My laptop sits in front of a window that looks out on the backyard.  These past few days, I've seen beautiful sunny days and dark dreary days (it's trying to be one of those today).  What I see everyday, though, is the coming of Spring.  The lilacs are getting their leaves (can't wait for that sweet scent), the tulips are growing taller, the grass needs mowed (again), and everything is just so green.

We've spent a bit of time outside working, when the weather allows, and lots of time inside.

~~~

Emma got several sets of "Magic Tree House" tapes at the library.  She's listened to them continuously   quite often over the past week.  While she listens, she plays or draws.

Jack and Annie, their tree house, and the little bit of leaves over their heads that protected them from the rain.

Strangely enough, I made a little 18" x 18" quilt for a stuffed monkey.

Watch for more on that later after me and Em deliver it to him.

We've missed having this little guy around over the past couple of weeks.

He's spending the afternoon with us today (right now he's napping). 

Emma just loves to play with him!

They bonked heads; Emma's kissing his owie.

Yeah, it's a bit blurry, but they were dancing to energetically to "The Wiggles."

I painted my kitchen yesterday...twice.  Here's the story.  I found the perfect yellow called "Bountiful Rye."  I took it to Fred Meyer and asked if they could match it.  She put it to the machine, got the formula and mixed it up.  When she was done, she told me that she couldn't match it perfectly, so I went ahead and took it home.  That's what I used in the pantry closet.  The color was o.k., but not what I wanted.  So, yesterday morning I started on the kitchen, hoping I'd like the color once it was on the walls.  I'm painting two walls...the other two will likely be white.  I got one done with two coats and got one coat on the other.  At that point, I discovered I needed more paint.  So I headed back to Freddies with my can and the formula and had them mix up another can.  Guess what?!  It matched perfectly to the color I had really wanted originally.  This meant, however, that now I had to repaint both walls.  I talked to the manager and explained the situation.  Since it wasn't that I didn't like the color, but that they had messed up the mixture the first time, I got my new gallon of paint....FREE! 
I applied a coat of the Bountiful Rye...and I  love it!  (My family is getting tired me declaring how much I love it every time  I walk in the room!).    It also goes really well with the green on the living room wall. 

"Wanna shoot hoops?"

"Wanna shoot hoops?"

This is another phrase I hear every day. We got an ourdoor basketball hoop about a month ago, and it's been one of the best purchases we've made since moving in. When it's not tax season, Bob and Ryan can often be found outside throwing the football or baseball. During tax season? That doesn't happen too often (or at all). Shooting hoops is something Ryan is able to do on his own. He shoots before school, after school, before bed....whenever he can.

Spring Break 2011

Ever since I stopped working in 2002 to stay home with the kids, we've traveling or had company for Spring Break. Since Bob is working seven days a week, it was always just the three of us. This year, we decided to stay home. It was SO nice.

We began the week with the Pinewood Derby. Then, on Sunday, we went over toMax and Amanda's to celebrate Max's 33rd birthday.

It sure is nice to have a golf course for your back yard! The kids enjoyed a came

of Frisbie with Steve.

{Monday} A bit of craft time

{Tuesday}

Playtime with friends

{Wednesday}

Pet Shop and Squinkies

Basketball

It's so relaxing to sit in the rocker and work on a craft while the kids play.

{Thursday} Exploring in the sunshine

{Friday}

The kids and I spent Fri-Sun at Mom and Dad's. Friday evening, we spent with one of our favorite families!

I LOVE their friendship!

Duck...Duck...Goose!

Little Jasper has got to be on the happiest babies I've ever seen!

Puppet show

The audience

Turbulent skies

New growth

Anything with an engine for these two!

{Saturday}

I stole a bit of time to work in Mom's craft room while it rained and blew outside.

{Sunday}

Another beautiful day! Ryan spent a bit of time out on the three-wheeler between meetings.

We also enjoyed a wonderful potluck with old and new friends.

And, today, life is back to normal. Bob is {still} at work, the kids are in school, and I'm cleaning and organizing {and planning my new business!}.

Sweet Little Dress

{Pattern: from Anna Marie Horner's newest book}

Size: 12-18 months

This was a fast dress to make. Anna says in her book that she uses this dress to showcase a piece of fabric with the front center panel. After completing the bodice and the skirt bottom, the next step was to gather the sides and bring the top of the skirt down to the same width as the bottom of the bodice. I'm 99% sure I followed the directions, but my skirt bottom was already about 2" narrower than the bodice bottom. I added two more side panels, and then it seemed to work better. My first fabric flower...a matching hair barrette.

~~~

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Sprinkle Tee

{Idea from MADE}

This was a very easy, fast, and fun project.

The tutorial called for machine sewing the letter on first and then doing the hand embroidery. I figured that all that hand sewing would keep it quite secure, and the edges will curl up a bit when it's washed, so I skipped that step. I did use long basteing stitches with regular thread to hold it in place until I got the outside stitch done.

~~~

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