Wordless Wednesday

     I'm back after a long and stressful move. Sorry it has been so long, but I have a big announcement to make tomorrow, that might make up for it.

Dawn

      I am not a morning person, not even in the slightest. So when the husbandman proposed that we get up to watch the sunrise, I was honestly kinda hoping that he would sleep in and/or forget about it. He didn't. In fact, in order to get me out of bed, he even started to leave me behind. I hate being left behind even more than I hate early mornings, so of course I can flying out of bed and was dressed in ten seconds flat. (I'm pretty sure he knew what he was doing all along.)

   I don't think I have ever been so awed. We used to watch the dawn on the way to school in Belgium, (no, we didn't start that early, the sun just rises much later in the winter)  and I got grumpily dragged myself of out bed before the sun was awake for both school and work. But I have never seen a sunrise like this one.

     It seemed like the sky went on forever, as did the ocean. Both just strechting out to infinity, full of hope and possiblity. It was not only a new day, but in some ways a whole new life. Suddenly, only that hope mattered. The troubles of yesterday were over and the worries of tomorrow were too far away to matter yet.

    I am a chronic worrier, as the husbandman often tells me, I am so busy worrying that I don;t have time to live. But for these thirty minutes,I know I lived, I was fully in the present, even for just a single sunrise, as we watched something bigger than ourselves be born.

     I understand now why the dawn is often a symbol of new life. If the sun gets to be born again each day to start afresh, why can't we? Why don't we?

 

     Have you had any new awakenings lately? Has something simple ever changed the way you view the world?

Beach Games

     While at the beach, Miss G invented a new game that went something like this:

The husbandman would toss a ball up to the third floor balcony where Miss G was waiting.

    Then she would find it...

 
    Run to the railing...

     And then drop it back off the edge...

For the husbandman to fish out of the pool...

And throw it back up to where...

     Miss G was patiently waiting to start it all over again!

   Nothing like a bouncy ball and a juice box on a breezy summer day at the beach.

Beach Robe

      As soon as I saw Dana's beach robe, I knew I had to make one for Miss G. So as soon as I could, I ran out to Walmart to buy a towel to chop into pieces and tun into one of these too-cute-for-words robes.  My favorite things about this project? The hood, I think everything should have a hood, and luckily Miss G seems to agree, I also love that the strap is sew down in the back, so it doesn't slide off wiggly bodies.

 

I also grabbed a pillow case to use for the lining. I lined the hood, the ties, and the sleeves. I already had the bias tape made for another project, so my only worry for that was that I would have enough. I did, but just barely. I could not believe how easily this project came together, I really don't think I spent anymore than three hours making it.

       I also ran out of yellow thread on the last stitch, so I knew it was went to be.

      I was so proud when my dad asked me how I did the stripes on the bottom that I was almost a little disappointed to admit that I didn't do anything at all, I just lined up the pattern piece to use the striping already on the towel...

Beach Week

     Last week was my family's annual beach week in the Outer Banks. Every year, my mom's side of the family rents a house for a week of reconnecting, talking, eating huge amounts of amazing food, and f course, days spent down by the ocean.
     I plan to post  pictures throughout the week but since my internet connection at home is iffy, I'll just lave with this teaser until I can upload pictures in the middle of the night tonight (there's no bandwidth limit between 2:00 and 6:00 am)

Sunset after a Storm

      Last week, the husbandman ad I went to see the extended version of the Return of the King in theaters. It was a part of a thee week event, and we had faithfully driven the hour down to Fredericksburg to see the first two movies. This time, we were chased down by an epic rainstorm.


     Sadly, not even thirty minutes into the movie, the whole block lost power. So we were refunded our tickets, and sent home, very disappointment because we didn't think the showing would ever be repeated. But as soon as we started driving home, this sunset bloomed out in front of us. The camera cannot capture the majesty of these colors.  It was honestly one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. And if we had been in the theater, we would have never known what we had missed. And I think it was worth the drive to see it. (especially since the husbandman was able to use the tickets  the next day to see transformers twice (one as a guy's outing with friends, and then took me on a date that night.))

Babysitting

    My fourth of July weekend was made special by many things, but most clearly by two visits from this sweet little girl, my amazing niece (and soon-to-be big sister) Miss G.

    She still has much more fun with the hose than the pool, but watching her smile and laugh means that I will happily jump away and squeal "Oh no! Not the hose!" over and over again until she's either cold or bored. I think she is one of the most active little ones I've seen. She wore everyone out. She visited the goats ten times, climbed that stairs fifteen times (in fifteen minutes) and was outside as much as possible. In fact, the hardest part of her weekend seemed to be the rainstorm that kept her from her swing set.

    We finally wore her out, or rather let her wear herself out, and she crashed as soon as she sat still for even a moment. I don't think their is any antidepressant that comes close to matching the powers of holding a sleeping, cuddly baby.

    What moments or things always warm your heart, no matter how often they happen?