Whirlwind...

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind... Our beautiful, sweet, fierce, smart and fiesty Little B turned two!!  It hardly seems a year could have flown past since we celebrated her first birthday with Shabby Chic Vintage Style.

Now, Noni had to make her a Viking Princess hat... (because her Dad loves the show, Vikings, and our girl is quite the little tomboy).  Her favorite presents were Hot Wheel cars and tools like her Dad's. 

Our Little Men Big Boys were here to celebrate with us and, oh, what fun we had!! 

We also celebrated Alex's losing his very first tooth in Texas!   He is getting so big, so fast...

They all are.

Little B thinks she is just as big as anybody else!  It only took one time of showing her how to put her feet in the holes to climb and she was off like lightening!  Not to be outdone by her "s-ousins" as Roo would say. 

Even as we celebrated, we also mourned for a precious little life lost to SIDS.  Brevon was only 55 days young... Such a tragic loss for a sweet young family.  There are no words for such a loss.  No words.

I hope we can all squeeze the last bit of fun out of summer as it comes to a close... and embrace the GIFT of each moment.

"Divine love has always met and will always meet every human need."
~ Mary Baker Eddy

blessings ~ tanna

Prayers and Victory...

One of my dearest friend's daughter is starting chemo today.  Really puts all the annoying little everyday struggles of life in perspective.  Tammie is the same age as my own daughter.  She has already undergone successful surgery for breast cancer; but, they felt she needed the chemotherapy, too.

I ask your prayers for her today.

Tammie is an amazing young woman... standing firm in her faith with rock solid courageousness. 

She inspires the rest of us.

This shawl is Victory by Erika Flory.  Here is what she writes on her pattern page:

February 16, 2014: Victory: achievement of mastery or success in a struggle or endeavor against odds or difficulties.
And here I am at the second anniversary of successful open heart surgery and six months out from successful breast cancer surgery and radiation.
To celebrate myself and everyone else here on Ravelry who has her/his own victories, the Victory Wrap will be available for free from February 16 through February 20.

I started it in February with a group of my Ravelry friends... and then life got crazy.  Who could have imagined that six months later I would be finishing it for Tammie... in a color I would have chosen for her if I had known...

I thank you in advance for your prayers.

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." ~ Romans 8: 37

"Suffering raises up those souls that are truly great; it is only small souls that are made mean-spirited by it."  ~ Alexandra David -Neel

blessings ~ tanna

Tunnels... and Joy

So, the light I thought I saw at the end of the tunnel... well, it wasn't the end.  Only a mirage.  I won't bore you with the long saga, but surmise that I haven't had as much time to do the things I WANT to do versus the things I NEED to do.

However, the added stress added to the joy of doing one more basket... Good therapy, I tell you.  Good therapy.  I had a very particular color in mind for this basket... I wanted it to be the deep gold of a beautiful sunflower.

There were no big skeins of wool available that matched my vision... so, I used three strands of cotton.  It IS a little harder with three strands and cotton is a bit more difficult for me to wrangle; but, I think I love the firmness of this basket most of all!  And, I am very happy with the color!!  Sunflower, baby!  Sunflower joy!

I do have a knit project in the works... Now, for the light to be the END of the tunnel so I can get back to a more normal schedule!  ;)

I keep hearing in the back of my mind to be careful and not let the frenzy rob me of joy like a fox in the night...

I saw this little guy EARLY on Alex's birthday at the beach... he was cruising for snacks I think.

Anyway, feeling overwhelmed with life's demands can rob us of our joy if we let it...

Guard your joy. 

"Build a little fence of trust
around today;
Fill the space with loving work,
And therein stay."
~ Mary Frances Butts

blessings ~ tanna

Green The Whole Year 'Round

Pattern:   Green the Whole Year 'Round by Ana Yamamoto.
Yarn:  Madelinetosh Tosh DK in Whiskers colorway

I started this shawl the first of the year... and then was immediately side-tracked by the Bohemian Rhapsody.  I really cannot recall when I finished it with all the craziness we have been enduring enjoying.

Anna Yamamoto offers this pattern for free.  It is a bit of a challenge though.  I always take on a "harder" project after the Little Men & Co. head home from their December stay.  FORCES me to put my attention on something other than a quiet house.

