Monday, April 20, 2009

easter came and went



i love cadbury eggs and chris got me at least a months supply of them so that is ALL that i wanted for easter. we talked about dying eggs just for potato salad the week after but with parents here, chris speaking on easter sunday and having the elders over for dinner we never got around to it.


it was actually nice to celebrate easter without all the commercial items. we had time to talk about the blessings of the gospel and the peace that the resurrection brings to our lives. even though we celebrate this occasion every sunday at church i enjoyed a day of focus on the savior's life and sacrifice.

Happy Easter!


This is our easter bunny i finished right before easter. he is a little crazy but was so fun to make. i got the idea from a book called softies. they have really cute ideas!


Chris is working really hard in the back yard to get our patchy grass to grow. it is so nice to green grass and color all around. It is slowly becoming spring! we cannot wait to lay in the hammock, barbeque and plant new flower beds, maybe even a garden this year but we are quickly running out of time. plus i know nothing about it but we would love tomatoes, some herbs and pumpkins. it will be great to try.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

we are having withdrawals

this week has been really hard to get back into our routine since the vacation. really hard! i wanted to cry sunday night when we had to stop the break and start thinking about real life again.

we just had such a great time for spring break!

thanks mom + dad.....



we started off the week pretty low key-visting a light house on Sodus Bay and the shore of Lake Ontario and small walks here and there.

the workbench and jam were made and LOTS of shopping was done.

in preparation for our trip to Gettysburg we checked out several books and even the famous documentary by Ken Burns. we shared stories throughout the week and enjoyed all the history. it made the trip more real and powerful!




so on the way to pennsylvania we stayed overnight on Seneca Lake at a beauitful B+B built in the 1800's, surrounded by vinards, antique stores and close to the amish. very fun!

we were the only guests that night so we had the entire house to ourselves. chris + dad kept joking the house was haunted so of course to relax that night we found a wearwolf movie to watch...it was not scary at all--very cheesy but the house was huge with lots of windows to easily freek yourself out!




we enjoyed this hike: Taughannock, 215 ft

(taller than the niagara falls)


the hike is about 1.5 miles round trip with little waterfalls along the path.


yes-a picnic from the back of the car! we were starving! doesn't this bring back memories from our cross country trips growing up.....(we had lots of these)



Gettysburg


the town was just soo cute! shops everywhere and spring was just blossoming! we stayed at another B+B, full porch, fireplaces in the rooms and a clawfoot tub.




another picnic-we ate really good food just at the weirdest times......


the monuments:

this was almost overwhelming to know what each one represented. they were just spread out over the entire 6,000 acres.



Pennsylanvia's monument was the largest because it had the biggest losses in the three days of the battle.


view looking up the battlefield from the top of little round top!
“In great deeds something abides. On great fields something stays. Forms change and pass; bodies disappear, but spirits linger, to consecrate ground for the vision-place of souls. And reverent men and women from afar, and generations that know us not and that we know not of, heart-drawn to see where and by whom great things were suffered and done for them, shall come to this deathless field to ponder and dream; And lo! The shadow of a mighty presence shall wrap them in its bosom, and the power of the vision pass into their souls.”
~Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain


one of the best things was the museum-it had a fabulous short film about the war and this battle. it was very inspiring and moving! as were the rest of the exhibits, including a panarama painting (cyclorama) done in 1889 dipicting the last day of the battle-July 3rd 1863




this photo of us was taken from the top of a tower overlooking the entire battle field. you could see and pick out every spot as well as the roosevelt estate.





cementery hill for veterans

civil war-national cemetery

a covered bridge built in the 1800's (washed out and rebuilt in 1996)

really blessed


mom + i bought fun fabric when she was here to do some sewing projects together but never made it to this one...burp cloths..chris had a meeting tonight so i needed a fun relaxing project-the two were done before 30 rock started! very easy...thanks mom..

she got the best fabric for a baby though-crazy oranges-very fun!


these will be a cute gift for a baby girl....


Chris and I have seen amazing blessings in the last several weeks. I am not sure why blessings come when they do. It most definitely is not from being deserving but simply the great mercies of our Heavenly Father. They are simple things and nothing life changing and probably seem minute. But it shows me that our Father has a plan for us and I know that his hand is in my life. We feel overwhelmed with love and true gratitude.

It just does not make sense any other way!

Monday, April 13, 2009

a family visit!!!!

we had the best time with my parents.....my dad did a lot around the house and we appreciate that so much.
he also built this for chris. it was perfect! chris has been dreaming about a "man room" where he could tie fishing flies and build things and fix things (because i am always coming up with new projects)
we are thrilled

thanks dad!!

we went to the local farmers market.....in the freezing snow! but we got a huge box of strawberries so we had to make strawberry jam! and strawberry pie it was so good. I had never made jam before, maybe i will be brave enough to do it again this summer.



yummy!






we found this little phone table, i think it will be white and sit next to my craft desk.

Friday, April 3, 2009

desk

the details:
i love the antique edges + the brass knobs....





yeah....i love it!

it will soon be covered with projects and fabric. and i found the cutest little chair that will fit perfectly in this space.
the hobo window is almost done and i hope we can hang it without too much trouble. this week has been really busy but so fun working on things with chriser.

we have it hanging in our kitchen as you enter from the garage. and currently my aprons (becky's super cute homemade one) but we'll see what it evolves into.


spring in our backyard



i did some yard work this week and was thrilled to see a few little signs of spring.
despite the snow and wind --spring will be here soon.

it is april already!