Unfinished Business

I've been trying to knit a little each day, even if it's just for a couple minutes. I love my boys, but I often feel like I'm running ragged, and for me, crafting is a quick pick-me-up. Sometimes when both boys are entertaining themselves (especially if they're outside), some mindless garter stitch is in order. Late at night, after the boys have gone to sleep and I'm not too tired, I'm able to work on something that requires more concentration. It will probably be a while until I'm able to actually finish a project, so I thought I'd share what I'm working on in the meantime.

First, my mindless knitting project: the Moderne Log Cabin blanket from Mason-Dixon Knitting. I have tons of stashed yarn that I'm using for this project, and I'm planning on using all warm colors. It will eventually end up on the sofa in our more formal living room (now we have a living room AND a family room--I feel so spoiled!) This project contains miles and miles of garter stitch, so I know that it will take me quite a while. That's ok, though, we're planning on staying in this house for many years. :)

I'm currently a part of the Seasons Round Fall Nature Table Swap. I can't get too specific about the next project in case my partner is reading, but here are the pieces (can you guess what it will be?):

And finally, my little Sheldon. I've been wanting to make one for quite some time now, and started shortly after Ben was born. This was supposed to be my trial, and I have yarn for two more for the boys, but the way things are going who knows when I'll have the time to finish three! Right now I'm waiting on getting some safety eyes before I finish the body. It's a fun little knit; it takes some concentration but isn't too difficult.

I have MANY more projects in my queue, but that's for another post...

Have a great weekend!

Backyard Fun

One of the things that really drew us to this house was the backyard. It's about twice the size of our previous yard, has fruit trees, pinon trees, a space for a garden, raspberries, a sandbox, and a nice grassy area. We have been spending a lot of time in the yard, especially now that Pat is back to teaching and coaching. Yesterday I filled the turtle (what we used for a sandbox at the old house) with water, and Matthew amused himself for close to an hour. He just loved it! Ben and I stayed in the shade having tummy time and knitting (guess who did what).



Now that we've settled in a bit, I decided to get out the cloth diapers. Right now I'm using a combination of pockets, prefolds and fitteds. I just love these fitteds that I ordered before Ben was born. They are soft and absorbent, and I highly recommend them! Matthew was in cloth diapers exclusively for about 6 months, then he started getting awful rashes. Now, looking back, I'm pretty sure that it was due to the polyester in the diapers trapping in the detergent. Needless to say, we're not using those diapers anymore, and so far, so good.
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When it Rains, it Pours...or Hails!

Sorry for the absence of late, but it has been an incredibly busy summer! We moved into our new home about three weeks ago and are still in the process of unpacking. Pat started back at school today (and football two-a-days started Monday), so now finishing the unpacking will be a very slow process. We've also been fixing up our previous home to get it ready for renters. Luckily we did find tenants already, which is a huge relief! Pat's father had minor surgery the day before we moved and is thankfully doing well.

We also had some major clean-up to take care of after a HUGE hailstorm about 6 weeks ago. Unfortunately, I was driving when it happened, which was very frightening. When I heard the first BAM! I seriously thought that a baseball had hit my car. But then they just kept on coming. Luckily I was the only one in the car, so after I parked I squeezed myself in between the carseats in the back. I really thought that my windshieds were going to break. They didn't, but others weren't so fortunate. It lasted a good 15 minutes and left a lot of damage all over Los Alamos.

This first pic was taken during the storm from the inside of my car (I don't usually have my camera in the car, but for some reason I did that day:

Here's an example of the type of hail I'm writing about. This wasn't even one of the largest:

Our backyard after the storm:
And the damage done to my poor Subaru Forester (the estimate came to $7000!) :(


Now that we're starting to get settled in and Pat's back at school, hopefully I'll start to get into some daily routine with the boys. Hopefully that will help facilitate more time here on Blogger (and more time knitting, crocheting, sewing, and pursuing other crafts!)