Willow's rest

Connecting, not complaining

2011-02-03T13:00:00.000-08:00

So here I go again, but I really mean it this time! I'm going to start blogging more regularly, because lets face it I have all these thought running around in my head and a daily word allowance that needs to get spent.
I recently de-activated my FB account, and first off let me start by saying, I feel wonderful about it! In my opinion over time, the entire feeling of it has really shifted from a place to connect, to a pace to complain. When did it become socially acceptable to just lay out all the inner workings of our lives for everyone to read, and them comment on???? Now I'm not a everything is FANTASTIC all the time kind of gal, but I do believe in a little thing called tact. I highly value relationships, you know with real people not a computer. People that I can hug, and be hugged in return, they know my inner workings. There's also the gossip-y, I don't really want to read this, but I cant stop myself feeling. Like the people on the highway rubber necking to see the car accident. You know, you sometimes just cant stop yourself. I hate that feeling, what has that added to my day? Anything positive? Or just a bad taste in my mouth? I think I can live without that. And my last point, probably the most yucky was the emails by the I have no idea who you are creepy guy, the "I saw your picture and you are stunning I'm at home call me and lets hook up" Well I had just one to many of those...
I'm enjoying my days without the feeling I some how need to just pop on and check out/ stalk and see what everyone else is doing.
My days are filled with little boys, and little boy things like playing in the fort the have hollowed for themselves in the bushes. Slow walks pulling the wagon ( sometimes filled with more than one small boy) School with the boys, cooking with the boys, you name it I got three awesome side kicks. I want to spend my time really connecting with them, making our time together count, they are real and here right beside me.

Well that was a little longer than anticipated..

2010-10-26T14:55:00.000-07:00

So its only been a year since my last entry... Im unsure as to if anyone actually reads this? Maybe if I posted a little more often there would be more of a chance of that happening.
But its good for me, to just type, thoughts spilling out and then hitting the "post" button.
So Im back here again, at least I think so...

They seem to search the soul

2009-10-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

Those eyes, and that look. Oh, how I love them. A big six months already, how can that be?

My brother and sister just had their forth baby yesterday. A little bundle of boy beautifulness, he is. At a slight 7 pounds 4 ounces he looks mini compared to this giant of mine.

I love how he seems to just take it all in, starring, eyes fixed, unblinking, and then a smile, just a hint at first and then full on heart melting, drool dripping love. Hope your day is wonderful!

vacation playing

2009-09-27T16:07:00.000-07:00

When we were vacationing we went to check out this new play ground in my old home town, WOW, it was great fun! New and nicely laid out. Smaller structures for littler ones and bigger structures for, well, bigger ones. And the spinney things! We love those things! We picked up some takeout and ate in the back hatch of our van while the place cleared out for the evening. Perfect for us!!! The playground was now empty, so we all played! Aahhhhh, don't you love vacations!

Yarn dying

2009-09-27T15:33:00.000-07:00

When we were away on our Family vacation, the ladies of my family and I tried our hands at dying yarn! I have wanted to try it for quite some time and what better time to do it then with some other lovely creative women.

So, you need to start out with creamy/light colored yarn (natural fibers please) dont use white, it will not dye, because it has been bleach and stripped and the color will not take.

You also need food coloring (easy cleanup!) white vinegar, and plastic sheeting, pot to boil water and a large ish colander. If your yarn is in a ball you will need to wind it loosely into hanks, a tightly wound ball makes it difficult to dye evenly.

Soak your yarn in half cup white vinegar to one gallon cold water solution, (min 2 hours - to over night) Squeeze to remove most of your water then lay it out on your plastic. Now comes the fun part! Mixing your food coloring, we mixed a quarter cup of water with ten drops of color. You can use an eye dropper or small teaspoon for application. Now go to town! Have Fun! ( on a side note,) not to much FUN, as you can apply too much dye and it results in a foresty brown/green hodge podgey look, so if you are aiming for that look apply away! Once you like what you are seeing, place another piece of plastic over your yarn and gently massage. This blends the colors and works them together a bit. Boil a pot of water and suspend a colander over the top (not touching or in the water) place your beautiful yarn in the colander and cover with a lid. Your water should boil they entire time, the rising steam will lock in you color! To check and make sure its "done" your steam water should be clear. Remove from the steam and cool, once its cool, rinse with cold water. If properly set, you should not see very much coloring in your rinse water. Once you have rinsed, hang to dry (I did mine on the clothes line) Once dry, wined back into balls and then knit something beautiful!!

