An Easter Dress

I didn't go shopping for an Easter dress for Elee this year so last week I went rummaging through my material stash to see if there was anything I could use to make her something. I recently inherrited my grandma's sewing machine and along with it my grandpa gave me a box of her old fabric.

This is what I came up with from the box.

And this is what I managed to turn it into.

I obviously didn't get it pressed or washed but since we didn't end up getting to wear it Sunday it didn't really matter.

She's trying to get the point across that she doesn't feel like posing this day.
I didn't have a pattern so it's not perfect but I figgure it turned out pretty well since it actually fit her. I was pretty dissappointed that we didn't get to use it for her 'Easter' dress but we will be having a belated Easter celebration once our household is finally well so she'll just have to wear it then.

our household has still been sick. elee is on her second antibiotic and ardon, after getting progressively more sick for the last week, was finally prescribed an antibiotic as well.

one thing for sure, is that we've had some scares this week

ardon's given us several scares over the last few years, the first being about 3 years ago. some of you all ready know about it. he had been very sick and we had just loaded up to head to the er and started driving down the street when he stopped breathing. we pulled over and laid him on the church lawn where bronze performed cpr while i was on the phone to 911. he was blue. i remember it very clearly. as i sat there in the grass i remembered praying not too long before, that if he would not grow up to serve our Father that he would be taken before such a time so that he would spend an eternity in heaven. that must be why, i thought. while sitting there overwhelmed with grief at the thought of loosing my firstborn and only child i also had a peace wash over me. i cannot explain it and i hope others don't have to experience it. shortly after this thought process ardon gasped a breath of air, he had been restored to us. it had been over 6 minutes before he started breathing again, 6 of the most painful minutes i have ever experienced. we will always remember this day, humbled and grateful for God's goodness.

there have been other times we've had scares, tuesday morning was another when ardon woke up. he'd had a fever of 104 for 6 days and we had been packing him in ice packs through the nights just to try and manage his temperature. i just thought he was disoriented when he woke up at first. i kept trying to get his attention and figure out why he was upset. then, as his hands started feeling the air in front of him and followed my voice to touch my face, a horrid realization set in, he couldn't see. my heart fell to the floor. i called bronze to come home from work then called my parents to come stay with elee while we went to the hospital. after about 15 minutes, as i sat on the sofa holding him with a million thoughts racing through my mind, i told ardon that we were going to pray. it was not extravagant but short and direct. a minute later i looked over at him, then, he looked over at me, this time with recognition. when i asked him if he could see he told me yes, i asked about other things in the room and he could see them as well. we went on to the hospital where the doctors couldn't explain the loss of vision and eventually sent us home.

our Great Physician, however, is all knowing and able, so that's all that really matters. it was a scary and horrifying experience and ardon is still recuperating but we are so thankful for the progress that has all ready been made.

'An Egg-citing Day'

Corney? I know, but I had to use it before anyone else does this weekend!

This is the first day in a long, long time that I haven't had a mile-high list of things to do or scheduled times that I have to be out of the house. "Scheduled times to be out of the house?" you say, well that's a different story for a different day.

Since today is also Bronze's incredibly long day at work I decided on some Easter projects for us to work on to keep ourselves entertained and to add a little fun to our lives at the moment. (Not that our lives are totally lacking 'fun' at the moment, it's just, well, different and kind of stressful/exciting/confusing/very busy! But like I said, another story for another day.)

Shall we get started?

I had a craft day planned last week, we decided to cancel it due to extenuating circumstances that were actually NOT related to the craziness of our own household, but some other issues that arose. I was still wanting to do some 'Eastery' things, even if it was just the kids and myself, so we did.

To get things going I got some eggs boiling,

Then we got busy stuffing plastic eggs.

We dug out all our eggs from last year.

Emptied out any old candy, yes, they still had candy from last year.

And filled a bowl with anything worth keeping.

We got the eggs all filled with NEW candy and goodies for the hunt at church on Sunday so we can drop them off this evening.

There was a little bit of taste testing the candy from last year, I think it passed.

After finishing with the plastic eggs we moved on to the next project.

Faberge Eggs!

I had seen a craft show about doing these but they used wooden eggs, dried flowers and special applique supplies. I thought it looked like a fun way to make some really pretty eggs and my mind started turning and trying to think of a less expensive version.

