A lovely day

A few shots from our day...

Lucy having a pre-festivities tea party

Grammie's pretty table

We felt very fancy serving a cheese board.
My sweet things.

Lucy testing out what appears to be playground equipment.

Cozy at home

We made it to Selma in record time yesterday... amazing at this time of year. I woke up this morning and went right off to the grocery store with Mom. We've been cooking on and off ever since. Chopping veggies, pulling bread for stuffing, doing any prep work we can. I made pumpkin pie (Steve loves it), and a lemon tart. Then I realized I forgot to bake the tart crust first, so I made another one. Yeesh! I will take pictures of them tomorrow, because they are so pretty.

Tomorrow we will have my parents, our little family, my brother, my grandfather and his wife, and an obscure aunt and her son. I haven't seen the aunt in years, and I'm not sure I've ever met her 60-year-old son. Apparently they are a bit quirky, but we discovered they generally don't do much for Thanksgiving, and were really excited to be invited. The son was going to have a frozen turkey T.V. dinner. That breaks my heart to think of, and it delights me to think I've been cooking all day to make people happy. I love to love people with cooking. I get to do this all again next week because Steve's sister is working this whole weekend, and I decided she needs a proper turkey dinner with family, even if it is a bit late.

Lucy woke up last night in the middle of the night and asked for a midnight snack. We did yogurt in the semi-darkness. I'm wondering if she's remembering Thanksgiving last year... =) I'm such a wuss about getting up in the middle of the night now! So it is off to bed with me.

I love my job!

This is Lucy and I this morning. I was having a slow start this morning, so I decided to go out in the back and sit at our patio table. How is it that just moving locations can inspire you? I am sitting here with my coffee and Lucy and I are chowing (her words!) on Cheerios. Reminds me of college when I used to bring a Dr. Pepper and a bag of Cheerios to Acts.

Yes, folks, here's me in the morning.

I finished another shopping bag last night, and the picture of the little red sweaters are coming soon. I started the last of the four sweaters (hopefully... this is assuming they all fit!) last night, and I hope, hope, hope to blaze through it. I have a car ride coming up next week, so hopefully I will get lots of crocheting done and then I can start my kitchen rug. Or maybe I'll just try to get rid of some of my stash, which is getting a little unwieldy.

My brother, while a well-trained supporter of all things Jenny, couldn't hide the tiny twitch in the corner of his mouth that said, "Why in the world do you care what your shopping bags look like??" Luckily he knows the answer, even if he doesn't understand it. Because I fall into the class of people (not just women, and not all women), that needs certain things to be pretty. Not necessarily expensive, but pretty. It is one of those things in my soul that needs satisfying, and I am grateful to have the means to answer that call. Well, only 1 minute remaining on my battery... must publish before I lose it!

More craftiness

This used to have the Stater Brothers logo on it... now it's cute. =)

Marvels of modern parenting

We are in week 3 of nap issues. We are generally doing the "cry it out method," which actually does work for Lucy, but she's still got some residual stuff going on. She climbed out of the crib for the 2nd time today. I am disciplining her for that, as it is not safe and she needs to know that bedtime and naptime are the law. She could see me peeking in the door, even at the bottom, and it aggravated her, so I got out the iSight (luckily we still have a separate one!), plugged it in and shoved it into the room. I sat out in the hall with my computer and watched her so I could take care of it if she climbed out. It was like observing an animal in her own habitat. Poor baby nearly fell asleep slumped over the railing.

The magic slippers

I have finished 3 of 4 red sweaters for the Earle-girl cousins for Christmas pictures. I'll make a matching scarf for Tanner, and we'll attempt a picture. Heavy emphasis on "attempt. =) I'm also in the middle of making slippers for the my sisters' girls. A heavenly thing to hit on a pattern that is so simple and fast, and yet makes something that people will really treasure.

I was thinking as I am working on these slippers that I learned to do this just a little too late. There are several people in my family that used to knit and crochet that are gone now, and oh how I wish that I could connect with them on these things now. My uncle used to make little toys and balls and things, and a special aunt on the other side of the family made the slippers and blankets. I wish I could just pour a cup of coffee and sit and work with them. There is something so wholesome about the idea of them. I have decided that I will be satisfied with honoring them and thinking of them and keeping their memories alive as I work. And I have an immense joy in connecting with my mom and with my mother-in-law over yarn.

