Little things I love...

-Clean sheets
-Lists (ha!)
-Apple crisp (esp. the topping)
-A full tank of gas
-Uncluttered counters
-Yellow lab puppies
-A hot bath
-Reading in a hot bath
-Reading in a hot bath with dessert
-Being called "Mama" and "Mommy"
-Yankee Candle's Fall scents
-Finding a great deal at the thrift store

...What're some little things you  love?

What I've been up to...

Parenting two children is exponentially busier than one. Let me just put that out there before listing what's been going on in the last 6 weeks (so you'll hopefully be understanding and sympathetic).  :)

- Changing diapers (one in cloth, which has been suprisingly easier than I expected, and one in disposables, which we are praying will not be much longer--see next sentence)
- Encouraging potty-training
- Washing diapers
- Running errands with 2 kids (3 hours to go 2 or 3 places--see next sentence)
- Running errands alone (6 places in less than 2 hours)
- Fighting a nasty cold that left me with a chain smoker's voice for a few days
- Suctioning the...err..gunk....out of my 6 week old son's nose as he is also fighting a nasty cold
- Dreaming about sewing and creating, but have yet to carry out that plan
- Eating for two, as I'm keeping my son alive with my milk

- Thanking God for my sweet and helpful husband, two wonderful children, and a life that I wouldn't trade for anything-- although I will be thankful once we find a routine and my 2 year old learns a little self-control (like not sticking her finger down her baby brother's throat...). Ahem. I will leave you with a picture:

New Baby!

Sheesh, it's been a looooong time since I've posted anything! However, life with a newborn and a toddler is crazier, busier, and more prayer-invoking than most any other time in my life :) And I'm SO thankful for my new normal...which is anything but normal now (although I'm assured by older, wiser mothers that a routine will eventually be established in say, 3 or 4 months!). Here are some pictures of the new love of my life, my son, Little JIG (initials only to protect my sweet children from weirdos out there who may happen to stumble upon my blog):

                                                     (black feet from getting footprints taken)

Making soap

I made my own laundry soap for the first time a few weeks ago! It was really easy to make and it works well (trust me....we were all sick with the stomach flu last week, and a two year old can't quite make it to the toilet to throw up...we washed a lot of clothes and towels and sheets....). Here's a link to the recipe I followed: http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap2.htm. I ordered the washing soda and Fels-Naptha soap online and had it shipped to a local store so I didn't have to pay shipping. I use about a 1/2-3/4 cup for each load (depending on the size of the load and/or how dirty the load is). It was so simple to make and I like that I'm saving money (and I also know exactly what's in my soap!). Here's a pic of what it turned out like:

Part of it is kind of liquidy and part is sort of gel-like (and the little pick cup is the scooper I use) :)

New haircut

I don't know what it is about having a baby (or being very ready to have a baby), but a lot of ladies cut their hair short. I'm no exception. After making sure my hubby wouldn't mind, I got my hair cut the shortest it has been in the last 6 years. I really felt like I wanted a change and my current "style" (if you could call pulling long hair back in a ponytail everyday style-haha!) just wasn't doing it for me. Here's the result (and I didn't realize how swollen my face was beginning to look until this pic was taken yesterday!):

38+4 weeks!! (Like the Chaco/dress look? We were just about to go on a walk :) )

A Birthday

A little Someone around here recently celebrated a 2nd birthday. This year, she got the hang of opening her gifts, had a yummy cupcake, and thoroughly enjoyed herself:

Happy birthday, my sweet firstborn. What an incredible blessing you are!

Gift for a new baby

Some friends of ours from church recently had a baby. Welcome, little man!

Front

Back

First attempt...

at french-braiding the little one's hair:

I need some practice, but it's challenging with a wiggly little girl! :)

What we've been up to (and pictures for the grandparents!)

One day a week for the last 3 weeks, we've driven north to check out some of Georgia's lakes (the temperature and humidity are also a little lower!). We went to Lake Hartwell, Rabun Lake, and Lake Russell. A load of pics following mainly to satisfy the grandparents- ha!

