Butterfly Kisses

They grow so fast

2009-10-06T18:41:00.001-07:00

Well, I did it again. I got the pictures backward. I would much rather start out with pics of my girl, but oh well. It takes so long to load them I am not doing it over! So, the next two pics are a couple examples of the crafts I have been up to lately. The first is a pendant made out of a scrabble tile with 3 more designs in the background. I am going to be putting them for sale in my etsy shop. thepapery.etsy.com

I already have a few things in there and will be adding the pendants soon. Unfortunately my computer died, and I have buy photo editing software for B's mac as well as an equivalent to Publisher.

This is just a covered mini comp with covered binder clips.
And here are the important pictures!! Keara is two! I can't believe it has been two years. It has flown by. We went to the beach with her grandparents and aunt and uncle on her birthday and she had a blast. Most of those pictures are safe on my external hard drive, so they survived the crash. Too bad that hard drive doesn't work with a mac... So, someday I will be able to get those off of that hard drive. In the meantime here is Keara cheesing it up for the camera while I was taking photos for my shop today.

The latest in my life

2009-08-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

Well, Uncle Sam has spoken once again. What did he say? After less than 2 years here in Fayetteville we have orders to move to Ft. Lee, Va. Did I mention we bought a house here in Fayetteville? The joys of serving your country. The plan is to rent out our house, and rent a house in Va. We plan on getting a house well under our BAH, which probably means smaller than what we have now (which is smaller than what we had in Germany). Time to once again go through the house and get rid of stuff. This move I am planning on thoroughly destashing my craft and fabric supplies. I am planning on a two fold approach to this. First: selling supplies on etsy as commercial supplies (fabric and scrapbooking supplies). Second: making scrapbooking and card making embellishments, and other paper crafting projects (using my new cricut expression and paper and supplies I already have.) The paper crafting supplies I am selling on my new etsy shop www.thepapery.etsy.com So, the next few months will be fun, seeing what I can come up with on my new toy. Actually spending time crafting again. Maybe I will have a few new craft projects to blog about again.

More Vacation Photos

2009-08-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

Keara has recently become fascinated with my clothes. She really likes my bras. So between her and her daddy we have the following photos...

This is what happens when I take pity on Keara and share my peanut M&M's. She likes to suck the candy shell off first.
The following are a couple more pictures of our vacation to Maryland. We went on a pontoon boat ride on the Chesapeake Bay. Keara liked it for the most part, but she really wanted to get down to run around the boat. That, of course, didn't happen and here is the result.

Amish Country

2009-08-25T17:54:00.000-07:00

2009-08-18T10:57:00.000-07:00

Wow! Has it really been 5 months??? What kind of blogger am I? Well, this is as good as it will get. Maybe I'll post again before another 5 months have past. The best news in the last 5 months is that Brandon got home safe and sound from Iraq last month!!! Keara has had so much fun having him home. It's great to see how excited she is when he gets home from work. We went on a week vacation to Maryland recently and stopped by DC on the way home. Here are a few pictures. They are out of the order I wanted them in, I forgot how it changes the order you load them in. Oh,well. For your first pic of Keara you get her melt down on the tour bus, instead of the smiling pic I thought would be first. It was hot, she was sweaty and hadn't had her nap. So this is what a half hour of the tour looked like.

We did the Tourmobile and got to see all the major sites. It was pretty cool. You could get on and off as much as you wanted.

The lady behind us kept making faces at Keara when I was trying to get some pictures of her smiling. So I got a bunch of her with her mouth open.

She finally took a nap and was in a much better mood afterward. I hope she keeps napping for several years, but it sure is an inconvenience when you are traveling and want to do things in the afternoon.

Push Pin Photo Holders

2009-03-05T19:24:00.000-08:00

So, I started a new project. I think I OD on felt so I am taking a little break. I have returned to my first love - papercrafting. And an old love - gluing marbles on things, or things to marbles in this case. I used to use half marbles in mosaics and wall hangings and my husband teased me mercilessly about my love of gluing marbles onto everything. So, I decided to bring it back after seeing marble magnets on etsy. These are photo holders for the wall, or they could have a magnet and go on the fridge. To give you an idea of the size these are 5x7 photos and the paperclips are 3 1/2 inches long. I was thinking of making up a few sets to sell on Etsy, but wanted some feed back first. I know these photos suck, I will get some more tomorrow when the sun is shining, but I wanted to show them off tonight! So, please let me know what you guys think, or wait until I get better photos up tomorrow.

Mushroom Pin

2009-02-24T10:57:00.000-08:00

I saw this adorable mushroom pin on etsy and thought about a certain friend. I almost bought it, and then thought "I could make this myself". So, I did. It is so cute, I think I need to make a little owl friend to go along with it. It has a pin back on it and could go on an apron, maybe. I'll be popping it in the mail later today, along with an overdue birthday present.

I am really just in love with the whole felt thing. I have always liked the look of it, but never thought it was something I could do. But, it is really not that hard. And stuff turns out so cute. Thanks to JennyP for getting me hooked!!!!

Etsy Shop

2009-02-24T00:03:00.000-08:00

I started an etsy shop for felt food!!!! My shop address is www.inthestrawberrypatch.etsy.com
I wanted it to be just The Strawberry Patch, but that name was already taken, and by someone who wasn't even using it, no less. Here are a couple pictures of the 2 things I have listed. I'll be adding a couple more things tomorrow. I'm really having a lot of fun with this. We'll see if anything sells. Pricing things is always hard for me, so we'll see what happens. I may have to play around with different prices if things don't sell. Well, its 3 in the morning and I really need to get to bed. I just had to get a couple things posted in the shop.

