all about us.

friends, family, and the fourth.

this will probably be a long blog with a lot of pictures, so sit back! :)

wednesday, shannon, her mom, angela, and the kids came up to poulsbo.  Shannon has never walked around Poulsbo before, so we did just that.  and stopped for pizza, ice cream, chocolates, italian sodas... yeah. haha.

here are some pics i took off her blog, since i didn't have my camera.

let me just point out that Lindsay is 3 going on 4, and ben is 6.  He's a bit short, and she's a bit tall, so it equals not a lot of difference in height!

 

 

 

apparently, ashlyn and i don't know how to keep our eyes open :)

 

shannon came back up thursday evening, and we were able to just eat, talk and watch a chick flick.   she spent the night, we talked and had coffee outside, and then she headed out on the ferry back toward home.  it was so nice to have that time with her :)

friday afternoon, Scott and Chloe came out.  We picked them up at the ferry dock, went out for Cold Stone, took the kids to see Ice Age 3, Chloe and i made roasted artichokes (SO GOOD), and we just hung out all night.  The next morning, we just chilled and had chicken tacos for lunch before they headed back to seattle.

a couple pics i took from chloes facebook :)

uncle scotty providing lunchtime music for the kids :)

 

Chloe and i in our plaid shirts :)  She claims to be 5' 5.5", and so do i.  this pic threw me off.  So, we immediately measured ourselves.  i now know that i am about 5' 4 3/4".  i shrunk somewhere in the last 10 years, apparently. 

that afternoon, adam and i cleaned.  the office was a wreck!  Then the kids wanted to do the gieser that ben got for his birthday. 

 

 

 

then it was time for sparklers and poppers that we had lying around.  next year, i'd like to do a bunch of fun fireworks.

 

 

the poppers were LOUD. 

 

i took this yesterday morning.  it makes me happy, of course.  i bought the two square pillows at walmart the other day for $5 a piece.  so thrilled that they match so well!

 

i spent the day yesterday making ashlyn some pj pants from a yard of fabric i didn't end up using for the quilt.  i also made her pillow as i had promised her.

all decked out! haha

 

i've had some photoshoots recently, so i've kind of been going hogwild on the fabric purchasing.  addiction doesn't even describe it.  lol

ok, well, that's it!  you are now up to date with the Vega Family :)

wonderland

  Ashlyn's quilt is finished!  it took me 3 days... one of which was like ALL day.  the hand quilting takes the longest!

 i had a different plan for her quilt, but the fat quarters ended up being about an inch shorter than normal, so my plan was nixed. i just ended up cutting them down to15" squares instead, and she loved it.  it's just simple patchwork, but i kind of like it that way!  this quilt is 45"x60"

 

 

she was beside herself, thrilled.  that's all a mama could want!

princess needs a quilt.

ashlyn really wanted a quilt after ben got his... just as i had suspected she might :)  The fabric came today!

 i bought the Moda Wonderland Fat quarter pack... the pinks and purples for her, and the rest for me!  i also bought some of the fabrics in yard and half yards to make up the back.  The fabric feels really nice and the colors are gorgeous... i can't wait to start! :)

i have to say, getting a bunch of fabric all stacked neatly like that, was quite fun :)

handmade birthday

here are the things i made!!

 this one was spur of the moment.  he was getting dressed and wanted me to write "happy birthday" on one of his shirts. um,no.  So, i made this, and he loved it :)

 

these Pj's weren't planned either!  i bought a yard of this fabric for the quilt, but didn't end up liking the way it looked with the other fabrics.  a happy accident!  that kid loves pj's, so it was perfect.

 

quilt!

 

 

matching pillow

 

 

he hasn't recieved these yet!  i can't wait to give them to him!!  :)

6!

Ben is 6 today!  The house is decorated with streamers and balloons and the happy birthday banner...he has been waffled up on the special plate, and we'll see what the day holds!  i can't believe my baby is 6! here are some portraits i took of him!

 

 

 

 

that million-dollar smile...

movin' on

 today was ben's last day of kindergarten *sniff*.  i was so surprised to be teary-eyed in the pick-up line!   last week, his class had a picnic for the last hurrah... adam and i went, and they had cake and certificates to show they "graduated" from kindergarten. 

