Crochet Boot Cuffs

Quick Show and Tell today.  

Seems like I have plenty to blog about, but am finding it hard to get on a regular schedule to sit down and put together blog posts.  That doesn't, however, mean that I haven't been finding time to craft.  In fact, earlier this month I dusted off the crochet hooks (which haven't been used in who knows how long) and tried out a pattern I saw on Pinterest months ago.  With our move back to the mountains, and a friend with a birthday in January it seemed like a good idea to make a pair of the boot cuffs I kept running into online.  I think they turned out nicely for a first attempt and I'm happy to report the pattern was a very quick and easy one.  (that should be my tagline, right?  Quick and Easy ;) )

 Pattern found here

I now have a second set (different pattern) in progress - finish date to be determined ;)
I'm curious - what's on your crafty To Do List?  What have you been meaning to try but haven't found the time for yet?

Around here - Snow!

 If I had to use one word to describe what we have been up to the last few weeks, it would have to be snow.  After taking a four year break from the white stuff I had almost forgotten how often the snow affects daily life - from the frustration of cleaning 6" off the car in the morning or the worries of driving through a storm, to the fun of watching the kids sled down the hill or throw snowballs at the dog, to the daily beauty of this place.  The kids are in love with the snow and Tyler in particular can spend hours out in it without complaining he is cold.  And for myself, I find that I am experiencing it and appreciating it in ways I haven't before.

I've also been having a lot of fun with the camera so I thought I would share a few photos.

Ok - not snow in this one per se, but I loved the photo and it's wintery ;)  Shortly before Christmas we took the kids to see the lights at Temple Square - the first time we had ever taken them.  It was beautiful.

 Horse photos in the snow with my brother.  He has had this horse since he was um...9 years old?  Forever, really and she's the best horse ever.  Anyway, it has become his tradition to go out for at least one bareback ride in the snow and I went out with him to get some photos.  I also rode bareback and without a bridle for probably the first time ever - pretty proud of myself for that one!

This is the view I have every morning at 8:15 AM while waiting for the bus with this happy kid.  The sun is just coming up at that point and though often freezing, it's gorgeous out there.  Plus the company is great!  (Sam waits for the bus stop with Kate an hour before this then heads to work himself)

Huge snowstorm last week dumped many many inches.  I never did look up the final count, though I know it was over 6" in the three hours I spent working in the shop that morning.

 And then there was the day the we woke up to over an inch of frost coating everything in sight.  So pretty.

I may have tried cross country skiing once or twice as a kid but have only recently discovered I like it quite a bit.  A couple of days ago I went up the canyon with a few friends and we had the best time figuring out how to ski and enjoying the views and the weather.  It looks like we will be making it an almost-weekly activity, and I'm excited about that.

 And these two - that's my dad and Tyler has him wrapped completely around his little finger.  Tyler wants it, Grandpa is game to do it.  Night before last I guess Ty and Gpa were having a talk about playing in the snow and Tyler came up with the big idea to use the trackhoe to build some sort of elaborate snow cave.  My dad knew the trackhoe wasn't the ideal tool for the big plan, but was excited to get Tyler on there and let him move some snow around.  They fired up the trackhoe as soon as they both got home yesterday and were out there for over an hour, with Tyler operating the trackhoe for much of that time.  They didn't end up with anything more than some random piles of snow, but they sure did have fun.

So, what do you like to do in the snow?  Still on my bucket list for this winter is tubing (we got the kids tickets for one of those places that pulls the tube up the hill for you), seeing the Ice Castles, and maybe snowmobiling...

Christmas Cards 2014

Hot chocolate, a corny Christmas movie on the Hallmark Channel, and a stack of newly arrived photos - that's how I spent some of my time on Saturday afternoon.  Love it.  Love the season.

Christmas cards have been making their way into my mailbox every few days and I've been having fun adding to my little Christmas Card book.  This is the 5th year I've been keeping them like that and it's been fun to flip back through all the past years, seeing all of my friends' children at different ages.  However, I've been a little anxious to get my own cards pulled together and out the door (so everyone can have our new address) and I was so happy to see that my Christmas photos had arrived at the post office a couple of days earlier than expected.  I sat right down and started putting them together and stuffing envelopes. 

