Summer's Coming To An End!

It's Labor Day weekend and that means, my husband goes back to school, my son goes back to school, and we get back to a routine.  I love Fall!  I love the crisp clean air, the cool nights, the fun fall things that we do, but I love having my husband home during the summer!

This summer we have had a pretty quiet, but fun summer.  Overall, the weather was really nice.  We had some days that were uncomfortable hot, but for the most part, the days were enjoyable!

Enjoy some pictures from our summer fun!

We celebrated 5 years of marriage

waiting for fireworks

waiting for fireworks

waiting for fireworks

me and my hubby

playing at the beach 4th of July

learning to swim

Ran our first 5K

playing at the park

playing in the sandbox

amaranth from our garden grown from seed

blueberry picking

Hanging in Newburyport

Museum of Science

The Basin Franconia Notch New Hampshire

Making soap

North Conway Railway

Family Portrait at The Basin

Flying airplanes

York Beach

The Park

Michael's granny square afghan

Poppy cat for Michael

Poppy cat for Michael

doll bed, quilt, mattress, pillow, and quilt, as well as a rag rug for Eva Rose's Doll

Rag quilt for Thomas and Eva Rose

We didn't do crazy things this summer, but we had a blast.  I loved being able to share time with our children and  not feeling like what we did had to be some crazy commercialized summer.  I love being able to look back at our pictures and remembering the fun times that we had.  We may not have a ton of money to do crazy expense  things, but we are able to spend good quality time and create loving lasting memories for our children.  I am so thankful that my husband is able to spend time with us.  I love being able to spend time creating things for my children and creating memories for our family!  As happy as I am to be getting back to a routine, I will miss our summer fun and lazy family days.  Here'd to next summer!

Amy

Fall 2011

Just a few pictures of our Fall 2011!

At our favorite restaurant

Pumpkin picking

family photo

 Eva Rose picking pumpkins

Thomas picking pumpkins

Michael taking a break from picking pumpkins

Thomas at Michael's first school Halloween party

Eva Rose at Michael's first school Halloween party

Michael was enthralled with the lights at his first school Halloween party

Tree limb on our roof after our Nor' Easter October 29, 2011

The crane lifting the limb off our roof just days later

Michael climbed his first tree

The twins actually do share

These are just some of our memories from Fall 2011.  I can't believe it is already November 12th.  Before we know it Christmas will be on us and I for one can't wait.  I don't want to rush the time, but I can't wait to start making our family's traditions.  I know that we may be a little late to the party to start making traditions, but I think that the kids are old enough to understand them now.  My next project is to make an advent calendar.  We always had one growing up and I want to continue the tradition with my own children.  I have a pattern that I plan to use for ideas.  I found it at http://www.acaseofthemundays.com/2010/12/felt-friday-felt-advent-calendars.html.  I have so many projects to work on for Christmas.  I can't wait to start working on them.

Amy

Spare Time and Teaching Kids About Giving to Others

Not that I have much time, if any, but I really want to start making things to donate.  I am hoping that if I get myself in the habit of donating things more than just my old clothes, as the kids get older, it will become something that they also do.  When the twins were born early, granted it was only five weeks, the hospital had little fleece blankets that the babies were swaddled in and we got to take the blankets home.  The twins still use their blankets, though now they use them as blankets to sleep with not as blankets for warmth.  These blankets mean so much to me and they are just simple fleece material with a simple edging.

Recently, I bought a book with different projects and different potential agencies to donate them to.  I have a few other books like that and have gone on line to find projects to create and donate.  Recently a facebook friend posted pictures of some crocheted prayer shawls that she made.  She talked about how these types of shawls gave her niece comfort when she was dying.  Her nieces mother responded how that shawl is now providing her comfort now that her daughter has passed on.  After reading that, it made me want to donate my projects even more.  With the holidays fast approaching, and my goal of making certain gifts, I don't think that I'll get to start projects to donate til after the holidays are over, but I will start and I will make this a tradition that I will pass on to the kids.

There are so many different agencies out there that can use donations and I know that I for one can't afford to give money, but I have enough crafting supplies that I can make things and donate them.  As much as I know hat agencies need money, I like the idea of donating something that can be directly used.  I know that my kids are way too young to understand what donating things to others means, but again, if I get myself in the habit of making things and donating them, maybe once they are old enough, it will be a tradition that is built into our family, not one that needs to be built into our family.

If there is anyone that is interested in joining in, either by creating and donating to a charity of your choice or by sending me a project to donate, please join in!

Amy

Getting Ready for Santa

Christmas is fast approaching and I am getting really excited this year.  I think the kiddos are getting to an age where they may get it a little, at least more than last year.  Te twins will be almost 2 and Michael will be close to 3.  I really want to take the kids to do different Christmas type activities this year.  My husband mentioned taking them to the Stone Zoo for Zoo Lights.  My husband and I used to go and see them all the time before they moved to the zoo.  this year we want to introduce the kids to them.  I would also love to take them to see the lighting of the Christmas tree in Boston, or at least take a walk through the Boston Commons and the Public Gardens to look at the lights.  This is something I used to do as a kid and would love to pass that tradition on to my kids.  There is the tree lighting in our town, but I don't know if I'll get to go since I will most likely be working.

I can't wait to start playing Christmas songs and read Christmas books to my kids.  I really want to get int he spirit this year and really look forward to sharing this with my kids.

Amy