 

 

 

today, he made his teacher a card (it was so sweet), he picked out flowers he wanted to give her, and i popped in a starbucks card.  i walked in with him to get a pic with them together.

 

tomorrow is ashlyn's last day... seriously, i can't believe how fast the year went!  Summer is only beginning, but i have a feeling that it won't seem long til it's ending. sheesh.  can someone slow all this down??

:)

    i finished my quilt!   this one was pieced, quilted, and bound by machine, so it went pretty quick.  i learned that if i want to do this again, i'll want to buy a walking foot first.  but thankfully, quilting can be forgiving--it hides imperfections well!

this quilt was pretty improv, and not very expensive ( about $45)!  i had the fabric already... which all were bought on sale (30% off).  most of them were fat quarters, which i trimmed down and used the trim for the binding.  the white sashing was a thrifted twin fitted sheet that was in really great condition. i bought it for $2, i think.  the back fabric was also sale and remnant fabric that i bought super cheap, as well as leftover scraps from the front.  the batting is "warm and natural bond"  it's thicker than the plain cotton batting.  it was by the yard at joann for 50% off!  those of you interested in making quilts..it can be done pretty cheap!!  this one measures about 60x60.

 

 

 

yesterday

 ashlyn's class put together some food packages for hungry people in africa.  They had to wear food prep hairnets, and ashlyn LOVED hers.  she didn't take it off until bed.  she put it on when she woke up.  She said to me, "mommy, i look like the ladies at Costco who hand out food!"  lol.

 

ben asked for a popsicle for dessert.  i heard the front door close soon after.  i love that he wanted to eat it out on the porch :)

 

my new quilt-in-progress.  i decided i needed a decoy sewing project to minimize suspicion while i make ben's b-day quilt.  my sewing machine takes up the whole house when i have it out, so they would be curious.  i had a bunch of fat quarters that i love, but didn't quite have a use for.  the other day, i found a combo that i liked, and decided to make an outdoor/picnic quilt.  the colors and prints are perfect for it.  i'm excited!

 

 

S&C time.

last weekend, we hung out with scott and chloe!

 scott made me make cookies at midnight... he calls them "reno's california cookies", but they are just chocolate chip.  tasty, though.  they were all gone by the next morning.

 

the next day, after adam's baseball practice, we all went down to the waterfront.  started off with some ice cream and trival pursuit while we ate

 

 

the boys played catch 

chloe and ben are pals :) 

 

 

scott's idea, lol.

 

 

 

ashlyn kept holding buttercups up to our chins...if she saw yellow, it meant we liked butter. :) 

the lovebirds. 

 

 

 

 

 

i stole some pics from chloe :)

adam and ben playing catch

 

 

 

 

 

 

:) 

then and now

11 years ago, i took this photo with mikayla at my graduation...

 

today she graduated with honors:

 

like, it seriously makes me want to cry (ok, i kind of am).   those years flew by! She has grown into such a beautiful woman.  i love you, mikayla (call me this weekend!).

the beginnings of summer.

i keep meaning to post a blog, but i'll start and then stop.  for some reason i can't get my mind into posting anything!  the heat is probably why...or something.  thankfully (those who live in WA, please don't stone me), the temps are inching back down and we may get some relief from the heat.  having no a/c or tree cover to keep the house cool really starts to wear on us.  the 70's are good.  90--not so much! :) 

 let's see.  i have quilting on the brain...BAD.  i literally have about 7 quilts in my mind that i HAVE to make.  so i have been calculating and drawing and figuring and price checking.... :)  Since ben doesn't read my blog, i'll just tell you that i do have fabric ordered for a throw quilt i'm making him for his birthday.  he is the one who always cheers me on when i am working on my own quilts.  he and ashlyn both really want one made, so i figured, why not??  it will be my smallest one. about 45x45.  so, it should go rather quick. :)  i can't wait.  i have a feeling i'll have to make ashlyn one soon after.

baseball....it consumes our household.  it has since january.  Adam and Ryan are coaching their men's team...the Black Sox.  adam has been dealing with the administrative end of things all year, and ryan put together a killer team.  really good players.  they had their opening game on sunday, and won, of course :)

trying to get some shade to stay cool...it was hot. 

