40 Weeks!!

This Moment - waiting...and baby laundry

{this moment} - A Friday ritual

Joining with SouleMama

Twiddling..and some art.

(Whilst I twiddle my thumbs waiting for the baby to hurry up and join us on the outside..)

I love stumbling upon my husband's art in and around the Kettle...

(I mean, I'm assuming it's his. Kitty couldn't do that, right?)

Due Date Day!

..and the babe still seems pretty

 comfy-cozy living in Mama's belly...

Anytime, Sweet Pea!

Kitchen Lovelies

I've probably mentioned before that cooking hasn't ever been my favorite thing to do. BUT, I'm convinced that this artist is going to have so much more fun creating dishes with these beautiful, anniversary gift, measuring cups and spoons! Aren't they the prettiest?

Thanks, Bri. You spoil me. :)

(Now, what to make?!)

Giving Thanks

Every blessing you pour out, 

I'll turn back to praise...

-Matt Redman "Blessed be Your Name"

- time to rest

- my seat by the air conditioner

- thoughtful friends

- Lianna's company and homemade smoothie

- when he comes home early

- ice packs and heating pads

- imminent babytime!

- this little picture, this big man and this big belly...

39 Weeks

This Moment - A 5th Anniversary Photo-booth Shoot at the Willows

{this moment} - A Friday ritual

Joining with SouleMama

Equipment

This is how I caught Brian leaving for his softball game...

Of course.

(I really hope he remembered his glove, but honestly, I kind of doubt it...)

An Anniversary Shadow Box

After I was asked to create yesterday's wedding shadow box,  I was inspired to use the same medium for my anniversary gift to Brian. I had never used a shadow box before and it seemed like there would be lots of neat possibilities. After quite a bit of perusing of the art store for some inspiration, I settled on using small squares of wood to create the "story" of our last 5 years together. On each of the 12 panels (1'x1'), I painted a little scene depicting something having to do with our marriage thus far. Then I attached a small block of wood to the back before mounting it in the shadow box, to give it some nice depth. I was nervous about how it would turn out, but Brian loved it and that's really all that counts, right?

Wedding Shadow Box

A friend from church asked me to help her out with a shadow box that she has been wanting to put together from memorabilia from her wedding.  I took it home and had a lot of fun arranging the invitation, program, corsages and other dried flowers (let's face it, I'm loving anything that gets my mind off of every ache and pain that makes me wonder if I'm going into labor!). I thought it was a really nice idea and kind of wish I had done something similar with my wedding "stuff". Ahh, c'est la vie!


All you need to make your own shadow box is a glue gun and the ephemera and flowers that you want displayed.  It's an easy way to display the lovely things that usually just get stored in boxes for years.


I was kind of inspired by this project and have another very different shadow box post in store for you tomorrow... 

mid-summer thanks

Counting my blessings this week, for...

- a meeting with a kind and gracious new boss

- iced tea lemonade

- beautiful flower boxes

- farmer's markets

- seeing old friends and family
- a plethora of BBQs
- Wii dancing with the small groupies
- 5 years of marriage
- the smell of clean laundry
- temperate summer days
- chocolate fondue
- Brian-arranged anniversary flowers

38 Weeks

Five...

For my sister, Katie...

...who has been anxiously awaiting my ability to eat off of my belly.  We've officially made it, my dear. 

Collage Cards

Being "showered" with lots and lots of love and gifts calls for lots and lots of thank you notes! Since my first shower was Noah's ark themed, I went with the same motif for my cards. I think it's always special to receive a homemade card and this is a great way to do it if you want to make something personalized but need to make them in bulk! 

..now back to writing!


(participating in Made By You Monday)

All we need now is a baby!

Some summer thanks...

I am thankful that I'm incapable

Of doing any good on my own...

'Cause by grace I have been saved

Through faith that's not my own

It is a gift of God and not by works...

-Caedmon's Call "Thankful"

Giving thanks this week, for - 

- my incapability and God's grace

- summer days

- naps

- to-do list checking

- Brian's care

- baby stretches

- my first week as a stay-at-home mom-to-be). :)

- successful VBS decorating and all of my wonderful helpers

- a visit from blog fans from Arizona! (they recognized our house while walking around Salem and decided to ring the doorbell...what a fun and surprising treat!)

37 Weeks - Full Term!

This Moment - Cousin Time

{this moment} - A Friday ritual

Joining with SouleMama

A Brian-ism: "How to Get Away with Calling your Pregnant Wife a Whale"

Brian at the Putnam County Spelling Bee!

So, for Brian's birthday, I took him to see the musical, "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" at the Seacoast Repertory Theater in Portsmouth, NH. 

Before the show, a woman walked around asking if anyone wanted to volunteer to be a part of the spelling bee in the show.  Of course when Brian was asked, he enthusiastically agreed to be put on the list.  Lo and behold, 2 minutes into the play, he was called up to the stage!  We thought that if he was called, he might spell a word or two, then go back to his seat. No, he was on stage for half of the show, literally until intermission! He was actually doing so well in the spelling bee, that they had to keep on calling him up to give him harder words so that he would get one wrong. They finally got him with some ridiculous word meaning "the fear of walking backwards into a doorknob". It was such a fun night(despite me sitting alone for an hour!) and I was quite proud of my super-speller!

(If teaching doesn't work out, there's always Broadway, my love...)

Surprise Flowers and a Kitty-Shoot

Rachel stopped by the other day and left a vase of cut flowers from our Mom-in-law's garden.  It was a lovely surprise to come home to...and Dmitri apparently liked them, too. 

Independence Day Thanks

- the fourth of July festivities planned with friends and family

- our "Dependance Day" celebration at NSCBC

- a special package from Lunenburg! (thanks Uncle Tom and Aunt Janet!)

- the Minnesota McKennas here to visit

- strawberry picking with the family

- birthday bbqs for Big B
- a freshly mulched garden

- our weekly bread delivery from Big C

- our country, our freedoms