Road Trip!

Our family took a very big trip to the western part of the US this summer.  Starting in Indiana, stopping in S. Dakota and Wyoming we hit Badlands National Park, Custer State Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Glacier National park.  We had one (very large) RV, and a truck pulling a pop-up camper to house my entire side of the family.  There were 12 of us in all!  It was an amazing time and a trip none of us will ever forget.  I thought you might enjoy a little glimpse into the trip.  I'm only sharing a very very small sampling of the numerous pics I took, but it will give you a feel for our experience.  Planning for, going on, and recovering from this trip took up almost our entire summer, so its about all I have to share from the last few months!

The Badlands

The intrepid explorers ready to go, complete with personalized water bottle carriers - the only craft I did in preparation for this trip!  (And no, I did not pose them!)

 

The whole crew checking out the fumeroles (minus myself and my youngest son who was riding on my back) - Yellowstone National Park

Fountain Geyser - Yellowstone National Park

 Buffalo in Yellowstone

Lower Falls - Yellowstone National Park

Forest Fires outside of Custer State Park

Someone's worn out from the heat

One of the MANY amazing views in Glacier National Park

 

Weeping Wall - Glacier National Park

The "big" boys trying to stay upright in strong winds

My sister and I

All the kids were great hikers!

My parents were great hikers too :)

Just one of the lush areas around Glacier.  Considering the drought we were experiencing in Indiana at the time, this was such a welcome sight!

Some of the beautiful wildflowers in the park - Glacier National Park

 The Cottonwood trees in bloom

Getting up-close and personal with a mountain goat!  Such beautiful creatures.

Sandals and Headbands and Auctions, Oh My!

**warning, this post is loaded with photos**

I mentioned in my last post that I was working on a large order for a silent auction.  I finally got all of the items finished up last month and took my family over to my parents for a quick photoshoot so that my mom could include the pictures in the auction's website.  We unfortunately picked a rainy day, but with careful location choice we were able to get some nice photos of the items.

All the items together.

Striped Tote Bag

Coffee Cup Cozies

Earflap Hat

Earflap Hat and matching Flower Clip

Earflap Hat with Flower Clip

Father and Son Beard Hat set

Beard Hat without the beard :)

Mother and Daughter Swirl Hat and Scarf set

Girl's Swirl Hat and Scarf set

Along with the auction items I had a few orders of these amazing Baby Gladiator Sandals.  A friend requested a pair for a baby shower gift and as soon as I saw the pattern I was in love!  They work up very nicely and the pattern is well-written.  I worked up a little Rouched Headband and Flower Clip to round out the gift set.  That is gonna be one well-coordinated newborn :)

I was lucky to have a second order of the sandals shortly thereafter so I got to see how cute they were in other colors.  The second set was made to coordinate with a sweet little baby romper from Target and I had so much fun finding perfectly matching yarn and fabric for the sandals and little flower embellishment.

While I don't have any orders on my ticket at the moment I'm using what free time I have to build up a stock of items for a craft fair this December;

 cleaning and fixing up our new home-away-from-home;

attending photography workshops (this time for newborn photography - its a great way to learn how photo props are put into use);

and spending lots of time with my family!  I love staying busy yet still having that all-important family time.

Alive

I am currently LOVING this spring weather!  Indiana has had the strangest spring I can remember.  The warmth started in about late February and has left us with an almost summer-like true spring.  My kids are on spring break this week and we are soaking up the sun and warmth as much as we can :)

I took my youngest to my parents property a few weeks ago to check out how spring was blooming.  While we were there I decided to document some of my favorite places on their property.  We explored the pond, the yard, and the barn.  I normally don't get a chance to get into the barn because I have my kids in tow and its not exactly the safest place, but having only one kiddo with me and the fact that he's still light enough to hold for long periods of time made it possible.

the eclectic collection of items inside the barn always makes me smile :)

Besides soaking in the sights and smells of spring I've also been keeping busy with a few orders.  The first was taking these piles of fabric and transforming them into a reversible blanket and pennant banner photo props.  I was super happy with how this set turned out!

Next was a little mouse hat set.  This set was for a little girl who's nickname is "Mouse" and her new baby brother :)

My son and I whipped up this stuffed elephant that will eventually be given to one of our friends' new babies, if we ever get to see him in person (crazy spring weather lead to crazy spring illness in our house!). 

Currently I'm working on a large order that will be included in a gift basket in a silent auction to benefit the county choir my mom sings in.  It is going to be an assortment of handmade goods made by myself and my sister.  We're hoping to draw a good bid for the basket and support this awesome group!