 

 

amanda looked so cute, so i made her let me take a pic of her...

 

then she turned the camera on me, and i realized why she didn't want to take one.  that big black lens 3 inches from your face is a little intimidating!! lol. (and yes, i know my cheap sunglasses are pealing. ugh)

 

ashlyn was obsessed with my ipod.  she wants one for christmas. (and a DS, and a wii.... yeah....)

amanda...for you... :) 

 

 

changes

 well, stacey has officially moved back to California.  Kelby needed her, so stacey happily went.  We're glad that stacey can be there for Kelby, but we're sad to have her go! We had a BBQ for her on Friday, but in true Erin fashion, i did not get my camera out.  i even told myself beforehand that i couldn't forget, and i still did!  i'm mad at myself:(.  The whole friday, i got to hang out with her, which was really nice.  We planned her quilt she is going to make, made muffins, ran errands, had lunch at the waterfront, and popped into the quilt shop to talk to the machine quilter.  i'm really glad we had these past 4 months to get to know stacey all that much more.  we love you, stacey! :)

 

:)

field trip!

 So, the kindergartners went to the Kitsap Memorial State Park today, it was a pretty cool place!  big grass area, picnic tables, playground, and access to the beach.  the beach was just a good place to observe tide pools... not really a leisure beach.  It was low tide, though, so we got to see a bunch of crabs, starfish, baby eels, sea snails, and other various creatures. 

 

 

 

sea snail...they were pretty big!

 

 

 

 

 

i don't know what this is, but it had really sharp, creepy teeth! 

 

this was hilarious... some of the boys built a "habitat" (their words) for the sea life..collected what they could and stuck them in the man made pool. :)

 

 

 

 

 

stuff

 if you know my daughter, you know that she is a p-i-c-k-y eater.  way pickier than adam, even.   i know part of it is all our fault by not being strict with food when she was a baby... but i mean... i was 21/22...she was my first child, and really, i had no idea what i was doing or the right way to go about her picky nature.  time passed, and viola...a monster was born :).  Anyway, it's a hard battle b/c of the fact that we are a family of scroungers.  we rarely eat at the same time, or eat the same things.  i'm probably the most well-rounded eater in the family, but everyone else (including adam) usually hates the things i like, etc.  it's a vicious cycle/battle. 

 yesterday, i was giving my monthly speech to ashlyn about how she needs to force herself to try new foods.  I could see her eyes glossing over, so i tried a new approach.  "ashlyn, how about we make a list together.  you tell me some foods you'd like to try, and we'll find recipes for those foods."  Her eyes lit up, and she made me go get some paper.  she wouldn't stop till the whole paper was filled.  she did such a good job!  i also told her that she was required to help me prepare all the foods we wrote down (if preparation is needed).  She readily agreed.  i'm hoping that this can be a big turn around.  even if we find a handful of new things from the whole list, i'll be happy.

 

 you'll notice "feta" on the list a lot.  she tried it while we were sitting, and LOVED it.   she wanted to put it on everything :)

so, last night while adam and i were watching Iron Man, i heard a voice on the stairs say, "excuse me. i sure need help straightening my blanket."  i looked up and saw benjamin....i smiled and thought how polite he was. i got up, and when i started up toward him, i saw a paper in his hand. 

 

he wrote out what he wanted to say! i seriously turned to goo.  i mean, come on.  excuse me?,  i sure need help?  the note? the phonetic spelling?   *sigh*  he said he wrote it out so he wouldn't interrupt our movie.  :)

and him--this guy.  i think he has eyes for me :)  we've been having a really fun weekend.  not really doing much, but good quality time.

 

enjoy the day!

saturday skirt

i've been itching to sew something, so since i have stacey's serger here, i decided to make ashlyn a skirt.  i hemmed it about 3 different times, and i'm still not totally happy with the bottom...i think i wish i had enough of the pink fabric to edge it with.  but it's fine, really.  as i was feeling iffy about it, she said, "mama, i love it when you sew me clothes." 

