What's Going On?

And why haven't I been blogging? Short, sweet and to the point - I've been busy. I have a huge stocking coming up with a ton of great guest vendors that I've been organizing, and in the meantime this blog, my home site and my Hyena cart are all getting a much needed face lift on the old design and some new features that will help them all flow together a little better. I plan on slowly moving more and more into my home site, so this will help with that change.

Then of course there's the day to day general business of raising a family, a huge amount of yard work as we redo the backyard (still a little torn up from last year's garage raising) and put in a huge garden, and some settling in as I continue to adjust to life with food intolerances. It's kind of touch and go with that last one right now.

Today I'm taking a much needed break to hang out with some fiber homies and get some knitting and spinning out of my system. I'll have to post pictures of the projects that I've been filling my spare time with soon.

In the meantime, bear with me and watch for some changes around here!

Afternoon in my Room

Welcome to the late hours of afternoon here in my home. The breeze blowing in through the front door, opened to take advantage of the sunny weather, has that sweet earthy smell that comes with Spring. The sound of the neighbors washing their car and kids playing basketball is further proof that winter is releasing us at last.

Today has been a lazy but productive one. I got the simple chores that keep my mind sane done early this morning, leaving me free to enjoy time with the kids and planning my garden. This weekend is ground breaking day, so the seeds must be in order and plans drawn to give all that new plant goodness a home. The little seedlings that have taken root indoors over the last several weeks will soon be moving out as well. After nap time we ventured out to clean Vanny and then take a little trip to the store to find some potato free ice cream. Then it was home again to play some more and eat drippy popsicles!

There's so much that I've meant to share with you all this last month that just went by the wayside in the midst of my health concerns and life in general. The pictures of the little tomatoes, peppers and lettuce pushing their way through the soil in pots around the house (25 of them in all). The daffodils that Evan surprised me with that brightened my table for a week. The little projects here and there that made my day. I know they're late, but they deserve to be shared, so here are little glimpses of the way Spring has made its way into my home over the last few weeks.

:daffodils:

:hello tomatoes:

:a hat for ely:

:newborn shorties for a customer, it had a matching hat as well:

There is one recent event, however, that I can show pictures for in a timely manner! This last weekend my Evan, sometimes known as P.I.E and Steven Eller, turned 27! I gathered our friends for a last minute surprise party and we hit Outback Steakhouse to get him some prime rib and then the casino so we could all lose some money!

:that's his "i'm in the mood for prime rib" face:

:our friends kept complimenting me on my shirt. i hardly ever wear lower cut shirts so i guess it was a bit of a change:

:evan and mark, my two best men:

:showing some brother love - my little brother levi to be exact:

I hope your day has been pleasant and mild, full of sunshine and belly laughs like mine has!

Spring has Sprung

The weather has been gorgeous lately. The mornings are crisp and frosty, but bright. The afternoons are warm and sunny, and the evenings have been cool and mild. The patches of snow become smaller by the day, and my irises have already begun to poke through the frigid bed in front of my house. The unmistakable signs of spring have, well, sprung.

This spring is different for me from most. It seems to hold more promise, more joy. Not only is the winter weather coming to a close, but the winter that has been in my heart is also thawing. My appointment is this week, and I'm tentatively optimistic that I'll soon be healthy and strong again. The sunshine has done wonders for my mood lately. I've also started several of the projects that I've looked forward to for so long. I began learning some knitting by myself from Knitting Help, and have already benefited from the relaxation it offers. Evan and I signed papers on our refinance, which means the money for a new garage and wood fence (and perhaps a little landscaping) is safely in the bank and ready when we are. Hopefully by May we'll have a snug garage and beautiful backyard that will be a haven for us. Last but certainly not least, I started putting together my Home Management Binder. I've had one for awhile, but after some research on MDC I decided that mine was sorely lacking and completely revamped it. For those of you who don't know what an HMB is, I plan to devote an entire post to it soon to enlighten you.

Other tidbits from life lately....

My sister came with her girls and shared a lovely day with me and the kiddos. We're planning on seeing each other again in May. She lives about eight hours away, so I treasure any time I get to spend with her.

Levi and Dani tied the knot on Wednesday night at The Hitching Post, which brought back fond memories of a different wedding there almost four years ago. It was sweet and simple, and I haven't seen my brother smile so much in ages.

On the not so pleasant front, I developed what I thought was a UTI, which I ignored while waiting for my new insurance to kick in. Finally, unable to take the pain, I went into urgent care yesterday, where I was told I actually had a bladder infection, and that I would be lucky to escape a kidney infection, which apparently is much more serious and requires hospitalization. Go figure. I think it's starting to get better, although my stomach is still on fire. And in the meantime I did enjoy a lovely day out with Evan and the kids, which brings me back to the weather.

Isn't the sunshine nice?