a good ache

Two weeks, three days in California; one week, two days to go. Five days until Thanksgiving... and Brett joins us!! 10 days to the anniversary of the day we defined our relationship. Three weeks one day until Brett's birthday. 27 days until The Hobbit Part One. 38 days til Christmas. 48 days until our Fifth Anniversary.

The main reason for coming to California was for Norah to spend time with her grandparents, aunts, and uncles. As a bonus, I got to come along and attend a friend's wedding, and as another bonus Brett gets to come for Thanksgiving! Our biggest sacrifice besides money has been to miss this dreary Minnesota month... and by 'dreary' I of course mean sweater weather, fall conferences, and the First Snow. But I continuously remind myself that it is worth it. People are more important than places.

Isn't it my lot to focus on the Good & Perfect, after all? This is a recuperation for my poor dust mite allergies (and perhaps the realization that my entire house needs a dust-mite-invasion-retaliation... yet how does one eradicate invisible microorganisms from a 130 year old house?). A chance to appreciate my husband anew. Opportunities for distance to make the heart grow.

Grow fonder.

Norah is adorable. She fumbles at learning new kinds of breakfast cereal. "Mama, what is this kind of cereal called that your mommy gave me? Not germs, we don't eat germs!" and then the next morning, "I want Prince Charmings for breakfast!" She came out of bed shirtless, because she wanted to "sleep how Papa sleeps." She is enthralled with all of my childhood books and toys, and we both delight in skype dates with her papa. She won my heart getting out of the car at Winston's baseball game and exclaiming "This is the best baseball game I ever seen!" before we had even reached the stands. She only occasionally asks to go home "to our red house." I try hard not to ache for it at all, but it's such a good ache. *smile*

Californiavember Photos

hunger games

We ran out of catfood yesterday, so this morning I put some dog chow in the cat's dish and poured a little milk over it, as Norah watched. After the animals were taken care of I asked Norah what kind of cereal she wanted: “Mommy, I want some of what Quorra's having.”

Norah pinched her finger in the storm door, so I wrapped a piece of ice in a towel and had her hold it against her hand. When her finger was better she wanted to eat the ice cube and I said okay. A couple minutes later, “I ate the whole ice cube and I'm STILL HUNGRY.”

breakfast with my little champion

you-hue

And now for blue.

rude bird

tiger lily

denim day

october orange

mum's the word

zucchini and beetle

our yard's umbrella

Sun, moon, dawn, dusk, fire, and fall. How I love that tangy tawny color.

"There is no blue without yellow and without orange."   -Vincent Van Gogh

to happen exciting

Here is something. I came across it today and am impelled to do something cheering with them in a creative way, because I love the wonderful characters of the Hundred Acre Wood.

I got my Mumford album today and am listening currently. While Norah eats crackers and apple, plays on the front sunshiny porch, breathing in the air-smelling-of-bonfires.

I do not doubt God is teaching me patience for the evidence is twofold: He gave me Norah, and He did not give me any other children yet. [Brett made me add 'yet' to the end of that sentence, but he's right.] I'm very thankful for patience. Really, very. Often angry about it, but not today.

  
“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"

"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"

"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said.

book art

Over this past weekend I got to attend several bookbinding workshops that the Minnesota Center for Book Arts put on at the local arts center. I learned about paper, string, adhesives, tools, and techniques with a few friends, and together we got to make pamphlets, concertinas, stab binding, long stitch, and case bound books.

I'm hoping to make more to use as scrapbooks, sketchbooks, and Christmas letters. Out of just paper & string!

mermaid brite

While the guys went up north for a weekend of camping and fishing, we got a hotel suite and had a fun girls/kids weekend with tons of shopping, swimming, dining... and dying hair. My hair, to be exact. I've never dyed my mane before, but I've always wanted to color it blue, so my sis- and mother-in-law agreed to help me after the kiddos were in bed. Here are just a few shots for your viewing pleasure:

my brownish hair

Amy bleached, dyed, and rinsed five sections

...she's a pro!!

a few green patches to touch up