Turning One

Monday was the day. It pulled on all my heart strings. From the moment I pulled her wet slippery body on to my chest, Klara amazed me. She has been a happy baby from the beginning. Crying only when she needs something. She's been happy to watch the other kids, hang out in the sling, play with her toys, munch on a cracker, cruise through the house, or sit at the window.She has learned to sign and understands that she is telling me something. She says, more, all done, and her own version of water. And on cue for her birthday, she began to sign milk! The other kids have all been trying to teach her, and I have been consistently showing her every time we nurse for a very long time. She was sitting my lap, squirming around, trying to get at me, and I asked her,

"Do you want milk?"

She stopped squirming, and paused for a second, and I saw her holding her hands in front of her thinking, and suddenly both hands her were signing milk. Yay Klara!

Its been a fantastic year.

And Monday was her day!

a present for her on her day!

figuring it out

a teething necklace for you!!

Goran and I spent the day getting ready for her party. Family and a few close friends. It was a busy morning, and I was feeling all sorts of things. Nostalgic, rushed, overwhelmed, but everything was falling into place. Food was out, lawn was mowed, and house was tidy. I grabbed my camera and slipped out of the house, while baby napped, and took pictures. I didn't know when I bought that camera, that taking pictures would become part of me. But it has. Going out there, picking subjects, focusing the camera, it does something to me. Something good.

grass has been cut, bushes trimmed

setting things up

her special chair, and balloons

a photo album made by mom, and cookies for all the guests to take home

I made sure to get  a few minutes with her. Hold her tight and kiss her soft blond hair. I cherished the moments we cuddled and nursed.

 My mom arrived, and helped me write out my last few recipe cards. I got the children dressed, and put bows in hair. The bell of the ball looked like a dream.

she knows to smile for the camera :)

The cake arrived, made by Gorans mom.

and it was good!!

Happy Birthday!

Presents just for her, that she luved to open, and has enjoyed playing with the last 2 days.

it was so much fun being with her and helping her open them

sweet birthday girl, with her mom and dad

And at the end of the day, after mostly everyone had gone home, she didn't want to sleep. She cried in her bed, and I got her up for extra cuddles, and milk, and some down time. She hung out with me for a bit...and played with new toys. Its almost like she knew it was her day, and didn't want it to end.

Finally I tucked her, and she was settled and drift off to sleep.

Happy Birthday sweet Klara! Prayers for many more years of luv and laughter and all the best thing life has to offer you.

Looking

I started a post on Sunday. It got filed under drafts. It just doesn't seem the inspiration in there. Maybe to much going on. Parties, playdates, school work, and preparing. Preparing for our own party.  My little girl turns 1 in a week. Its a big thing. A whole year has passed. Hours spent nursing, first smiles, first foods, turning, sitting, crawling, signing....she's figuring it all out. I feel very sentimental about this one.

I've tried all afternoon to think of something to write. Why am I sentimental? So many reasons, which would feel like a bunch of ramblings with no purpose. Its all jumbling around in my head, and I don't know how to write it out.

Maybe its 5 days of gray sky's and rain. Maybe I did so much yesterday, I'm to tired today. Maybe I've got to much other stuff going on in my head, thats bugging me weighing me down, not allowing me to tap that inspiration.

So I'm looking. Looking for some inspiration from these beauty's growing in my backyard.

this is our bush!!

baby leaves!!

one lone flower survived my husbands hunt for weeds (who says these are weeds??)

this lovely bush grows up the fence

this is the neighbors apple tree

this grows along the fence, and gives complete privacy says the guy next door....

And this one, growing oh so fast in my home.

happy almost 1 year Klara! You amaze me!

Its neat to watch the backyard bloom and see all it has to offer us. Its all new, and I have no idea the names of any of those things, but the colors are beautiful. And I will learn the names.

And my baby girl...grow and giving us all so much. Preparing for her day, everyday this week. My heart swells with luv, and I am so happy, feel so blessed that she is here, that I get the honor of raising her, and watching her become all she is.

And that's all I have. Chores await, children need me, that overwhelming feeling is pouring over me today. But that's ok. Because being, luving them, watching them, its all enough right now.

Blessings

Its been a long day.

Laundry to wash.
Laundry to hang.

diapers....they stink after a good dose of bleach and a good line dry...why?

Garden to work at.

I luv my garden. So glad I have it to keep me busy, and soon fresh home grown food, but this sod thing seems never ending.....

I have done 4 of these wheel barrels of sod...and I'm not 1/2 done...

 Points to count, and with that, food to avoid.....and thats hard work!

tonight this journey seems slow

Husband to contend with.
Children to contend with.

really?? You think this is ok??

Pets to contend with.

at least 2 of them share

Countless meals and snacks to make,

muffins ~ trying to do most meals and snacks from scratch...

 and with that, endless dishes to wash.

my kitchen is stacked with dishes like this 4xs a day

Honestly, today it seemed so never ending. A battle I was loosing.

But I hang onto the facts. I remind myself 1000xs a day of my blessings. Blessing some people would give up so much for.
The reasons I do all I do. And that the good days outnumber the bad days. 

1 blessing

2 blessing

 3 blessing

4 blessing

And spring is all around me. With the early morning sunrises, flowers blooming everywhere, warm afternoons, QD's opening again for the season (foods to avoid...) buds on the tress....

......reminding me every morning is a fresh start, with new beauty waiting.

