Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours!

My what a difference a year makes.  Peep has changed SO much it's hard to believe.  This is her, last Christmas, click here.

Now she is talking saying new words every day.  She is walking, running, climbing.  She has been walking around with her afghan on her head.  She comes up and hugs me and pats me on the back looking like Cousin It.  She's been sleeping through the night since July.  Loves dogs, babies, kids, people, horses, and on and on.  Talks about her Papa (which I've learned she calls Nana too, so it's grandparent encompassing) and cousin K* all the time, along with our dog and the neighbors dog.  She loves for her daddy to hide under a blanket sitting on the couch, she pulls the blanket off and he chases her snorting and growling.  She laughs her head off and the minute he stops she says and signs "more?".

To add to our joy, we are expecting baby #2.  We're excited and nervous...  I'm not sure how I will corral two munchkins and get them out of the house, it'll be interesting!

Safe travels everyone!  See you next year!

Christmas time is here, happiness and cheer!

Just saw a cute article on wrapping ideas for the holidays on Etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/how-tuesday-last-minute-packaging-round-up-11450/?ref=nf

Hard to believe that it's winter, let alone Christmas...  And the new year, 2011 (holy crap!!), is just around the corner. I remember hearing the adults at family get togethers talk about how fast time went and I thought they were crazy! Time dragged waiting for Christmas, draaaagged waiting for summer, draaaaagged waiting for my birthday, draaaaaaaaaaaaagged waiting to grow up.  Wow, how that has changed!

Who knows what the new year will bring for us! I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Painting painting painting!

Flutterby 11x14" Acrylic on canvas

Commissioned piece just finished!  I hope the commissioner (?) likes it.  She requested a butterfly and left it to me to sort out the style and doing so has sent me on a bug kick, so expect to see more bug paintings coming up!

I used real acrylics rather than craft acrylics on this and I must say I have been converted.  They are SO much nicer than craft acrylics!!!  I thought they'd be a lot more expensive, but they aren't, especially if you catch them on sale. 

You know...  it takes me longer to finish a painting with a small one to chase and wrangle, but it's as satisfying as ever.

Another year...

Another birthday!  Birthdays always seem like a good day for some introspection, where I am, where I thought I'd be and where I'm headed.  A good day to reflect on just how lucky I am to be married to my best friend and to have the sunniest, sweetest little girl and to be happy for our family's health.

So here goes!

Past: I try not to have regrets, but... a few still linger.  I remind myself that every choice I made led to where and who I am today and in that I am truly blessed.
Present: Loving it. Looking forward to what each new day brings. Peep is growing and changing every day and she brings me such joy.  (Even when she is yelling at me, "ma! ma! or maybe especially then, haha!).
Future: I want to do more art, more selling of said art, more blogging, more yoga and more bible study.

Monarch Migration

We had loads and loads of Monarchs in our trees last night and our camera just wasn't up to the job!!  Nothing makes me want a fancy camera more than an instance like this.  It was gorgeous and majestic.  One of the most beautiful things I've seen.

Blogging....

I've updated the blog just a bit, shocking I know.  Not only have I been a lazy poster, but I also didn't touch the header or background in at least 2 years if not more. I was sick of it, were you?  I'm working on a new header, perhaps something for fall.  That might inspire me to do a new header before two years..  or it might not.  ;)

Wedding weekend...

First we hit Greaserama. Gorgeous day to check out hot rods and rat rods and see some friends.

Then head outta town for Sam and Alison's wedding!





Weekend snippets:
Peep on Aunt D*'s lap during the wedding ceremony, rifling her purse. Thanks D*! You were a lifesaver, I didn't think she'd sit down for the wedding! :D
Peep leaning her head back on Uncle Tony a long time in a Peep style hug.
Peep walking a big circle around the wedding crowd, doing a little nature walk waiting for wedding time.
K* doing a little ballet spin while Peep watched, then Peep leaning forward, arms out behind her going Ohhohoh- her version of a ballet move I guess. :D
K* about Peep, "She's a mess maker!" (Usually when we get together Peep will shriek or yell or something and K* says, "She's a noiser!")
At the wedding reception Peep squealing and then running to Nana arms wide open.
E* bringing me a little folder with a folded piece of paper stuck in that stuck out when you opened it. I said, "What's this a nose?" E*, "YES!" Then peals of giggles. :D
Laughing over margaritas with some of the family post wedding.
Hanging out with Uncle Al and his lovely girlfriend Laurie.
S* and A* exchanging vows while she tried to hold his hands and hold her dress down.
Peep putting a piece of banana to her ear and doing her talking on the phone impression, mouth open in an O, saying Oh, oh, oh.