To Grama and Grampa's house we go

2009-08-19T16:29:00.000-07:00

I love family. I love it because its with them you don't have to try, and then there are times when you do. But its those times that you want to try your hardest, because its the most important.

Every summer since my brother Eric and I started having children, we have been taking a week long family vacation together. It's been my mom and dad, my brother and sister in law Lynn, me and Dave and both of our ever expanding broods. Usually in a cabin by some lake. There's swimming, floating, sunning, laying in hammocks, eating good food and bond fires in the evenings.

Towards the end of this summer Eric and Lynn's brood is expanding again! We are all so excited to see who this beautiful bump is. In preparation of another little body occupying there cute little home, they are building on.

So family vacation this year is in my home town, at my parents house and our days will be spent working and helping my brother with his house.

The kids are just as excited as ever for our vacation! It doesn't seem to matter where we are going, they get to sleep at Grama and Grampa's, and see there cousins everyday. What could be better than that?

We have been doing the calender count down, we are now down to two days left. Today out came the suitcases, and I'm starting to pack.

Grey came out from his nap dragging his empty suitcase, declaring "he is ready to go to gramas house " and all he needs is his blanket.

Summer's bounty

2009-08-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

I love harvesting things that were planted by my two hands. Remembering the grounds chill as these were first tended, with summer passing its warmth and light to growing these beauty's!

New found friend?

2009-08-15T12:59:00.000-07:00

So our beautiful Valin Pike, is just over four months old. All my children around this age start to really chew, and drool. Teething? maybe. The start of it? definitely! but no teeth will break the surface for a while yet. I have been watching him suck and chew on his fingers. Wondering if he would find his thumb? Our daughter Ava found her thumb for a few months them stopped, Fynn found his around this age for about two month. Grey never did. So I have been watching through my lens and sure enough he has... Oh sweetness.

snack time

2009-08-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

As a mom I'm constantly looking for new, fun and healthy ways to prepare foods for my children. The other day I found myself in a creative mind set and used it to make snack time extra fun. Don't we all love it when the people who know and care for us make the extra effort? Our children see and feel our extra efforts too, a gentle hair rub, a well timed hug or new snack time fun!

Out on our farm

2009-06-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, so its not really a farm because we don't have any live stock, but it just seemed fitting for the title. Because hey there's a tractor (a lawn tractor anyway) and a tractor pull. As seen around these part last weekend, good fun for all.

We heart LEGO!!

2009-06-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

I love these moments of quiet concentration, brows furled, imagining what to build next. I love LEGO, you can create something new every time you play.

Yes its plastic, but wholesome plastic. Is that possible? I think so. Whether its a spaceship, a boat a fire engine or a plane. Its amazing to see what there minds will them to make. To the things they see in the blocks, (it doesn't always look like a spaceship to me..) Build my boys, build!

Artist

2009-05-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

Fynn received a little digital camera for Christmas, 2 years ago. I only just downloaded his images on to the computer.

We all crowded around to take a look at what had been catching his eye, or should I say his lens.

We were so intrigued at what we saw.

The angles and prospective were fascinating.

Bliss

2009-05-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

Morning walks, tiny head laid on my chest.

Milky smiles just for me.

Small fingers grasping.

To hold you close, to calm your cries.

To watch you change, unfold and discover.

Your dependency.

Your innocence.

I have fallen in love again.

Two months of bliss with my Valin Pike.

mommies day

2009-05-10T17:28:00.000-07:00

I love being a mommy, or mom, or mummer's, or momma, as I am all of these, at least a few times a day. Today I was taken to the BIG city (Seattle) by my loves for breakfast. We went to a place where Dave and I have been eating and enjoying for years (we are talking pre children!!) It has been quite some time since we were there last, and I'm so happy it is still the very same. On any given weekend morning there maybe a line waiting down the sidewalk for a table. You will see the clean cut, the urban edgy, the granola ( Oh there granola coffee cake is to die for!) the runners, with there dog, the family, the tourist.... to name a few. This one of the reasons we love it, everyone does!!