Part of the reason I chose Green the Whole Year 'Round is that I loved the scriptures throughout the pattern:

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.   And, he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in this season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. " ~ Psalm 1: 1-3

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." ~ 3 John 1:2

Amen and amen.

I confess to finishing the last part of this shawl by doing plain garter short rows because I just didn't have it in me at the time to pay enough attention to stay in pattern.  I loved the way it came out though.

Thank you, Anna Yamamoto, for a beautiful design.  I think I may need to do it again in a fingering weight... Not now, though.

Saving a Mother's (Noni's) Day memory... loving on my Little B.  ;)

"Work is the thing that stays.  Work is the thing that sees us through."
~ Ellen Gilchrist

Hard work is almost always gets the best rewards. 

blessings ~ tanna

Letters from My Loves...

My day is made when I find an e-mail from my Little Men Big Boys:

Dear Noni,

We found a couple of pictures we wanted to send to you. We love you and we miss you and we hope to see you soon.

XOXO,

Alex and Roo

I'm missin' me some Big Boys today...

Thank you, Alex and Roo (and Little Momma).  ;)

"Happiness is a tide:  it carries you only a little way at a time; but you have covered a vast space before you know you are moving at all." 
~ Mary Adams

blessings ~ tanna

Basket Therapy - Day 5

I promise this will be the last Basket Therapy post... for awhile anyway.  I am in search mode for the perfect yarn for at least one more.  ;)

But, they are like Lay's potato chips... you just can't stop at one.  And, apparently they are contagious as well as addictive.  I caught the bug from Sherri...

And last night, I received this text photo from my friend, Laura (don't you just love her lap blanket in the background!).  She has her knitting project all packed ready to go for a class she is taking this morning!  I know another friend, Sharon is working on one, too.  It's a good "disease" to catch.  LOL!

For any of you who think you might like to make one and don't know how to crochet, you can learn ANYTHING on video tutorials.  It is amazing!  We live with all the information we need right at our fingertips.  How cool is that?!

I want to share a few photos from a very special three-year-old's birthday party this summer...  Our Little Roo (middle, as if you couldn't tell with the Roo on his cape) had a Super Hero party his Momma cooked up just for him. 

 I think it was the most fun little birthday party I've ever attended!  She found these capes at the dollar store a year before she had a plan for them.  The kiddos each decorated their capes with stick on foam stickers, etc. 

Cutest bunch of Super Heroes I've EVER seen!! 

"We must be steady enough in ourselves, to be open and to let the winds of life blow through us, to be our breath, our inspiration: to breathe with them, mobile and soft in the limberness of our bodies, in our agility, our ability, as it were, to dance, and yet to stand upright."
~ Mary Caroline Richards

Happy August.... and a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my S-I-L and Alex and Roo's Daddy, Jerry!  You are a super hero to them and us.  We love you.

blessings ~ tanna

Basket Therapy - Day 4

Y'all are starting to get sick of these baskets aren't you?  Ha!  This is probably my favorite so far... though I do like the first one, too.  Both this one and the B-yue one are made from Burly Spun by Brown Sheep Company and an L hook.

My favorite thing about the gray version (aside from I'm diggin' this color) is that I finished it while helping my friend Patrice start her own basket therapy... with a broken hook.  Mercy me, I had been whipping these little things out so feverishly  that I snapped my cheap little plastic hook in two.  Had to finish with a stub of a hook!  LOL! 

And, Amanda sent me photos of Alex with his B-yue Tote yesterday!!  Thank you, dear daughter.  =)

It is stiff enough to stand open and soft enough to collapse and carry...

Treasures people.  Treasures! 

And, I leave you today with my very favorite photo from this group.  Oh, I adore this child.  This one speaks volumes about his interests these days... Sharks and TRANSFORMERS!  Wow, are they ever in favor!  Thank you again, Amanda.  Love y'all to the moon and back... to Jupiter and beyond...

"Love makes the wildest spirit tame, and the tamest spirit wild."
~ Alexis Delp

Wishing you all a wonderful start to the weekend! 

blessings ~ tanna