Sewing, Scrapping, Shopping, & Screaming

Well, with post #1 under my belt I'm feeling pretty confident about my writing. I've gotten a lot of feedback from it so now I'm a little more inspired to know people are actually reading this! Most people have commented on the story of me and my relationship with 3-23; while I agree that it is a pretty amazing story I have to remind you that it really is all through the work of God and definitely of myself. Its amazing the way He works and gives us little reminders that He's always there for us. That's such a comforting feeling, right?! However, in my first post I realized that I really didn't talk about my other half- my husband Jonathan. I don't really want to get mushy here but he really is my best friend and the true love of my life. We've been married for 3 years now and I wouldn't be where I am today without him. He works so hard to support Kate & I while still working towards earning a degree. I really don't think most people could manage to do all that he does. I'm lucky to have him as a husband and Kate is lucky to have him as a daddy.

I had planned on writing this blog about my new found (and some old) interests but today had events that have now distracted me from that. Today ended up being a crazy day, overall pleasant, but crazy nonetheless. We started off our day with a playdate with some new friends and then the day just got more and more eventful as it progressed. I went to get an oil change, car inspection, and tire repair but ended up adding a tail light replacement and new tire purchase. Most of it was taken care of at one stop which was really nice. (Side note: if you are in the Lubbock area, go to Bolton Oil for any car needs you may have. They are amazing. They are super fast, you get to stay in your car, & they even offer you a drink while you wait! This is especially nice for us mommies who have to take babies along with us.) A trip to the mall, Target, and a haircut was also added to the list. This brings up my next topic. Let me preface this by saying I love Kate so much & I love watching her grow into a little toddler. Now then, with that said, the little girl has gone crazy. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and say she is learning to be independent or something. But, seriously, going out with her to run errands has become an adventure that is not always so much fun. She doesn't like to sit in shopping carts anymore so I have to bribe her. Today I used a giant cart with a seat for 2 kids attached and gave her a little Icee & cup of popcorn. I wish I had a picture to attach to show how ridiculous we looked. It worked for a little while so I guess it ended up being ok. This new found "independence" is a little exhausting but I think it is making me a more accepting person towards other parents. In the past when I saw a kid throwing a tantrum I would think that they must be brats and the parents should do something to stop the scene their child was making. However, I have now learned that kids (especially around the age of 2) are just going to throw tantrums and a lot of the times there's really nothing you can do to stop it. I'm hoping this phase passes pretty quickly and I'll get my sweet baby Kate back.

Now, on to more fun things and my original intent for today's post. My new interest is sewing! I've always wanted to learn but never really acted on it. Lately I've been kind of obsessing over wanting to learn so I decided there's not much holding me back now so I'm going for it. I would just love to be able to make little things for around the house, some gifts, and maybe some day be talented enough to make things that I can pass on to Kate and her family. I have a quilt that my great-grandmother made for my mom, I use it everyday and now it has also been incorporated in Kate's night time routine. When I tell her its almost time for bed she asks to "sit" so we snuggle up in the quilt for a few minutes before I send her to her bed. Its prettty sweet. Anyway, back to the subject at hand- I bought a machine this past weekend and have now made 2 pillowcases and an apron. My next project is pajama pants. The ladies at the store told me those are one of the easiet things to make; however, others have now told me they may be a little more tricky than I was told. We'll see how it goes. I hope to find a lot of blogs that will give me some inspiration and hopefully some lessons. (which goes back to part of why I started blogging) One blog that I've found that I urge you to check out if you like fun, crafty things is one that is run by a mom in our new playgroup. Its kojodesigns.blogspot.com. Its wonderful and so much fun!

I also have a love for scrapbooking. I love to document all the special moments in our lives. Jonathan thinks I'm a little extreme sometimes but I think he'll appreciate it some day. I am a Cricut fanatic, if you don't know what that is look it up- its amazing. I'm still working on the book of Kate's first year (I know, I'm quite a bit behind- that's what happens when you finish college in the first year of your baby's life.) but hopefully I'll get it done by her birthday which is next month! I haven't found a blog to pass along for this but as soon as I do I'm sure you'll hear about it.

And finally, what girl doesn't like to shop? I, personally, am all about finding some deals. I'm the girl who looks through the sale rack before hitting retail items. This pleases my little future-accountant husband. :) I have found 2 sites in the last few days that you really need to check out if you have little ones. First, www.babysteals.com. If you are familiar with Groupon it's kind of the same thing but with items for maternity, babies, and young ones. They have to deals of the day that they post at 9 am & 9 pm MT. They put these discounted items (like 50% off or more) up and have a limited quantity but offer that deal until it is all sold out. Pretty nice right?! The second site is www.zulily.com. They basically have different designers or items for kids that they offer at big discounts and keep that sale open for a few days. I don't think there's a limit on number of items they can sell, just the limited time. I haven't bought anything from there yet but they really have some amazing deals.

Well, I think that's just about it for today. Thanks for taking some time to read about my adventures. Goodnight!