Simple Shawl in Progress

I've been wanting to post for some time now about some of my crafty projects...but I am only just getting to it:-p I have several sewing projects I want/need to get to, but I will post about those later. For now, let's talk knitting!

A little before Christmas I decided to make a shawl. I've been wanting to for awhile now, but never found something I thought was easy enough for my skill level.(I've been knitting for about 3 years now, but I am still very much a beginner)

Well, a dear old blog friend(perhaps some of you remember Jewel, at Eyes of Wonder) had posted a pattern to a shawl that her and her daughter made. Well, I LOVED it. Simple and pretty:-) So that is the one I decided to do.

And thanks to my sweet parents(for my birthday), I got some yarn that I hope will make a lovely shawl. My Mom insists the color and yarn are perfect. I haven't decided yet if I like the yarn..it is kind of a boucle yarn and it blurs the stitches a bit. However, I may find that I like it very much..the color certainly is nice. It is kind of a misty color, with blues and browns in it.

Here is my current progress on it. Not much I know, but for a lady with 3 kids(one being a baby) well, I'd say I'm doing okay:-)


I'm using circular needles..size 7 or 9. Can't remember right now. The pattern is really quite simple and I enjoy it.

Here is a close up of the edge. I like that there is a lacey look but that it is easy to get. I don't really have to remember a bunch of difficult stitch patterns.

And just for grins...here is a picture of Dan playing piano and his little boy coming to help:-) Liam loves it when his daddy plays...and can often be found "playing" along side him!

Well, I am hoping to get back to my knitting sometime tonight. I keep getting stalled when Liam decides he isn't going to sleep well. Well, at least it should be done by next winter:-p

Hope you all are having a splendid day!

Blessings,

Sommer

Sunday Rest

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."

Psalm 46:10

Today, Let us take the time to be still and meditate on our Lord.

I am heading off to church and hope to maintain a thoughtful mood today. It isn't always easy Sunday mornings...but it should be what I do.

I hope each of you have a wonderful Lord's Day!

Blessings,

Sommer

Sisters and Brother

Initially, I planned on sharing a post about a knitting project I'm working on. Well, that didn't happen today:-) Instead, when I sat down to write, I felt compelled to share some pictures I took of my darling children enjoying each others' company.

There are times, when Fiona and Brenna bicker and complain...making rude faces at one another and perhaps acting less than friendly. But most times they are dear friends and you can see it in their actions. Also...these girls adore their little brother. They kiss and hug him and say how much they love him...even when he has grabbed their toys for the tenth time in as many minutes:-) Somehow, he can do no wrong.

So here are just a few of the pics I took....


Brenna and Liam hugging and enjoying a new ball.

Liam "helping" Fiona brush her hair. Doesn't he look like he is up to no good?

And the two sisters. I love catching moments of shared joy...and this was one of them:-)

I really desire that my kids will be close and be good friends even when they are grown. I think they have a good start!

Blessings,

Sommer

I wish I had a fireplace...

All week it has been raining...pouring today in fact! Mind you, I'm not complaining...it is just that it is raining...alot! We need it though.

But, I have no where to go...again, I'm not complaining. Who really wants to be running errands and dragging babies around in the rain? Certainly not me:-) I like being in the rain, so long as I don't have anywhere to go and the babies don't need to be carried around.

Here is my problem...along with the rain, it is cold and my apartment is down right freezing at times. With it being so cold, I want to just curl up with a cup of tea or hot cocoa, some snuggly socks and a sweater...in front of a fire...

No, I don't have a fireplace and I so miss it on days like these. This would be a perfect day or night to turn on a family movie, roast some marshmallows and drink something hot. Sigh....

Perhaps someday we will be blessed with a home that has a fireplace, but until then, I will just enjoy looking at this picture and thinking of the toasty drink I'm about to pour:-)

Hope you all are having a splendid day!

Blessings,

Sommer

My Birthday Girl

Yesterday was my eldest daughter's birthday! Fiona turned 8 years old! The years have gone by all too quickly since this darling girl came into the world. She came into the world after many hours of labor, 1 hour of pushing and then a C-section. I can't say my recovery was easy or that I could even see her clearly the first day or two, but I loved that little girl from the get go:-) She was beautiful and healthy...I never expected to have such a big girl at 8lbs 12 oz., but I did. With all that went wrong during this labor, I was blessed with the little girl I wanted. Thank you Lord!

And, now she is a most beautiful girl. Lovely, energetic, happy and bright! She will no doubt breeze past me in math and science sooner than I'd like and her reading skills just make me so proud. She is tall, fun and a joy to have around. There is much that she needs to grow in, but on the whole, I wouldn't change much.

So, yesterday I baked her a cake. She wanted it to be purple...so she got chocolate with purple icing and sprinkles:-) As simple as it was, she was very pleased!


She blew out her candles like a pro! I even got her in mid blow! LOL!

And here is the very happy girl, waiting to dig in...come on Mom, let's eat already!

After Dan left for work, we headed over to Toys R Us. Since we had been sick for so long, I had never gotten out to get her a gift. So we went there and I let her pick. She picked two Littlest Pet Shop pets and is very pleased with them. On Saturday(I hope) we will take her and Brenna over to Golfland and play miniature golf. I love playing miniature golf...and she was happy to do this for her birthday. We might get some pizza too...but I'm not sure yet. We also went and had dinner with my parents last night, to celebrate. That was very spur of the moment and fun:-)

Next Friday we will get together with them again to celebrate Liam's 1st birthday and a little more for Fiona. I can't believe how all my baby's are growing up so fast! I need to have more!

Happy Birthday Dear Girl!!!!!! Mommy loves you:-)

Blessings,
Sommer

Making Our Way Out of the Sick Room

Well, since my last post...we all got sick again! Horrible this one was too. Fever, chills, coughing and sniffling...it lasted too long and I finally had to get antibiotics for myself! But, finally we all seem to be feeling better. The coughs are starting to slow down and so is the rate of sniffles. Fevers seem to be finally broken and I actually have begun to have the energy to take care of my home again.

Let me just say how scary the idea of trying to put a home back together after 3 weeks of illness is. It is a daunting task...one that will be keeping me busy for sometime. My laundry mountain has grown again and the dishes have been kept at bay. We are quite off our "planned" schedule for homeschooling, but just imagine if my children went to public or private school. At least I can just rearrange my schedule and we will probably just add in a week somewhere here or there.

The above picture makes me think of generally all that has been done the last week. Lots of laying, reading, sleeping and watching movies...all in our pajamas, mind you. The energy level has been very low and I think this week it will be good to go out and get some fresh air.

Well, I just wanted to let you all know that we are still alive and getting better. If you've thought of us and prayed...thank you! If you had no clue...that is okay:-) I do hope to show you some sewing projects I want to do soon(with patterns and fabric) and perhaps go over those new year goals finally!

I hope all my dear friends are well and I will talk to you all again soon!

Blessings,

Sommer

Hittin' the Books

After three weeks of Christmas holiday and a week of nasty coughs, we have gotten back to lessons:-) Yes, it has been four weeks since we cracked a book or added and subtracted.

I had meant to get started again last week, but all three kiddos came down with a really icky cough and then Dan and I got it:-0 I just didn't feel up to dealing with it.

So, now we are all feeling a little bit better and I thought we best get to it yesterday. In some ways, I could tell it had been awhile, but in others things just carried on as usual. Fiona is still reading like a pro and enjoying science and health. Brenna has not forgotten any of her phonics...so we are on the road to reading.

Daddy assumes the role of teaching the Catechism and reading their pleasure book. We have Bible time together as a family too, before he must leave for work. So far the routine works...although Liam likes to cause a large amount of distraction for me:-) I really can't figure out how to get him satisfied in much for long while we try to do some things. I know...he is only 11months old, I can't really expect much, but boy would it be nice if he would like playing with his blocks a little longer!

I have a bit of a sewing list to get to as well. I'm not quite sure when I will make the time , but I will be trying to get to more of it soon and doing it more often:-) My dear friend Tilly gifted me with some great fabrics that I hope to make a dress or two for me out of and other goodies. I will also use some to make the girls some things. Thanks again dear Tilly:-)

Well, it is just about time to put dinner on and Liam is getting a bit fussy, so I will talk a little bit later. Perhaps tomorrow I will be able to share some of the fabric I have to work with and what I'd like to make with it...that would be fun:-)

Have a great night everyone!

Blessings,

Sommer

It's Raining, It's pouring....

Rainy Dreams

The pitter, patter of the rain

Sounds like horses on the roof.

When I close my eyes to sleep

I dream of wild horses

Galloping through the sky.

In the middle of this stampede

I am sitting upon a beautiful

Dapple, grey Arabian.

His mane whips at my face

As we glide through the air.

Finally, we slow to a walk

And head back home,

Where the rain has come to an end.

By Sommer Sorenson

I wrote that along time ago, but the last few days have made me feel very much the same as the day I wrote this. It has been pouring buckets and the trees have been trimmed of their branches. The wind has howled through the trees and left its mark here and there.