Felt food follower

2009-02-18T19:37:00.000-08:00

So, I am in love with felt food. In fact, the last two days have been dedicated to felt food. These are small projects that even I, notorious for UFO's (unfinished objects), can complete. I got a pattern for an Easter basket and contents from GulfCoastCottagePDF and am working on it, but have not completed it yet. Instead of buying patterns for the eggs (fried and Easter) and pancakes I made up my own. The donut was from the link on JennyP's blog.

The tie-dyed egg is supposed to be a sugar cookie.

I'm not too pleased with how my pink egg turned out, but it was the first try. And the inside of my donut needs some help, but overall I think things are turning out well. I want to get Keara a kitchen for her 2nd birthday, so I figured I could get a head start on making the food to go with it. I also want to make up some Easter baskets of my own design and see if I can sell them at the consignment shop on base. We'll see. I'll be happy if I can get some stuff made for Keara and my niece.

I made another cookie from a pattern I bought that was a jelly bean shaped cookie. I gave it to Keara to play with and told her it was a felt cookie and she immediately tried to take a bite out of it. I don't give her real cookies to eat so it was kind of funny that she would try and eat it. I guess it tasted good because I kept seeing her biting it!

I'm home, and back to blogging.

2009-02-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

Yeah! I'm back after being on vacation for 3 months. Here are some photos from the last couple months. The beach photos were taken by Dejeun Clarke, a friend I met up with in Monterey who I know from Germany. I saw a couple old friends in Cali, but it was also nice to see a not so old friend too. (I don't mean age, but how long ago we lived near each other.) Well, this post will be mostly pictures. But who doesn't like pictures of Keara?

Silly Kangaroo, Acorns are for Squirrels

2008-10-27T18:56:00.000-07:00

Keara and I ventured to the Gross Farms corn maze and pumpkin patch yesterday. Keara had a great time running around in the corn maze, shaking the stalks, and playing with the yellow tape. It was a really beautiful day. Blue skies and not a cloud in sight. The weather was just right, in the upper 60's which felt good with the sun. I put her in her kangaroo costume for part of the time. She would not stay away from the acorns. I had to watch her very closely because she kept sticking them in her mouth. She tries to eat any small round objects, like cat food. There is just some sort of gravitational attraction between the two.

If I do say so myself, she is the cutest kangaroo ever!!! She always gets attention, but even more so in this super adorable costume.

After the corn maze and the pumpkin patch we went on a hay ride. Playing in the hay is always fun. I think she enjoyed it, but she threw up a little right before it started, which almost made me throw up too. I think she has become allergic to milk. She has thrown up several times this past week after eating or drinking a dairy product. I have an appt with the doc to ask about it.

I just had to get a picture of her in front of the huge tractor tires. She looks so tiny in comparison.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-19T09:03:00.001-07:00

We went to the Fayetteville Pumpkin Patch yesterday. Not anything like the one at Ludwigsburg Palace we went to last year, but Keara still had fun. They had a few animals out for kids to pet and look at. Keara was entranced by a pair of Fancy Chinese show chickens. They were very fluffy and all white. Every kid got to pick out a pumpkin to take home. We went on a train ride, but missed the hay ride because Keara was napping when we got there. We are going to a much bigger pumpkin patch next weekend and I think I will have Keara in her costume. She makes an adorable Kangaroo!!

Goose eggs and road rash

2008-10-16T20:08:00.001-07:00

Keara has been walking for 4 1/2 months now, but she can still be clumsy on her feet. Poor baby took a spill in the drive way today and gave herself a goose egg on the forehead and road rash on her cheek and corner of her eye. The bump is in the same place she fell and bruised her head at the beginning of the week. Yesterday, she fell on the hardwood and gave herself a fat lip! She must have inherited it from me. If there is a door jam I will run into it, if there is nothing in my way I can still trip over it. My poor knees are more a shade of purple from all the scraped knees I had as a kid. Maybe I should enroll her in ballet classes and hope she can learn some graceful movements she won't learn from me.

New Projects

2008-10-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

I have been a sewing maniac since I got my Bernina. Which is good. I tend to have crafting ADHD. I get started on a project, then before I finish it I get so excited about I new project that I move on before I finish the first project.

This little bag is an idea I got from Corinnea. It's a lunch bag gift bag. I am making them for family gifts for Christmas. I have a ton of Christmas fabric that has been sitting around feeling neglected that will finally get used. It is done except for the button, which I went to Joann to get, found one and thought I bought it and got home and it wasn't there. I hadn't paid for it either. It may have fell of the counter when I was checking out. I was kind of bummed because I really wanted it to be completely done. There's always another day...

This is my first wee bunny. It is made from scraps from Keara's corduroy dress and matching minky. I have named her Dotty and she is almost done. I need to figure out how to stitch the back closed and still look nice, and then give her a face. She already has a fan club. The fan club did enjoy trying to pull the stuffing out of Dotty, so maybe fan clubs aren't such a good idea. I think next time I will try some interfacing in the ears so they stick up instead of being so floppy. I would have attempted finishing her today, but I had a horrible migraine. I think brought on by watching the last Presidential Debate. When ever Obama opens his mouth my blood pressure rises to extremely high levels and I get the urge to vomit. Generally followed by a headache. I went to the chiropractor and got adjusted and the migraine was completely gone within 2 hours. That is such a miracle!! It normally takes medication and lying down in a cool dark room for several hours and then slowly recovering. Who has that time with a 13 month old running around?