The Living Desert

Yesterday we went with Mimi and Papa to the Living Desert in Palm Desert. Gorgeous weather, wonderful day, and just loads of fun. Lucy even got adventurous! She had a grand time.

Brushing the goats. Mmmmmmmmeeeeeeh!
My favorite kind of snake!
Ferferfly and her lovely assistant.

My awesome sister!

Birthday wishes to my best friend and sister! I love and respect her so much, and I'm so proud of the wonderful life she has built for her family. We had so many rough days as kids--we weren't always the best of friends growing up--but now we are super tight and call or ichat every day. She is one of the most creative, inventive people I know, she is fiercely loyal, intelligent and fun. So here's to Sari! (Sair-ee, phonetically.)

Christmas 1977


High school... I think this was when we became friends. (Like my socks with my flats??)
My matron of honor. Doesn't she look so pretty??

Smorgasbord

Well, I'm sick. Blech. Started last night with just weary body, feeling like I just had to sit down. Had a horrid sleep with resultant achy body. By mid-afternoon today, the nose-faucet turned on. Ah well. Steve is home today, which I'm so grateful for. Tomorrow, Lucy gets to watch lots of television!

Had my craft boutique this weekend, and I was delighted that one of my sweaters sold! The remainder will go to sister-in-law Amy, who is auctioning some items for a family who is dealing with leukemia (the dad). I just started the sweaters for Lucy and 3 of her girl cousins, and I'm laughing at the mistakes that my fuzzy sick brain caused. Luckily I think they are not irrevocable.

Started some Christmas shopping, and I'm delighted to be buying 4 gifts from the same website, saving a ton on shipping. Hooray! Figured out inexpensive gifts for all the nieces and nephews. Ah, that is lovely. Very excited about a couple of my ideas this year. If you have good ideas, especially for fathers-in-law and brothers-in-law, do share!

Have a good, kleenex-free week, all.

My first Halloween Mom Outing

Last year was fun and games... put the baby in a suit, off to a party. This year, once we actually go the kid IN the suit (took some finessing... and some Thomas the Train), she had a grand time. I couldn't believe I was actually taking my kid trick-or-treating, and it was just a blast. We went with our neighbors. Her husband is a cop and has to work Halloween, so it was a nice joining of the forces. When I was little, we always went as a group through the neighborhood, and I have the best memories of that. After our few stops in the neighborhood to the houses we knew, we went "visiting" to the Royal Geringers' house and enjoyed their company while the kids enjoyed (who else but...) Thomas the Train.

Too much talking, not enough pictures. Here you go:


This is 3-year-old Olivia from across the street. Or "Ole" as we like to call her. =)
The ghost of Lucy the Monkey...

The wares themselves

Tell me what you think of the prices.. too high or low? Don't be nice, be honest.

Set of blocks and ball (with a little bell in the middle!) - $20In pink... $20

Cream and roses sweater - aprox. 6 mos. - $35
Taffy pink sweater, approx 6 mos. - $35

Fluffy duckling sweater - aprox 3 mos. $35

Selling my wares

So this weekend is the time when we find out if people really want to buy my stuff. I'm selling 3 sweaters and two sets of balls and blocks. I'd hoped to finish a few more things, but ran out of steam with the Seattle trip... plus I made a bunch of stuff for my sister and nieces while I was up there, trying to get rid of excess yarn (trouble was--Sair bought me NEW yarn!).

Here are the details of the boutique, and I would absolutely love it if you locals stopped by. I will only be there on Saturday from 2-4, but my stuff will be at Paula Carrigan's table (see here for a preview of her stuff).

Ashes, Ashes, we all come Home

I wish I could adequately describe our wonderful trip. It was beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Sooo wonderful to see my Northern family.Lucy loves her cousins, and did great on all flights. The reason I'm not saying more is that we came home to a yard coated in ash-grime from the fires over 90 degree weather, and a falling-apart Lucy (clingy/called out of church/ bad nap / worse bedtime / first climbing out of crib incident). But we also came back to my wonderful brother and wonderful friends, and a home that I love.

Pictures here...

Off we go!!

Finally, after 2 years of my sister living in Washington, we get to go and see them! I'm just dying to go see where they live!

We'll see this...

This... (Oh, yeah!)

and THIS! That's my idea of an awesome vacation!

What a nice day

Thanks for all the birthday love, friends! It somehow always surprises me to get birthday wishes, which makes it such fun.

