Oink, Oink

Ya know how sometimes you make really spur-of-the-moment decisions without really thinking them out?

Yup, that was us this weekend!

We visited a local animal swap-meet with the intentions of just letting Henry enjoy seeing all of the animals and came how with this.

Yes friend, that is a PIG.

He was cute, he was cheap, he was promised not to get bigger than 25 pounds...

And Sunday when we woke up to a pig running across our living room floor, we looked at one another and said the thought out loud: what in the world were we thinking?

We had the best of intentions.

So, I would like to formally introduce 'The Pig' who is temporarily staying with us because we have ultimately decided that we probably shouldn't keep him, mainly because we are clueless as to how to take care of a pig, mini or not. Thankfully, there are plenty of people around who would be happy to take him for us and we want to see him go before anyone (cough, Henry, cough) gets attached to him.

This may go in the books as the worst spur-of-the-moment decision ever. Tell me, what was yours?

Lemons

Sometimes life gives you lemons.
We've all heard that, right? "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." I'm sorry to break this to whoever came up with the phrase, but you need a lot more than lemons to make good lemonade. Otherwise, you're just going to be choking down sour lemon water.
I haven't blogged in a good while. I haven't blogged because life has been throwing me lemons, and while, I don't mind sharing those lemons, I hate when someone thinks they have to pick up a slice and get a bite themselves just to relate.
I don't want to share the bitterness, I just want to work through it and come out stronger on the other side. These lemons just keep coming, however, and I think it's due time to share a bit.
{Lemon #1} My entire family is mad at me because my brother is getting married (spur of the moment) this weekend and I can't get off of work. Also, apparently I'm mean, selfish, and a complete bitch (thanks mom) and my brother thinks that I want nothing to do with any of them so therefore he didn't even tell me - had to hear through the grapevine, as usual.
{Lemon #2} Henry has been an awful, needy, demanding handful since being sick. While he was sick (and sick he was - horribly, horribly sick) we waited on him hand and foot. When he said jump we said 'how high' simply because he was miserable and we were miserable and we wanted to do ANYTHING to make him feel better. Now that he's well again he's been expecting the same treatment and it has been quite the challenge to try to break this demanding, give-me, behavior.
{Lemon #3} Jeremy and I have hit a rough spot - and by 'rough spot' I mean I don't know if we're going to survive this. Sad but true. We're working on it because that's all we can do. We haven't told anyone so I would appreciate any of you that know me outside of this blogging world to keep it to yourself and just pray for us. This lemon alone is enough to drag you down day after day.
So there you are, my current big lemons - the ones that keep pelting me on the head and reminding me that I've been long out of sugar.
Tell me, how have you guys been? I'm sorry I haven't been able to keep up with your blogs. One day I'll be a good blogging friend - I promise!

Crochet-It Like it's Hot {or cold}

It's been several years now since I took up crocheting. At first it was mainly just because I wanted those cute hats you see all over Pinterest for Henry for photos, but over time, I really just loved how relaxing sitting with a skein of yarn and a crochet needle could be.
Crocheting is almost like magic. It's like one second you have nothing but a string and the next you have this beautiful creation. I love creating things, especially with my own two hands.
So...I've been crocheting like crazy lately mostly because I've been sick and Henry's been sick and it's a great thing to do when you can't really do much more. But also because fall and winter is right around the corner and it would really, REALLY be nice to make some extra money by crocheting because I have a fall bucket-list that's like 10 miles long and Jeremy keeps reminding me that we probably can't afford to do it ALL. I'm going to prove him wrong: one yarn over, single, double, or triple crochet at a time.
Now for a shameless plug: check out the 'sales' tab at the top of my page for already-made, ready-to-ship items and some custom orders I've already completed this year and if you're interested, shoot me an email and I'll make something especially for you!
Here are some really adorable hats that I pinned in the last week that I would really love to make this year!

Seriously? Does it get any more adorable than this fall pumpkin hat?

What does the fox say?

I'm thinking this is a must have for any little boy who is going to be watching their favorite football team this year!

I'm thinking a Monsters Inc. Halloween costume may be in our future with this one!

Henry is not going as Mike this year, but I have an equally cute idea already stirring in my head: crocheted and all. It may just be as cute as the lion costume I made him a couple of years back.
What kind of hat would you want for your little one for the upcoming colder months?

