Just Breath

Published on: February 4, 2010December 30, 2015 by catballou24 1 Comment

Heather over at Shivaya Naturals had a great post today that included this picture:

(Photo courtesy of Sarah of Bella Luna Toys)

We have been doing alot of mixing things up around here. Our natural rhythms were being pushed aside to make room for the business of life. We were not forgetting what is important, but just going too fast to really stop and breath in the moments with our kids. So we are taking some steps backwards and starting anew.

We have very basic needs for our life as a family, and to be happy is at the top of the list. Just like most families these days, we feel the crunch of the economy. We spent last year with J out of a job and literally making just enough to keep the house and lights on (most of the time it was literally down to the last day and last penny). It was extremely hard, extremely scary, and extremely humbling. During these darker days, some light did creep in though. We found out just what we are all made of and we found we are strong. We became more creative in our endeavors to bring joy into our home. I found my green thumb in the garden and my knitting hands became calloused with the hours spent learning new techniques. The girls found that more didn’t necessarily make them happy and that the things they received made from mama and daddy’s hands were better than any store bought gift. We learned to simplify and to really be happy with what we have. This isn’t to say we were hoping J stayed out of work forever, not at all…but rather these were lessons we learned inside each of us, even when we didn’t realize we were learning them. There were many dark days…depressing days to be honest…but now that J is working again we are realizing how easy it is to get away from the good parts of our time in the dark. We are by no means sleeping on 100 dollar bills, but at least we know we can pay our bills on time, and treat ourselves to dinner out once in awhile. Still, having been so poor that we honestly didn’t know where the extra money we’d need was coming from each month (thank the gods for my childcare work here at home though….that job kept our lights on), it was easy to start feeling “rich” once a steady paycheck was flowing in. We got cable again, splurged a little more on things and just got busier for some reason…

Well, we are taking a few steps back now and just breathing. We are happy…I am so incredibly grateful to have the man I do and to have found a way to contribute to our income and still be home with our girls. He has never pressured me to do anything other than be happy. We support each other emotionally and completely. We need to just slow down a little and start just being again. Our children are really our world. They are amazing kids, all of them. They have taught us so much about what is truly important in life. When we stop and just let them be, our world is so much richer.

So with all that hot air now blown, this post is really boiling down to a very simple conclusion. It’s time to just stop and breath, laugh, hug, play and love. Thank you Heather for reminding us that we really are happier when we make that time to truly be with our children. To listen to their cues and to admire their tenacity. Heather has asked for other ideas on how to create a joyful existence with our kids, so I encourage you all to go read her post and comment. I challenge you all to let go of the stresses of everyday life, the to do lists, schedules, worries and take a moment to breath deep and just smile. Enjoy every moment that you can because life flies by and pretty soon, those babes are grown up and on their own. You don’t get this time back…enjoy it while you have it.

Thanks for listening to this long winded post. Hope you all find your zen space, I’m rediscovering mine for sure! Peace!

A Little of This, A Little of That and A Whole Lot of Busy!

Published on: November 24, 2009December 30, 2015 by catballou24 4 Comments

I have not abandoned you all, just been on the go for the last couple weeks. We had a wonderful visit with my darling sister and her family. My nephew hung with us for the weekend while sis and bro-in-law went to a wedding about 4 hours away. Mom came up and we had a blast! Farmgirl’s last soccer game was on Saturday and then the after party, which all the kids loved…who doesn’t love pizza, cake and a playset? They all got their trophies and talked playdates and next season. H was having a blast with all the kids and his cousins around. Later we came back here and had a fun afternoon/evening at the homestead. The kids did alot of artwork and hanging out. We were sad to see everyone leave on Monday, but were re-fueled with the visit and look forward to getting together again soon!

The week went by in a blur as I started my holiday gifts. We make all our gifts and this year I have a long list. The kids are excited about the upcoming events and preparations as well. J’s folks came for a visit on Saturday and we were able to celebrate his dad’s 70th birthday with him. The girls made gifts, but their paper mache’ bowls didn’t dry in time so we’ll give those to him at Thanksgiving. The folks have just returned from a month of hiking and visiting J’s sister and family in Australia and New Zealand! I’m in awe of them as they just go go go! It all sounded like so much fun, and exhausting all at once…haha Some day I want to take the girls over there. The photos are just amazing!

