2013 - Happy Moments

Ice Fight and Fireworks

Picnics and Picking Flower

Aromas Coffee and the Old Market

Bonfires and Stars

Gourmet Hot Chocolate

Cinnamon Rolls and Encouragement

Picking up Coffee and Painting

Peaches and Summer Walks

Pistachios and Frozen Yogurt

Wishing Wells and Roller Coasters

Hugs and Heartfelt Talks

Blaring Music and Sunshine

Funnel Cakes and Muddy Rivers

Pie and Reading

Shopping and Monsters University

Summer Evening Walks and Life Talks

Pizza and Ice Cream and Pedestrian Bridge

Casual Coffee and Relaxed Smiling

Spices and Tea 

Shopping and Monsters University

Oceanside and Cheese and Apples

Niagra Falls Mist

Pie Irons and Panoramas

Donuts and Hay Rides

Ice Cream and Sparkling Grape Juice

Hard Lemonade and Spinning(?) Chairs

Sweet Old People and Summer Slushies

Pillow Fights and Comfortable Silence

Hot Pizza and Slicing Apples

Ferris Wheels and Funnel Cakes

Dodgeballs and Coffee and 40’s and Exploring

Frisbee in the Summer Rain

Hot Chocolate and Candles

Stripes and Boba Smoothies

Accordions and Big Sweaters

Felt Hats and Puppy Chow

"Road Trip" by Myself :)

Lake Michigan Shore and New Friends

Kayaking in the Sun

Long Phone Conversation while Driving

Movie Theater and Walk through LeMars

Starbucks and Storms

Fancy Dresses and Fireplace

Sitting on the Kitchen Floor with Coffee

for the babies

 So for D & R's and J & J's new little kids, I decided to try something semi new and... make teddy bears! Okay, that's not really new. I made one before for NJ's birthday...

  ...but these are different. They're, uh... funnier looking.

 But they're striped and have sweet ribbon bow ties!

 Before I decided on the bears, I made this skirt for D&R's. However, it ended up with a few minor problems, plus I didn't know how long it would fit her anyway...

So I'll probably give it to my niece K on her birthday instead. as a doll skirt.

That's it. :)

Linking up here

memories on wood

Just one picture this time, but don't really need more then that. This is my birthday gift for Dad- graduation picture of me getting my diploma. :) One of my fave pics of Dad and I. 

I followed this straightforward pinterest picture tutorial, and it really worked *super* I wonder how it would work with a colored picture; our printer only prints in b&w, so I probably won't have the chance to find out. The gel-medium was more expensive then I would have liked, but there's plenty left for a lot more of these. :)

The wood plaque was from Hobby Lobby (favorite craft store, guys. ever.) and if I remember right it was only around $3.

Aaaaaanyway. Not much interesting to say about this really. I LOVE IT though, and show it to everyone who's name isn't Dad. :)

hobby horse

Pretty self-explanatory. Made this for K's birthday. Might switch out the blue rubber band for some yarn... If I made another one I would change the nose and add something to the ear to make it stiffer. 

Otherwise, I'm very happy with it. :) 

( Should've thought to do a "front view" picture instead of 3 identical side pictures. :-/ )

Linking up here

snow globes and cell phones

You know you've always wanted a pair of Martha Mahinsky glasses.

Since I am stuck with a flip phone, (and becoming more content with it with every minute I think of how much $$$$ out of my pocket it would take for an iPhone) I decided I'd try to snaz (that's not a word?) it up with some nail polish.

The nice thing? I can get out the polish remover and change the design whenever I want.

I made a snow globe with NJ from a pizza sauce jar, an old ornament, water, and glitter. I love it. :D Maybe because the glitter is sparkly. Maybe because I love Winnie the Pooh. (Probably that.)

Today was the type of day to wear floral with stripes and say it works. I walked into the laundry room where Michael was working on his car engine. I was wearing a plaid shirt over the stripes and I said, "Say hello to style!!!"

Michael looks at me with a blank face for three seconds.

"...Hi." he says.

Snow Globe in the Sunlight.

Today is an adventure because;

I had a homemade donut, yogurt, and granola for breakfast.

Stripes with floral.

The sun is shining.

I drank non-folgers out of a thick fat yellow & blue mug.

I'm going to read.

I might sew.