Oktoberfest - kind of

2008-10-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

On Monday, Keara my friend Crystal and I went to Ft. Bragg's Oktoberfest. It was okay. Very small and hard to appreciate after having been to many Stuttgart Fests. We did have fun though. Keara got to play her first fair game and won a blue whale. She also had her first ride, the Carousel. That was the only ride she could go on. Everything else she was too small or they didn't let parents ride with kids. I did get my first schnitzel since leaving Germany and it wasn't bad. My grandmother got me a monkey backpack leash for Keara and I used it. I have a feeling Keara will be a roller coaster rider. She kept running to the more wild rides and even tried going up the steps to one. It seems kind of mean to put a kid on a leash, but she doesn't mind and I don't have to worry about her running off from me so I can let her walk around. She really enjoyed getting out of the stroller and being in charge of where we were going. Next weekend we are off to a pumpkin patch and hayride.

The dress - Take 2

2008-10-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

So here is the second try. Joann was having a really great Columbus Day sale and I got this oh-so cute corduroy at 1/2 off. I think it fits better than the other dress did, and who can go wrong with polka-dots? Tomorrow is the big day for attempting button holes.

I picked this book up today at Barnes and Noble. It is by Anna Maria Horner. It has some really good how-to instruction, plus up to date projects. I looked at a couple of other sewing books and they mostly had projects I would never make. I think my next project will be out of this book.

New Fabric + New Sewing Machine = New Dress For Keara

2008-10-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

Here it is: my new Bernina Artista 170QPE. I never realized how spoiled I was to learn to sew on a Bernina until I tried using my Singer a couple of weeks ago. Talk about different. So, I got my Christmas present early and got a used Bernina. It is a quilters addition and it also has an embroidery module with it!!! My first project was to sew a dress for Keara. It is out of the new Heidi Grace fabric. Unfortunately, it is too big for Keara even if I hem it, but she will grow into it someday. I also need to teach myself how to do button holes on the sewing machine. It was a really simple pattern, but I think it turned out okay. After learning the buttonholes I will need to learn how to do zippers. If anyone knows of a really good beginning sewing book that explains terms and markings on patterns, as well as how to do things like buttons and zippers let me know.

Doesn't she look like she is dancing?
I think it will look nice with a brown top underneath and maybe brown tights. I really love the Heidi Grace fabrics, very cute!!

I've been tagged

2008-10-09T17:38:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by Jenny P
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog
.4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Well, there are definitely more than 7 weird things about me.....but here are 7.

1. I have an obsession with odd numbers. The volume on the TV has to be set at an odd number, the time the alarm is set for has to be odd, if possible I like to take an odd number of steps to get from point a to point b, preferring to start on my right foot and end on my right foot.
2. I have a scar on my lip where I was scratched by a cheetah. I was on a safari in Africa, well, not really, it was at a zoo.
3. My husband will tell you that I like to have the last word, or the last tag-back. We play a little smack the back of the hand game and I cannot rest if I was not the last one to get the other person.
4. I really never want to have a son. I only want daughters. I wouldn't know what to do with a boy. Plus, boy clothes just aren't as cute!
5. I eloped with Brandon, but had a church wedding for family 6 months later. We've been married just over 9 years!
6. The second toe on my left foot is a little bit shorter than the second toe on my right foot.
7. I still think about what I want to be when I grow up. It doesn't seem possible that 30 is right around the corner. Where did the time go??

There is only one blogger left that I read who hasn't been tagged.

1. Tiffany

Is there something in my teeth?????

2008-10-06T18:16:00.000-07:00

Keara loves to have her picture taken and lately she loves to show off her teeth! She really reminds me of her dad when she smiles. They both squeeze their eyes almost closed and she likes to scrunch up her nose. She is such a happy baby. She smiles all the times and she likes everybody. She has learned throwing tantrums, usually revolving around having the cell phone or remote taken away. Thankfully there aren't many and don't last long. The main time she cries is if I walk out of the room or go through the baby gate. I can understand her being upset if she can't see me. Her dad left and hasn't come back and she probably realizes it. Unfortunately, you can't really explain to a one year old that he will be coming back. What I don't understand are the melt-downs when she can still see me, but I am on the other side of the baby gate. She never used to care when we had it were she was just in the living room. If she could see me she was fine. I guess now she has to be able to touch me. It kind of makes me wish I could read minds for a day and see what she is thinking as she does these things.

Keara's room

2008-10-06T17:49:00.000-07:00

Jenny P. inspired me to work on Keara's room. I went to Michael's today and found these wall decals I have been looking at for 50% off. I really like how they turned out!! Keara helped me put them up. When she wasn't standing on the piece I needed, or running off with it, she helped to pull the backing off after I put it on the wall. They were just like rub-ons, and made of vinyl. They are repositional too. Tomorrow I am going to put up some embroidery hoops with fabric in them over her crib and a shelf.

To Spoon, or not to Spoon?

2008-10-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

Keara is learning how to use a spoon to feed herself. She has pretty good aim getting it back into her mouth. She needs help with the scooping part still. But, when that gets old it is just easier to grab the bowl and eat straight from it.

Birthday Party pictures

2008-09-25T14:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of Keara's birthday party. I have tried for days to get a collage to post, but it won't work for me so this is a long one. Keara wasn't quite sure what to think about everyone singing to her.

