.

March has come and (almost) gone so quickly, it is just a blur to me. We've had some hard things happen, which has made me more grateful for what I do have. We've been strengthened and blessed and watched over greatly.

My mom dropped everything and came so far to help us and love us. It meant the world to me, and Matthew and Anna couldn't have been happier.

My family is so important to me, and I'm so grateful that I've got them. Spring is upon us, and we have so many opportunities and adventures coming up to look forward to. Without the hard parts, I know I wouldn't appreciate the good parts so intensely. It is hard when your expectations are not met, when your plans have to change, and when your dreams have to stay dreams for a while. But just because things are different, it doesn't mean that they aren't wonderful.

"Happiness, not in another place, but in this place...

 not for another hour, but this hour." 

- Walt Whitman

February

February started with a bit of snow, but it is ending with rainbows and sunny days! It is still pretty chilly, and always windy, but it sure feels good to see the sun more!

Matthew is busy making piles of Legos on every surface in our house, and asking me to write math equations for him to solve. Anna is busy writing her own recipes and trying sooooo hard to read real chapter books. Catlin is busy helping at the school and re-upholstering an arm chair. Joseph is busy actually doing most of the work on the re-upholstery project and being awesome at everything he does. February has been pretty great!

London

We went to London last week and took the kids to the theatre to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!

Matthew and Anna were so enthralled with what was happening on stage, and it was so fun to watch them. Anna kept asking if the people on stage were real. :) The set and actors were really great, but we (I) wished they had used the original music from the movie instead of new, modern songs.

We walked back to the train station just as it was getting dark. It was such a fun day out together!

Snow

We got a teeny, teeny bit of snow a couple of weeks ago, and the kids were so excited!! Hah! They had to give up on building snowmen and making snowballs pretty quick, and they resorted to jumping on the snowy trampoline. The snow was gone in a couple of hours, but it was fun while it lasted!


Not our dog. :) We dog-sat for a couple of days that same weekend and the kids loved it.

Quilts

I spent the last nine months working on quilts for Matthew and Anna. A friend from church taught me how to do traditional English paper piecing, and I fell in love with it. I wrote all about the process on my sewing blog, but let's just say it was a lot of work! I hand stitched the whole top of her quilt, and I really loved (almost) every moment. I'm so happy with how it turned out!


I made Matthew's quilt after this arrow tail quilt idea. I love that it looks a little more masculine than the hexagons do, but it is still a similar size and style.


I finished the quilts just in time for Christmas, and got them under the tree just before we left on our trip. The kids have both been so sweet about them, and it makes me happy that they are being used now!

I finished putting the kids' room together and I'm so happy with the space. They love sharing a room for now, and I'm happy because it means I get my own sewing room. :)



My mom drew those beautiful portraits of the kids and gave them to us for Christmas. I smile every time I walk past their room!

Christmas in Cornwall

We spent last week in Cornwall, on the southwest coast of England. We rented a house and had a very relaxing Christmas holiday there. The location was absolutely gorgeous!


On Christmas Eve we explored the area a little bit before it got too dark. The kids got new pajamas and we had a nice cozy evening together. Christmas morning included lots of Lego building, movie watching, and playing.


We went out on a walk to the beach, which was only two blocks away! We explored the beach and walked along the rocks and cliffs, and watched people surfing. It was a beautiful, sunny day.


On Boxing Day we visited the Eden Project, an indoor rainforest. It was really neat, and the perfect thing to do on a rainy, rainy day.

On Saturday we visited Tintagel Castle, the ruins of a castle built in the 1200s, also linked to the story of King Arthur.  It was built on the edge of a cliff, and the view was incredible. It was cold and so, so windy, but I loved it so much.

It was the perfect Christmas holiday, and we can't wait to go back and explore Cornwall some more!

'Tis the Season

For the first year ever, I am actually prepared for Christmas! Presents are made and bought, our packages made it to the states in plenty of time, cards are mailed, and I have actually been able to enjoy a bit of December. We've been busy with school activities, lots of parties, and putting up decorations and doing crafts. The kids can't wait to be done with school in a few days.

We are going on a nice, relaxing trip for Christmas, and I can't wait! All I want for Christmas is to not have to wake the kids up for school for a couple of weeks, and I guess some new socks would be nice. :) I'm so grateful for what I have, and I'm trying to not wish away these days in dreaming about the future. We are trying to help our kids focus on the real meaning of Christmas, and that there are so many more important things than new toys and games.

We wish you all a very merry Christmas this year, wherever you are! We hope you have health, happiness, and joy this season!