Pretty Dress and Other Pictures

Gwen is so fast these days that capturing a non blurry photo is quite a challenge. We've been lucky with a few, so here they are:

In to EVERYTHING and lovin DESTRUCTION

She figured it out. Now she knows how to get into the diaper bag (which is also my purse), pull each and everything out, find my wallet, pull out every card or license in there, and still dig around hoping for more destruction opportunities.

But it really doesn't bother me one bit. Perhaps because of this face?: Interestingly enough, this is a fun phase of destruction she is going through. She is only interested in pulling beads OUT of the Ziploc bag and scattering them everywhere. Once the bag is empty, she doesn't play with them. She moves on to pulling apart- one block at a time- the towers of Legos I've constructed for her. Once the towers are completely decimated, does she knock any together in an attempt to build? Nope. It is back to the beads (which I have since put BACK into the bag). What a funny gal!

Harvest is a BUSY time in the kitchen!

I never really appreciated the time people spend in their kitchens during the harvest season. I'm not even putting up 40+ jars of fruit like my MIL, but I am still feeling the "it all needs to be preserved RIGHT NOW" thing (lest it get rotten, dried out, or otherwise rendered less tasty by hanging on the vine too long). Wouldn't it be great if the produce could just stay in peak ripeness for as long as you needed it to in order to get to everything?

However, you'd all be proud to know that I'm striving to be methodical and efficient rather than panicked and stressed about the things needing picked, cleaned, chopped, frozen, steamed, pureed then frozen, squished out, seasoned, roasted, marinated, chopped some more, boiled, packed, canned, dried, peeled, sliced, stuffed, pickled, fermented, and then finally eaten.

Today, I'm only doing herbs (1/4 of my basil), one of the pie pumpkins, roasting curried pumpkin seeds, stuffing Korean cucumber pickles, and then starting the marinade on some chunky jalapeno jelly. That's all. Don't think about the rest of the produce slowly transitioning from delicious to gross. Only so much I can handle in a day. :) and hopefully all before Gwen wakes up from her morning nap!Tomorrow: more herbs, can the jalapeno jelly, and make some fresh salsa verde. And then we'll talk about the rest. :)

Gwen Spearing Cheerios

She hasn't quite got the pincer grasp for eating these lil guys. Funny, isn't it, that the pincer is perfected for pieces of lint and paper she finds on the carpet, but not for food? She tries to grab the cheerios with her fist and can't get em in her mouth.

Well, she figured out that when they have been soaking in milk, they are softer... and she can spear them with her pointer finger and eat them like cheerio-kebabs! :)

(sorry the video is so long-- it takes her awhile to eat this way)

Piano Runner

Finally finished the last project for the living room! If you recall, it matches the pillows and curtains. And it is actually quilted (stitch in the ditch, nothing fancy). Got it finished just in time to enjoy it for a few days before replacing it with Halloween decorations...

Someday this can be a table runner, but since we don't have one for our baby to bonk her head on, it is a nice piano runner. Of course, our piano is so tall that you can't see it unless you stand on something, but that's okay. :)

Hallelujah!!!

You don't realize how much you appreciate one of these:
Until you've been without a functioning one for over a month and a half!. That's my fault. Called at the beginning, they said it needed replacing, and I just waited. I was getting pretty good about a dishwashing routine in the morning during Gwen's first nap, but seriously enough was enough, especially on days after a big meal or canning adventure. Procrastination got me nothing but less time to do something fun, wrinkly fingers, an overloaded sink, and all my counter space (I don't have much of it) filled up with drying dishes. Well, okay, I also got a pretty good arm work out on some days. :)

*(Posterity, just so you know, I don't like being a squeaky wheel. I also really don't like to make phone calls, so will avoid it even if necessary calls need to be made. I much prefer written conversations, perhaps because I sound a lot more intelligent. :)*

Well, turns out I really should have called again sooner, because 2 days after the 2nd call, we got a brand new one! I've done 2 loads today and it is wonderful! (doesn't match, but beggars can't be choosers-- who cares about aesthetics when the thing actually WASHES YOUR DISHES FOR YOU!!!) Glorious, glorious, technology!!!

I want my children to know what an amazing Father they have...

Eric paid me some of the most sincere, thoughtful compliments Sunday on our drive home from church. I didn't even realize til he took my hand and told me he was proud to be my husband how much I crave such things from him. What do I love about the way Eric gives compliments? They are so specific. Not just "you gave a great talk" or "your lesson was great" or "you look great"... but "I love how organized your thoughts were; how focused and yet spoken from the heart" and "you are so comfortable in front of the class and good at engaging discussion" and "you looked radiant with your hair up today; liked the bead do-dads. and you have such a beautiful, graceful neck--of course I really liked that too".:)

Ah, how I love this boy! He makes me feel like the person I want to be!