we love each other

Just a quick post to show one of my favorite crafts so far!!!  I made this a while ago for our bedroom and just haven't gotten around to showing it.  Back in January I discovered a little quilt shop about 35 minutes from where we live that carries Amy Butler fabric in the store (if you aren't familiar with Amy Butler..this is a fabric line you can't find at Joanne's so finding a store that carries her is a big deal!!!).  I had wanted to instantly buy some of the fabric just because it's so pretty and girly and fun but decided to hold off until I had a reason for some..which brings me to this project :)

Don't laugh at the way the bed is made:

This is a close-up of my favorite letter in the sign.  I just like the way it turned out with the pattern on the fabric:

This was easier to make than expected.  I got the idea from this pattern on Amy Butler's website but I modified it quite a bit.  In a nutshell: I cut out the letters from computer paper, pinned them onto the (freshly ironed) fabric, cut around the letter the best I could, sewed the letters onto the background fabric (used a neutral color for the L,V, and E, and a bright pink around the O), layed the fabric onto a canvas, glued the edges, tucked the corners in neatly and glued those down as well.  Walah!

vacay in may

May meant it was time for Savannah and Hilton Head!  The plan was to spend a long weekend in Hilton Head with Clay's family all to the credit of Patty and Stu signing up for one of those 'listen to us try to get you to sign up for a vacation plan and we'll give you a place to stay.'  Rather than flying into Savannah, Georgia, on Friday with the the rest of the fam, Clay and I headed down to Savannah Thursday afternoon to meet up with my cousins Tausha and Chris who live nearby on Wilmington Island. 

Knowing what its like to live far from family, we definitely wanted to make the effort to see Tausha and Chris and their two boys.  We had a great time catching up and eating lots of lasagna and waffles.  The boys were so sweet..although somehow I didn't take any pictures with them.  Tausha showed Clay and me around Wilmington Island Friday morning and we even got a quick peek at Paula Deen's house :).  Below are a couple pictures of us on Tybee Island:

Friday afternoon Patty, Stu, Nick and Kristin got into Savannah where we met up with them.  We had lunch at a favorite local restaurant and then took a trolley to cover the city's history.  I have to admit I'm not much into historical pictures so I'm only showing two..the rest will be people-oriented pictures.  Below is a large catholic church that was very ornate.  To be honest, I don't really remember the details and I'm not even sure why I'm including it because I don't really have any association with the catholic church but I think I feel obligated to show some history:

And the second historical monument: the Forsythe fountain?  I'm not even sure if that's what its called but I think it is.  Patty and Stu are there with the fountain and then the bicycle taxi is on the left:

Friday evening we all headed up to Hilton Head in the family (rented) mini-van.  Clay and I had the pleasure of sitting in the very back seat continuously..I guess it just comes with being the (nicest?) youngest siblings :).  We didn't take a lot of pictures here either but below is definitely one of our best photo op's.  This was in Sea Pines out by the lighthouse one evening before dinner: 

I had thrown around the idea of a coordinated family picture but didn't follow through on it.  You can see that is part of the reason in couples pictures rather than a group picture. Maybe sometime we'll get a big family picture and Stu can submit it and give an update on the fam to the Air Force?  We'll try to make it happen..

On our last full day, we rented some bikes to take out on the beach.  I think Hilton Head is one of my favorite beaches.  I had never been on a beach where the sand was hard enough to ride a bike.  It's also one of those remote-ish beaches that doesn't have a boardwalk.  I prefer the more remote beaches to those that are right on the edge of town.  Anyway, so we took the bikes out one morning and then Clay and I went back out in the evening. 

Look how cute he is riding along :)

 Us using self-timer out on our bike ride:

Me trailing Clay as he made a game out of how many jelly fish he could run over.  The jelly fish were everywhere.  I had never seen so many (well, actually, I'd never seen jelly fish).  All of those little bumps in the sand are actually jelly fish.  How many times can you use 'jelly fish' in one picture description?

Here's a close up:

That about wraps up our mini family vacay.  Thanks Patty and Stu!!! 

Easter Basket Weekend

For Easter weekend we headed down to Delaware!  In the Spring when everywhere seems to be getting warmer and New York just seems to be hovering in the not-quite-warm-yet, we always welcome a trip just a few hours south :).  And this year it meant getting to see a couple of Clay's cousins from California!!

Friday afternoon we headed down and spent some family time hanging around.  I think some people played cards but I just remember falling asleep on the couch (Friday evenings are not quite what they used to be for me..).  Saturday was a beautiful day: the guys played golf and us girls got to spend the day walking around the shops on the boardwalk at the beach and getting to know this little guy better..meet Van (not Nick..we already know him)!

Everyone met up for dinner and of course we took advantage of the photo-op out back of the restaurant!  Almost everyone..Joe and Breanne are on the right..so glad we got to meet you both!!

Cousins!

Kind-of Siblings (shout out to the leg pop):

Patty and Stu..so happy :) Patty loved having us all there:

me and clay :)

Easter weekend definitely holds special meaning for us..sometimes I wish we made as big of a deal out of Easter as we do for Christmas.  I have to admit I like getting to pick out an Easter dress and filling Easter baskets but how can I not be overwhelmed when I realize the love that was shown from the Cross.  Christ gave everything..withheld nothing.  He sacrificed on the cross so that we could gain eternal life through Him.  I don't like to even let myself think about the pain that Jesus went through on the cross, and He actually experienced it.  I'm so thankful to have a husband that leads me in Christ and a family that shares in our belief in Christ. 

Here is a pic from Easter morning and then a quick one of our first Easter baskets married :)

Bunny Cake Walk

I hadn't been able to see my family since Christmas so this visit was long overdue!  Mom and Dad came out for a quick visit the weekend before Easter and the visit was once again filled with pawn shops and trains!!!  I really don't like being so far from them..I have to be honest..I think they get just a little more gray hair each time I see them; neither seems to be losing any hair..just graying.  But it never fails that Dad will always want to find one more pawn shop to look at so they're also not slowing down any!

Even though our visits are short, I know these quick trips are making lasting memories.  So for Christmas, Clay and I were trying to get my dad a train DVD.  Well to make a long story short, it didnt work out so we gave him a "coupon" to pick one out and then we would order it..you know how parents are with that..they aren't going to ask directly for a gift.  So one evening in Target, instead of coming out with cute shoes or a random home decoration, we found and bought a 4-disc train dvd set that had hours and hours of trains in each season.  This was a huge find!!  We gave it to Dad when they came out and our weekend was filled with scenery and the sound of a train going by (..take that noisy smoky neighbors!!!).  Eventually Mom came up with the ingenious idea of muting but before that, this is Clay dealing with the ongoing train DVD's:

Anyway, we had a good weekend.  I hope I can learn to serve the way my mom does.  I get so tired of doing dishes and cooking food and refilling plates and doing more dishes..and I've only been at it a year.  She silently challenges me to be a better wife and someday mom.  And she happily puts up with train DVD's..for a while anyway..

Here are a few more pictures from our walk around the park..and the kind of creepy bunny cake.  Thanks Mom and Dad for coming out!!!