33 weeks

My hunky hubband

35 weeks

Canning

After talking about it for a few months, I decided to teach myself how to can jam/jelly/preserves. I got a book from the library, bought the supplies from Wal-mart (a water-bath canner, jars, jar lifter, funnel, and pectin), and went to work. The strawberry jelly came out great! All of my jars but one sealed (which of course we ate right away), and it didn't take too long. It took me a few hours of constant stirring, watching, slicing, and cleaning, but it was very doable even with a toddler clinging to my leg.

Cleaning the jars

Mama's helper

Yummy!

Sorry there aren't any pics between cutting fruit and filled jars--it's pretty fast-paced so this novice didn't have time to take any shots!

Very satisfying :)

Corn huskin'

A few shots of our little sweetie helping Daddy husk corn from the lab's cornfield:

Our porch

Here are some pictures of our screened-in porch (very common here in the South). If you're in California, or somewhere not humid, you may be thinking 'Why would one need a screened-in porch? Isn't that wimpy?'. No. The screens are extremely necessary because otherwise one might get eaten alive by mosquitoes or other large bugs/spiders (although somehow a few still find their way in, including scorpians). We love the porch, although I can't tolerate being outside right now for more than 2 minutes (it's been around 96-100 degrees here lately with high humidity). I think I'll enjoy it more when it cools off a little. Anyways, the porch overlooks our backyard and the woods beyond (the river below is visible in the winter when all the trees have lost their leaves).

The lovely, Appalachian-made rocking chairs are on loan from some very dear friends of ours.

The wicker loveseat has a matching chair next to it which I got at a yardsale for $8!! For both!! Very exciting :)

View from the garden

We are blessed to live in this house :)

Trip out West

Here are a few pictures from our trip to California. We had a great time with Nana and Papa, Abuelita and Grandpa, and all of our (and the little one's) aunts, uncles, and cousins. We also had fun visiting friends in the Bay Area!

Good friends in the lab

We miss the Chambers!!

The doll and her little buddy

BBQ in deliciously warm (but not hot or humid!) weather

2nd generation IV Grad!

Peter telling a riveting story

Playing with the big girls at "Aubee" and "Gee-pa's" house

Shortly after this our camera battery died and we didn't bring the charger (which of course I was kicking myself for!).

California Dreamin'

We're having a wonderful time here in northern CA!! Sorry no pics because our camera battery died and we didn't bring a charger, so I sent it home with the hubs as he's back in GA now. I think I got a few pics in, but I can't remember! We've been enjoying the WONDERFULLY sweet cool weather, Nana and Papa, Abuelita and Grandpa, and all the aunties and uncles (the little one has many). We've been camping, swimming in cool (well, maybe freezing is more accurate!) rivers, shopping with Nana, taking long warm baths, getting Starbucks and going thrifting with old friends, knitting, going on walks with our new double Bob jogger (how the heck are we gonna get it home?!), fellowshipping with the community of believers, and just enjoying being with our families. I think the local zoo and Redwood-filled park are on the agenda for tomorrow....Happy 4th of July (we're going to my great-grandma's 90th birthday!!).   :)

First Quilted Project :)

I hope no one was expecting a quilt, or even a table runner....I only made some quilted bibs. Very exciting as my little one still wears them, and my next one will too, and I know lots of other pregnant ladies right now, so they are great for gifts. Pretty easy and satisfying since they only take about an afternoon (or a long naptime).
Here are some pics of my sweet bibs that'll soon be covered with food, drool, and spit-up:

Bib #1 being modeled:

Other side of Bib #1:

Bib #2:

Other side of Bib #2:

I could've made a bunch more, but we're getting ready to go to California TOMORROW (woohoo!!), so there is much packing and preparing to be done! :)

Fun Weekend

We enjoyed a fun, HOT weekend here at home....so hot, in fact, we had to bust out the pool:

Some organic, yummy bounty from our (Jonathan's) garden:

The little one helping Mama make zucchini bread:

Fellowship and dinner with friends, garage sales, making gifts for a friend's baby shower, date night with the hubband, church, pool, eating fresh produce....all adds up to a blessed weekend!