Kristi’s Wedding and Other East Coast Adventures

There is no place I’d rather be than Virginia in the fall! That first little nip that hits the air is like a sigh of relief that lets you know that the sweaty summer must come to an end sometime. I love to watch the leaves change and smell the fresh air. I swear that the air has a taste.This time of year in Virginia, the air is thick and woody. It’s enough to make this year round mountain dweller nostalgic and a little homesick.

This too. I remember this place from driving past it on the way to my friend Kristi’s house when I was a kid. I just couldn’t keep myself from snapping a picture. I’ve been calling this the “Easter Egg Church House”  My family identifies a lot places near their home with physical characteristics rather than road names (who knows what they are anyway). This fits right in with “The Duck Corner” or “Where Princess Lives” (She’s a pig and former family member. I’m not being mean. She’s a literal pig)

We were planning to take a trip to VA sometime in the fall after the baby was born for my birthday or maybe Thanksgiving. When my aforementioned BFF Kristi told me she was engaged, I knew I had to go home for the wedding!

Kris and I have known each other since I was eight. I think we bonded over our love of handicrafts and the Little House on the Prairie books. I can hardly remember a time when she wasn’t in my life. She is one of the sweetest, most loyal, generous people I have ever met and I am beyond privileged to call her my friend. She went with me to college and stood next to me in front of the exact same temple when Colin and I got married. Seeing her be get married to the love of her life after all these years was such a joyful moment. I’m so glad I got to be there to be a part of it.

One of the great things about weddings is that it gives you the chance to catch up with old friends. Next to Kris in this picture is our friend Emily. We met in high school when Emily and I were both the new people in town. She invited me out to for food and we’ve been home fries ever since.

Another great part about our trip home was that I got a chance to visit with family. The picture above is me, my mom, my grandma Josie, and Phoebe. We represent four generations and we’re all the first daughters. While I was here, Grandma gave me an awesome envelope full of family history stories from Mom’s side of the family. I love looking at the old photos and learning the stories of our family. People’s real lives are  much more colorful than anything you could invent. I hope that soon I’ll be able to go through what I have  and add more to it.

Below are a few pictures of an impromptu soccer game in the back yard. This is one of a few attempts by Colin and David to teach Jake some “Man Skills.” Unfortunately, I never saw them get Jake to stand on any high perches, spray the hose straight into his mouth, or throw a Frisbee more than three feet in front of him (more on that later). The soccer ball kicking seemed to be the most successful pursuit.

Colin and Jake strategizing

Tackle Soccer

The other thing that I love when at home with the family is some mega crafting! I may or may not have a slightly unhealthy obsession with baby bows. Colin likes to ask me when I’ll know that I have enough bows, and I like to stare at him incredulously the way you do with any other obviously insane person.

We were getting a little restless one day decided to go to the park. David suggested an outing to this place called Catham Manor. I can’t believe I lived there so long and I’ve never been to this place. One thing I love about the east is that you can hardly swing a cat without hitting a historic place (I’m sure that expression is historic too).  We got there too late to tour the houses, but the gardens left nothing wanting.

Jake’s best fawn impression

Jake met this kid in the park. Jake, the most outgoing sibling, has a knack for that kid-park-meeting thing. None of the rest of us were like that. Being the youngest of nine children meant that Jacob was born with an audience. I predict a career in show business...

…maybe doing stupid human tricks. David tried to convince him that if he turned the hose on it would be the “Coolest picture EVER!”

Kelly and I “Owling”

Once we turned and got a look at each other

Kelly and I had a good time. She has a whole album on Facebook wherein we go around sticking googly eyes on things. Why? Because we can. What else are self-adhesive googly eyes made for? This might be my favorite:

Jake wanted a picture of him and Phoebe in hoodies so that they could be Spiderman and Spiderman’s baby in a hoodie. Not one of his more inventive moments.

Phoebe in her Clark Kent glasses before she prepares to fly back. It’s a bird! it’s a plane! it’s super baby! Some of her auntie Emily must have rubbed off on her.