Garlic Basil grilled cheese with Spaghetti sauce.

A belated Happy Christmas to you all!

if our family was in a movie

WARNING: STEREOTYPED.

And I mean all of these stereotypes in the nicest way possible.

Dad

The older, wise one who always has advice or a story/example to share.

Mom

The one who cares about everyone and want the best for everyone. Or at least her family. ;)

Jessica

The productive one who always has her hands literally full. Or the healthy one.

Seth

The one who cracks jokes all the time.

David

The one who always brings up the controversy. ;)

Michael

The one who always helps.

Rebecca

?

Joseph

The cool nerd.

Levi

The one who always breaks things or hurts himself.

Daniel

The slightly chubby kid who everyone loves and pats on the head.

Only he's a little too old for that now.

Nathanael

The one who is always talking.

:)

cookies and carts

Today was an adventure because I ate chocolate chip cookies and drank milk with Nathanael.

And we took a ride on the golf cart.

(I love yellow autumn leaves.)

He's a pretty sweet kid. :)

more reasons today was an adventure:

a letter from Emily
a hug from Elizabeth

an excited piano student
honey crisp apples
books from the library

dishes

      I stand by the sink, sweater sleeves rolled up. Yesterday's hair falls around my shoulders as I scrub the grease off a glass pan.

      Nathanael sits across from me and forks another piece of caramel covered bread into his mouth. A steady stream of water slips down the left drain.

      "Women are like pans." Nathanael sips his milk, white dripping down the side of the orange cup.

      "Oh?" I raise an eyebrow and lean the pan against other drying dishes. "And how is that?"

      "You washed it in one sink and then the other sink again. And girls wash their hair twice." Nathanael kicks a foot against his chair.

      I pull the drain and watch the water as the inches drop. "Hm," I said.

Uncle Wilbur

2001

I peeled the bright sticker from it's backing, and the stiff edge slid underneath my fingernails. 

"Here," I said, and laughed shyly.

The man with white hair leaned down toward me, and my toes held me up as I reached toward his cap. I pressed the shiny sticker onto the blue front and rested back on my heels.

"Perfect," he said, patting the tip of his hat. "That's just right."

2002

He lifted the faded cap off his head. "See?" he said to me. "It's still here." His voice sank to a conspiratorial whisper. "My wife wants to wash it, but then it'll come off." 

He pointed to the peeling edges of the rainbow colored sticker. "It's still there!" he said again to assure me, and I nodded happily.

2004

I stood taller, shyer, and listened as he said goodbye to them. My teeth bit the edge of my lips, until he looked at me and smiled.

"The sticker came off," he said regretfully, and I nodded.

"That's okay," I said. He remembered!

"I tried to stick it back on," he explained, "but it wouldn't stay."

I ran to the van, scrambling back into my row. I yanked out my bag, rummaging wildly between the books and paper. There they are. I jumped out of the van and spied his retreating figure walking up the hill with his cane. I ran to catch up, pulling to a stop beside him.

"Here," I said, and laughed happily as I pushed the yellow sticker onto his brown cap.

2007

I sat next to his lawn chair on the porch.

"I have hot chocolate," he said, smiling. "Do you like hot chocolate?"

"Yeah," I said, laughing.

"I like it when there's marshmallows in it," he said in a confiding voice. "The little soft ones, that when you swallow they go down like--" he tilted his neck down and gulped dramatically as he popped up his head, and he made me laugh again.

I looked out at the sunlit lawn. "I think we have to go," I said, standing slowly and looking at his bare cap and plaid shirt.

Leaning over, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. As I let go, he sat forward and kissed my cheek with his smiling mouth. "That's a peck," he said. "A peck on the cheek." He squeezed my hand with his rough brown one.

"Here," I said, and laughed softly as I kissed his cheek and said goodbye.

When I Was Younger...

We would run and play all day
That good feeling when you’re tired from fun
And I’d never get cold then, no never

We would work hard in the garden
And we’d sweat and blink our stinging eyes
Then we’d spit peas at each other
And I’d never get cold, no never

We would climb into bed at night
Me in my bed, you all in yours
And I would pull the covers up to my chin
Just letting my head out to breathe
And I’d never get cold, no never

Just a sleepy summer day...