My Hero and the Birthday Girl

2008-09-16T09:28:00.001-07:00

Brandon left today for Iraq. We got to go to the airfield to see him off. It sucks he left today, but at least he got to see the baby for a few hours on her first birthday (literally a couple of hours, we left the airfield after he took off at around 3 am.). She slept through a lot of it, but woke up and we gave her cake and sang happy birthday to her. It was so hard to see him go. But, someone has to do it and I am so proud of him for the sacrifice he is making for us and his country. We are both very patriotic and I am proud to call my husband a soldier and a hero. The hardest part is knowing that he has to go for so long without seeing his daughter. I get anxious if I am away from Keara for too many hours, much less the months he will spend without her. Keara is a mamma's girl, but she loves her daddy. But, if I am around he tends to be ignored. Right before they left they formed up in lines to get on the plane. Brandon was in the front row so it was easy to see him. So Keara and I could wave to him and blow kisses. She kept putting out her arms because she wanted her daddy to hold her. It was so sweet that even though I was holding her she wanted her dad. She had no clue that he was leaving to want those last minute hugs and kisses. It made me feel good that Brandon's last moments with us were of her wanting him. Talk about making you cry though. That about did me in. We did manage to sneak in a few more hugs and kisses as the line moved forward.

We had Keara's birthday party on Sunday (pictures in the next post). Brandon was there for most of it, but he missed singing Happy Birthday and the cake, so I brought some left over cake with us to give her on her actual birthday.

Snaggle tooth and "Poodough"

2008-09-14T19:08:00.001-07:00

Here is Keara's third tooth. We have nicknamed her snaggle tooth. The top one is so much bigger compared to the bottom two. This look won't last much longer. # 4 is about to come through. She has been teething really bad the last couple of nights. She has fun grinding the top and bottom one together.

Here is a really funny story about what I like to call poodough. Keara and I took a nap the other day, her in her crib and me in my bed. It was a really hot day so instead of cranking up the AC, I put Keara down for her nap in just her diaper. She woke up about 45 minutes later crying. She usually sleeps about 1 1/2 hours, but she'll wake up if she has a poopy diaper. I was really tired so it took me a minute or so to clear my head enough to get up and go into her room. Sure enough, as soon as I opened the door I smelled poo. Then I saw it. The poodough. Apparently Keara had not been napping. She had taken off her diaper, pooped, and then played with it like it was playdough. She was covered head to toe in poop. It was all over her face, between her fingers and mushed between her toes. It was all over the crib too. She had stamped it into the crib sheet and smeared it on most of the bars of her crib. Of course, I got pictures (blackmail for when she is a teenager!) Well, another lesson learned. Don't leave Keara in just her diaper!!

Keara's First Art Project and Nursery

2008-09-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

We finally finished painting the walls and got the crib moved into Keara's room. I think that I am going to take down the blinds that came with the house and put up other window coverings. The blinds are an off white and really show up against the white walls. Behind the crib I am going to put up some embroidery hoops with color coordinated fabrics. I was going to make a flower to go with the quilt, but I don't like how it looks. I'll get some photos of a couple designs and get opinions on what looks best.

Keara did her first (hopefully many more will come) art project with tadoodles markers. She seemed to have fun. And apparently they are quite tasty as well as colorful. They do wash off really easily.

Vacation in Granby, Colorado

2008-08-29T11:46:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken from the balcony of the house we stayed in. I love sunsets and this was beautiful. I love the beach the best, but the mountains come in a close second. I hope we get stationed in Colorado some day. It is so beautiful in the mountains and I would love for Keara to grow up close to cousins.

This is part of the Windes Family. We met up to celebrate my mother and father in-law's 40th wedding anniversary. We also got to meet our niece, Madeline (Maddie for short). She is off to the side dozing in her stroller in this picture. She is 3 months old. Keara really liked her and kept petting her like she was one of our cats. She also liked to share toys by dropping them on Maddie. Next time we get together Maddie will be big enough to play with Keara a little more.

Keara had such fun running around at Winter Park. It was nice to see her having fun with her dad. He leaves soon for Iraq and I want her to spend as much time with him as possible. She is such a mommy's girl and usually only wants me. Maybe that will change when he gets back.

Brandon and his brother with their daughters. It is crazy to realize that we are the middle generation now instead of the youngest. Where did the time go, 30 is just around the corner.......

My niece Maddie. She is so cute and adorable. I am glad that Keara has a cousin so close to her in age.

New Header Picture

2008-08-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

I know I already posted this picture on my blog, but I love it!!!!!!! She is just the cutest little kid. I think I am going to send this picture in to the Pottery Barn Kids photo contest. They select one picture a month. The winners are posted on the website and they have their photos in the next catalog.

It is so amazing to watch her grow and see all of things she is learning. It seems everyday she has a new noise or gesture. She is quite competent at walking now and never crawls. She gives high fives, and makes a humming noise when she gives kisses. When I sing her lullaby's before bed she sings along with me sometimes. Now of course she isn't saying words and she is usually monotone, but it is just so sweet to hold and rock her and sing together.

Fay's Leftovers

2008-08-28T13:08:00.001-07:00

We got back from Colorado on Tuesday night to the remnants of Hurricane Fay. It rained all night and all morning long with lots of lightning and tornado warnings. (Yet another reason I don't care for it here. Give me an earthquake, but keep the hurricanes and tornado's!)
Our pool was okay, but my neighbors didn't fair so well. Water drains from the new houses next to us through our backyard and into the neighbors yard which is a little lower than we are. This is the 3rd or 4Th time their pool has flooded and it is an expensive pain to get it cleaned out.

