Merry Christmas....

Wishing everyone a beautiful weekend. May you spend it with people you love.
Merry Christmas!

Happy Winter Solstice!

I hope the shortest day for you is bright and that you have love and light to fill the darkest night.
****Warmest Solstice Blessings to you****

The Bridges of Lane County....

While we were on our trip we were able to take a tour of several covered bridges in Lane county. I was thinking of the movie Bridges of Madison County the whole time...that is such a good movie, I am pretty sure it was a book first.
It was a very cold frosty morning and the bridges were full of beautiful frozen spider webs.
I would show you all the frozen web pictures I took, but I took way too many.
What is it that is so romantic about a covered bridge?

Just the two of us....

It doesn't happen often. Every five years or so Ben and I have had the opportunity to have a night away from our children. This past summer I won a vacation package here in Oregon that included a nights stay at a garden resort about 2 hours away from the city with dinner and wine included. We had planned on visiting this summer but I was too ill to make the trip so we cancelled. Luckily Ben's parents are in town for the holidays and were willing to watch the kids so we could try again before the certificate expired at the end of this month.
Unfortunately the garden was mostly dead by this time of year, but the frozen early morning dew made it beautiful in a different way.

This Moment...

(Pottery night at Sophie's School)

A moment from the week to cherish and remember. Inspired by Soulemama.

The perfect one...

A big heartfelt thank you to all the kind people who responded to my last post. Your words have helped me so very much. I know there are a lot of people out there going through hard times and money trouble and a difficult pregnancy is minor compared to what some people have to deal with. I have a lot to be grateful for. My children know that I love them, despite how many gifts may be under the tree this year. I know in my heart what matters most. It is so very difficult to avoid holiday pressure at this time of year but it is so superficial and not what Christmas is about. It's not a time to feel bad about what you don't have, but a time to cherish what you do.
I found out that I do indeed have low iron and also vitamin B and folic acid deficiencies, so at least I know the reason why I was feeling so awful again. I have been feeling stronger after taking a good prenatal vitamin, as well as Floradix and drinking nettle tea like crazy. I know the homemade gifts can wait for another year.....or better yet Birthdays for the coming year(Hey that might be a fun New Years resolution.)
I will do what I can and not feel bad for what I might not be up for this year.It is okay.
***Wising you all lovely, peaceful holidays***

Here are a few pictures from our trip to get our Christmas tree last week. We have been BLESSED with many days of sunshine, it is really wonderful, I do not take the sun for granted in the winter after living in dark rainy Oregon for the past 10 years. This was our first year cutting down a tree for Christmas. The Portland area is surrounded by hundreds( I am not sure this is accurate but they are everywhere!) of Christmas tree farms, really it is amazing. We found a beautiful farm with an amazing view of Mt.Hood and we came home with a cute little tree that was just the one Sollie wanted(thank goodness for that cause once you cut it down then it's yours, man that could have been a major temper tantrum,whew). Sophie decided it would be okay if we got the tree while she was in school cause all she cares about is decorating it, which she did over and over again. She did a great job too and even let Solomon help without too much fuss.
Our cat Lola loves to sit under the tree and drink the water out of the stand, it is a holiday tradition. Our trees usually dry up pretty fast...gee I wonder why?






Hey this place has candy canes!


Leave to this guy to find the stump more interesting than the trees.


Look at that sweet face.


The perfect one...

Overwhelmed...

*rant warning*
I have been pretty quiet at this space lately. Unfortunately I haven't been feeling well. Thankfully I am not vomiting constantly anymore, just feeling really exhausted and out of breath all the time. Hopefully it is just an iron deficiency( partly due to major illness in beginning of pregnancy and being a vegetarian). I am still waiting to hear back from my midwives about my blood test results. I started taking Floradix and drinking Nettle tea to boost my iron, I have felt a little better since doing so. This pregnancy has been so different that with my other two. I loved being pregnant and felt great with them(after early pregnancy morning sickness) I was very active and hiked up until the day of giving birth. I am so out of shape this time I am out of breath after making my bed and vacuuming the floor.
I don't like feeling helpless and out of control. I don't like relying on my husband to do the work that I would like to be able to do myself around the house.
The holiday season has added a new amount of stress as well. Unemployment has hit my family for the second time in two years. Coming up with money for rent and bills and food is hard enough, thinking about how we will get extra money for holiday gifts is completely overwhelming. I just don't have the energy to make a bunch of gifts this year either. I wish I did.
So I am feeling badly, for our situation and angry with holiday expectations. I wish the holidays wasn't so hard on people. I know I am not alone and that there are many families that are having an ever harder time that we are. Things don't matter, the people in our life that we love is what matters and spending time with them. But still I feel like I am letting my children down and I hate that. I feel guilty that I didn't get the advent calendar that I worked so hard on last year up until today, the 6th. That is silly I know, and really doesn't matter, but still makes me feel inadequate.I don't think my pregnant mind is working rationally either.
Sorry for my rant. I normally don't like to complain or get into super personal problems on my blog , but I think I just really needed to get this off my mind. Hope you understand.

I don't want end on a negative note, so for a huge boost of positive energy and little reminder to how beautiful and amazing life can be check out: This

Birthday Sewing...

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My friend's daughter had her Birthday party yesterday and I was struggling up to the last minute with what to make for her. I wanted to make her something cute to wear but also wanted her to have something fun too, so here is what I came up with: a pig mask(her mama tells me she is into pigs) and a fun skirt. I had the fabric sitting around untouched from the summer months and it just screams Portland (put a bird on it). I have been itching to make something girly and colorful lately. The mask is made from eco- felt with a bit of elastic for the strap, fun and super easy to make.
I had plans this summer to add an entire collection of fun funky skirts to my Etsy shop, but never felt well enough to do it. Hopefully by the next skirt season I will have them added to my shop. Although it always seems to be skirt season in Portland, people just wear pants under them:)
By the way I am still squeezing my 7 1/2 month pregnant belly into my regular pants, zipped even, although it is getting quite uncomfortable so I plan to make myself a few skirts for my last few months of pregnancy. ..oh maybe some new legwarmers too.....if only I weren't so tired.