    The sewing machine clatters as Mom runs the fabric through her hands. Then the scissors nibble away on the unwanted material and it falls on the carpeted floor. The machine shakes the card table when the thread jumps through the fabric.

Jessica sits cross-legged in the laz-e-boy dressed in loose jeans and a t-shirt. She’s holding William in her arms, and his chubby face is stretching with toothless smiles as he makes happy baby noises. His squirming brings his chin down, and his fingers grab hold of a loose blanket.

Legos scrape the edge of a red box when Nathanael pushes all the pieces to the side as he jabbers to himself. He starts stacking and building, and his head moves to the side as he leans on his elbows.

The fan runs slowly, the cords hanging down jiggling just the slightest bit back and forth. Pins stick out of Mom’s mouth as she nods attentively to Jessica’s conversation. The computer blows out air as it warms my blanket-covered lap, and the laptop keys push down with clicking noises.

The sun shining through the window shows fluttering shadows on the floor. The world outside is a sleepy summer afternoon in a small town, and the only movements visible are the wavering Maple tree branches.

A Study in Unsatisfactory Endings *

    “Kata Garuma is the name of this next move we’re going to teach you.” A line of Judo students clad in blue uniforms looked ahead to Mike as he spoke. “Another name for it is the Fireman’s carry. Ready? Dave.” A smaller man hopped from kneeling position to be used in Mike’s example. As he was thrown onto the ground I could hear the clap of his hand on the mat.

    After a little more demonstration, we were split into groups of two. My sister Jessica hauled me onto her back before letting drop to the plastic mats below. Oh, how I dislike Judo lessons. I felt unsure or my self and bored most of the time. I hit the blue mat again. The only thing Judo was good for was bragging rights; and having the third out of eight rankings wasn’t that impressive, especially if I couldn’t do much with it. I wiped the hair out of my eyes.

    “Do you want to try it now?” Jessica gave me the option.

    I shook my head, “No, that’s okay. This is fine.”

     Two claps in a row and everyone sat on the mat. “Alright!” Mike’s voice reached the corners of the room. “Let’s have a demonstration from... Alex. And how about you- what’s your name?”

    Michael shook his head. “I was riding the four-wheeler and landed it wrong, so my back is too sore to really do that. Sorry.”

    “Ah, okay. Seth? How about you.” Seth stood up and walked over. The orange belt showed vividly against the white uniform. Alex hefted Seth onto his back slowly and then flipped him off.

    There was a heavy thud and then- it was quiet. The air itself seemed to be waiting. Why wasn’t Seth moving? My breath skipped and I tensed as Mike walked over to the still white figure and bent over him. The room was still unnervingly quiet. “Seth, are you all right? Seth!”

My eyes stayed fixed on the form sprawled on the floor, but I could sense the tension in everyone around me. Unsure. Waiting. And then he moved. Relief rushed in as he sat up and pushed himself to the edge of the mat. Something still didn’t feel quite right when I watched the way he was moving, but I mentally assured myself that he’d be okay.

“All right, line up according to size and weight, we’re going to do Randori.” What?! Was this mandatory? We had never been required to do Randori before. You just volunteered if you wanted to.

    “Everyone’s going to do it this time.” Oh no. I ran through options in my head: maybe I could leave? No. Maybe I could just go stand in the bathroom until it was over. Um, no. Dad and Mom would tell me I had to do it, and besides; we were all sitting down already and it would be too obvious if I got up now.

    There was movement on the other side of the room. Dad and Mom- and Seth. They were leaving. What? Why were they leaving??

I hopped around the other sitting students and headed toward Dad and Mom. “Where are you going??”

Then Jessica was beside me, “Becky, go sit down, okay?”

“I need to know where they’re taking Seth!” Worry flooded my voice.

“We’re going to the Emergency Room,” Mom explained to me in a hurry. “Seth doesn’t remember anything that’s happened in the past few months.”

A tide of shock and worry spread in my mind. He didn’t - remember?? “Can I go too? Please??”

“No, you better stay her with the rest of the kids. Most likely it won’t take us too long.” I bit back my urge to beg to go along again, and turned back to sit down again as Jessica had told me to. I turned my head to look out the window, and I watched as Seth made his way down the sidewalk with Dad and Mom on either side of him.

*[Much thanks to Tierney for the brilliant title.] ;-)