This is the house that borders our backyard. It is empty right now and I hope the people who move in get warned about how their backyard floods under heavy rain. There is a long sheet of plastic, about 2 feet high, between our yards that helps to divert the water to the drain and mostly out of our yard.
The drain is under 2-3 feet of water just past where the small trees are.

Pictures in the Park

2008-08-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

We went to a park near the downtown today. It was fun, Keara got to run around and I got some good pictures. She really seemed to like being able to walk around and explore. And as usual, finding something to eat she shouldn't. This time it was a leaf, but her dad got it out of her mouth before it was swallowed. She did make a funny face, so it probably didn't taste very good. Her newest facial expression is wrinkling up her nose when she smiles. She still likes to snort a lot to. It is a greeting for her, and she snorts pretty much at everyone that talks to her. By snort I mean a quick exhalation of air through the nose that makes a blowing air sound, not a snort like a pig.

She managed to keep her shoes on the whole time we were there.

She loves to clap her hands when she is happy and having fun. Especially when her dad is playing with her.
This is now one of my favorite pictures of her. I just love her eyes.

Tooth Number 2

2008-08-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

Keara now has two, slightly crooked teeth. And she likes to practice using them on fingers and noses. And pretty much anything else that fits in her mouth.

Yum, Yum!! Open wide. She gets so excited when it is time to eat, and she opens her mouth as wide as she can possibly get it.

We played a little in the grass when we got home today. It wasn't too bad. I only got 2 mosquito bites. Keara is still not so sure about the grass. Plus, our yard is on a slightly downhill slope and she kept falling down when she was walking. I am trying to get her used to wearing shoes so she can walk around outside. She almost always walks now and only crawls a little. She is getting so big, she turns 1 year old in a month!! Where has the time gone? Seems like yesterday I was sneaking out of the hospital to go to the opening of Patch Multi Crafts.

More Myrtle Beach

2008-08-06T13:37:00.000-07:00

Sunrise
Yum Yum...apparently sand is quite good tasting. She even tried to eat a shell!

We let her play at the edge of where the water would come up. Occasionally a wave would get her. She was fine in this one until the wave started going back out and she lost her balance. She was fine, didn't cry, plus dad got to her right after she fell over and tossed her up in the air. That always gets a smile and a laugh out of her. Over all she had a blast and she loved to be in the water. Yay!!! I have a little beach bum. She even got a bit of a farmers tan on her arms, despite 60 spf sunblock. At least she doesn't burn like me.

Sunrise - Sunset

2008-08-03T19:20:00.000-07:00

Sunrise at Myrtle Beach
View along the beach at Myrtle Beach.
Sunset at Nor Cal Beach near Ft. Bragg.
Same beach during the day.

If anyone were to ask me my favorite place I would invariably say the beach. I have swum in the Pacific, the Gulf, the Atlantic, the Adriatic, the Mediterranean, stuck a big toe in the freezing cold North Sea, and walked the beaches of Normandy looking out across the English Channel. I love it! No where else do I feel as close to God and at peace as I do at the sea. Since moving to North Carolina I have been to Virginia Beach and Myrtle Beach. I have to say I was disappointed. They were far too commercialized. I much prefer the ruggedness of the Northern California Beaches. In many places there is not a high rise hotel in sight and there are maybe 10 people on the beach, instead of hundreds and where the view is nothing but hotels. The water may be colder, the fog may sometimes block the view of the ocean, but it draws me. It reminds me of my childhood, camping out with my grandparents and building sandcastles on the beach with cousins. My mother once told me that she could see the ocean from the hospital where I was born. It has been in my blood ever since. I hope to pass this love down to my daughter. So far she seems to like it. Especially the taste of the sand! I spent far too many years landlocked and hope to avoid that again.

Myrtle Beach Sneak Peak

2008-08-03T17:45:00.003-07:00

Here are a few photos from this weekends trip to Myrtle Beach.

Peak-a-boo

2008-07-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

I like to sit in the back seat with Keara when Brandon is driving. Entertaining her keeps the shrieking to a minimum. Today we played peak-a-boo. I put a small blanket over her legs because the air conditioner was a bit chilly. She kept pulling it over her head and then back down. So I started saying peek-a-boo every time she pulled the blanket back down. She thought it was the funniest thing ever. It cracks me up the things that make her laugh!

I am going to do foot/hand prints in clay for all the kids at Keara's B-Day party and then put them in frames. I wanted to know what size frame to get, so I put Keara's foot on the glass of the frame to see which would work better. Every time on put her foot on the glass she started laughing really loud! It was so cute.

I haven't taken many pictures lately. We have been doing the same thing over and over. I can only have so many pictures of Keara playing in the living room. Soon I will have pics of her new room. We are half way done painting (finally!!!!!). Then I can have my room back. Yeah for showering whenever I want and for being able to brush my teeth at night without being sneaky and super quiet.

Here's a picture to show how different Keara and my skin tones are. She definitely got her daddy's skin tone, although not as dark as he is. She's yellow and I am pink. Plus a picture of Keara and her dad. She gets really excited when he comes home from work. She bounces up and down and snorts and squeals.

My Poor Baby!!!!!!!!

2008-07-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

The Drama Queen

The Tooth....never before captured on film.

