went to work,

grocery shopped,

talked on the phone,

kissed my husband,

and made hard-boiled eggs look pretty.

Then I went to bed early!

Today is the last day of summer break. Teacher work days start tomorrow; and then, September 7th, starts a new school year. Not only has the calendar reminded me of this upcoming event, but nature has begun to drop her hints as well. The bright green leaves above have taken on some red tint here and there, and big yellow leaves are slowly filling up the backyard.

If I stand still near the hammock, under 2 big oak trees, it is only a matter of time before acorns start landing on my head, shoulders, even the baby bump!

Never have I anticipated the changing of the season so much in my life!  The cooler temperatures, gorgeous foliage, bustling animals, fire-lit nights, trips to the apple orchard, cozy blankets in every room, and yummy warm meals are all fantastic, but this fall will include our miracle–it is the season of our baby’s birth.

What a full circle we’ve created!  This past winter, while marveling at the wonderland outside, we didn’t even know our sweet snowbaby was starting to grow!  But little one was there, part of the excitement and magic of the season.

Then, as spring arrived, my belly began to grow.  After work each day, I’d enjoy a quick rest, then grab the leash and take Skylar for a walk through the budding world.  We happily bounced along the road, delighting in the sprouts, sunlight, and sounds that the season brought. As spring continued to brighten, the sweet smell of honeysuckle led me through familiar paths.  I breathed so deeply, secretly hoping I was sharing the delicious fragrance with my baby.

And, oh, the perfection of a hot summer!  The temperature was high, the water felt amazing, and I cherish every minute I was able to spend glowing in this pregnancy.  We saw so many friends and family, made to-do lists, played in the river, jumped in the pool, and spent late nights on the porch, dreaming of our growing family.

To Everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

There has been some crafting going on around here this summer and a lot of it has been for me!  Of course I am planning on making many clothes, toys, nursery things, and blankets for my baby; I’m also participating in a fall craft show–but between my growing belly and the adorable mama-sized projects I kept seeing, well…selfish sewing happens.

It started with the easy yoga skirt tutorial.  I made this fun blue number in less than one hour and decided to make another!   

This soft green jersey knit is super comfy and breathable, plus it’s green (my fav).  So, I found a wonderful tutorial on Sew Mama Sew and tried my hand at Rae’s spring ruffle top. Here’s a close-up of the beautiful, coveted Heather Ross fabric I used for the top:

sigh.  Love that delicate print–and it is a double gauze, which feels so soft.  So, after completing that top…well, you’re starting to see how this goes, right?

I made another.

in green.

In addition to the amazing tutorials available online, I really love to pour over craft books at home, tab off pages, and make a big stack to tackle on a rainy day ASAP.

Anna Maria Horner’s Handmade Beginnings is on the tip-top of the pile right now; so many sweet projects for the little one–I’m gathering fabric and making patterns for now.  I did love the reversible sash though, and had fun choosing pretty scraps to make the patchwork side:

but love the vibrant flower side too!

Heather Ross has a fantastic book dedicated to the relaxing mood that sewing can put you in in her book Weekend Sewing.

This giant bag is perfect for carrying all my stuff.  By adding a few custom pockets, it is easy to organize and may see future use as a diaper bag–who knows?

Finding it hard to put her book down, I pulled down some more jersey fabric, decided to risk sewing with elastic thread (not scary at all) and also got creative with the braided straps to make the weekend sundress:

Wonder if the baby will love green too?

Thanks to many generous gifts and cherished hand-me downs, we are building quite a collection of baby goods!  Kevin and I love the tiny items that have found their way here, to be used and loved by our babe.  We have recently decided to get down and dirty with our diaper stash though, and have begun to order newborn sizes.  Knowing we wanted to cloth diaper, both of us started researching options, styles, and experienced reviews months ago.  We have created a spreadsheet that hopefully lays out what we’ll need from birth to potty training days.  The huge availability of cloth diapers is great, but also slightly overwhelming!  I’m glad we have spent so much time figuring out what will work for us here.  That does seem to be the trick to parenting, huh—finding the ways and means to make your family hum along happily–even if it is not the way others work, or even the way you used to think it would go.

Caitie’s red ride, the orange rocky shoreline, a yellow life vest & light wooden canoe parts, green trees, bright blue waters of Lake Moomaw, and the hazy violet fog over the campsite early in the morning (also referred to as the 4th time my baby likes to wake me up to go to the bathroom).

Loved this trip–not only was it colorful, it was full of fun and friends.  Sure, we roughed it a bit, but enjoyed the many conveniences of food, games, laughter, music, activity, relaxation, story-telling, and memory-making.

If you are happily anticipating the birth of your first child by preparing your home for baby,

and have started several home improvement projects that take over every space in your little place,

after a few days of hard work and decision-making, it’s best to leave it all and go camping with friends for a long weekend!

We’re heading to the GW National Forest for some outdoor fun.  I’ll be back on Monday with some regular posting.  Enjoy your weekend!

I love the creativity behind this mama’s lens:
http://milasdaydreams.blogspot.com/

But of course, I love the sweet bundle in front even more!

and it’s what I started to do as soon as my feet hit the floor…
I used flour, sugar, eggs, and fruit…

BAKE! Oh yes–2 loaves of banana bread, a dozen blueberry muffins, and a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

Although I used recipes found in this cookbook, here are similar recipes for your baking pleasure:

blueberry muffins with streusel

banana bread

chocolate chip cookies

our house has been open since the beginning of summer. We’ve enjoyed the company of friends and family, spending hot days in the sunshine and cooling off in the evenings on the screen porch.

Skylar has shared her dog bed with lots of friends, and even a bone or two. It’s been great to relax and host visitors at the same time.

I have worked this little kitchen endlessly and brought up every game we own!

It’s been fantastic surrounding ourselves with so many of the people that we love!  Every once in a while thoughts cross my mind of how different these visits will be when our little one arrives.  I’ll be back in a little while, going to feed the baby!  Guys, could you turn the music down just a little please?  Well, we can probably take the baby on a calm canoe ride–no tubing though!

I love to think about what will change after November, but also, the blessings that will stay the same.

It’s Tuesday morning. My car is unpacked, clothes are being washed, and the dog is glued to my side. After a full week away from home (and Kevin and Skylar), I returned around midnight last night.  The little one was excited to be on vacation, as evidenced by much more activity and bounciness in my belly this week.  We are in the best place in the world though, happy to be home.
Much tanner. Ready to get back into the summer routine I love. Looking forward to our guests arriving tomorrow night (hi Cyndy). Embarrassed about the number of unread posts on my Google reader!
I’m going to slip into the second week of July with some pictures from the trip to Ocean City with my sweet 4 month old nephew, delightful 8 year old niece, wonderful mother-in-law, and 3 fantastic sisters-in law: