My name is Olea, and I'm a knitter.

Over the last few years I taught myself how to knit and I LOVE it. This Christmas I made Christmas gifts for the Stier family and have a bunch of projects for friends and family I'm working on now. Up until recently I have followed patterns I've found online and if I ran into something I didnt know how to do it would be a learning experience. Here is a hat I saw a picture of and came home and knit. It was the first time I've been able to do that! Yay!! It is very simple and I got to practice grafting (I just learned how) plus I got to make pom poms for the first time.

I'm sending this hat to my niece Cora. I think it will be perfect for her!

More of my crafty creations to come, I'm sure of it.

Christmas time is come and gone

I love Christmas!!

This year I was challenged to bring the feeling of Christmas into my home. It was difficult. With me not working the funds are low and with a baby who doesn't know the difference yet it was up to me to participate in all things Christmas that we could. I usually have no problem with giving instead of getting but this year I couldn't just go buy a gift for someone. For a while this bothered me. Then I started seeing all kind of homemade goodies everywhere and thought about how much I love getting goodies at Christmas from people. So this year was my year to bake!!

I had SO much fun!!

Here are some pictures of my baking goodness:

Pumpkin Choc. Chunk Cookies

My first attempt at fudge!

Adam gave me a Christmas Bouquet

Our little tree

Dear Lavender

I am completely and utterly in love with you.

I love everything about you.

I love your wispy soft hair.

I love your long scratchy fingernails.

I love your squishy chunky thighs.

I love your clammy feet.

I love the smell of your breath.

I love your breathy laugh.

I love that you get happy and smile and kick when you see me.

I love that you twist your fingers in my hair.

I love your ear-bleeding squeals.

I love your snores.

I love that you 'talk' to your papa more than anyone else.

I love your bottom lip when you cry.

I love the way you make my home feel.

I love that you turned me into your mama.

I love you, and I always will.

AAAAHH!

Lavender found her thumb! Hopefully she wont suck her thumb till she's 10 like I did! Oh well, I guess there are worse habits she could have!

Here are a few videos or your viewing pleasure.

Aunty Melinda put lipstick on me!

Give us a kiss!

All the Goings On!

We have had lots of family coming and going over the last few weeks and have enjoyed every minute of it! After Glen left, Adam's mom, Marilyn came to visit, then it was Owen and Melinda, then Shanon and Matt and kids. Also my parents came and so did Sariah and Cora. Everyone was here for Lavender's baby blessing. We have had a blast! I know it really meant so much to Adam that his family that could make it, did. He misses them a lot! One of the days we took them all to the Hot Pots in Midway. Everyone had a blast! They were SO hot that everyone had to stand out in the FREEZING weather to cool down. Here are some pictures from the day.

This was too cute to not post. Cora's little bum about to jump back into the springs.
This is Adam's sister Shanon, her husband Matt and their children Cameron and Ashton. We had a lot of fun with them. We miss them SOOOO much!!

I would like to point out... I made Lala's blessing dress. I got some instruction from Jessica but am very proud of the dress. It turned out so well!! Me and the parents at the blessing.

I love this pic even though its blurry. For some reason my camera was being weird. Adam's mom is having a conversation with Lala.

I was so blown away at the amount of family that came to her blessing. It really floored me and made me realize that I need to make more of an effort to show appreciation for them. I need to not forget the little things that i love to get from friends and family so much and reciprocate. I've never tried to keep/make a new years resolution but this year I am going to. We'll see how attempt number one works out.

I am so thankful for my family, for their love for me and their willingness to express it.

I will post some more pictures and video of hanging out with O-dog and Mel soon... I promise.

thats life

Lala loves her Papa!
Lavender has sensitive skin. She has a spot of infected eczema on the back of her neck. Of course it got really bad and itchy on saturday. She hardly slept at all that night. On monday we went to see her doctor, got some ointment for it and by saturday night she was smiling at her Papa. When I saw her smile I realized that she hadn't smiled for 2 days. How awful to not see my baby smile for 2 whole days! I was upset that it took so long for me to notice.

Anyway, Adam's dad has been here visiting. Its been nice having someone make breakfast for me every morning but I fear that Lavender has totally been spoiled and will scream when she gets put down. Its hard to tell a grandparent to stop picking up their grand daughter... its been a long week in this little apartment.

Momma-hood

Who would have thought that I would love this so much? Sure it is hard and I miss communicating with adults. Shame on me for doubting that I would enjoy this! The funny thing is that I'm not just enjoying the mothering part of it. I'm having a good time becoming a better homemaker... I know... Olea?! a homemaker?!

I have been successfully following through on my promise to myself; that I would learn how to cook (and do so more often) once I was staying at home more. The internet sure helps! I have been looking up ideas and recipes and they have been turning out pretty good if I say so myself! I'm rather proud of it actually. Here are some pictures of Lavender for your viewing pleasure

Say what?

Camouflage.

You talkin' to me?

Lavender enjoying her Baby Einstein dvd. It amazes me how much she likes them. Her favorites are the Baby's first signs, Baby Beethoven, and Baby Mozart.