Things You Didn't Know

If you've been following this blog long you've probably learned a few things about me.  I love photography, I love nature, I have cute kids, I (obviously) love to craft.  But what about those things about me that you don't find out through regular posting? Here's 10 things you probably didn't know about me:

1.  I'm a grouch most days before 10 am.  Coffee helps significantly.
2.  In the winter I wear my red fuzzy bathrobe approximately 50% of the day, even when I've gotten ready and dressed.
3.  I could live on pizza.  I would be a lot fatter, but I'd be happy
4.  I can make my tongue into the shape of a clover (like this)
5.  I have asked for and received both of the Lego Harry Potter Wii games the last two Christmases.  Most of the time I prefer to play them alone.
6.  Spiders really freak me out.
7.  I'm super sensitive.  I'm not easy to offend exactly, I just care a lot about what others think of me (working on this one).
8.  I wait till my kids go to bed to eat junk food if I don't feel like sharing
9.  I still sleep with a stuffed animal (its a comfort thing - like some people hold a pillow, I hold a dog)
10.  I watch Sliders, or other similarly dorky shows, while I knit and crochet.

So now you know.  Aren't you glad?

Oh, and just for fun here's a quick pic from a recent photo session with my awesome husband.  I love that guy.

(c) Micah Bell Photography

Stuff (aka: I have no cute title for this post!)

Its winter here in the Midwest, but its been a strange one.  We've had some record highs, and some typical lows, some snow, some rain, and some beautiful sunshine!  Along with parenting my 3 kids, keeping up on housework (which seems never-ending in the dreariness of winter), and hanging with my hubby, I've been keeping myself busy with a few projects.

First up is a Beard Hat in Colts Blue & White, as requested by another Indianapolis native.  Modeled here by my ever patient husband (he's probably modeled 16 of these hats for me now!)

Then a spring-inspired Swirl Hat modeled by my lovely daughter :)

Next, I made this quilt in a fit of crafting frenzy when I realized I didn't have a gift for one of my college roommates who just had a new baby!  I love how it turned out.

Lastly was this teeny tiny newborn Stripey PomPom hat for a friend of ours who wanted a hat for her soon-to-be-born daughter to match one she purchased for her son, but in girl colors.  She requested the pompom have stripes.  That was a new one for me, but I was pretty happy with the outcome.




And so as not to leave my other boys out, enjoy this shot of my littlest "reading" a book (love his smile!) and a photo my husband took of our oldest checking out the skyline of Chicago on a trip they took together this month.

Translation

There's not a lot new to share on the blog lately.  I have been busy as a bee working on patterns that you've already seen pics of so I'll only share a couple new ones.

Twin Owl Hats

Swirl Hat with flower and coordinating scarf

Something strange that happened is that recently my Raincloud Pattern has been popping up on French blogs all over the place.  I can only guess that somehow clouds are a popular theme and people were searching for patterns to make their own.  I have had many sweet compliments on the pattern and have enjoyed seeing people use the clouds they made for coasters, garland, and various other household decorations.  Recently I was contacted by Fabienne, a French blogger at Archibald & 3 petit points, offering me a French translation of my Raincloud Pattern.  She was kind enough to allow me to post the translation on this blog and put it on hers as well.  You can find her version here, and you can see the French translation on the Raincloud Pattern page.

Transitions

This has been a strange fall.  I have enjoyed the beauty of the season immensely, but it has gone by quickly, and brought with it some deep sadness.  Sunday I lost my grandfather to old age and natural causes.  He was the 3rd grandparent I've lost in the last 4 months, leaving me with no more living grandparents.  With his death came a disconnection with a place and a generation that had been a large part of my childhood.  I now have very few reasons to travel to northern Indiana.  I won't see Amish horse and buggy at Christmas time each year.  I won't watch the light shimmering off the river on a bright summer morning while eating perfectly-made toast in my grandmother's kitchen.  I won't have anyone to share with me what it was like during the Great Depression or WWII.  This disconnection is only physical though.  I have many many memories from my childhood that will stay with me.  I also carry with me the legacy of faith that my grandparents handed down from their grandparents generation to my own, and one I hope to pass along to my own grandchildren some day.

 Arthur and Annabelle Evans

This fall has marked the transition from my grandparents being the eldest in the family, to my parents, aunts and uncles taking on that roll.  It is sad to lay a generation to rest- especially a generation who showed us that hard work, resilience, and faith can rebuild so much- however my parents generation has much to teach us also.  I hope that my children will value their grandparents the way that I value mine.  And I long to have the privilege of growing old and sharing my life with my own grandchildren.  My only hope is that by that time I will have lived a life worthy of reflection, and have experienced enough of life's ups and downs to earn the title of "wise elder".

Harold and Rose Marie "Rody" Weaver and their children (in order of age), Dave, Mike, Elaine (my mom), Anne, and Greg

I love you, Grandma and Grandpa Evans, and Nana and PopPop Weaver.   I look forward to seeing you again and sharing with you in person the result of your lives' impact on the future generations.