo smart! I've actually been kinda blown away with how much they know, and how much they have to teach me.

So yeah, it's been a good Fall. p.s. I love the fall. Changing colors....crisp air....my birthday (oh, by the way it was GREAT, with a big fat BESIDES the fact that BYU lost)....
But anyway, I'm feeling pretty lucky. Actually, blessed is a heck of a lot better word.

Peace out.

Who needs Target?

Not me.

I take that back immediately. EVERYONE needs Target. But what I meant to say, is sometimes, when you're poor, but REALLY sick of the baby-doll style shirts that you're STILL wearing from the pregnancy of your first-born, and simply have to have SOMETHING new, you can look at Wal-mart's dollar fabric and find some fun knits, and whip up some shirts for you and said first-born.

That's exactly what I did. It opened a whole new world to me to. And I'm talking a WHOLE new world......a dazzling place I never knew.....
that now I can make myself tee's, and don't have to depend on Target for my future staples.

I had a lot of fun designing these too, I just made up the pattern as I went---snip, snip, snip, and then razzledazzle boom, I had a couple new shirts. I'm excited to make more.

PS> have I mentioned how I've been pretty much sewing without a pattern for a while now? It's so liberating! It's so fun to go to Forever 21 just to shop for ideas. Well, I should clarify. I make my own. MOST of the time I draw out the pattern first on my examination-table paper. It's only been these last few months that I just lay out the fabric and go for the gold. Eirene's always done it that way, and for that I solute her.

Anyway, here they are:
Can you see the neck detail? It's like....a sun.

Here are some other things I've sewed lately--I never know if I'm boring you all with things I sew...?





But, I'm kinda sick of sewing. I'm gonna get back into my quilt. I want to get it done sometime before I'm dead. It's real fresh, isn't it?
Here's some of my fabrics....mmmmm...
So yeah. Hey, I do other stuff too, guys...
I read and stuff....
and you know, other mom stuff...

Lay off me, I'm starving.

Our Amazing Vacation to Oregon

I would do this post in parts like I've seen others do with their vacations, but let's face it--if I don't post it all now, it could be a month and a half before you get the rest. So consequently I'm about to put up a ton of pictures. You WILL scan through them all, and you'll LIKE it.

First of all, I've got to say, this is a funny story: Allan and I took the train from Portland Airport, and our stop was just a few blocks from our rental car place. Or so we thought, I don't know if the blocks in Oregon are just astronomically long, or if our luggage was just astronomically heavy. BUT WE WERE DYING. On our second breather, I was feeling desperate. I couldn't go on like this. Too hard. Too heavy. Too far. My eyes wandered and suddenly, to my utmost surprise and delight, I saw an abandoned shopping cart. Some poor homeless person had left it there just for us, I was sure. We piled up the cart, and happily walked the rest of the way with ease. We looked so homeless. Allan and I were ghetto from our early flight and I was packing Josie in a hiking pack. It turns out that our car place "always pick you up!" I hadn't remembered that, but it doesn't matter. I wouldn't trade our homeless moment for the world.

On the coast:

At the beach:

In the water:

At the Lighthouse:

At the dock:

Hiking around:

Cool tree. It reminds me of a the yoga pose

Collin, Jos, and Luke

At the tide pools:
Luke, my bro Merritt, his wife April, Collin, and us

The "stargy"
Afterward we were TIRED:(and dirty)

Fun. That's what we had. A lot of it, too. Thanks so much Merritt and April for treating us so right, and showing us such a good time. You guys win the hosts of year award. We love you, and Oregon!