bits of sunshine

where have I been . . .

Hello!
I am still here.
I have been celebrating a day of great thankfulness with my family.
I have been enjoying the outdoors - sunny days!  3 in a row!
I have been quilting like mad.
The handprint quilt will be gifted tomorrow . . . I am still working on it . . .
story and pictures to follow. 
Next post from me?  Maybe Sunday.  Maybe Monday.

And to all of you who I regularly visit and leave comments for ~
I'll be back and checking in soon!

Happy weekend to all of you!

Gratefulness

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him, all creatures here below.
Praise Him, above ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen.

Count your blessings, name them one by one.
Count your blessings, see what God hath done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Happy Thanksgiving!  Happy blessing counting!  I wish you all a day filled with many, many bits of sunshine!

Thankful for Sunshine!

The sun shone all day yesterday!  It was cold.  But the sun was shining!  This was the first day of sun we've had since the last day of October I think.  We've had tiny bits of sun peek through, but not for more than an hour or two, and mostly for short moments.  So, I took my kiddos and our dog and my camera outside and just enjoyed the light.

Sunlight, sunlight
in my soul today.
Sunlight, sunlight
all along the way.
Since the Savior
found me,
took away my sin,
I have had the sunlight
of His love within.

7 Random Things

I was tagged by Dawn at Olabelhe.  She does some very cute sewing and has some very cute kiddos!

7 Random Facts.

1.  When my kiddos and I saw this ::
I drove home to get my camera so I could take a picture.

2.  I am 3/4 Swedish and 1/4 German.  All of my great grandparents emigrated to this country as young adults.

3.  I like to clean at the most random times.  When I get on a kick, I just go for it.  Even if it's midnight.

4.  I am a recovering fake-blond.  I am now a PROUD brunette. 

5.  My kids are an awesome excuse to play at parks, check out piles of kids' books from the library, bake dozens of cookies and stop in the middle of the day for a tickle session.

6.  Ben and I lived in a cabin in the northwoods that had no running water and was heated solely by a woodstove for six months (September - March) when Maddie was a brand new baby.  (We moved in 3 weeks after she was born.)  Yes, this means that I used and outhouse all winter.  And I liked it.  More about that in the future.

7.  I've skinned a bear while 9 months pregnant.  That would be a good story for another post as well.

And, Tag!  You're It!

*** Maria   *** Elissa   ***Angie   ***Geertrude   ***Anja   ***Abbie   ***Shealynn

All these ladies have lovely blogs to read and to look at and lots of great ideas - crafty and otherwise.  Take some time to visit them!  And if you do, tell them I sent you.

And my thankful moment for Thanksgiving week ::  I am so very thankful for blogging connections - with dear old friends and with people who are fast becoming dear new friends.  And I am so very thankful for new ideas - crafty and homey and tasty and fun.

If you missed my pay it forward giveaway . . .

but want another chance to get involved, visit Geertrude at Sew At Home (find her on my sidebar; I cannot get my link button to work). I have a couple of her handmade goodies and I would love to have some more of them!

November Picnic

This afternoon we moved a pile of firewood and Ben split a bunch of kindling.  It feels so good to work on a way to keep our house warm and cozy.  And we all got out in the lovely fresh air.  It was a still, fairly warm evening - in the low 30's I suppose.  So when it was getting dark, around 5:00, Ben started a fire in our firepit out back ::
Right then, my brother and his family were walking by and stopped to say hi.  Annie (my sister-in-law) and I got talking about what we were each making for supper - and that turned into what we could put together, so we could all eat together, and before long, Tim had run to the store and brought back steaks and I had a pot of baked beans warming and we had fruit and pickles and chips and coffee going.  Then the kids were all sitting at the little picnic table - Isaac had a headlamp on so they could all see what they were doing ::
And we adults and the littlest guy were sitting in lawn chairs around the fire, eating steak and beans and pickles and talking and laughing and remembering just how good food tastes outside, even when it is too dark to see what you are eating.  Oh, what fun!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving ::  I am so very thankful for Ben, who loves to do fun things on the spur of the moment. 
I am so very thankful for my brother and his lovely wife and their kiddos.  And I am so very thankful that they live so close.  (Across one neighbors' backyard, down another neighbors' driveway and there they are.)
And I am so very thankful for fire and good food and coffee.

And you, what are you thankful for?

ironing

this morning i ironed for 2 hours.

i ironed 9 adult shirts, 3 child- size shirts, 3 skirts, 3 tablecloths, 3 table runners and various placemats, doilies, and oddbits.  oh, and one piece of fabric.

and now, i am on to teach our morning school lesson.

notice:  the sun came out while i was ironing!  hurray for bits of sunshine!

and hurray for Elissa, who designed my new banner!  -

thank you, dear friend!

reading

We love books.
Every day,
after lunch
and before bed
they want to know
how many stories
they can pick
for me to read
aloud to them.

I love to read
to them
and to myself.

Having kids
is such
a good excuse
to read all
sorts of lovely
childrens'
stories.


And reading
to them
has helped them
to love reading
on their own
and to others.

Some of our favorites are on the sidebar. More to be added, of course!

still :: body

Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.  ~Ovid

I was introduced to the still :: body theme this week by Soulemama. 
still :: body - "still life photos that include a little part of a person" 
presented this week at the still flickr pool.

Here are some of my favorites so far.  Some are in the pool, and some aren't.  They all speak 'still' and 'peace' to me.

Picture by Kristin.

Picture by Maria.

This picture by Martha.

Picture by Geertrude.

Picture by White Notebook.

Picture by Anja.

Picture by JeanMarie.

One of my contributions.

Another of my own. 

And this picture by Grace, that I cannot, for anything, even though she sent me the file, get to show up on my blog.

So there. You have 10 of my favorite stillnesses.

self-portrait tuesday

Six years ago.
Tim and Annie's wedding.
Spinning Rachel Rose.
That was one
of the happiest bits of my day.

Weeks later,
picking up
the newly developed
black and white film.
Looking through,
at pictures I knew I'd taken,
and finding this one,
that I had no idea was there.
Smiling.
For the memory.
And smiling.
For the thought
that Ben
had picked up the camera
and snapped
this picture
of me
smiling.