This must be bad mommy day. I was just reading Sasha's haircut post earlier and laughing. I think we have all had bad haircuts, sometimes given to us by ourselves. When my hair is short it can be pretty curly and I used to have two chunks of hair that were determined to curl straight out. So, I just cut them off. The next time I got a haircut the stylist comment on what a bad job the previous stylist had done. I didn't tell her it was me.

So, onto my bad mommy story. Keara was playing in the living room and I had gone into the kitchen to get some lunch. I heard a thump and the her scream/cry. This in itself is not unusual. Keara is a bit of a drama queen, well maybe more than a bit. She usually cries at first when she falls down to see what kind of attention she will get from it. This time it was one of those screams that makes you go running to them. Mother's intuition is an amazing thing. I seem to be able to tell which falls really hurt and require comforting, and which ones she is just looking for a reaction. I run over to the front room and there are three blood splotches on the carpet and blood running out of the corner of her mouth down her chin!! My poor baby hurt herself!!! When I got the blood cleaned up I couldn't really tell where it was coming from. I called Brandon and we concluded that she had bit the underside of her tongue with her tooth. Yes, her first tooth finally popped out, and it is sharp! I have been trying to get a picture of it, but she always sticks her tongue out! After her initially crying she seemed fine and wanted to get back to playing instead of having the blood wiped off her face. After she got up from her nap I was able to see that it wasn't her tongue, but that little flap of skin inside your upper lip that connects to the gums. I looked where she had fallen and under the couch was a wooden block. I think she fell while chewing on the block and the corner cut her. It doesn't seem to bother her. After biting me once with the new tooth (resulting in me screeching, and her then having a meltdown) she nursed fine and then ate some cottage cheese.

It is so hard to see your baby get hurt. I know this isn't the last time that she will fall down and scratch herself. She has many bumps and bruises ahead of her. I just have to be there to help her avoid what I can and comfort her when I can't.

babies and cats

2008-07-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how cats and babies are similar. They both eat, sleep, poop and play all day. They also contort themselves into crazy, uncomfortable looking positions while they sleep. This is how I found Keara this morning when I woke up. Maybe babies are still used to the cramped quarters from when they were inside. She has this whole big crib to sleep in and I usually find her in one of the corners. I wouldn't be able to move for the rest of the day if I had slept like this. Cats sleep in all kinds of crazy ways too. The favorite of JuBe is to be stretched out with his top half facing one direction and the lower half twisted at the waist 180 degrees the other direction. I thought I had a picture of him doing this, but I can't find it. That might have been from the pre-digital days.

Talk about having a crick in the neck!!!

Yuck!!!!!!!!

2008-07-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

Keara normally likes ricotta cheese and mixed vegetables, but not this day!! She did not want to eat them at all. It was so funny watching her try to get away from the spoon. Needless to say, that batch got thrown out and we started over with something she was more interested in. I recently bought her some of the mott's applesauce containers. They have some that have no added sugar and are mixed flavors like peach and blueberry. You get 6 for $1.55, which is so much cheaper than buying applesauce baby food jars. She eats some things fresh, like peaches. But the sauce is really good for mixing with yogurt for breakfast. How long are kids supposed to eat baby food? I don't want want to still be feeding her that when she should have moved onto more solid food.

Babies are just so cute when they are sleeping and not making any noise. Keara, my baby who used to rarely cry, now loves to scream at the top of her lungs anytime things are not going her way. And these are not just screams, but ear piercing, toe curling screams. I hope she grows out of it when she is better able to communicate what she needs or wants.

Finished Project!!!!!!!

2008-07-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

I have to say I am very proud of myself. I love how this album turned out and I finished a project!!! It didn't even take that long. It took about 4 days, lots of hours in those days, but not months or years. Sad to say, but I misread the sign about the tryouts and it ended June 20th not July 20th. The manager/owner still took my projects and is displaying them in the store. So, maybe next time. I am still glad I did it. I finished this project and 2 others that were mostly done. The 2 page spread of Venice that was once on display in the goose, and the recipe box also started in Germany. I added a few pictures of Venice to it, lettering and put a picture with journaling in the lid. I am going to put pictures of Venice in it and other trinkets from there that might not fit in a scrapbook.

I liked this word book so much I bought another that said believe and am going to do Keara's first Christmas. I have so many Christmas and winter stickers that I will probably do another traditional album as well, probably 8x8.

Scrapping Again!!!!!!!

2008-07-14T07:36:00.000-07:00

Once again I can't figure out why the picture keeps loading sideways!! How frustrating.

Well, I finally scrapbooked again. It is small, 8x8, and not very fancy, but I did it and I like it. I really enjoyed being creative again. And it was fun to do some Keara pages.

I found a new scrapbook store in town and they are having "tryouts" for their design team. You have to submit a 12x12 layout, an altered item and one other item. Then the customers will choose who they like best. The 5 people selected will do all the samples for the store and get a discount. So, I think I am going to try out. I may not get it, there are some really talented people who have already turned their things in, but it will be fun to try. I'll post pictures of my entries when I get them finished. Wish me luck!! It would be really cool to be a part of the crafting community again.

Black eyes and Prune feet

2008-07-14T06:59:00.001-07:00

My poor little munchkin got her first black eye (hopefully her last). Well, it is not quite black, more like pink with a tinge of purple. Learning how to walk can be tough. She was walking from the couch over to the t.v. and started to lose her balance and the last couple of steps were quicker and then she tripped and plowed head/eye first into the TV stand. She cried for a little bit and wanted cuddles and then went back to playing. Kids are such resilient little creatures. They don't let much keep them down. If I had done that I would not have bounced back so quickly.