I got a little gardening done on Sunday. Things are finally starting to slow down as the weather gets cooler. One thing that has exploded in my front garden are the butterflies! I can’t believe how many we’ve attracted! Yesterday I counted 7 different types all within a minute. So beautiful and affirms what we’ve done out there as they obviously are happy. There are all sizes from large Swallowtails on down to tiny yellow ones that almost don’t look real they are so delicate. The rest of the gardens are starting to get ready for their long winter’s nap. I’m really looking forward to what spring will bring…but am excited about gardening in the winter too. I have brocolli looking beautiful, lettuce, basil, onions, potatoes and beans all still moving forward. cucumbers are producing too but I’m going to have to start covering them. I’m thinking about building a hoop house for my raised beds so that some of the plants that don’t tolerate the cold so much have a fighting chance. We’ll see how that goes!

I’ve finished one of my major gifts for Farmgirl. Xi’s doll is almost complete too and then I move on to the clothes for her. Her sweater is on the needles and I found the nicest yarn for her in cotton. She can’t stand the feel of wool, even a small amount makes her itch so I got advice from my dear friend, Michellerene over at You Just Gotta Keep Knittin’ on a cotton/acrylic blend that works out quite nicely. It’s super soft and I think Xi will be happy with it. My sister in law in Australia sent some gorgeous handmade buttons that will be perfect for this project. I’m going to knit a matching sweater for her doll as well.

Amidst all this business, J’s cousin (who we are very close to) and his wife gave birth to their beautiful baby girl many weeks too early. The baby is doing good and while she was only 1 lb 9 oz at birth, is now a hefty 2 pounds at 3 weeks of age. Poor little thing has had 2 major surgeries already, but the last one seemed to fix her intestine issues and now she’s growing finally. She was born at 29 weeks, but had stopped growing at about 26. She’s a fighter though and just precious. We are going to try and make a trip to see them in the next few weeks. J’s cousin and wife are my new heroes as their amazing attitude and positive outlook through all of this just shines! It will be a long road until she gets to go home, but seeing the pictures of mama holding her tiny little girl, and hearing the love in daddy’s almost daily emails just makes my heart swell. Send lots of good vibes that she continues to grow and thrive so she can go home soon.

So that brings us up to date…just busy. We are looking forward to the holidays and are hoping that everyone has a warm place to rest and good food to eat.

I need to learn the names of all these butterflies. This one was sunning himself on the lawn chair in the chill of the morning.

Monarch?

The morning sun. This is the view from the front door.

Where the Zinnias are at home and seem to still be happy. Lots of flowers on the Green Envy, Polar Bear and Purple Giants.

Butterfly weed. Last week there were 2 gorgeous caterpillars I’m assuming will be Monarchs, munching away at the bottom half. Can’t find them today..hmm…

I am so happy with the way this bed has filled in. I hope things reseed for spring. Otherwise I’m doing this same thing again in the spring.

African Basil we have had going for over a year now. It is next to the Mexican Lime and manages to get wrapped up with the tree when we wrap for freezes. Hah!

These guys have been covering my little Passion Flower vine! I mean dozens of them.

Sedums still going strong. I’m starting to break off pieces for other parts of the garden. We’ll be using all different types in the rock wall we are going to build in the Back 40.

Mother of Millions

And her babies at her feet.

A pile of kids relaxing with a movie on a rainy day.

Xi and my mom.

H and Lola working hard on their drawings. Notice their matching freckles?

Be still my heart….What a handsome little thing!

Trying to decide what to work on next. They had so much fun together…

Peace to you all!

The Puppet Theater, And A WIP As Well

Published on: November 8, 2009December 30, 2015 by catballou24 2 Comments

So last night J and I were able to catch a show! We were so excited. We gave the ticket taker our tickets, grabbed a cold beverage from concessions and found our seats. The puppet show had a spooky Halloween theme. Very thrilling! The puppeteer was wonderful and we thoroughly enjoyed every moment.

As for the WIP…a holiday gift for my little one. Can you tell what I’m making? It’s my first one and I’m having so much fun with it. I’ll post more pictures of the progress.

What are you doing this weekend?

Peace!

Poncho, Spider and Creativity

Published on: October 28, 2009December 30, 2015 by catballou24 9 Comments

So here is a project I finished for my little Farm Girl. We were completely inspired by Shelley over at Waldorf Mama and her creation for her little one. The pattern is about as easy as it gets and was really fun to knit. Lola saw the rainbow colors on Shelley’s site and had to have one. The only real change I made on this pattern was to crochet a yoke as Lola has narrow shoulders and a long lean torso, so even the smallest size was slipping off her shoulders. I also added a couple extra rows per color to compensate for the extra length she needed. The success of this project was shown last week when my darling one just had to wear it everyday to school, and came home exclaiming that her friends now wanted me to knit for them. We’ll see how far I get with my other holiday gifts..shh…

Spider projects were on the agenda tonight. Lola had to research a spider, make a model and find 8 facts to present to her class. She chose the Jumping Spider . We researched and found our facts over the last couple of days, and so tonight was all about the model. We made our own clay and she created her spider based on pictures we found online. Then it was baked and painted. Lola wrote out her 8 facts on strips of paper which I then attached to the legs of her model after the paint was dry. What fun it was to create! She had a blast not only with the clay, but practicing her presentation and learning about her creepy crawly friend. I’m very proud of how she threw herself into this project.

Lola wasn’t the only one expressing her creativity, Xi got in on the action too. These are her creations, which since have been baked and will be painted tomorrow. The small one is her interpretation of a bee and the larger one is a funky giraffe. Hah! I love them!

The girls had so much fun with this project, that I do believe I have some ideas for them for the holidays and expressing even more of their gift giving creativity.

Hope you are having a creative, warm, happy week!

Peace!

Sorry For The Delay

Published on: October 27, 2009 by catballou24 2 Comments

To all those out there who are so gracious about reading my blog, I apologize for the sketchy updates this month. It’s been busy around here but all is well! I have been finding my knitting zone once again, as well as enjoying our cooler weather! The garden is still going strong, although I’m pretty sure the window for tomatoes is over so the plants will be pulled this weekend..*sob* However it only means there will be room for more cooler weather veggies, including winter squash…Yum!

The girls are thriving. Growing and changing everyday. Lola is thrilled with school, new friends and experiences. Xi is loving being a big 4 year old and reveling in some new found independence within our household. J is well and so am I. We are looking forward to the holidays and magic that this time of year ushers in.

I will have garden picture updates as well and crafting experiences up in the next few days and promise to squeeze in some time in between our new/old routines to at least just say hello.

Much love and Peace to everyone!

Goblin Glow

Published on: October 18, 2009December 30, 2015 by catballou24 2 Comments

We went to the Goblin Glow event last night with the kids at the local City Park. Live music, face-painting and other activities for the kids, a movie in the park and hot air balloons that the kids got to trick or treat at. They had a blast! We didn’t stay for the movie, but the kids didn’t mind as they got to see friends and run around after a sugar rush…haha! They wore their costumes and we all had a great time in the night with the glow of the balloons and good friends around.

Today is getting ready for the week day, but I find myself wanting to be outside in the garden instead. The weather is absolutely fantastic! The garden is loving the sunshine after all the rain and looks better than ever. Soon it will be time to start cutting back all the perennials and getting ready for the winter. But right now I may forget about the mop for a bit and go play in the dirt.

Hope your weekend is gobliny good and full of sunshine and laughter!

Ice Princess and Little Red Riding Hood

The balloons are so colorful!

Trick or treating at one of the balloons

Every few minutes the balloon operators would stoke the fires

And the balloons would glow

So pretty in the night.

Friends and candy (limited quantities of course)…a possibly dangerous combination. hah!

Luckily the girls ran off their sugar rush so going to bed wasn’t too difficult when we got home.

Peace!

Clear Choice

Published on: October 8, 2009 by catballou24 1 Comment

Want to give a plug to my brother and his business partner. They own Clear Choice Window Cleaning and are getting great reviews on their work! These guys are hard-working, conscientious and really care about the quality of what they do. I’m not just saying this because I love my bro, but because it’s the truth. Check out just some of what they do:

Now’s the time, before the darker days of winter come, to get your windows crystal clear and sparkling bright!