Labor Day Woes

Today ends an 8 day work stretch for me, immediately following the week and weekend that I participated in my first festival (more to come on that later).
Needless to say - I'm pretty exhausted.
Throw in the death of my nephew, the fact that I've been fighting a sinus infection for a week, and that Henry's been under the weather since Friday night, and I'm pretty much done for. Finished.
After my dreaded 5-10 pm shift tonight, I don't work again until Friday and I absolutely plan on enjoying my week. Jeremy was a saint and did the dishes for me this past weekend (I made a bunch of food for various things and didn't have time to clean up that mess) and let me sleep in until 10 today since I was up half the night with Henry.
He's a keeper.
On the plus side, I know that there is a time for all things, and that this too shall pass. So I'm looking up and moving forward and standing in God's truths in order to pull me through.
Also, I've been crocheting more lately, which is good because I've missed it so...check out the sales tab at the top of my page in the coming weeks for some really fun crochet items! I also take custom orders so if you don't know someone who crochets, consider me for your kid's next crochet hat!
I just finished a cupcake hat and a cute little monkey hat for two little girls, I'll post photos soon!
I hope you enjoy your labor day, I'm going to enjoy my day with my favorite boys up until work tonight!

Creative Crumbs {{August}}

Are you guys ready for a new awesome, fun, and easy creative project?

I'm teaming up with my real-life friend Amber over at Take No Thought for a monthly photo project. As mothers, Amber and I got to talking about how hard it is to stay creative with so many other responsibilities on our plates every single day. So was born 'Creative Crumbs'. We decided that between sweeping up food crumbs, diaper changes, and running errands, we would make it a point every month to find a little time for creativity through all the chaos.

So how does it work? We'll give you the theme and then we will all link up together on the last Friday of each month with our photo reflecting that theme. No other rules really! We're trying to make this as easy and simple as possible. All levels of photography are welcome, all walks of life, and you are free to perceive each prompt in any way you'd like!

For the month of August, we decided on the theme 'fair'. Here are both of our photos:

Left side: Amber's of Take No Thought. Right Side: Jenn's of These Ripples and Waves.

I LOVE fair photos. They are always so much fun and I had a great time capturing mine.

For the month of September, our theme is:

{Everyday}

So join us back here and on Amber's blog on Friday, September 26th with your photo of your everyday. And don't forget to grab the button below. (Don't worry, I'll add a nice html grab tag before this time next month - I just didn't find the time between all of my chaos this week!)

Happy Clicking!

The Beauty & Pain of Death

This week we tasted death in all of it's ugliness and beauty wrapped into an ending, and a beginning.
And questions were asked and anger was thrown at...no one and nothing, because there is nothing to throw the anger to. Yet it reigned heavy and bold and pushed out because it had to go somewhere. It bubbled up and over and was too much to keep inside.
And tomorrow we will bury a body that never saw the outside world, that was never physically held while breathing and seeing and living. Instead it's soul made the easy travel from womb to Father's arms and so, it has only known the greatest of warmth.
Pain, but beauty in knowing. The greatest beauty of all:  this baby will never know any pain.
Still: this is how he was born and this is how he will always be known. Still and silent and yet beautiful, complete with resemblances and a birth-date and a name.
Elijah Lee.
He was loved and held, although already gone. He was cherished and he will remain cherished until the glorious meeting day that will one day come on heaven's peaceful shores. He will never be forgotten, and he will always be loved.
Today he plays ball with Pappaw, and smiles and laughs and runs while his parents struggle with questions and anger, and mourn, and wonder 'why me, why us?'.
And life goes on, the world keeps turning, and we are left with the bitter-sweet taste of what life and death really are. We are left to pick up the pieces and try to force them to create a complete picture although some are missing and they don't all seem to quite fit.
And we ask for our friends and family to pray and to understand and to be a rock when the world is sinking below our feet. And so I ask you: to be our rock, to remember us in prayer, and to help us get through this terrible time.
I will not meet my nephew here on this earth, but I will know his face when I see him in heaven one day. And I will hug him and kiss his cheeks and tell him how much he was loved, and how hard it was for his parents to let him go, and yet, how we remembered in this terrible time how much beauty can be found in the pain and hurt of death.
And how we could also celebrate the knowledge that he never knew the pain of this world, but traveled from warmth of womb to warmth of Father's arms in an instant. And his entire existence was nothing but peace.

The Miami County Fair

I love fair time, it's one of my favorite times of the year. I especially love when our county fair is going because we get free passes through Jeremy's boss so Henry and I go wander around several times during the week and we usually make one or two evening trips. This year we did just that. And loved it. As usual.

Next week starts Darke County's fair. It's one of our absolute favorites!