I don't know what it is about her feet, but she always gets prune feet in the bath tub or pool. Even when she has not been in that long. Nothing else gets wrinkly, just the feet. She absolutely loves to take baths and would probably stay in for hours if we would let her.

My first Bell Pepper!!!!

2008-07-10T16:00:00.001-07:00

We were a little late, but we got some veggies planted about 2 weeks ago. And, yea!!!!, there is a pepper growing. I am excited to finally have a veggie garden. We have 2 green peppers, 2 orange peppers, 2 eggplants, and 4 cantaloupe. We are also growing some tomatoes in the hanging planters that grow the plants upside down. I am going to plant some marigolds around the plants to help ward off undesirable insects. Next year we will probably make another raised bed and plant some zucchini, watermelon, and maybe some carrots or onions. It will be so nice to have some fresh veggies. Even the veggies at the commissary here are half bad like in Germany.

She loves to stand over the air conditioning vent. She even sits on it sometimes and her hair flies all over the place. I need to find a way to cover it so that she can't stick her fingers down in the holes. Kids are like cats, curious about everything and having to be in everything, especially if you don't want them to be.

Keara loves to help me dust off the tv. I guess it is my turn to finish the job!! I started scrapbooking again today!!!!!! When I get a few pages done I will post them. They aren't really fancy, but I needed to do something creative before I went crazy.

Chunky Monkey - Not Quite

2008-07-02T19:19:00.000-07:00

Like most first time moms I worry about everything when it comes to the baby. The current concern is her weight. I noticed that she didn't seem to have grown recently, which is odd considering how much food she eats. She nurses 6-8 times a day, and eats at least 6 oz of baby food at each meal, plus things like toast and cheese. She loves yogurt with fruit mixed in and ricotta cheese. I just bought a baby scale and weighed her and she only weighed a few ounces more than she did a month and a half ago (currently 16 lbs and 3 ounces). I had stopped being concerned about how small she was (she can still fit into some of her 3-6 month clothes) because she was gaining weight at a steady rate. This small of a weight gain did concern me and I made an appt with the pediatrician. In true Tricare fashion I wasn't able to get an appt until 3 weeks from now. So I called back the next day and wormed my way into the doc's schedule. The doctor weighed her and confirmed that her weight gained has slowed compared to previous months, but didn't seem too concerned. He said she just might have a fast metabolism, but to bring her back in a month and they would check her again.

She is in motion ever minute of the day that she is awake. I can't imagine what it is like to have so much energy. I get tired just watching her. She is really getting steady on her feet and is now able to take 5-6 steps without falling down and can stay standing after walking, where before she would always fall down after a couple of steps. She is getting more confident in walking and tries more aften. When it is something really important, like chasing after a cat, she usually drops down and crawls because she is pretty fast at that. She also likes to crawl off in the middle of diaper changes. Sometimes she gets away before I can get the diaper on her and I just pray she doesn't pee on the carpet before I can catch her. Other times she crawls off with her clothes half off. Silly girl!

Keara the Cutie!

2008-06-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures showing Keara from birth up till now. She just keeps getting cuter and more fun to be with. She loves to laugh, clap her hands, and blow raspberries!

I don't know why the next one keeps turning. It is saved the same way as the others. If any one knows how to fix this please let me know. After reloading all the pictures multiple times, I gave up. So those of you who don't like turning your head to look at sideways pictures, sorry! I can't figure out how to fix it.

Keara loves to make funny faces, and sticks her tongue out all the time. Her first tooth looks like it will pop out any time and I think she is rubbing her gums with her tongue.

Ooohhhley Ohley Ohley - Go Spain!!!!!!!

2008-06-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

Spain finally pulled it off!!!!!!! They won the Euro Cup for the first time since 1964. Brandon is on cloud nine. Spain has disappointed him many times, but they finally got it together and pulled off a huge win! Our condolences to all of you Germany fans, better luck next time. Now Brandon can finally wash his jersey. He didn't want to wash the luck out of it, phew!

Rub a Dub Dub...Keara in the tub

2008-06-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

Never Trust A Quiet Kid

2008-06-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

We have our living room completely kid-proofed so that we can leave Keara alone (for brief amounts of time) without worrying about her getting into things she shouldn't. This works well for things like feeding myself or going to the bathroom. And, if Keara will let me out of arms reach long enough I can do stuff in the kitchen and still see part of that area. I was making dinner last night and Keara was playing in the living room. Normally she makes noise, talking to herself or the cats, or banging her toys around. I noticed that she was being really quiet, and looked over. She wasn't on the fireplace and I could see the top of her head, so I just let her keep playing, glad for some peace and quiet.Brandon came home and went to pick her up and started laughing. He called me over and this is what I found!! No wonder she was being quiet, she was having too much fun TP-ing herself and the living room. I have a little bit of a cold and ran out of tissues and forgot I left the roll of TP on the couch. She is of course attracted to anything I don't want her playing with. Her favorite toys are the remote and my cell phone. She now has her very own remote, minus the batteries, and she loves to chew on it and carries it around. She is such a fun, silly little person. Despite all the stresses of motherhood, I love being a mom!!!