I think i can live with that.

fly-ing

that is how i feel these days!  time is just flying by and i can't keep up!  didn't May just start? how is it almost over??  The fact that in 3+ weeks, the kids will be out of school, and Ben will turn 6, scares me a little....i'm not ready! lol. 

i've been meaning to post a couple photos from last weekend.  i didn't quite mean to post them a week after the fact.  but hey. better late than never :)  Nothing big.... it was a gorgeous weekend (and week, and week to come... yay for summer coming early!), and there was Viking Fest happening down by the waterfront.  we went to the parade on saturday, and the kids had a blast.  They saw kids they knew and Ben saw his teacher :)  Adam and i drooled over/ate some of the food from the booths, and we found a spot in the shade (yay) to watch the parade.  the kids waved at everything and jumped around and dove for candy that was being thrown out to the crowd. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

after we got home, the kids were invited to go over to a friends house down the street to play in the sprinklers.  ashlyn is always a bit more daring when it comes to sprinklers than Ben.  isn't that weird??

 

we bbq'd hot dogs and corn..our first family meal at our new picnic table :)  stacey came over, and stayed until the following tuesday :)

 

 

 

i could get used to this

in an earlier post, i talked about wanting a picnic table for our backyard.  we love the summers here, and with all the BBQing we do, it would be so nice to eat it outside.... it's depressing to eat BBQ inside (a hot house) on a gorgeous summer day!  plus, i can imagine all the lunches the kids would want to eat outside while they are home...

 anyway, i knew that it was something we couldn't necessarily just go out and buy right now.  so, i decided to start praying for one.  that somehow, God would provide one at little to no cost.  this past week, i felt a nudge to bring it up as my prayer request at bible study... i felt a bit lame asking for a picnic table, but they all assured me that it wasn't dumb! God wants to hear our hearts, no matter how big or small. 

 well, that afternoon, as i was hanging up the laundry, i started to pray for it again, and i kind of laughed to myself... wondering HOW he would answer....excited to see how it might all come about.  i went downstairs after i had finished, and checked my email.  a woman from my bible study emailed me with the title "guess what!".  i guess on her way home, she remembered that her parents had a wood picnic table (the kind i wanted), and they were moving.  she called her dad and asked if they were taking it along, and he said no.  she asked if we could have it, and he said yes!  to just come over and get it!  free!  i was so amazed and giggly all afternoon. seriously. lol. So, adam went and got it that afternoon :)  it just needs a good washing, and it will be ready for BBQ!  

i am already enjoying it.... realizing that i only have about 4 more weeks of alone time before the kids will be home for the summer! yikes!

flowers (from anna and our yard), homemade peanut butter cookies, fresh brewed ice-coffee, new catalogs from the mail, sun....yep.  i can definitely get used to this.  (i'm writing this blog outside!)

 the weekend is supposed to be gorgeous!     

**i've already gotten to see a bird fight (that was insane) and a humming bird do this cool air-dance...like it was playing.... it would do the same moves over and over again. so cute! 

good quote i read today.

"You never see the bad days in a photo album but it’s those days that get us from one happy snapshot to the next."

this is how i describe my blog.  you probably notice that i never (or rarely ever) post about hardships or problems here.  it's not because i don't have them.  it's not because i'm ashamed to admit them or embarrassed...not at all.  everyone has bad days, fights, tears, frustrations, and hard times that last awhile.  i've never really been that person who talks about those, though.  and not b/c i want to seem "perfect",  but because i'm just a really private person.  i internalize my problems and keep them to myself probably 98% of the time, and usually the only person to know about that stuff is adam (and usually after i've kept it to myself for awhile).  it's just how i am. 

