My New Year

Gosh!!! It's been a LONG while since I've posted anything.  Not that I haven't had any projects going on, just haven't felt like posting anything, well, okay, I haven't had time!!

A lot has happened since I've been away.  For one, winter never showed her beautiful face.  But, we did get one fantastic snow, 6 to 7 inches in our back yard,

 but it was basically gone the next day--back into the 40's and sunny.  Sigh.

Went to the Cayman Islands,

 which was right after I learned to CROCHET!!!!  YAY!!!  I'm hooked!!  Pun intended!!  Hooked, hooked, hooked!! Certifiable hooker here!!!  Yup!!  Here are all my dishrags...

They go from worse to better!!

My first baby blanket!!!

The one I deemed good enough to give to my granny!!

My second hat...  HUGE!!!  I see a  pattern here...

My first hat...  Turned out way too big!  Hence the reason it's on me!!

FINALLY!!!  The perfect finish!  Fit my Allie!!  yaya!

Then my cousin wanted me to make one for her daughter...

That was a proud moment...  To see my creation so well loved.  She didn't take it off!!

Then we went to New Orleans for the FINAL 4 baybay!!!  GO C.A.T.S. Cats, Cats, Cats!!!

The view from our room.

Me and the hubs before the UK vs UL game.  My stomach was in KNOTS!!!

On our way to the championship game.  UK vs Kansas...
Was a MESS!!!!

Now I understand Katrina and the whole below sea level issue.

BUT.....

WE WON!!!!  Whoop-whoooooo!!!

Two hours to Scotsman!!!

Logan's latest research project was on his choice of a country. We chose Scotland as half of me comes from there and Ireland. Something about a great, great, great, great grandfather being hung as a horse thief. If you know me or my family, that fits. Not as a thief, just as an eccentric. I love the thought of the story, but I guess nowadays the poor guy would be considered a car stealing thug. *sigh* Doesn't sound so romantic and pretty then. Oh well. Still got some Scottish and Irish blood running through these veins.

So, on to the point of this lil story, for Logan's Christmas party tomorrow, he is supposed to dress the part. I assumed there was absolutely no way I could talk him into wearing a kilt, so didn't even ask him. Until 8:00 this evening. And ya know what his answer was?!?! Yup, you guessed it. "Yes, I'll do it!!!!". Really, seriously?!?!? OMGosh. I gotta come up with a kilt. Crappola!!!!!

Then I remembered a pair of dress shorts my aunt handed me down just a few months ago. I totally wanted to try and make them modern to wear this winter, but, so far the ideas for my Christmas outfits are sitting in a closet. There had been NO TIME to sew. SO, when Logan said yes, I jumped all over it!!!!! I feel so happy at this moment!!! Didn't get to sew anything fun for me, but had a blast thinking up this!!!!

Here we go....

This is what I started out with.

This is what we ended up with!!!

Yes, I know there are no pockets on kilts, but...

My fringe.  Just need to find a pin to complete it!

The complete ensemble!!!

My little Scotsman!!! Can't wait to see him in it in the AM. Let's just hope he still goes for it!!!!

My hands

This

... Is how I know I've had a great day playing!!! When I can't get my hands clean from spray paint, glue (hot glue blisters, needle pokes, scissor cuts) or other staining agents, you know I've been having fun. Yes, they don't look very pretty, they look plain dirty!! I can't keep nail polish on for the life of me.

But, when I look at my hands, and see how used and abused they can be, I smile and thank my good Lord.

I'm happiest when my hands show it!!!

When I asked God....

I remember when we were trying to conceive our first child, I always said I would love for our future children to be three years apart.  (my brother and I are three years apart and were always SO close)  After 8 months of craziness, (poor, poor Kris), I finally got the positive result we'd been praying/waiting for.  Nine wonderful (read: nervous, uncomfortable, painful, joyful, scary, fun, mysterious) months and 18 exhausting hours later, Logan finally arrived with a thousand pushes, some salad tongs and little brute force from Doc D!!!  Oh, those first few seconds after the baby pops out are absolutely magical!!!  I find it hard to put it into words, but it's a feeling that I wish I could have over and over.  Oh wait...  I have!!  Anywho!!  With Logan though, since the forceps were used, I actually got to feel him being pulled out of my womb.  I had my hands on him through my belly and felt him leave my body.   It was so neat and beyond description!!!