I love being a self-appointed queen for the day. I believe in reasonable indulgence and out-of-the ordinary for one's birthday. So today Steve took the day off (a huge indulgence for me!), and we trooped off to the aquarium.

Lucy was a bit over stimulated by it all, but had fun anyway, just running, running, running. She now knows what a sea lion is, and that it does not, in fact, say, "Raaar!" but rather, "Arr Arr!" We made a little book from all the pictures of the day, and she's having fun going back through and naming all her fishies.
The two seconds she held still long enough for me to get a shot.
Not the greatest picture, as Squirmy Pants was on the move, but we LOVED the tropical fish where Jeff works. Probably spent the most amount of time there of any one area.

Playing "Where's Lucy" after coming home. Her best, most genuine, beautiful smiles happen during this game. Now about the hair... I know we're going for the Meg Ryan look these days, but sheesh.
Of course, exotic though the aquarium may be, the crown jewel of Lucy's day was the trip to the Buena Park train station to see the trains go by. I snapped lots of pictures for her little book, to the perplexed glances of the commuters. I think it would be like someone stopping in the street as you got into your car and animately snapping pictures with their child pointing away. I feel awfully... Asian touristy... =) I really enjoyed having Steve get to see Lucy watching the trains. It's not exactly exciting, but she just loves it so much!


Dinner was excellent, thanks to the provision and delivery service of the Original Jennifer Earle. Seeing her at all was a nice surprise, as we weren't expecting to see her until November. Steve and I were both just too tired to go out after dinner as originally planned, but we played some Wii and watched Planet Earth (highly, highly recommend Netflixing this one), and I enjoyed just crocheting away on sweater #2. (Pink with brown ribbon, similar design to the recent sweater.)

Way past time for bed... one day I will sleep in again...

Twenty-teen!

So today is the beginning of my 3-day birthday. Somehow I always manage to milk a few extra days out of my birthday. =) Today my dear friend Mandi babysat so I could go blow my birthday money on clothes! It was delightful. I had coffee and a muffin at Panera, by myself. I hunted and pecked and gathered (at the very posh J.C. Penny) by myself. I grinned and grinned. All the summer stuff is on über-sale, and since we have 6 more weeks of summer (it's like a reverse ground-hog day), I loaded up. Nearly overdosed on short-sleeved hoodies, but kept it to 2. Did not purchase "Mom jeans," though was tempted.

Now, to explain the title, if you keep counting from 19 and stay in the "teens," twenty would be "ten-teen." So keep counting.

Before I go on, I should mention something. Often if someone forgets to wish me a happy birthday, they feel bad, like they've disappointed me or done something wrong. Even dear people who get the day wrong and wish it early or late feel mortified! But guess what? I'm about the most forgiving person in that arena that you're going to find. (I have plenty of other faults, so I don't have a problem hilighting something good in this case! Ha!) The absolute honest truth is that I never expect people to have to remember my birthday, and I really feel like it's my own responsibility to "make my own fun," so if you do remember the birthday, it's frosting! I even feel a little this way about my husband. He will never forget my birthday, because why wait and see if he forgets it and just set everyone up for yuckiness? I like to tell him what I'd like to do, and then we all enjoy it together.

This said, the next day of 3-day-birthday includes the aquarium tomorrow, then probably take-out Macaroni Grill for dinner, then desert and "drinks" for Steve and I after Lucy goes down. SUPER YAY! Then it just worked out that the day all the "Bible Study Girls" can get together for our periodic Girls' Night is Friday night, so I get Cheesecake Factory with the girls! Woo-hoo! Can you imagine a better 3 days? I know I can't!

I'm all bouncy-fun today. If Lucy were old enough, she would need to learn that if she wanted something, today would be the day to ask me. =)

So much love to all of you good people. I love finding out the broad and wonderful spectrum of people who like to check in with my life (like finding out recently that Kari reads my blog! YAY!). I love that you care enough about me to want to know what's going on in my life... and that I am at least mildly entertaining, so you actually come back! I think of each of you as I write these, like I'm talking to you "at the water cooler." Okay, well, Ry-bear, this is probably a little too happy-fun for you... but you know you love me anyway.

P.S. Never forget that 31 years ago tomorrow, the 9'ers welcomed me into the world by whoppin' some hiney against the former L.A. Rams!! Take it!