Gorgeous wedding and a fun weekend!!

Ps. Can I just say that it's hard to believe that this was nearly a year ago!! Peep has changed so so much. Love that little rascal. xoxo

Vacation July 2010

What a lovely trip to the lake... Peep has grown and changed so much in the two weeks we can't believe it. She's suddenly saying a lot of words.

We discovered she is ready for and loves the sandbox...

She's climbing up on more furniture AND we've taught her how to turn around and climb back down! She never ceases to amaze us with how bright and sweet she is.

We saw lots of geese (in fact everything was "geese" as far as Peep was concerned), swans, ducks and even had a sandhill crane who liked to fish of ours and neighboring piers in the morning. Peep loved to watch all the birds. I especially like the crane because he looks so comical walking around on those long legs with knobby knees.

Vacation moments:
Driving in the van, heads bobbing to Love Machine.
Peep at 5 a.m. from pack n' play - "mama? maamaa?" some shuffling and then she's back asleep.
Peep - Patting screen door with both hands saying, "I go, I go, I go." Gets shoes and sits on kitchen floor and fiddles with the velcro.
Pooch's first few jumps into the lake off the pier are so tentative and he usually dunks himself a few times, then by the end of vacation he's flying off there like a champ!
Hanging out with family - lovely!
Peep hanging over side of rowboat as we are motoring across the lake, trying to touch the spray kicking up.
Peep pointing at ducks, swans and geese saying, " Geese geese geese!"
Peep following Grandma and Grandpa's granddaughter) around and then standing at a closed door saying, "Ooee? Oooeee?"

Creating...

Here's a potential design for a quilt my mom is going to make for my daughter... I had another design all drawn up, with lots of forest animals, but it seemed too unisex and I decided to draw a more feminine design. My mom is amazing with a sewing machine, I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Baja 500...

Hubs and his buddies are racing the Baja500 today! I hope that it goes well for them and that they finish. Hopefully before dusk so they don't have to race in the dark. Be safe guys and have a blast!! This is the design that R* did for them. He's a wonderful artist!

Where you used to be, there is a hole in the world, which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime, and falling in at night. I miss you like hell. ~Edna St. Vincent Millay

Art Art ART!

A wedding present....

Custom Painting - Done!

Here are the sketches for it, Rabbit and Punkin, best friends forever....

Peep 7 1/2 months old...

This little girl is a constant source of joy to her dad and me. What a character (click here to see her on a soapbox). She is doing a low crawl, still working on her regular crawl. She has figured out her pincer grasp and thinks puffs are the bees knees. She has gotten very cuddly lately so I get to cuddle her before naps and bedtimes and it is the best.

She's got one tooth on the top and three more about to pop and she's been a bit miserable today, poor little thing. Last night she was on quite a soapbox while her dad was giving her dinner. See above link. :D

We went to the zoo yesterday and Peep loved it. She was doing her usual, hanging out the side of the backpack to see around us as we walked. Here are a few things we saw!


Peep had a lot to say to these kangaroos sunning themselves, but they didn't pay a lick of attention.


The other Sumatran tiger was licking this one's head a minute before. Too cute.


In the Peek-A-Boo tree.


Lil monkey. I forget what kind, but they were too cute.


Meerkats...


And more meerkats, checking out the outdoors.

Peep's Christmas

Paper!  Gimme

Christmas lunch.  Squash, yum.

Winter Wonder - WHAT THE HECK!

All that gorgeous pristine snow...  And then!!

Hubs got the snow cat out and we drove all over and now it is less winter wonderland and more "what the heck was in your yard?"

Peep liked it, round 2 made her fall asleep.

January 2010!!

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas (or Happy whatever holiday you celebrate!) and a fun New Year's Eve.  

Random moments with Peep in the last couple months...

Picking her up in the night to feed her and she says "Eeep!  huh uh huh uh huh uh grwww"

Picking her up in the morning and she hugs my head.

Picking her up in the morning and she comes at me mouth open like she's gonna latch on my neck - HUNGRY!

Discovering squealing and doing it ALL DAY LONG, progressively getting louder and louder.

Scooting to the side one night to get a toy and then getting up on one knee to scoot too the side the next day, in front of the parents as teachers lady.  She thought Peep might crawl right there and then!  Not so far, but she is getting up on all fours and she almost did an army crawl yesterday.

Doing her funny chuckle when you get her belly.

Raising her eyebrows when you talk to her.

Sitting up all on her own.  She was close for a while and then one day she just could do it.

Waving at me (she did it 3 times in a row after I waved at her).

She is growing and changing so fast, it's unbelievable...  What a little wonder she is.  :)