Keara and the Kitties

2008-06-20T17:00:00.001-07:00

There is only one thing more exciting to Keara than her mommy. That's the cats. She loves them so much. When she catches sight of one of them she starts bouncing up and down, gets a really big grin on her face and starts snorting!! I don't think she realizes that they don't return her feelings. They will usually run away if they notice she is paying attention to them. Tigger is the most tolerant and usually won't run away until she gets close and every now and then is so desperate for attention he will let her get close enough for a touch. Which usually results in a tail pulling and a cat making a mad dash escape. I try to show her how to pet the kitties instead of pulling their fur out or yanking ears or tail, and sometimes she pays attention. Apparently it is more fun to grab and yank though, like with my hair. She has only been swatted once, by Tigger. He got her right on the top of her head, which she thought was hilarious (he didn't stick his claws out). So much for learning a lesson from it. I hope they someday get over the trauma of her infancy and become friends.

Snap, Crackle Pop! and Messy Faces

2008-06-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

Brandon and I have both been having a lot of back pain in the last couple of years, and we finally decided to see a chiropractor. I had never been to a chiropractor before and only knew what you see in movies or T.V. You know, the horrible sights and sounds of them wrentching someone's neck and all the popping noises it makes. But, I was willing to give it a try. I have heard people say they have had a lot of luck with chiropractic care. We went in for our evaluations and Dr Karen poked and prodded and then took some X-rays. We went back last Wed. for the results, it was one of those mixed blessing, my back was worse than I thought it would be, but there is hope for recovery. Which is more than I got from any doctor I saw through tricare. My neck only has a six degree curve when it should have a 43 degree curve and there are permanent calcium deposits, there are problems with a couple of vertebrae in the middle of my back, and I have scoliosis in my lower spine. My spine only has a little bit of curve, but it is rotated inside my body. It was strange to see it on the X-rays, but it does explain the horrible lower back pain while pregnant. I have had 4 adjustments so far and they all hurt!! The Dr said I am one of the unlucky few who have a lot of pain with the adjustments. They are no problem for Brandon and he makes some really horrible popping noises. I think part of my problem is just the noise and being scared something is breaking. Especially when the Dr twisted my neck to pop it. I almost cried! I do have to admit I feel better already and am glad we looked into it. I feel better knowing there is a really good chance this will relieve much of the everyday pain. Too bad the care is not covered by Tricare. It is really expensive, but will be worth every penny if it relieves pain. We are even going to have Keara get adjustments. She falls and tumbles so much trying to walk and crawl over things she already has a few things out of place. I want to make sure her spine stays healthy instead of ending up like her dad and me 30 years down the road.

Here are a couple of funny pictures of Keara eating and times she has tried to use the spoon herself. She also like to suck on her hand right after taking a bite and then rubbing it all over her face! Eating is something I do so automatically I never thought about having to learn how to get the food into my mouth and all the coordination that involves. It is so amazing watching this mini person learning how to do all the things that I do without thinking.

First Steps!!!!

2008-06-16T11:52:00.000-07:00

My baby's growing up! She took her first step on June 2nd. Didn't get pictures or video of it, but both Brandon and I were there. I must admit, I would have been pretty upset if Brandon had seen it and I hadn't. She had been trying for a week or so and I told Brandon he'd better not encourage her if I wasn't around. I didn't want to discourage her, but I want to see all those firsts. I missed her being born, and I refuse to miss anything else!

I know, sounds strange that a mom could miss her kid being born, but I was under general anesthesia and slept through the whole thing. No "It's a girl" or hearing the first cry. It kind of, well, really (really) bothered me for awhile. I had to stop watching A Baby Story on TLC because it would make me so sad. I am pretty much over it, and just enjoying the now with her.

She is so much fun. That sounds so strange coming from me. Used to be the only thing I thought about kids was straight jackets and duck tape. Yet, I find myself missing her sometimes when I go to bed or she is napping. Other times (like when she screams bloody murder every time I walk away, even when her dad is there) thoughts of duck tape try to slip back in.

She loves the camera. Anytime I bring it out she gets excited and wants to stick her face right in it. And the best part is chewing on the strap. Silly girl! Her newest "thing" that she does all the time is sticking her tongue out. I don't know if it's from teething (seems like she's been teething for 3 months with no teeth to show for it), or she just likes licking her chin. She's only 9 months and has so much personality! I can't wait to see what the years bring and who she turns out to be.

Sweatin' in the South

2008-06-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

There were many reasons I didn't want to come to Ft. Bragg. The biggest was the way the south reminds me of an armpit in the summer. Hot and sweaty!!!! It has cooled down some. Now it is only in the low 90's, which is a vast improvement over being 100 F and feeling like 105 with the heat index. The only compensations I have are air conditioning and a pool in my back yard!!! I love to swim and I am so glad that Keara loves to be in the pool. She will be one of those kids that is like a fish in the water. The only bad thing about the pool is how it seems to attract all of the spiders in my yard. Especially the really big wolf spiders!!!! I think there is something about me that attracts spiders, maybe they smell the fear like dogs do.

My first blog!

2008-06-13T22:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I am jumping on the bandwagon. Seems like everyone has a blog these days and I was feeling a little left out :) We'll see how this turns out. I have never been good at writing in journals, I just collected them because they were pretty. I am no longer allowed into the journal section of bookstores. Sometimes I sneak in though!

If you are wondering about the slightly cheesy name of my blog, know that I suck at picking out cute, witty names. But, there is just something so sweet about snuggling up with your baby and feeling her little eyelashes brush your cheek. Butterfly Kisses. Plus, I had that really cute photo.

I found these wings at JoAnn's and they have made for some really cute photos.

Well, I must force myself to go to bed as it is now 2:00am. Must sleep when the baby sleeps!