My Dad: The Ace of Cakes

My dad and I have a long standing tradition where he makes me a birthday cake every year. I think this started the year I turned 13, also known as the year of the decoy cake. That year Dad made a funfetti cake that was four layers tall. It was covered in candy with a fountain made out of twizzlers on top and a mini muffin in the middle. Somewhere in the process, one of the layers he made crumbled. Instead of throwing said layer away, he and Robert decided to make it the ugliest possible catastrophe and tell me that it was their best effort. When they brought the cake out, I (being a NICE kid, Robert)  tried to console my dad, telling him I LOVED the cake, and that it was so great just because he made it himself. He pretended to get all upset saying, “You hate the cake don’t you? I can just tell. Robert, bring out the other cake!”

The Decoy Cake (I was 13, Don’t Judge!)

Every year since the cakes have had a theme to go with whatever happened to me that year.When I turned 16 I had a double decker bunt cake with 16 long stem roses coming out of the middle. The year I got a cat, the cake was a cat. The year I got a car—car cake. You get the idea.

My First Year in Art School

The year I went to Italy (leaning tower)

This is when I turned 21 and my sisters thought it would be funny to send me a princess party, Piñata and all.

Even my roommates in college got in on the action

I’m sure somewhere there are pictures from every year. One day I’ll have to hunt down copies. Of course this year was no exception. Here it is, the year my first child was born:





Yep, that is a white chocolate baby on a red-velvet rose. We won’t mention what happened to the other babies or the many unrepeatable baby-eating jokes. This was another classic one for the books. Thanks Dad! My love for you, like my love of sugar, will never fail.

Phoebe at 3 Months

New This Month:

• She likes to babble
• She has been rolling from side to side
• Has ticklish feet
• Hears an owl hoo-ing on nature sounds and coos back at it
• Loves to go for walks
• Just outgrowing her newborn clothes
• We think she is about 13 lbs

Phoebe’s Blessing: A Note on Handmade Heirlooms

I’m admittedly pretty sentimental over things. For a long time I’ve felt that things made by hand are more than the sum of their parts. I remember in art school, one of the teachers telling me about a blanket his wife had sewn for his brother. It was made out of all the clothes the family had worn that year, and she gave it to his brother at Christmas time when he was alone in a new city. I can’t say for sure, but I would bet that when his brother wrapped up in that blanket every night, he felt a little less lonely thinking of all the people who loved him represented in that quilt.

When Colin’s Grandpa died, we went into his house after the funeral and saw this beautiful handcrafted name chain sitting out on his basement worktable. He made them for each of his children and grandchildren when they got married. It was still unfinished with he passed away. I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but my heart was instantly endeared to this kind man who would think so much of us on our wedding day. Those kind of objects seem to take on  power all their own, some part of their maker, something extra or beyond what they physically are. They are more than just stuff.  I think it’s that something extra that attracts us to heirlooms and artifacts. That’s part of why I choose to be a thing-maker, and why so many others do too.

The chain made by Colin’s Grandpa

Phoebe is lucky to be born into a family with two grandma’s who are some of the most loving makers I’ve ever met. For her blessing, my mom made me this family tree blanket. The idea is that we can add names onto the branches as we continue to have children.

This is Phoebe’s beautiful blessing dress made by her Grandma LaRee from her own wedding dress. It came out just perfectly.

I made the bow. It was about all I wanted to commit to with a newborn baby in my arms.

My mom crocheted Phoebe these adorable ribbon booties. She’s almost as obsessed with booties as I am with bows.

Many thanks for the helping hands and the people who showed their love through them.

What’s new

We haven’t updated this in a while since we’ve been busy with the baby, preparing to move, and getting ready for our trip to Virginia.  Here’s a few updates:
We had our families in town for Phoebe’s blessing on Sept 1st and went on a picnic in the canyon.  We invented a new game with the knitted frisbee Katie made, we call it “Frisberet”.  The object is to catch the frisbee on your head (like a beret—get it ).  It was tons of fun and hilarious to watch.  Here are some photos:









Kevin wanted to see what Phoebe likes so much about being swaddled.  Kevin decided he didn't like it.

Our house is almost done, but the cabinet company installed the wrong color cabinets and promptly went out of business.  After some wrangling with the builder, we finally came to an agreement about what to do.  Unfortunately, we had problems getting a form filled out by the HOA in time, so we ended up later than we anticipated and won’t be able to move until we get back from Virginia in a week.  In the meantime, our house is full of boxes.  Such fun.