He was 12 days early...  There wasn't a bit of vernix on him.   I'm thinking he  was past due!  Well, the last few weeks sure made it seem like that!!!  :-)

That hair!!  Every biology lesson I ever learned was shot down with this kid!!!  Who would have thought a blond haired mom, +  black haired dad would = a blond haired baby boy!!!  MY GENES rule!!!! BLONDS RULE!!!!!

Poor little guy had some bruising from the tongs, but he was a trooper!!!

Logan was such a great little baby.  Had the first colicky 6 weeks, then we were smooth sailing.  So, around his 2nd birthday...

He loved his 'pie' (what he called his pacifier)

 I started dreaming about number two.  Well, lo and behold, God answered my 3-year-apart plan.  Number 2 was  DUE on Logan's birthday!!  WHAT?!?!?!    All I'm sayin, is be careful what you ask for, cause He's a listenin'!!!!  Thankfully and with much relief, Dr D decided to let me get induced with this one.  So, we decided to schedule her to come 5 days early.  Checked into the hospital at 5 AM, the maternity floor was empty, but within the next few hours, BAM, the floor filled up!!!  There wasn't a full moon either.  At one point I heard a chorus of screams down the hall...  A nurse happened to walk in right after and I asked her what in the world had happend down the hall!!  We found out a "she", came out a "he". Oops!!  Now that's a surprise birth!!!

 Allie finally came after Kris and Doc D took my Mythbusters away so they could watch UK FOOTBALL!!!!  Really!!!  I'm the one who needs to be content!!  But to their happiness and relief, she let them watch the game before coming.  hmph...  Whatev...

 I thought she looked like Rosanne, but everyone said she didn't.  Hmm, still tho...

Kris finally got a dark haired baby...  IT DIDN'T LAST!!! hahah!  H.G. accuses me of dying their hair.  Nope, MY genes still rule!

Our sweet baby girl

That first visit from Logan--My baby grew up overnight!!  

Home, safe and sound and blissfully happy!!  Well, everyone except me.  Postpartum anxiety was incredibly bad with Allie.  But each day got a bit better.  I would settle for PPD any day.

SO, after all this gibberish, MY POINT...  When I asked God for my babies to be three years apart, and he answered almost to the DAY, I didn't have birthdays in  mind.  AT ALL!!!  This is HARD!!!  Kris and his sister are almost 3 years to the day.  He was born the day AFTER her 3rd birthday.  (He was her birthday gift, and she still feels that way today!)  We lost their mom 3 years ago and to this day I wish she was here, for SO many reasons, but also for her wisdom and experience with double birthdays.  Yes, I know it's not rocket science, but just to have someone say, yes, been there, done that, you'll get through it, would be SO nice.  

Her FIRST birthday, his soon to be 4th!

That's how she feels about most foods.

Ruffled bum.  LOVE IT!!!

But, I'll eat the doll!!!!

 They turn 2 and 5....

At least they love each other!!!

AND notice....  The BELLY...  *sigh*  (this little guy snuck up on us!!!), but I wanted another one, just not quite so soon!

 Logan and Allie are truly, truly good kids.  I'm SO blessed.  They really do LIKE and love each other too!!  He looks after her, she looks up to him, and they certainly entertain each other.  Yes, they fight, didn't we all??!

Think spy kids going after the sprinkler

Riding high on Daddy's back!!

Blissful peace for me and them!

He tries to keep her in check...

He tries to keep her happy!!!

She's always looking up to him

They like to just hang!

They like to hunt for rabbits...

They play so well together!

He tries to keep a happy outlook on life...

Come on Allie, it's not so bad...

BUT, he has his limits....

I'm finished with her mom, it's over...

They travel well together

They make a great dance team!!

And are always there when one is down.

Flash forward 10 years or so...  

He tried to get the fish to taste her since she's so sweet!!

They conspire together

They drive me crazy, but keep me happy!!!

I hope he protects her, always.

I hope she looks to him for guidance, always.

I hope they keep each other interested in life, always 

I hope he keeps pushing her to step out of her safety zone, always 

I hope he takes the lead and then lets her lead some too!

They are my 3-year-blessings, and I wouldn't change a thing.  I pray they are always there for each other as they are today. I hope they always want to celebrate together as they do today.  I hope...

God blesses the path they will each take separately, but that they look to Him and each other for help, always.