A Hat for Adah

My intentions are to post once or twice a week. Not a day goes by that I don't concoct ideas of potential topics to write about. So my intentions are good, the subject matter is there.... alas, I seem to be waylayed more often than I care to admit. This week's excuse was a migraine that made all good intentions and all coherent thoughts seem like impossible dreams.


I offer this quick little post to show off the bonnet I knit for Adah this week. I found my patterns on Knitting Pattern Central, a great resource for free patterns and all sorts of knitting how-to's. The bonnet was quick and easy to stitch up but I thought it needed it a little something so I added the flower from this hat.

What I like about this hat:
It was quick to make;
used less than one skein of yarn;
has the sweet old fashioned look I was going for.

What I don't like about it:
It rides a little high in the back leaving her neck a little exposed.
Because I knit it at night after she went to bed, I wasn't able to try it on her until I was done, and it ended up being a bit small.

She is going to outgrow it about 2 weeks:).... but I do have 4 pregnant women in my life, 3 of which have confirmed girls... maybe someone will want it for their little girl?

Our days are so full. There is always work to be done. Laundry, dishes, dinner, you know the drill. I make an effort to keep up with it all so that we have a clean, comfortable home. Not only for my sanity but also to bless Gabe who deserves to come home to a place of rest and peace, not a den of chaos.

When I get behind, and I always do, I try not to be too hard on myself. I want parenting to be the priority. Realistically, there has to be a balance between work and play, and that's the challenge everyday. I am not perfect but I make it my priority to put down the dish rag, let the folding wait, ignore the dust for a while and just have fun with my little ones. I want Elijah and Adah to remember our home as being full of love and happiness. I never want them to remember that "Mom was always busy, too busy for me."

Here are some of this week's happy excuses for letting the housework wait:

We were chatting about animal footprints and Elijah didn't quite seem to get it which led to the activity in this first set of pictures.






Adorable Adah practicing holding up her tremendous cheeks.



Here is Elijah scoping out the scene with his new "noculas", another fun craft project.




An oldie but a goodie: the egg carton ant!




And last some taken last week... we do other activities besides crafts, by the way, I just always seem to forget my camera on our outdoor adventures!

A day at the zoo with Mimi and Pop-pop

We took a little road trip on Saturday down to Greenville to visit my parents for the day.

We love being with Mimi and Pop pop. Elijah ADORES them, and I think the feeling is pretty mutual. It means so much to me that my children get to have this really special relationship with their grandparents. We are all so grateful for the precious bond they share.

We decided to check out the local zoo. It's a small zoo, but really quite fun. They have a nice variety of animals, certainly enough to entertain Elijah; nice landscaping, affordable price. All in all, a lovely way to spend an afternoon of Indian summer glory with the folks.

Here are a few pictures from the day.

God, Gabe is great.

Ephesians 5:33 However, let each one of you [without exception] love his wife as his very own self; and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband.

This verse has inspired me to make this post about my husband, Gabe.

Humor me while I explain why. This familiar verse explains how men and women experience and desire love differently.

The first portion of the verse instructs husbands to love their wives as they love themselves. This is so sweet, because to me, this means husbands are to lay their lives on the line for their wives. God knows that women want a love where they know their husband would sacrifice all for them... a deep and devoted love. Awwwwww.

In the second half of the verse we are told how to show love to our husbands in the way that their hearts truly desire. What is the ultimate expression of love for a man? According to the Bible and specifically this verse, Respect.

A husband wants his wife to respect him. Sure they want to be and feel loved, but, from what I understand, it is phony to them if there is no respect. I know for my husband this is true.

Look at how the Amplified Bible defines this action of respect; in case you wondered what it means to respect your husband you are to: notice him, regard him, honor him, prefer him, venerate him, esteem him, defer to him, praise him, and love and admire him exceedingly. WHOA! That's a big job! Ummm.... I could be doing a little better in this department.... okay a lot.

With this in mind, I want to give a little shout out to my hubby! I love him, I respect him and these are just a few of the many reasons why.

He is intelligent, kind and sensitive. He is thoughtful and patient. He thinks everything through before he spouts off (unlike me, ha!). His words have a lot of weight and I find him fascinating.

He is very hardworking. And not in a slave to his job sort of way....in a "everything you do, do it unto the Lord" sort of way. Whatever he does, he does it to the very best of his ability. Occasionally, when he isn't busy with all of his own work around the house, he will help me with mine, and let me say, he puts my dish washing and housecleaning to shame (blush).

He is handy, resourceful and diligent. He is a tool junkie and loves to make things work. I think this is awesome! Not only is it money saving, but just a great feeling as a wife to know that I can count on my husband to take care of things around the house. He has the tools, the know how and the desire to handle anything that needs fixing.

He is a wonderful father. He is loving but firm, devoted and dedicated. He is playful, silly, and fun. He is a proud dad, determined to teach and guide his children in truth. Elijah and Adah adore him and he is over the moon about them.

He is exceedingly handsome. I won't embarrass him or you by going on and on but, he just has the greatest smile and the most beautiful blue eyes. Okay, enough said.

He is honest and loyal to a fault. I trust him wholeheartedly.

He is a true friend and I feel blessed to know that I get spend the rest of my life with MY BEST FRIEND!

Ode to Adah

I thought because my first post was devoted to Elijah.. that my second post should obviously be an Ode to Adah.

First off, she is really beautiful, isn't she???

Sweet Adah! Only 3 months old, I barely know her. Her personality is just starting to emerge. Its like polishing a stone to uncover the jewel beneath. We are getting glimpses of her sparkle but her true inner beauty is yet to be revealed. So exciting!

For now, I just know that I love how her hands are both chubby and dainty.

I love her deep, deep blue eyes and her abundant cheeks.

Oh, and she is so quick with a smile. My favorite smile of the day is the first one, her pre-dawn full body wiggle and smile. She sees me in half light and a smile instantly crosses her face. She seems genuinely thrilled to see me there next to her as she wakes. I feel so loved.

I love how she nuzzles her face in the crook of my neck and squeezes her small arms around my neck. (sweet little baby hugs:)

I love her coos and giggles and especially the sound she makes when she is really excited, it's kind of a loud gasp or a inhaled squeal.

I love how she bears with Elijah's sometimes not- so- gentle attention. She never gets worked up or upset when he leans on her a little too heavily or squishes her cheeks with a bit too much gusto. It's like she already loves him, too.

I love her easy going, laid back demeanor. She already seems to have a "life is good, why worry?" attitude. What more can you ask for?

Precious Adah, she brings SUCH JOY to our lives!