And at the end of this long day, where everything is a struggle, and I am oh so tired....a sunset....

...of equal beauty to the blooms and buds, reminding me what does not get done today, will be there tomorrow.

My blessings sleep. My beautiful, amazing, joy filling 1,2, 3, 4, snuggled in bed, waiting for tomorrow.

My New Favorite Thing and Something Very Funny

It went like this. Grace gave me lovely floating candles for Mothers Day. I brought one to share for dinner at my Mom's and left one at home. I had this idea to have a bath with floating candles. So after we got home last night, and all my sleepy sunny smelling children were tucked into bed, and I was a bit chilli from my sun burn, I thought a bath with my candle would be just the thing.

It was. I luv it. Try it. It floats, it glows, there's no chance of fire because its in water, and its lovely.

Because it was so lovely I asked my wonderful hubby to get my camera.

"Is this a good idea?" He asked me as he passed it over to me - dry hands!!

"Yep, I've done this before!" I told him proudly. (I took pics of Klara in the tub with me once....hehehe)

no flash, super still

Board or to anxious to watch, he left me to it. I snapped 1/2  a dozen pics different settings, different angels, and put it gently down outside the tub. All's good.

flash, looks like daytime, tells me this would be fantastic during the day too.

 It was getting cold so I thought I should get out.

I should stop here and tell a bit. Our bathroom is old. Lovely white tiles with a blue, light summer sky blue swirly pattern on them. The tiles were nice, beautiful even, but the wallpaper...

the bathroom before.....you get what I mean..

....and curtins, ick, had to go. The tub, toilet and sinks were blue...the floor was some wacky 70's thing....So we've done it piece by piece, got the tub painted, removed the wall paper, painted the walls door, and trim, and finally replaced the floor and toilet. The sinks are a project for another day.....

Back to the story.

I have this bathroom, and I luv it. I grab the (ugly blue) soap dish for 'some support' and *SPLAH* back in the tub with the thing in my hand. OMGoodness!!

"Oh crap!" I said, loud enough so Goran would hear, but not loud enough so I'd wake the sleeping ones.

crap?

 "What!" his voice shot up the stairs with a hint of *I'm pissed now*

I realized he thought I dropped my camera. I told him "Its not the camera, but you need to come, now..." my voice died with the sentence.

I now have have this gaping hole with a plastic bread bag taped over it, in my bath.

yes, i eat dempsters :)

 Oh well, it will be fixed.

i wonder how long it will sit on the counter???

Once its fixed, I'm buying a bunch of the floating candles and having a date with a bottle of wine and a good book!

Happy Mothers Day

I luv my big backyard. I spend time there, gardening, hanging laundry and watching the kids. The kids luv the back yard. Swinging, digging for worms and talking with the neighbor kids through the fence. We bought this house because of the yard. It's a huge city yard, and we luv it.

But its so so different packing up the kids and heading over to Mom and Dads for the day. Their garden is 4xs as big as mine. They still have space. They have a pool, and workshop, garage, chicken coop, swing set, trampoline, walk/pathway garden with a waterfall and pond, and still have room. We camp for July 1ts their, with trailers and tents and still have room. Wide open spaces to run, play badminton or volleyball, have a campfire, and still have space.

The kids hop out of the car, run across the yard with hugs and kisses for Nana and Paka. Look for the fish and frog in the pond.

Nana and the girls

Bryan looking too

They have to see the bird's nest's they've heard so much about

eggs nest 1

baby birds nest 2

Baby bird, nest 2

There was a 3rd, and you could see it through the deck, but I couldn't take a picture because underneath was to high.

Afternoons spent chatting around the pond. Pouring out my heart to the ones I luv the most, and being a resounding block for them. Listening to their sadness, sharing in the joy. Building lasting relationships. Watching bonds grow with 2 men I never thought would be so close...

2 men I luv the most!

Baby's sleeping so relaxed, with the faith you will keep them safe....

As much as he looks up to his dad he looks up to this fellow too

And the day wouldn't be complete without a photo shoot!!

Nana and Paka with 3.....the 4th was fast asleep

my mom and me :)

It was a great mothers day for me. One of those days memories are made of!

Garden 2 - Rhubarb

Me and my littles went out to a garden corner today. They "helped" by digging and looking for worms, while I picked out sod and leveled off a section. Then I planted!! Rhubarb!!

our 1st garden plant!

"helping" See Angelina running off in the background? She was running to get some water to feed our rhubarb, so she really did help!

So very serous with his tool, Bryan :) Grace being *cute*

my amazing plant

grow grow little plant! I care for you, and luv you, just grow!

I threw in some garlic, not sure what will happen but we'll find out! I'm hoping to spend some time getting rid of sod this week and planting. Now that the sunshine is here!
I wear gloves :) and I luv the smell of fresh earth!

Worms - aka Snakes

Digging up the garden we found lots of these. With all the rain, these guys are scattered across the driveways and sidewalks. Bryan luvs them. Collects by the handful and I constantly remind him not to bring them in the house. And it doesn't matter how many times I say "It's a worm Hunny", next time we go out he's holding out numerous fingers telling me how many snakes he's seen. :)

digging up the garden

a walk after a rain shower

"what ya got there buddy?"

 

"a snake"

looking for more

It May. As much as I luv watching him explore outside, and the worms, I'm ready for the sunshine and warm days.