But all is well in my neck of the woods. Just lots of cold rain. We've needed this downpour though. It has been all too dry! So, I'll not complain, but just be glad I have a roof to cover my head and warm socks for my feet and hot chocolate to warm me inside. As I sit here, writing to you my friends, I can gaze out my kitchen window and see the rain falling. I actually really love it and on these days, when you have no where to be and all is well in the home, it is a cozy feeling to stare out and watch God replenish this earth! Praise the Lord for the rain!!!

Next week, I hope to share with you some projects I have planned for my home and some goals that I want to set for this year. We've all been sick this last week, so my goal planning has been a touch delayed as has my restarting of lessons. But, I will be back at it this next week and I hope to share some of these with you all.

May the Lord bless you all this weekend and for those friends of mine that happen to live in some of the harder hit areas in California...may He keep you safe and well. Stay dry and warm!

Blessings,

Sommer

Just a Sweet Poem

For Christmas my Mom got each of the kids beautiful pictures accompanied by a poem or verse. Each has a picture of a child that resembles the child it was given to.

Fiona's is of a girl with very curly blond hair(reminiscent of when she was younger) holding little animals in her arms.

Liam's is of a sweet kneed, chubby little boy holding up a sweet little pup with A Boy's Prayer.

But Brenna's means the most to me. Brenna is a quiet little girl, a touch sullen at times, but full of love and compassion and sweetness when the moment moves her. I desire that part of her to come out more and for her to become a beautiful light to the world around her. Well, my Mom and I have discussed this before and so, when she picked this picture it just was perfect! It is of a little brown haired girl sitting at the piano, singing at the top of her voice...much like my little singing sparrow:-) And here is the lovely poem(speaking what I wish for her)that came on it....

God Make My Life a Little Light

by M. Bentham-Edwardsthat

God make my life a little light,

Within the world to glow;

A tiny flame that burneth bright

Wherever I may go.

God make my life a little flower,

That giveth joy to all,

Content to bloom in native bower,

Although its place be small.

God make my life a little staff,

Whereon the weak may rest,

That so what health and strength I have

May serve my neighbors best.

I love this and I pray that this will be my little girl someday! I know she already is very much like this, but she needs to let her light shine more often. Thanks Mom for sharing this with me:-)

Blessings,

Sommer

Start Afresh....

It is a new year, a time of beginnings and a time to renew our thoughts. Many of us do this each year, setting new goals(or maybe the same as last year's with renewed vigour) and new plans. I gave up making "resolutions" long ago, mainly because I never really took them seriously or kept them if I did.

Perhaps though, we ought to take this time, when we can begin a new year, and reflect on the past year...the blessings, the sorrows, the turmoils, doubts and fears...and consider them. How did we handle what God placed before us? Did we take the blessings and rejoice mightily, praising His name to the highest? Or did we just take them and run? Did we face the trials and sorrows with courage and perseverance, knowing that the Lord would see us through and preserve us? Or did we run and hide and cast anger at our Lord? Have we allowed our doubts and fears to overwhelm us or did we cast them at His feet and pray for strength and then let Him give it to us? Did we let the stress and everyday things get to us, taking them out on our husbands and children? Did we give our family all that we could of ourselves to the glory of God? Is there anything at all we could change?

These are all things we should reflect on. Not to dwell on to self-loathing, but to see what we need to change and what we need to ask God for help in. I know that with many of these questions, I have not done as well as I would have liked. I realize that there were times the doubt overwhelmed me, that the praise came too slowly off my lips, that the snappishness came too swiftly. There is much I wish to change.

This is when I must realize though, that it isn't myself that can change these things in me...but the Lord alone. I must come to Him and kneel before Him, giving Him all due glory and praise. I must ask Him to create in me a new and right spirit! I must let Him do the work, for I can not change alone.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit."

Psalm 51:10-12

So today, I am purposing to think on these things and fall at my Saviour's knees and ask for His forgiveness and ask for His guidance in my life. I want to change the things that I have failed in and know that need to be different...especially in respect to my family! I want to ask for change in those areas that I am unaware of as well. I pray that the Lord will give me the strength to handle what will come before me, both in blessings and in difficulties.

Today, I exhort you all to think on this past year and see where things need change. Bring it to your Lord and ask for the help you need. I encourage you to also talk to your husband, or parents if you are yet at home, and find out from them what you might need to work on this year. And then bring it to the Lord...He will hear you and work in you. May this next year be a time of blessings and growth for each of us!

I hope to post later this week or next about some of the areas I will be working on myself. I hope that it will encourage not only myself but others as I lay bare what is on my heart.

Blessings,

Sommer