Xmas and some recent pics!

Well, I can't believe another xmas has come and gone! It was a very special one with the addition of our sweet little Rubykins! She slept through most of christmas, but it is just so nice to have her around. Lucy had a great time and got soooooo many presents. We should have asked Santa for a toy storage shed! She is having so much fun with her new toys and the new guitar she got from Santa. It is baby blue with a mermaid on it. For some reason we have no pictures of it yet! But Mike tuned it to the key of G (Uncle Brian suggested that...) and it sounds great and Lu has been playing it a lot.

Mike, Lucy, Ruby and Sally reading bedtime stories tonight...

Going to the Ballet Austin Nutcracker!

The night before christmas!

Lu and Rubes...

Mike and Ruby

Ruby getting a smooch

Lucy helping Ruby exercise!

Lucy getting ready for a tea party with her friend Olivia

Our xmas tree!

The house decorated!

at the Invincible Czars Nutcracker show...it's like a heavy metal/polka version of the Nutcracker Suite! Kids just dance around and go bonkers!

Welcome Ruby Jane!

Miss Ruby Jane was born November 17th... She is a sweet sweet sweet little lady. She looks a lot like Lucy did as a newborn, but she has dark hair and she has my feet! Lucy has Mike's feet. Her personality already seems very different though. She doesn't cry very much and she sleeps a lot too! We are even managing to get some sleep at night...phew!

sally in the window...

I just had an urge to document Sally's daily routine of sitting in the sunny window in the living room. If the drapes are closed she huffs at me to open them and move her pillow closer. We call it her 'stinky pillow'. At around 2pm she moves to the back window to go in the sunny window there... Oh, and it was my birthday today. Mike and Lu made me cupcakes! And breakfast! It was such a nice day...I definitely felt special, between calls and texts and packages from friends and family.

made the flags with a blank notecard and toothpicks...

100 degrees at Mayview Park

Despite being 100 degrees outside and being pregnant I needed to go on a hike yesterday... In the class I am taking over the next year I have to take a nature walk in the same place once a month. This way I can observe the seasons and get to know one place well enough to see the changes. I really like this idea. I chose Mayview park and nature preserve, because it has a pretty low key 30 minute hike that I think I will even be able to handle when I'm about to have a baby! And it is really pretty and shady. I think it is my favorite place here in Austin and it's just 10 minutes away. And it has peacocks! And the coolest koi ponds with lily pads I've ever seen!

the gate that leads to the hiking path.

little puffy clouds

showing off!

huge lily pads!

navigating the rocky path...

so pretty, i love the stone walls...

heart cactus : )

my little garden!

We had a planter that I wanted to change the plants in... there were these lovely horsetail reeds, but they needed lots and lots of water. So I wanted to plant things that weren't so thirsty. My new plants need water every few days, but I only need a watering can rather than hosing the planter for 5 minutes! I am so happy they are doing well...I usually have a black thumb! These plants are pretty hardy! Here are some before and after shots. And a few of Lucy...because she's cute!

Before

After...2 months later

Miss Lu... I was forcing her to pose, so I could practice using the digital SLR that we inherited from my dad! I finally got a new battery that holds a charge, so I think I'll use it a lot more now.

my blue toes with a chalk drawing Lucy and I drew of the ocean with sand and sunset. Lucy even thought to draw the reflection of the sun on the water.

Potato Printing

We worked on this project today for a few upcoming birthday presents for Grandparents! It was so fun! Lucy and I really had a good time working on it together...

I got a kit from Lotta Jansdotter (for 50% off!!) that included these carving tools. They can be used for lino block printing too.

You just put fabric paint on the potato stamp and stamp it on...

Stamping...

This was one of the stamp ideas in the kit!

Lucy designed this stamp and I helped her carve it out.

Hanging out to dry in the 100 degree heat.


I'm planning on making more for our house and also some burp cloths for the baby!

Recent Craftiness...

Just thought I'd post some pictures of some of projects Lucy and I have been working on. Lucy has been hand sewing. Her teacher has burlap square with stitching projects at school, so I made her some for at home too. I have also had a sewing bug lately...and I also have been crocheting a bunch!

A little dress I made for Lu with an American Apparel tank top.

I bought a pattern on Etsy for this cute little dress and used some fabric that I have had sitting around forever!

Here is the full dress! I think it turned out pretty cute and better yet, Lucy actually wants to wear it all the time since it's comfy!

Crocheting! A baby hat and wash cloths. I really like crocheting...I just started crocheting again this year and I think it is so much easier than knitting and I love the way it looks.

Lucy's sewing projects!

I made a few of these sewing kits as bday presents for Lucy's friend's.

Late Post for Easter Grass...

I forgot to post these pictures at Easter... but I just saw them and thought I'd still do it.

So, we bought wheat berries in the bulk section at the market and planted them in an easter basket. The story behind it is that the wheat grass is a special treat for the Easter Bunny, so on Easter the bunny nibbles up the grass and leaves eggs and treats in the basket! I was so happy the grass grew!

First you have to soak them (overnight if I remember). Here they are starting to sprout already before we even planted them!

planting!

It grew about 3x taller before Easter!

4th of July

We spent the weekend in Georgetown at my mom and Grady's. I think it was Lucy's dream weekend... We went swimming, went on a "deer hunt" (we drive around at dusk looking for deer) and we saw 2 sets of little spotted fawns and a mama, we made peach cobbler, Lucy got to help make lemonade and have a lemonade stand at the kitchen table... but on the actual day of the 4th there was a fair at the georgetown park and there was the most awesome petting zoo! So many baby animals that we were all giddy. Lucy and I got to hold the sweeeeetest little baby goat! There was also a pony ride where Lu got to ride a running horse for the first time and I realy don't think I have ever seen her smile bigger! Then to top the day off we took Lucy to her first fireworks display! Phew, it was an action packed weekend!

Without further adieu... here are the pictures of the cute animals (and us).

Biggest smile ever seen on Lucy, right after running on a horse for the first time!

Sweet girl with cutest baby goat ever ever!!

Amy with flapping chicken!

i mean really!? so cute!!!

A girl in her element...

i loved these two little buddies... they sat on my lap for a while and we became pretty friendly.

Mike made a friend...

I feel like this in the morning sometimes...

Fireworks!