Latest Sweater

I wanted to post a good picture instead of my Photo Booth picture, but I couldn't wait... I had to post a picture of my new sweater. I saw this stitch on a blanket over at Posie Gets Cozy,
and I was inspired. This little one is for about a 3 month old, and I am going to sell it at a Christmas Boutique I've been invited to join. I'm trying to decide how much to sell it for. I've been looking around the internet to see what this sort of thing is going for. At any rate, the checklist lover in me is just enjoying that it is done! Still working on sets of baby blocks for the boutique, then I will try to do two more sweaters if I can. It is just way too fun!

Oh, and I think I'd like to start naming my sweaters, as I've seen done. I haven't settled on anything yet, so we'll see what happens.

Tote Lust

I finally came to admit it... I have developed a lust for handmade bags. I want bags! I should make them myself, but I am not sewing much these days (too many crochet projects on tap, plus I am a lazy seamstress). So I decided to tip my mom off to Etsy for Christmas. I have looked up a bunch of cute purses, like this one on Wendy's Etsy site.



I think I am going a little crazy looking at them and wishing I weren't such a lazy hiney at sewing. =) I mean, with bags like these, can you blame me??

This one is from Etsy.

(This one is Wendy's, too, but not for sale.)

The things that make me feel cozy

Though the days are still warm (high 80's today and tomorrow), we've made it past the screaming evil-ness of summer. Ah, thank you Lord! Our nights are nice and cool, and I snuggle down under the blankets at night.

I think the lingering fun of a new school year is still in my blood. I'm feeling all organizy. Of course, much of that is focused on what I will need for our trip to Seattle in a few weeks. I'm making lists and buying little things we need, and just having a blast with it all. I'm such a weirdo... I love lists. =) By the way, any tips you may have on flying with a 21-month-old would be greatly appreciated. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve (pull books/toys out of circulation now so they seem new, bring "fun" food, DVD player, etc.), but you all are so creative!

The coat I found for $4.99! Isn't it uber cute??

The new umbrella stroller, paid for with money given to us at Lucy's shower almost 2 years ago! Hooray!

The new shoes... didn't mean to match my own, but apparently my taste is consistent. =) Between them, these shoes will work with any colored outfit she has, with nice clothes and play clothes, warm weather and cold weather. Oh yeah, talk about excited!! I do think it's amazing that she's a size 7... our friends who have a 4-year-old buy size 6 1/2...
I think I resonate with the Proverb 31 (31? Might be the wrong Proverb) woman... the one that goes out and looks for cloth and takes care of the needs of her family. There's something so right about taking care of your family in a responsible and frugal way. It's something I enjoy striving toward.

Welcome to the World, LJ

So remember that shower I went to on Sunday? That baby was due on Oct. 23rd, but decided to show up yesterday! This is Steve's brother, Jamie, and his wife, Shannon, welcoming their teeny little "Peanut." Everyone is just fine, and there wasn't even a glitch in the delivery. We're guessing the due-date was a bit off, because the baby is small, but not super small, and is all perfectly developed. No NICU for the Earles!! So Shannon had planned to go to work that day and ended up with a new little bundle instead.

Here are pictures. Jamie's face reminds me a lot of Steve's when Lucy was born...

Lila Jo Louise Earle; Born Sept. 25th, 5:31 p.m., 6lbs, 19".

A week in photos

I drove up to Selma for the weekend so that I could be at a shower for my sister-in-law in Oakdale while my dear mom babysat. It went mostly great! Easy drives on all legs, great sleep for Lucy (not so much for me, unfortunately), and just a nice time with everyone on all ends of the journey.

Now, I wish I could blame my absent-mindedness on something. I thought the shower was at 2... it was at 1. I left the gift at home! Thankfully that was about it... but totally blond moments. I thought that since my hair is now "the color formerly known as blond," I wouldn't have blond moments anymore! Ah well.

Here are some pictures of our week. Thanks for always indulging me with pictures of my kid... I can't help it... she's such a dynamic subject. =)


This is at Heritage Park in Cerritos... behind her is the moat surrounding the little Island full of play houses...

She is a full-fledged Earle!

The eyes that will get her out of trouble...
Watching the 9'ers get killed with Grandpa. It was a grim day.

Gwammie! Wead! A CHUG CHUG! (Grammie, please read the Polar Express!)