There are so many great card options out there right now, but I get caught in the "I can just do it myself" mode every year - you know the one.  The day spent outside with the tripod and the camera on the self-timer, fingers crossed the whole time that the photos will look even half-way decent when you get home.  The time spent on Pinterest looking at card ideas and cute quotes trying to figure out the Very Best option for this year.  Then trying to pull it all together in Photoshop, using only the 4 commands I am familiar with.  ;)  And doing it all at 10:00 PM (when I'm normally in bed) because you realize your coupon code for photo prints expires that day.

All things considered, I didn't actually mind the process - I'm just laughing at myself for rushing through it yet another year.  One of these days I will remember to take photos in October with perfectly coordinated outfits and all of November to pull the cards together.  For now though, my method did still result in reasonably cute Christmas cards for the year - phew! ;) 

Ok time for a close look at them, right?

Front:

Back:

Well, I'm off to take photos of the kids playing in the falling snow.  Maybe I can use those photos for next year's card and be super duper on the ball for next time?! ;)

My New Normal

Winter in Utah - I'm not sure I'm ready for it!  Yesterday's light snowfall was gone by the time the sun went down, but we woke up to a few inches of new-fallen snow this morning and the kids couldn't be happier.  The adults, however, still have a few big outdoor projects to finish and the weather sure hasn't been helping with that.  We are just going to grit our teeth and do the best we can, as we can't be truly settled in here until we are finished with them.

As we finish up our third full week back in Utah, I find myself finally settling into what will probably be my New Normal for the next little while.  Things like:

Wearing fluffy socks all the time (generally ones that don't match my outfit because that's all I've got).  Predawn hours in the dark, sitting on the couch with my computer or a book and not making any noise so that the dogs don't know I'm up or they will bark and wake up the rest of the house.

 Extended morning routine for the kids.  It goes like this:  Me, awake at Alayna Time (that means earlier than most people want to be awake) followed by Kaitlyn up, usually without an alarm, by 6:30.  Dad is typically out the door by then.  Kate eats breakfast while I fix lunchboxes and clean up the kitchen.  Then we go downstairs to make sure the boys are awake and starting their day.  Sam keeps Kaitlyn company waiting for the bus while I nudge Tyler along, then Sam leaves for work.  Ty and I generally have another half hour to waste before putting him on the bus and Mom tries to leave for work before the bus arrives (usually she doesn't make it and has to follow the bus the whole way).  Then I have the house to myself - for maybe half an hour before my brother stops by to fix himself breakfast and chat.  Dad usually shows up again sometime before 9:00 to check in before he starts his actual work day.

 Some mornings I head to a friend's house for a yoga workout.  Love that.  Some days I unpack another few boxes, reorganize, or clear out a few clutter piles.  Others I head down to the freezing garage where we I'm all set up to work on drying racks.  Those big projects I mentioned?  Yeah - one of them is finding the old heater from the barn and installing it so that I can survive the winter in there.

Monday nights driving swim team carpool then taking Tyler to karate practice.
Meal planning and dinner prep for 6 hungry people - most of whom are picky eaters.
Not being able to complete the laundry in one day as half the time I find it in use by someone else or I'm too busy and not around enough to switch out the loads as soon as they finish.
Almost-daily discussions with my brother on healthy eating, exercise, and motivation - and still haven't made it to the gym for a true workout yet.
Dogs.  Everywhere.  In the way.  Wanting attention.

 The weekends are for putting the Men to work on projects, and me right along with them while the kids hang out at the house (with or without Grandma).

 This scenery.  Love that part of my new normal.  (this photo is taken from approx where we will be building our new house)

 Taking a break from the hard work and chatting with the husband.  Lots of long chats lately.

 My new work gloves - I purposely held out for something super girly. ;)  And you know what else I realized?  All these years I've never had a pair of my own - just borrowed my Dad's oversized ones any time I helped him out.

Did I mention it's COLD?

And did I mention the snow?! ;)  Ahhh Utah...