Love you bro!

Now back to your regularly scheduled program…

Peace!

We Interrupt This Gardening Moment For a Little ACL Fun (Lots of photos)

Published on: October 6, 2009December 30, 2015 by catballou24 4 Comments

We went to Austin City Limits music festival on Friday and Sunday of this past weekend. What a blast! The kids had so much fun, as did we. Friday was the perfect day. Weather was great, lines were short and the bands rocked! We saw alot of great talent, but one that stands out from that day for us is the band Pheonix. They are from France and we really like them alot. Also, the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s who are Lola’s favorite right now. She was so excited to be able to see them play live.

Sunday found us under deep grey skies and threatening to pour down on us…but it never did. Saturday it rained all day and so the mud was thick at the park. We didn’t go Saturday, but with the way the mud was on Sunday I can only imagine how it was in the rain! The girls LOVED stomping through it though. And while it didn’t rain on us (we were prepared), it was humid! Still didn’t bring us down though as we saw the B52’s. Despite reminding me of just how old I’m getting, they still can put on a show..haha! We also saw The Dead Weather which is Jack White‘s latest project (He is also in the White Stripes). We LOVE them and they don’t disappoint.

We spent a huge chunk of time in the kid’s area with the girls on Friday. Both were thrilled as they got their hair colored, Xi got a tattoo, Lola got to jam with the School of Rock kids as well take part in a Hip-Hop workshop. She rapped away and then they gave her a CD they’d recorded of her…she felt like the star for sure! The guys running that workshop were the Q Brothers and they were great with the kids. On Sunday they did an improv rap for the Buddy Bucks guy that had Jason and I rolling on the floor…all about why they don’t sell more organic and local produce at HEB…haha! The School of Rock All-Stars were amazing kids as well! They covered some good, old fashion rock and roll tunes and did a great job. The last act we saw was a DJ who goes by Girl Talk. He samples tons of different music and just has a very unique and fun style. The crowd was going crazy! Lola and I danced and danced.

So we’ll return to our regularly scheduled AmLo Farms fare in a moment…for now, enjoy the pictures of our weekend.

The first stage we saw upon entering. The Knux were playing. They are old school hip hop and were fun.

Xi spent alot of time on J’s shoulders. She really loved going up close to the stage with him too!

DJ Lola with the Q Brothers

Rockin’ with the School of Rock kids. She wants to take classes next year when she’s old enough.

My little punk rock munchkin

Pheonix

Xi really loved seeing the bands

J was so happy…I love this photo

Dancing queen!

The Hat

My oldest girl and me

Yes, Barbie came to the festival too…Hah!

This gal is a professional photographer and she kept taking pics of the girls. Lola was happy to meet a new friend of course!

Lola up on J’s shoulders watching the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s in her cape. She was thrilled that the lead singer of the band also wore a cape!

Sunday:

We thought for sure we were going to get hit with this. But it blew over and instead rained down at our house, perfect!

They still rock! B52’s

Back with the Q Brothers in Xi’s hat this time

The All-Stars!

Xi woke up happy from her nap

The mud was thick!

Rocking out to The Dead Weather with dad!

The man, the legend, Jack White.

This gal was hoola hooping like crazy, and to the beat of Girl Talk!

The final act we saw, Girl Talk. This was absolutely just pure fun! Lola and I went up front for a bit and she loved it.

And finally…my creative juices got to flowing for a moment in time:

MUD

Playing in mud

She marches through the muck with a smile as wide as the sky;

No care.

Squishy, oozy, watered-down dirt.

Music playing,

Wild Thing mucking about…

Happy Child!

Peace!

Birthday Weekend

Published on: September 28, 2009December 30, 2015 by catballou24 14 Comments

Just a quick photo round-up of our weekend and Xi’s Birthday Party! She had a blast. It was a horse themed gift extravaganza and she was so excited. She is in-love with all things princess and ponies, so that’s what she got! After everyone left Saturday night she kept telling me thank you for her party. She fell asleep with a smile on her face and in her heart. Thank you everyone for making it such a wonderful time!

