A rough start made softer by a lovely friend’s visit with her sweet babe;

a boy’s sweater checked off the to-do list;

a quick morning outing with my darling 7yo;

home again for Saturday’s chores;

cleaning completed with a team effort;

the treat of take-out, especially after the week’s new regime;

hearty, side-shaking, tear-rolling laughter with friends after a week of grin and bear it;

a glorious morning – sun shining, clothes hanging, birds singing;

just the day my soul needed;

the drip, drip, drip of melting snow;

sun slanting through family room windows crossing littles playing and jenga games;

a relaxing afternoon with a friend where we skipped the crafting we’d planned to enjoy the company;

Dan’s marvelous fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants-and-hope-it-works dinner;

an earlier to bed thanks to daylight savings;

finding our way down to the sewing machine while Dan finished the goodnights upstairs;

a long overdue sewing project complete;

and a snuggle on the couch with tea to chase away this cold that keeps threatening.

Dear ones, refreshment, uplifting. 

Things I am thankful for this weekend.

::

And what did you give thanks for this weekend? Wishing you a peaceful beginning to your week!

once again I’m doubling up with these two beautiful friends

:: joining Amanda for weekending:: 

:: giving thanks with Taryn at Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday ::

Difficult change bringing new routines;

familiar comforts and the joy of promise;

good friends even as family is far;

snuggled at home, warm from the cold;

grace from these people of mine as I take a little time to struggle through the new;

a garage cleaned by hubby – and the van’s first winter shelter;

finally organizing the eruption that was the winter gear;

little lass dressed in wool by sweet siblings bringing laughter from all;

admitting defeat and packing away summer shoes and rain boots;

moments treasured with this beloved classic and this special knit;

wonderful meals prepared by hubby as we muddle through this new diet;

kind friend to the rescue with pumpkin and diet approved recipe;

the drip, drip, drip of melting snow and warmer weather (please no snow for Halloween!);

and topping it off with a late evening snuggle with blankets, rooibos, Lewis, and needles.

Peace, comfort, support.

Things I am thankful for this weekend.

::

And, you, how was your weekend? Where did grace find you?

once again I’m doubling up with these two beautiful friends

:: joining Amanda for weekending:: 

:: giving thanks with Taryn at Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday ::

Leftovers and piecemeal dinner;

a break from Christmas knitting for a sweet baby hat;

waking late to a white sky – snow to come;

then it came and came and came – beautiful, if cold;

a drive in the white stuff to visit a sweet family and photograph their darling newborn, what a treat it was;

home for dinner with friends, spoiled by Dan’s cooking and cheesecake for dessert;

another, ahem, late morning, kids too happy playing to need us old folks;

chatter with the little one on our bed;

craft time with a clever friend and needle nosed pliers;

soup on the stove;

a gathering of dear people for fellowship, food, laughter, and more babies;

kids slipping softly to sweet sleep;

and hot tea with a piece of that leftover cheesecake, before fireside knitting.

Baby snuggles, friends to warm chilly days, rest from work.

These are things I am thankful for this weekend.

::

And how about you, dear ones? How’d the weekend treat you?

once again I’m doubling up with these two beautiful friends

:: joining Amanda for weekending:: 

:: giving thanks with Taryn at Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday ::

It began when a friend joined us for pie: shepherd’s and pumpkin;

that same friend’s help with the mammoth kitchen cleanup and bedtime roundup before knitting on the couch;

a day of cleaning up, trying to sort out the fluffy dream that is my not-so-organized yarn stash, and motivate some children to chores;

then joined for dinner by one of my oldest friends, her hubby, and their darling new daughter;

rocking a newborn to sleep – nothing like it;

laughing that Mira was never such a little thing – all ten pounds of her newborn self;

after they left and the kids were (mostly) in bed, our favourite neighbours joined us for drinks by Dan, laughter, conversation, and knitting (for us ladies);

a late morning, followed by a late breakfast;

time on the piano while cream of broccoli soup simmered;

a wild goose chase for a colourway they didn’t have afterall;

family market visit for pumpkins, gourds, and more macs;

a gorgeous walk on this day which was quite balmy after last week’s snow;

tossing stones, crunching leaves, breathing deep;

home for the morning’s soup before another bedtime and more sweet dreams.

::

Beautiful friends, the wonder of new life, and the very best of this season. 

This is how we spent our weekend.

How was yours?

A day of preparation: laundry loads, baking for the road, packing bags;

one last trip out for the perfect souvenir (despite the fact we’ll be back next year);

11 and a half pounds of organic blueberries, picked just “this morning”;

an early morning ferry, grandpa and grandma walking on with us for parent’s sanity and children’s delight;

bittersweet goodbyes with beautiful people in a beautiful place;

a long, long day of driving:

a headache relieved, a teether given over to sleep, snacks passed (and repeat);

eclectic tunes: Queen, Paul Simon, Metronomy, Elizabeth Mitchell, Metric, The Wiggles to name a few;

then home;

our first time coming home to this place after vacation – much joy: we laughed, we smiled, we hit the hay.

Dan off to help sort at our food co-op;

lazy breakfast for the rest of us amidst unpacking;

thanks to the friend (and best neighbour) who delivered us milk for our puffed kamut;

a van heavy laden with organic food and boxes of fruit (like this mama’s Christmas morning);

a 80 lbs of the 220+ lbs of ordered produce undelivered and thankfulness because perhaps this mama did not need more preserving to tackle;

kids playing in dirt, then in water, then in mud…then stripped down for showers;

german pancake with the best peaches and blueberries for dinner;

decaf latte, school plans, list making, and shawl knitting (see the photo);

topped off with a nursing babe, hot peppermint in a new mug, and a visit from the Doctor.

Grace for a long journey, breathing in the joy of home, blessed by abundance. 

I am very full of gratitude this day.

::

What are you grateful for, friends?

once again I’m doubling up with these two beautiful friends

:: joining Amanda for weekending:: 

:: giving thanks with Taryn at Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday ::