things to love in february

homemade valentines... a wonderful excuse to put creating first.

another child that can write her name all by herself.

and still another that is very close behind.

my very own valentines for a sweet group of kids... signed miss jenny... so fun.

and a photo taken by my oldest daughter of my son presenting me with my birthday cake as the rest of my loves gathered around me and sang for my happy day.

oh february, so many things to love.

getting out and soaking in

confession:

i do not get into the woods enough

.... and they are just across the road.

i am thankful for my husband who not only gets me out there but gets the kids out there often as well.

he goes into the woods almost every day... some days he will go multiple times.

another confession: this actually used to bother me... the fact that he was out there spending so much time working in the woods when he could be working on our property (there is a lot of work that needs to be done on the property... always). it doesn't bother me anymore. i get it now, and i appreciate not only what it does for him but what he is creating out there also.

mostly he works on his trails. he has little paths all over this patch of forest. now, he is going through and spending a lot of time turning them into mountain biking trails. i believe he said that he will spend 10 hours on a 10 minute section of trail. wow. but he loves every bit of it. he says it's his exercise. it clears his mind, relieves his stress, and in the end he will have miles and miles of gorgeous trail.

sometimes i think you can love someone so much more when you see them in their element... you know... doing their thing... whatever that may be.

i am trying to get back into my element. i have been distracted by so many simple things. some are important little things that will help me get to a better place. like cutting clutter. i have been working on that a lot. and that feels good and right. some times i feel i cannot even be creative without clearing the old clutter. like i need a space that is fresh and clear to move onward. in a sense it almost feels creative cleaning this slate and getting ready for more. i wish i had a bit more time to get through it all quicker but... i don't... so i will just continue to do little bits here and there...
 it all adds up.

we went through (my little ladies and i did) and transplanted many many plants. plants that have needed a fresh space for years. it felt so good. i kept thinking as we were working that this was exactly what i was doing for myself. a fresh pot. some room to grow. cleaning off the old dust. my favorite part of this re-potting that we do is giving the plants a nice mist bath afterward. i swear they look happier once it's all done. i love having happy plants in my home.

oh... have  you met big red?
he is currently the bull around here. the big daddy. i like him. he is my favorite bull thus far, quite gentle and kind. holly looks just like him. if you haven't met holly yet... you can get a nice close-up here. three of the little ones are playing over in the left of the field in that photo below, including holly.

oh february, you are moving along a bit fast. why don't you stop and rest awhile?

my big metal tanker desk

i found this desk on craigslist and fell in love with it. matt went and bought it for me over christmas break. it was perfect.... well... perfect except for that horrid rubber top that i didn't realize it had. 

i found a before and after picture online with a paragraph saying that a woman peeled off the rubber, sanded, primed, and painted the desk, then epoxied the top. so, i thought that was what i would do too. luckily my husband gently talked some sense into me. "are you sure you really want to put all of that work in?" "the paint is already pretty nice." "we just need to figure something out for the top." well, we came up with a great plan. i scrubbed it nice and clean (pictures above it's pretty dirty) and then i ordered a piece of glass that is cut to fit the top. we are going to move it in next week and i'm going to put pretty paper or fabric in between the desktop and glass. perfect!

check out the finished desktop here.

i can't wait to have all of that drawer space! and those metal slide outs for my craft "helpers."

yes.

below....
since i was in the shop taking photos of my desk i thought i should go ahead and take a few photos of the shop... so you can see where my husband spends most of his time... kidding.... well... sort of.

thirty

today i am thirty.

there are so many mixed feelings.

not in any sense of feeling "old" or any of that... i feel very very young. 

there is really a mix of three major emotions... excitement, anticipation, and nostalgia.

the nostalgia is mostly the realization that our baby days are over. i was telling someone recently that i spent my twenties raising babies, and that is truly how it felt. i had my first at 19 and then every two or three years (or a year and a half as it was with eislee and ollie) had another one. then it really felt like i was raising a baby for a good three years and at four they suddenly started to feel like a kid. i feel a bit sad that i will never have another baby... oh what a special experience it always was. but at the same time i feel very ready to move on to the next phase in my life.

cue the excitement and anticipation...

i think that part of the reason that thirty feels so monumental to me is that my baby turned four a week ago, and as i mentioned above that means the end of "baby" for me. that feels huge. i have never had a child hit four without a new baby in my arms. until now that is. so... here and now... at thirty... i look ahead to my next ten years and feel that they will be very different from the last ten.i am turning a corner and walking ahead into mostly new territory and it feels strange and exciting. 

so as i said... many emotions... and lots of sentiment.

today is off to an amazing start.

i have been reprieved from all of my usual duties. i slept in and snuggled with my little ones. i got a massage that i swear melted away five years of tension, and soon i will be off for a lunch date with my love, and a wonderful dinner (that i don't have to cook) with my amazing family.
 perfect.

if this is thirty.... i'll gladly take it... and any more years that come my way.
i am so lucky.
what a beautiful life.



the giant metal desk above:
that was my christmas present and now has some birthday bliss to do with it as well.
 will share more soon.