three plus two

twelve

Her day started with a phone call from her best friend.  From that moment on she was all smiles.  Eleven was filled with so much growth that smiles weren't always so easy to come by.  But twelve has already seen more smiles than I have seen on that beautiful face in a very long time.   

We spent our day cooking up a storm.  Croissants and apple turn overs for breakfast.  Frozen pizza and homemade brownies for lunch.  (Quick note to self:  Next time let the brownie cool before sticking candles in.  Candle wax isn't very tasty.)  Homemade pizza and more brownies for supper. 

My almost-as-tall-as-me little girl loves to keep things simple.  No party this year.  No decorations either.  But Chloe and I set the table, using an old sheet as a table cloth and we broke out the china to add an extra fancy touch.  Oh, that beautiful smile.   I think it added just the right touch for my girl.

At 8:33 we marked the moment of her birth with a photo and trip down memory lane.  Mama teared up a bit.  She still is really.  It is so hard to believe it has been twelve years since the night she appeared in our lives.  Just slipped right in like she had always been there. 

I love my sweet girl.  Happy Birthday, Catelynn.

sparkle

A magical weekend was had by all.  Filled with firey sparkles, grilled food, family, love, swimming for one of us, rain, and beauty.  What a wonderful way to start a new month.  Hello July.

radish

cukes

backyard campout

There were so many wonderful moments over the weekend.  One of my favorites was our backyard campout.

We were so busy all day cleaning, working in the yard, and harvesting potatoes at Nana's that we almost forgot about camping out.  Luckily we remembered before it got too late. 

Chris and I set up the tent and then Chloe and I set up the rest.  Air mattress, blankets, pillows, snacks, and a cute little bee lantern.  For two hours Chloe and I (everyone else decided they didn't want to participate, it was hot) listened to bugs and birds and airplanes.  We watched the sun set.  We read a little bit by booklight.  We sent messages to Catelynn through their Nintendo DS's. 

Then it got dark and Chloe got sleepy.  She tried to stay outside, she really did.  Then she turned those big blue eyes to me and said, "I'm just not ready."  And we went back inside.

and the winner is...

Heidi who said,

Happy Birthday!
I am a 1975 gal too :)
I wish I could knit because I LOVE handmade waschloths. I refuse to use anything else.

hugs,
Heidi

Email me at carrilambert[at]bellsouth[dot]net Heidi with your address and I'll get these into the mail for ya!  (There is one more that didn't make it into the photo.)  I'm so very happy to be adding to your handmade wash cloth collection!

harvesting

I love that word.  Harvest.  It sounds especially beautiful coming out of a four year old mouth.  We are starting to bring in a small harvest almost every day.  Beans and potatoes and sunberries.  There is just no feeling quite like growing your own food. 

Dont' forget to enter the birthday giveaway!

comments

I haven't quite figured out this new comment feature.  I thought I had replied to a few comments days ago, but low and behold there weren't any replies on here.  So here's a favorite photo of mine for your enjoyment.  She was so proud of her tattoo!  Replies are there now.  And don't forget to enter the giveaway!

34 bits of happy and a giveaway

In honor of my 34th birthday yesterday, here is a list of things that are making me happy right now:

1.  Little girls singing sad songs on the trampoline while putting on a play for mama.  And that hair!! 
2.  Chloe knowing the name of the dragon tongue beans.
3.  We have sunflower babies!!  The birds are leaving them alone this time.  Yay!!
4.  The smell of freshly harvested garlic.

5.  The smell of quick summer rain showers on wet little heads.

6.  Planning holiday gift projects and getting serious about beginning the work early this year.

7.  Looking forward to a lunch today of potatoes and beans harvested yesterday with freshly baked bread.

8.  Reading Inkdeath.  This trilogy has me taking my time and savoring every sentence. 

9.  Catelynn's birthday being exactly two weeks after mine.

10. The sun shining at such a lovely angle through the kitchen windows in the mornings.

11. Season 4 of Doctor Who and a new special airing this weekend.

12. Knitting with cotton.

13. Almost finished with the lace knitting project.  I would decide on a huge complicated shawl as my first real foray into the world of knitting lace.

14. Our dog's sweet chocolate brown eyes.

15. Visiting the chickens every morning.

16. Conversations with my favorite 16 year old.

17. All the sweet birthday messages I received yesterday.

18. Realizing that I have some pretty great friends.

19. Wet grass between my toes when I take Daisy out in the morning.

20. Mornings. Period.

21. Homemade strawberry cake made and delivered by my sweet mama yesterday.

22. Taking silly quizes on facebook with Catelynn.

23. Air conditioning.

24. Not turning on the air conditioner until lunch time.

25. Chloe being so excited about my birthday that she woke up at 5:30am.

26. Her melt downs later since she didn't get enough sleep.  It's hard to feel frustrated when you know that she woke up just for you.

27. Caleb telling me that I need to stop being such a good cook.  It's making it hard for him to control his portion sizes.  (Very important for someone with juvenile diabetes.)

28. Feeling healthy most of the time.

29. The cute pink candle my husband brought home for me yesterday.

30. The sweet look on his face when he put the candle in my hands.

31. Afternoon coffee.

32. Clearing the clutter from the kitchen table.  Not only do I get a glimpse of what everyone has been doing, I also end up with a clean slate to pile our new activities on.

33. Skirts.  I need to make a few more.

34. A giveaway!

I have a set of four of these handknit wash clothes that I want to share.  Two yellow and two white.  I love to knit these.  They are fast to knit up and so delicious in the shower.

If you'd like to have your name in the drawing, leave a comment.  I'll leave comments open until Sunday and have Chloe draw a name Monday morning.  

Happy Birthday!!  Or unbirthday, as the case may be...

daddy's day

He's such a good daddy.  Father's day was very low-key.  He got to play games all morning and spent the evening with his dad.  Thank you honey, for working so hard for us.