This is what I came up with. I bought some pretty tissue paper at a dollar store and had the other things at home.

Ardon got the floor mats all put together

and waited with excitement and anticipation!

We started by spreading water-thinned glue and sticking on torn pieces of tissue paper then painted over it with more water-thinned glue.

Elee woke up while we were in the middle of decorating so she got started on her eggs, decorating them with stickers and crayons(and gashes).

We made a huge mess but it was a ton of fun.

We were really happy with how they turned out. Ardon kept saying over and over again while we were working on them that this was the most fun craft he ever did in his life.

So simple and inexpensive, yet so much fun with a fancy result!

And it Was...

A Rollie Pollie, of course! At the time it took me a minute to figure it out. I was busy doing yard work and responded with an "Oh yeah?" when suddenly I got to thinking that, to my knowledge, he didn't have anything with 'juice' in it. When I found out what it was from I told him to wash his hands and that he probably shouldn't squeeze them so hard. Without delay he reminded me that he had only squeezed it a 'little'.

Ardon Says-

"Mom, I just squeezed it a little and juice squirted out all over the place!"

Which of the following do you think the conversation was about?

A) A Juice Box

B) A Rollie Pollie

C) An Orange

Curly Headed Cousins

These girls are 2 months apart. It's fun to watch them playing and growing together.

Pause Button Please

Our lives have been so crazy and busy the last few weeks. I've sat back and said "why is this happening" as well as "what were we thinking" and "what have we gotten ourselves into". I feel, as I'm sure everyone does at some point, like I need a pause button so I can sit back and catch my breath for a few minutes.

On top of all the craziness I've had virtually no sleep since Tuesday because of this little girl. This is the sickest she's ever been and I sure hope we're going to be on the mend now.

Ardon has been slightly board at times but also very caught up in the 'going's on' of our household lately.

He has been able to spend some time outside and created some chalk artwork on the patio. Play time outside is definitely not going to happen today though, what crazy weather! As much as I look out the window at the cold, wet, mess and think, oh no, now I can't get x, y, & z done, I am not really disappointed about it.

I am looking forward to our weekend, full as it may be, at least my husband will be around for it and that always makes things better!

What Is 'NOT' Going On

It is not almost midnight,

I am not sitting in the dark by myself eating this,

and it is not my second one,

and I most definitely am not dipping it in a big glass of milk,

and it is not wonderful.

OK, maybe that wasn't all entirely true, or even partly, or well, hmm.... Something, besides the fact that I didn't have time to eat during large parts of the day, must be wrong with me. Oh wait, I know who I can blame it on-

this person,

yes, this person definitely has something to do with it! At least that's who I'm going to blame it on for now!

Bronze complained today that I was starving 'someone' and not giving them enough calories, boy I sure proved him wrong didn't I! It sure would seem that 'someone' is happy by all the wiggling, kicking and squirming going on inside right now.

Feel free to stop by for one of these soft, frosted circles of gooey goodness in the morning, just call first to make sure there are some left:-)

Today

Our day has been filled with popsicles,

and chocolate

and now reality as I'm off to go clean the bathrooms!

Technically 25

Although I am 'technically' 25 weeks, I'm measuring further along (like usual) and the doctor doesn't expect me to last much past 10-12 more weeks. They always have a difficult time forecasting my due date correctly so this is kind of what we were expecting.

Everything looked fine at my appointment today, they just told me to take it easy for now.

I'm still loosing weight and my blood pressure is low so I figured it was a good opportunity/excuse to come home and eat the 2 pieces of chocolate cake that my mom had delivered to me this morning. It was wonderful and therapeutic and though I did feel slightly guilty about not saving any for my son (whom a piece had been designated for) it wasn't enough guilt to keep me from eating it!

A Long Week

This has been a very long, tough and draining week.

I have been up against car problems, sickness, euthanasia of a loved pet, more car trouble, exhausting circles with financial institutions, pregnancy scares, still having vehicle issues and difficult decisions to be made.

I am drained, mentally, emotionally and physically.

I'm trying to sit back, catch my breath and collect my thoughts in a few moments of silence, then this comes mind-

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

I am so thankful it's Friday and that I will have my husband around for the next couple days while we rest, recuperate and have some family time.