Been Busy

Well things have been busy around here lately. I have been doing a lot of knitting, sewing, and cooking. I am almost done with my son's picky pants and have made a lot of progress on some socks for the kids and my sister. I am also working on some Halloween costumes for the kids. We are clearing out the last of the summer veggies from the garden and hopefully will put it to sleep this weekend. Gosh that reminds me; I need to get the garlic in the ground. We also plan to make a trip to see my Grandparents this weekend and I am getting really excited about that. I am taking them some purple hull peas from my garden 'cause Grandpa was so kind to give me food from his garden for years. I might just have to dig up some of his garlic to bring back just to make sure I have enough. It surrounds his entire garden and looks so pretty in the summer.

I do have a confession. Yesterday I took the day off. I was so tired I just watched old movies all day. 2 of my favorites Giant and Doctor Zhivago. I am an old movie junky. I have no interest in new movies unless there is a classic movie actor in it. It's almost like I was born in the wrong era. I especially love how my kids can watch the movies with me without me being afraid that they will be scarred for live. I also spent a ridiculous amount of time on Ravelry. I spend more time reading there then in my e-mails. Which is a good thing 'cause I am spending less money on coops. Well I think the little one is up off for now.

New Books

I love getting mail. Especially when it contains artsy craftsy stuff. I got a wonderful book through paperback swap by Good Housekeeping. The Illustrated Book of Needlecrafts. It has so much information that I am overwhelmed with excitement. I cannot wait to practice some of it with my girls. I also got 20 vintage knitting and crocheting books/magazines from the 1950's. I am so in love. I love the vintage styles. I cannot wait to get started on my new retro wardrobe. I love the styles and how feminine they are. I will hopefully get pictures up soon for everyone to see. They are in great shape. Off to do some reading.

Coming up for air

I have been super busy with crafting lately. Nearly got a finished pair of socks and a longy but my camera is dead. So with no pics to show what I have been doing with my time, I will show you some of my favorite things from Anthropologie's new catalog. I get a lot of inspiration from them. Okay they look a little wonky on this post but oh well. With 4 kids, a bunch of pets, and a spouse it is a miracle I ever post. LOL

Peace.

I have found my Guru

I have finally found my guru and in the most seemingly unlikely person too. He is none other than Bruce the milkman or as my 3.5 year old calls him "Cowboy". He is an incredibly compassionate person and full of kindness. I look forward to our weekly visits when I go to get my milk and a wee bit of wisdom all in one trip. He is kind enough to listen to me talk. And as a stay at home mom with 4 kids I do not get out very often so finding someone that actually will have a conversation with me is a really big thing. Did I mention he is also incredibly funny. Anyway this week we talked about many things but what really made me stop and think was when he talked of how he wanted his kids to laugh. I realized that I used to laugh a lot but it seems to have gone missing from my life. Then that made me stop and think about joy and whether or not I feel real joy in my life anymore.
My life changed the most when my husband and I decided to start a family. I know that adding kids changes things but I wasn't prepared for loosing my sense of self and my identity. My oldest is 9 and a half years old and it was a huge adjustment having her. I was so unprepared it is kinda sad. She nursed every 45 minutes around the clock for the first 3 months of her life. As you could imagine I was ever so slightly sleep deprived and I battled postpartum depression. I also was not prepared for the criticism I received for how I was doing everything wrong. I in my naivety thought that my family would be more supportive of my choices then they were. Don't get me wrong I did not expect to be perfect. I just was not prepared for the repulsion others would feel just knowing that I was breastfeeding and cosleeping. Things started getting better as far as I was feeling around the sixth month and by the time my oldest was a year old I was feeling almost my old self again . I was still trying to adjust to never getting to eat or sleep or read a book in a reasonable amount of time but I felt like I had made it through the worse and it would be smooth sailing ahead. So we decided to add on to our family.

We were blessed to find out that we were expecting twins when our oldest was around 18 months old. I had always known I would have twins so it was not that great a surprise to me. I felt such contentment and joy despite constant morning sickness and more criticism for having a huge family. At 23 weeks gestation I had a placenta abruption and went into labor. It was an incredibly peaceful and pain free labor even though I was given no meds. My sweet girls were born crying which was a great sign. We had them with us for a short 17 hours before we a had to let them go. I am grateful for every moment I had with them. One would think that this would be the lowest point of my life but it was actually a highlight. My husband and I became very close and for the first time in my life I realized just how strong our marriage is. I did still have the normal sadness that follows such a loss. For several months I felt at peace and we struggled with the question of do we try for more or do we stop at one. Well being somewhat insane we decided to try for more.

We had another healthy girl the next year and have since been blessed with 2 very healthy boys that really make life interesting. (Read choatic) I have added homeschooling and gardening. I try to cook all of our meals from scratch. I have taken up sewing and knitting just to have a hobby for all of my free time. I am still brestfeeding, cosleeping, and we also infant potty train too. I realized that I have gotten so busy being a mom that I have forgotten to enjoy the life that I have and to really stop and laugh. I am finally starting to revisit the artistic side of my life and I am on a journey of self discovery. I think this is one reason I stumbled on my Guru in the first place. I am finally ready to really live life and not just be on autopilot. I am also so done with all the naysayers in my life. I do love being a Mom but the biggest mistake I have made along the way was forgetting who Christy is and what she loves.

It's amazing that one would need to be reminded to have a good laugh every day. It is so important to enjoy the life we have and use it to the fullest to help bring joy to others. At one time in my life I had a really good sense of humor and made a lot of people laugh and it is time to bring that back.

Last weekend I did get away with my sister for a bit. It was the first time in about 6 months that we managed to spend some time together. So we went to an outdoor mall and of course it started raining. We both got soaked but it was funny and we did laugh a lot.

So thank you "Cowboy" for reminding me to laugh. I hope that wherever you are right now you are laughing too. Chances are that you are probably up to your eyeballs in cow shit and just thinking about that makes me laugh. Hmmm I think I might just need to get some milk soon.

Peace

What Fun!!!

An Anne of Green Gables KAL and Read along!!! Check it out here:
http://anneknits.blogspot.com/

For My Sister

Happy 14th

It's been a long time...

Since my last post. We had a round of illness that lasted for a few months. I am happy to report that all is well now.:-) I have been very busy in the garden and the kitchen. I was able to put up several quarts of tomatoes. Next week my mom is going to bring me some green beans and I hope to have several quarts of those. I have also had success making kefir and cream cheese. I made some of my salsa too. Here's the recipe:
Christy's Tomitilla Salsa
Tomitilla
Tomatoes
Red Onion
Cilantro
Lime juice
Salt
Garlic
Now cut up however much of the veggies you want. Season to taste with salt and lime juice. Cut up a cup of fresh cilantro and mix it in with the veggies and seasonings. Now enjoy with tortilla chips. If you have a lot of juice leftover freeze it and add it to chili or stews come winter.

I have done a wee bit of knitting lately too. I did my first heel on my first sock and I am very proud of it. It is a short row heel and not near as complicated as my mind tried to make it. Nap time is nearly over so I must leave. Be back soon...