 my blog is a representation of the good things in my life.  have you ever noticed that it's easier to forget the good times, than it is to forget the bad?  it is for me, anyway.  i have no problem remembering the hard time i was going through at any given moment.  but when i go through this blog, i go through it like i've never seen it before.  i've forgotten so many moments and things my kids did or said!  it's so fun to look through, and i'm SO glad i've taken time to record that stuff.  this blog forces me to look for the good or the happy in a normally mundane or even bad day.  My year in durango was the hardest year of my life, for many reasons.  when i look through that year in pictures on my blog---it reminds me that there WERE good times.  there were precious moments no matter how depressed i was.  blogging and finding the happy was therapy for me!  i needed this outlet of being positive. 

  that said, i think that i DO live a blessed life.  NOT in a rich/money way--we often scrape the change jar at the end of a week!  but we are blessed in the way that we have a TON of love in this house.  adam and i are the best of friends.  we adore our kids...and no matter how we may fail as parents, one thing those kids know, is that we adore them.  when we go through a tough time together, we try to pick ourselves back up, dust off, and go on.  trusting that God will teach us if we listen.  trusting that God is in control and He will take care of us.  the love--- is what i want on this blog.  b/c it encourages me when i look back on it. 

mother's day

so before church, the kids wanted me to open the presents...they've pretty much been dying for that since they brought them home from school!

 i opened adam's first (on the kids request).  he surprised me with a new ipod shuffle b/c my old one broke! ashlyn helped him pick out the color (green-my fav).

 

next, was ashlyn's gift...

  

 

close up.  she etched "i love mommy" on the sides, and molded a little vase in the middle. so cute!

 

ben's card and poster gift

 

(sorry. didn't really get a pic of it!  it has flowers on the front and a sweet little mother's day poem. in this photo, i'm reading the back---ben's own declaration of love for mario cart. haha!)

 

we went to church and then had lunch at a mexican place in silverdale.   we then spent some time down by the waterfront (the "sea side" as the kids called it).  got some coffee and walked along the trails.  it was a bit overcast, but quite warm, so that was nice.

lots o pics:

 

don't be deceived.  as i was mushy and commenting to adam about how sweet our kids are, they started fighting 8 seconds later (although they kept holding hands!)

 

ashlyn took one of us

 

 

 

 

a seal was popping his head out of the water--trying to point it out to ben.  we also saw a bunch of clams spitting water up.  looked like little fountains coming up out of the ground. it was pretty cool!

 

 

 

as we walked along the boardwalk, ben would ask every dog owner "may i please pet your dog?"  they all let him.  one of the dogs was big, but super shy.  the dog owners commended ben for being so quiet and still and patient (they were an older couple---so sweet).  The dog never let ben pet her.  he was good about it, though.

once the boardwalk ends, you can go up to the street, or you can keep going on this path.  we like this path b/c it opens up to a big field that will be great for picnics on warm days

 

 

 

it was low tide, so we were able to climb down to the "beach".

i wanted to set my camera up for a family photo, and had adam jump in so i could focus it.  he was oh-so-charming about it! geesh. men.

see the green?!?!  it's so lovely. ok...he is too :)

 

 

 

 

as we walked back, the kids ran way ahead.... i was kind of getting worried, but once we got back, ashlyn was calmly perched on the rock.  :)

 

anyway, it was a fantastic family day.  talking, joking, hanging out, snuggling... my kind of mother's day :)

happy mother's day!

to all the mom's and especially my mom!! love you! mail is coming your way :)

the kids were as sweet as always.  made me cereal and put it on my nightstand.  came downstairs to the smell of coffee.  this time there were no grounds in it!  it's a tad weak, but drinkable (yay)!  they were eating their own breakfast and asked me to sit with them.  we were talking about the day, and ben said, "yeah. on our favorite day. Mother's Day."  he said it in such a honest, sweet voice.  what a kid. :)  ashlyn just sat across the table from me with a big, gooey smile on her face.  i really don't know how i got so lucky with the two of them. 

i have handmade presents from them, waiting to be opened, and i've already been sent flowers (from anna! :) ), a super sweet card from stacey, and a really nice card from my parents (with a fun comic stuck inside--thanks dad! i enjoyed that.)

the breakfast scene.  ben and ashlyn discussing coffee making (last time vs this time).  the flowers from anna are on the table :)

 

have a blessed day!