The day this little girl was born was one of the happiest of my life. I felt that way at the birth of all my kids and my grandson. Xi’s birth was a bit rougher than her siblings as she was posterior and a pound bigger. She was born at home on the farm we lived on at the time, in a nice warm tub of water. That day was so exciting for all of us. Lola was with us and boy was she excited! She’s an amazing little soul and we are so fortunate to have her in our world.

Happy Birthday my darling daughter. I cannot believe you are 4 now! We all love you more than words will ever express and are so proud to be a part of your world. Thank you for choosing us…

“If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children

.” Gandhi

“Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let our bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.” Kahlil Gibran

Enjoy the photos.

William and me…I’m in-love with my gorgeous granson!

Xi is pretty crazy about him too!

Xi and her birthday crown I made. This will grow with her through the years, and every year I plan on adding something else to the embellishments.

Playing with a couple of her gifts.

Pinata treats!

We didn’t use a stick to get the treats out of the pinata as Xi didn’t want it “hurt”, so we attached ribbons and the kids all pulled them at once.

Hanging with Grandpa.

I can’t help it, he’s just too darn cute!

Xi’s new dress from Auntie Grace, and cowgirl hat from Grandma Martse and Papa Dennis. This was on Sunday, her actual birthday and we were leaving to go to brunch.

The actual Birthday day ensemble, dress and boots via Auntie Grace. Hat from Grandma and Papa.

Cousins!

Lola helping Xi with her cake.

Part of the party crowd!

Doing her “scary cowgirl” impression.

Listening closely to something daddy is telling her.

Peace!

The Best Vacation – Lots of Pictures.

Published on: September 8, 2009December 30, 2015 by catballou24 1 Comment

We had the best time this weekend with J’s cousins and aunt and uncle! His cousin Andy rented a lake house on Lake Texoma, and I mean right on the lake. J’s Aunt and Uncle, Andy and his wife Ann Marie, cousin Lindsay, and cousin Erika and her husband Nathan with their kids (Austin and Addie), were all there when we arrived. We had a private little cove with the water just a few feet away from the house. The kids were in the water pretty much the entire time. We rented a power boat for Saturday and the kids (and adults) went tubing. Lola had a blast! She was much braver then me, I didn’t go out on the tube..hah! She and her cousin Austin (he is the 7 years old), were the first to go out with J. I haven’t laughed so hard in quite awhile! They were flying around the lake and she was so excited. When she’d get nervous we’d stop and pull her in, then someone else would take her spot on the tube. Xi loved going fast on the boat, she got to go with the men to pick it up and felt extra special as they let her sit up front and be the captain!

Sunday we rented a large pontoon boat and everyone got in and went for a picnic on a beach across the lake. It was so easy and relaxing just swimming, eating, playing and just being.

The flow at the house was so incredible. Everyone was smiling and laughing pretty much the entire time. We had more food than we knew what to do with and routines just clicked with everyone. No one looked at the clocks…we got up when we wanted to, went to bed when we wanted to, ate when we were hungry and just had a great time with everyone. The view from the house was so relaxing. The older kids could be down in their life jackets, swimming in the cove while we sat on the back deck just drinking in the calmness along with a glass of wine. I really needed a weekend like this. I honestly haven’t felt that laid back and relaxed in a very long time.

J’s cousins are amazing. I have the best time with them. Everyone is so kind and happy and the conversations just flow. J’s Aunt Marlene and Uncle Rich are really good people and very easy to be around. J’s always talked about the fun he had growing up and spending summer vacations with his cousins, and I can see why! The girls both experienced some incredible adventures and laughed pretty much constantly. Lola was happy for the independence with Austin. Xi was thrilled to be in the water, on the boat and at the beach. J got to get out and ski, tube and just be with his family. And I felt so warm and grateful to be so accepted and loved so unconditionally. Every aspect of my world they consider part of their’s and that’s such a great feeling. It made me feel warm and happy with how interested they are in what Jonathon is doing and they reminded me that he’s always welcome as they consider him family as well. We can’t wait to spend more time with them. The plan is next July as another of J’s cousins is getting married, so we won’t be missing that wedding!! That is in Duluth so a completely new adventure for us.

I’ll stop rambling now and just let the pictures tell the story. Hope your weekend was everything you wanted it to be!!!