A Little Girl's Party

This was Leyla's first birthday party with little friends. The girl factor was high. Dresses, hats, musical chairs, flowers, pink, dancing, butterflies and bows. Because that's just what Leyla is: a lot of girliness, a whole bunch of sweetness and a little bit feistiness.

Happy 6th birthday!

Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for a person to see the sun. Ecclesiastes 11:7

Jef Maion photography

Ready or Not Here We Come

We've never been more ready for spring. But where is it? It's May! And if spring doesn't come out from hiding soon, I just might need to make my first visit to a psychiatrist.

(This photo was take of the the posies that graced the grass in Tulsa, not here.)

• Since it's May 1st that means somebody is going to be 6yrs. old tomorrow. Today we are decorating, baking, shopping, and planning.
• We are now excited owners of a pop-up camper. Thus, 2 camping trips have been planned in the next month. One to the local lake and one to the mountains of CO.
• Swimming lessons will surely make good swimmers in the hot months to come.
• A tiny life is starting to grow. Or, to just put it simply: my sister is pregnant! Crazy. Yay, for the first neice or nephew on my side!
• Pella's tulip festival is on the agenda for Saturday. I hope there's a tulip.
• The academic weeks are coming to a close. The students are happy. And that has no reflection whatsoever on their teacher.

Till we meet again, we will miss you Grandma.

The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; Yea, I have a goodly heritage.

Psalm 16:6

Crossing and Stitching

Since I only have one more item to check off my cleaning schedule for the day, I have a little time on my hands. Unless you count the other list for all the extras that need to be accomplished. A woman's work is never done right?

Other facts influencing my free time feelings are: the kids are happily watching Little House on the Prairie. And because I have such a fondness of it myself, my normal tv guilt is at a minimum. Speaking of guilt and time, the kids will be eating Wednesday's cheap McD's happy meals for dinner en route Prayer Meeting. "Plan/make dinner" has a check by it.

A minute ago, I came SO close to lugging my wonderful, ancient, avocado-green, Kenmore sewing machine up from the basement. The machine my grandpa got me at and auction for $20 right after I got married. The at least 100lb. machine my poor husband pushed across the Denver airport in a umbrella stroller. But the humiliation was worth it because he paid $0 for a sewing machine that every new wife must have. And he didn't know it at the time, but pushing that blessed machine was a cinch compared to a screaming baby.

Oh! I have some sewing projects on the horizon. At least I want to have some if the "to do" lists ever end. I'm concluding that they won't, though, so it's one or the other - it's about making priorities:

• den curtains in ivory burlap


• felt hair clips for the girls (with their help)


• spring couch pillow covers


• and after 10 yrs., another quilt

These are gorgeous & free quilt patterns from Amy Butler Design.

Ok, who wants to make a quilt?!

Well, time is up and now I'm going to write "blogging" on my list....and then cross it off.

What does a Yak have to do with hygiene?

Eric Carle

This "Yickity-Yak" who is "sniggildy-snaggildy" and covered with "shiggildy-shag", brought my prompting home. Leyla is now determined to toughen up, not fuss and be diligent about her daily hair brushing - lest she look like him.

Thank you, Yak.