When we got home I put the baby to bed, and dinner in the oven. Then I went to see what my men were doing. What I found was beautiful. Little hands clenched tight in concentration, heads bowed together at work, right beside daddy. Oh the love, Oh the responsibility. It was not a big "heavy", like this is SO much responsibility raising children!!! But a Oh the responsibility, the privilege, the sweetness, and the joy of having beautiful, serious, talented, gifted, and bright boys. Yes 3 of them now, my 3 sons. This mommy loves you, Fynn Rowan, Grey Asher, and Valin Pike. Happy mommy day!

Something old, Something new!

2009-05-10T17:06:00.000-07:00

If you don't know this about me already, I LOVE to make something new, out of something old. It could be a shirt that I thrifted and wore for years, then I got tired of it and it became a pair of pants for the babe.... or it could be ripping apart knitted items and re using the wool for a totally new creation!!!! I love it when I get a creative "vision" at least that's what I call them. I jump up and get started on the reworking , because I work much better like this (long term projects and me, don't go very well together) So this is my newest reworking. A "new" old hoody for Fynn. It is such a pretty blue color and it came to us in the bag with the dog and alligator costumes. I'm not sure where Roche Harbor is, and I'm pretty sure I have never been there, so we covered it up with something extra COOL, a SHARK!!!! So if your wardrobe is feeling a little lack luster, take a closer look. Its spring re work something!!

todays entertainment

2009-05-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

Someone from Dave's work is moving and getting rid of a ton of stuff. So he came home last week with two amazing costumes for our boys! They already love to pretend they are different animals and often choose one and then they "are" that for the rest of the day. One of Greys favorite things to embody is a dog, and Fynn's is an alligator. As you can see, they couldn't be more perfect! They played all day with these suits on. I only made then take them off for nap time!!

moments

2009-05-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

My mornings are usually something like this,
"morning mommy!!!", as the boys climb into my bed. "Morning", I say, "careful please!" Valins in here somewhere, peeking under the blankets till they find him. Then its out of the bed to start the day.
We seem to pick up speed from here, put the kettle on for tea, then maybe toast? or porridge? Today I had finished my first "shift" of cooking, serving, helping eat, then cleaning up. It was on to the BIG pile of laundry in the hallway, with washer door already open... As I start toward it, knowing I only have a limited amount of time before Valin wakes up and then I need to sit and nurse him.
Grey grabs my hand, and says "mommy dance with me" PLEASE?? I stand there looking at his sweet face and little hand clutching mine. I glance at the laundry and almost say, "in a minute babe, mommy has chores I have to do" But I say YES, he runs to the radio and cranks up the volume to frightening levels and runs back to me. I know just what he wants now. I pick him up and he locks his arms around my neck, and leans back, just hanging there in total abandonment. I sway and spin to music. Then somewhere over the course of the next 3 minute, I breath, I smell his hair, and nuzzle his impossible soft cheek, I listen to the music, and feel the beat. I'm here in this moment, loving this moment, appreciating everything going on right now. Laundry temporarily forgotten. Even if its only for 3 minutes, say YES and loose yourself fully in something today.

pure and simple

2009-04-24T13:27:00.000-07:00

So my first ever blog post will be on, wait for it...........Diapers!!!!, cloth ones that is. Yup I know what you maybe thinking. But today as I washed and hung my babies diapers on our line, in the bright white sunshine, I was reminded why I LOVE cloth diapers. They are pure and simple. Quite a bit of my time these days is taken up changing two diapered bums, and then washing those dirty things. I love the process of washing and hanging these now clean and white diapers on the line. As I do this somewhat thoughtless task my mind wanders. I imagine a different time and place when another young women would be hanging diapers on her line. Would her long skirt be catching the morning dew, as she stands barefoot in the grass, as I'am? Her children at her legs, "One asking if they can help?" One saying they are now hungry, and the other asks "mommy what are we going to do today?" Thoughtless task, I think not. Many of my diapers are 7 years old, and were bought when I was pregnant with our first child. I originally choose cloth for all the reasons that flash into your mind when you hear "so and so's using cloth diapers"...... For the environment, for the land fills, to shun the cost and convience of disposables. But had I known that time after time, and wash after wash I would find this simple task such a pleasure and the mind wandering trip it affords me, well I would do it just for those things.

the test post

2009-03-31T21:35:00.000-07:00

this is a test