oak alexander

He is here!!!!!! Oak Alexander Rodriguez was born peacefully at home, surrounded by an amazing birth team, one week ago today on Wednesday, February 24th, in the wee hours of the morning. He was 8 lbs, 8 oz, and 22.25" long. He is a happy, healthy boy and we are enjoying him so much!  Today was his "due" date, but we are so thankful that our big boy came a week early!  

I'll write more about his birth and our first experiences together in the coming weeks. For now, though, I'm going to simply keep enjoying my sweet little baby. 

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handmade christmas

The past few weeks have been filled with family celebrations, gift-making, gift-giving, and so much food!  And while this little blog of mine was on my mind off and on throughout the festivities, I decided it was time to take a little break from it and simply be immersed in the all of the wonderful things that were happening around me.  I hope you were able to do the same!  

However, I thought it was about time to get back into the swing of things and share with you a bit of the handmade goodness that was gifted this Christmas.  There was less making this year than there usually is, with a late end to the school semester, choir concerts, and all things baby-related, but I was rather pleased with the few handmade things that did make it under the tree.  

The first of the handmade gifts was for our two 1.5 year old nieces.  For each of them I made a Pointy Kitty (pattern by WeeWonderfuls).  The girls were delighted with their kitties and both proceeded to cuddle and kiss them, and make everyone else do the same.  I do love handmade gifts that get that kind of reception! 

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For our little nephews, I made them each a set of woodland creature finger puppets (an original creation by yours truly).  I love creative play toys!  While they often get quickly tossed aside for flashier, more recognizable toys in the excitement of gift opening, the little ones tend to come back to the creative play toys later in the day and get lost in their own little worlds creating characters, voices, and stories all on their own.  The spontaneous puppet shows that I saw throughout Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were delightful.  

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There were also a few knitted gifts finished moments before gatherings and given before pictures could be taken, but what would Christmas be if it didn't include last minute handknits!?  This year's knits included A Very Gifted Cowl and a pair of socks.  

The last of the handmade gifts included bottles of our favorite coffee liqueur (recipe in Homemade Pantry), also made just days before being gifted.  My family knows me well enough to expect things like coffee liqueur and soap to come with a "best if used after date."  In spite of the recommended waiting period, the coffee liqueur was fought over and won with triumph in our annual dice game.  I'd say it was a hit!  

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How about you??  Did some lovely handmade items make it under your trees this year??  I sure do hope so.  I love how handmade gifts bring more meaning back into what has become such a consumer driven holiday.  There is something so loving and intentional about the making process that reminds me of the importance of giving and showing others how they are worth more than our money, they are worth our time, energy, and creativity as well.  

As we wrap up this year and move into the next, I wish you all a very happy evening of celebrations and a fresh start into the year that awaits us!

pumpkin, pumpkin all week long

I get a little excited about holidays.  I think I owe it partially to my mom who instilled a great love for tradition and celebration in all of us, but I also think its because holidays mean time with family and delicious food and relaxation (at least in theory...I'm realizing that there is less and less relaxation in my adult-woman holiday life...ahem...I'm also not anticipating this getting any better with a little one on the way...).  I also find the winter holidays to be especially magical with the cold weather appearing, the possibility of snow, and candles and lights galore.  Nothing says cozy quite like the holiday season in the upper midwest!  

And so, with the start of this holiday season just days away, I've found myself more than a little a excited.  In spite of a nasty head cold that hit me on Saturday, our house is spotlessly cleaned and the Thanksgiving decorations and preparations are collecting in various areas of the kitchen and dining room.  Candles are burning and filling the house with the smells of the holiday.  And then there are things made from pumpkin.  We can't forget the pumpkin.  

This year I bought two pie pumpkins at our local garden shop.  They've been sitting in the kitchen since before Halloween and every weekend I've had plans to bake them and get them ready to be turned into something heavenly.  This past weekend was it!  And my goodness, did I underestimate the amount of pumpkin puree that those two things would produce!  I ended up with about 8 cups of cooked pumpkin!  So, the week started off with a batch of pumpkin muffins and will continue with two pies for Thanksgiving and hopefully a batch of pumpkin pancakes come Saturday (I'm thinking of giving this recipe a try)!  Hooray for pumpkin!  

How about you??  What are your favorite things to do with pumpkin at this time of year??

workday at the gilbertson ranch

Last year we started a tradition for Father's Day and my dad's birthday of celebrating with an annual workday at the Gilbertson Ranch (a.k.a my dad and stepmom's house, which is not really a ranch at all, rather it's a big house with some land, a river, and a lot of plants...).  In lieu of gifts, we all get together for a day and give my dad something that means much more to him than presents--we give him our hard work (with many snack and beer breaks included) and our time all hanging out together.  It's a ton of fun and since there are so many of us, we get a ton done!  This year was no exception.  While the boys hauled mulch and wood, the girls weeded, pulled moss, and painted.  We then ended the day relaxing on the deck with good food and more time together.  

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I love that we get to celebrate my dad in this way.  He's such an amazing dad.  Throughout my entire life he's been working so hard to provide for us and to make our lives better.  Even now that most of us are out of the house and on our own, he's still working to provide us with a wonderful place to relax and spend time together.  I love my dad.  He's the best.