The things that make life fun

Today I went to my first Mugs group (our church's version of MOPS). Last year it was always during Lucy's nap, which was a source of huge stress at the time. I think last year I wasn't quite ready for it. I haven't had good experiences with Bible Studies, so it's taken me a long time to be up to this. I had a really nice time, as I know a lot of people there now. They brought in "Color Me Mine" so we could paint coffee mugs. I'm pretty happy with mine except for the inside of the cup. I had to hurry, as Lucy was fading, so it is going to be splotchy and streaky. I'll snap a picture when I get it back in 2 weeks.

I smiled at Ms. Nomer's account of her first MOPS group today, as her sentiments sounded so familiar. I've reflected a lot in the last almost 2 years about how paranoid I used to be of going into that Mom zone. But now somewhere in there it dawned on me that cool people become moms, too--intelligent, fun, sweet people--and not just the type of people at another church I once went to that I knew I never could have connected with. It's been a real joy to get to know such real people, and bond with them over the wonderful craziness that is motherhood.

Here are my two favorite people in the world:

Chianti bottle, or botched crochet project? (Project is fine now... will show it when it's finished.)

The same crime, 30 years apart.

My Monday Night

Steve is taking Expository Preaching this semester at Talbot (a pre-req. in case he decides to do the Th.M), which takes place from 6:30 to 9:00 on Monday nights. At first I dreaded this... 2 more hours alone with the kiddo? But it has turned out to be a wonderful thing! Somehow I've seemed to have more energy for her after dinner than I do during the day--maybe because I'm not trying to get my own stuff done at the same time. Then, the moment she's in bed, it becomes all about ME for an hour! I have decided that I will spend that hour in complete self-indulgence all 15 weeks of the semester. Last week I finished reading a book I've been working on for well over a year, believe it or not (Sanditon, a completed fragment of Jane Austen's... might review that on Slayers of Evil Media). This week I started to finish Surprised by Joy (C.S. Lewis, as I'm sure you all know), which I started more than a year ago.

I sit out on our new patio furniture and allow myself to really get cold in this lovely weather. I bring out an insulated caraffe of decaf tea, and each week I will select a different delicate tea cup to use. Last week was a cup given to me by two spinster sisters that lived together until they died. They were dear women and friends of my father's in particular. They gave that cup to me for my wedding, and I had not yet used it. It was particularly expensive in its day and I believe is a bit of a treasure. I have no intention of selling it, so I decided to use it rather than just preserve it. Tonight was a teacup that was given to me by Steve's mom from her mother's collection just after she died. Next week will be my own dear china, which as its own story.

I felt very British drinking my tea and reading Lewis. Of course, I had the audacity to drink it "neat."

Follow-up

Thank you to everyone who wrote to me about their experience with prayer! I am at a really cool place with this right now. I've spent a lot of my life feeling guilty, or like I'm "not doing it right" in so many areas of my spiritual life. What I'm trying to do is break some things down and do them in a way that fits who I am--not trying too hard to be the way a particular preacher or camp director spouted in a rally atmosphere. I recently prayed that God would help me find a time during the day that I could start a regular Bible reading. It has bounced all over the place as Lucy has changed habits in the last two years... It used to be in the early mornings when I fed Lucy (read the Bible on-line!), and then it was during bath time (she played so quietly for so long!). Now it is at the beginning of her naps. That used to be part of my dinner prep time, but I'm just praying God will help me find other times during the day when I can do the prep. So far it's been extremely rewarding.

Here are a few things I'm doing right now that are really freeing me up to make this a useful time:
* I'm using sticky notes in my Bible to just write down questions and observations to help me stay engaged in my reading. No epiphanies necessary, just write a few things. This came from a class I had in grad school that required that we write 3 questions 2 observations and 1 take-away for every reading to make sure we were using our minds as we read.

* I'm keeping stickies with prayer needs in the back. I'm not trying to dive into a particular format, except that I am trying to make sure I am praising God, thanking him, presenting my requests, and asking forgiveness. I'm trying to let this be somewhat organic, again just writing down the things that come to mind, and not trying to force anything.

* I was feeling a little frustrated knowing where to start with praising God, though again wanting to let it be organic. I pulled out my hymnal and started singing hymns! I love to sing, and there is so much good theology packed into those older hymns. What a delight!

Here are two (here and then here) really, really good articles (quick reads) that I found about prayer. I love Stand to Reason... they have a fantastic attitude about evangelism, and seem to come from a really no frills, "what is the truth" way of thinking. It's fitting me well right now.

Thanks for being on the journey with me!