Design

So here is my design work from the past 8 weeks. I can't believe I have made it through this term. I have put in about 30 hours a week for this class alone and am ready for it to be over. I love doing landscape design so if you or a friend or neighbor ever need something, I would love to help. Please send the word along. Some are really hard to see. You can make your way to the actual album to see them better by clicking the bottom right icon on the sideshow and then clicking on the album title. Then you can click to see photos up close.

Up to...

I tried to take a lot more photos of our smaller events this past week. Here they are...

Where the Wild Things Are...

I so love that book (and am really excited for the movie to come out this fall) but Abi is the best creature of them all...

Am I a bad parent? Heavens no...

An Afternoon...

I actually had half an afternoon to do some projects that have been sitting for some time now. I was doubly blessed this past year to recieve a sewing machine from an aunt and a serger from another aunt of mine. I have always wanted to purchase these, but we never had the funds. Thank you... I have the greatest Aunts ever!

Well, after 4 months, I finally got just the sewing machine serviced and was ready to sew away! Of course, there were things that I should have expected to happen, but didn't see them coming. For example... I got set all up and couldn't get the sewing machine to run! What? I just had it worked on... oh yeah Claire, you got to flip the switch to turn the bottom plug on.
Then... the thread kept breaking and I was SO frustrated. I called my mom to help my troubleshoot it (for like 30 mins), and then ended up calling the service guy to ask for help. I ended up loading it (heavy) and Abi (heavy) into the car and taking it to his shop... for all this work and hours of my time... he opens it... and instantly says "It's threaded wrong." OH! STUPID ME! We loaded it back up and drove home.

So my three hours for sewing turned into 45 mins... kind of sad, but for my first time sewing in YEARS and my first time not having a mom to do the hard parts (thanks mom) I should have expected this to happen. I ended up staying up late last night becuase I really wanted to finish them.. anyway...

The Viking is over 30 years old, but runs so well!

And to present my final projects!

Three lovely pillows for my purple couch! They turned out great! I am not really talented with basteing yet, but I know with some practice I will get better. I do have to say that they don't look terrible and are quite to my expectations (which means a lot!)

And my table runner! Finally the finishing touches for my new table. The purple runner matches the flower arrangement and my couch perfectly. It ties the two areas together really nicely. The runner was hard to sew because it is really loosely woven and is kind of like a burlap sack feel. But I do like that it isn't perfect... it adds more texture to the room.

Darth Vader meets Princess Leah

Abi has taken to making Darth Vader noises. So I had to capture her when her dress covered up her mouth and gave her Princess Leah buns. What you don't know is that she proceeded to Darth Vader breathe during this photo.
She also likes to make the sound of the sucker tool at a dentist's office... I like that one. Is it bad that I promote her making funny noises? :)

Abi LOVES books. She gets this high pitched voice and "reads" them to whoever may be listening. She likes her newest book the best because it is "Go Dog! Go!" (one of my faviorites from childhood)... and it has a lot of dogs to ruff at!

I am taking a cooking class right now at BYU and one of my assignments was to make a yeast bread. This was a huge challenge for me because I rarely use yeast and it takes a lot of planning. Thankfully I was home yesterday to make it. It turned out so YUMMY and was HUGE! It was the perfect day to make this because it was rainy and cold and just made my little apartment so home like.
For those that are interested....
Whole-wheat cinnamon rasin bread

2 c. whole wheat flour
2 1/4 tsp of quick active yeast (one packet)
2 c. very warm water
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tbsp olive oil (I use light in my cooking)
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp salt
2-2 1/2 c bread flour
1 c. raisins

In large bowl mix wheat flour with yeast. Add warm water. Beat with whisk for one minute. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 mins.

Stir in Brown sugar, salt, oil, cinnamon and 1 c. bread flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining bread flour 1/2 c. at a time until a soft smooth dough forms.

Place dough on floured surface and knead for 5 -10 mins until dough is smooth and springy. Knead in raisins. Grease large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough in bowl and turn until all sides are greasy. Cover bowl and let sit in warm place for about an hour. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.

Grease cookie sheet and place dough on cookie sheet. (mold dough into smooth round ball without releasing air if needed) Spray laof with cool water, cover with plastic and let sit for about 40 mins.

Heat oven to 375* Spray loaf with cool water and cut 1/4 inch deep tic-tac-toe pattern in loaf. Place in oven and bake 35-40 mins or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from cookie sheet and onto wire rack to cool.

Parting shot...

Last Week

Some people know, but last week my family was in town. My mom had heart surgery at the University Hospital. I have to admit that I was pretty stressed out, but almost didn't realize it until the breakdown later that week. I am grateful that we were in town so my family could board with us for a couple of days during the ordeal. I am also grateful that everything went smoothly and my mom is now on the mend.
She had the same surgery done about four years ago and we hope that this will be the last time she has to have this done.
Thank you so much for all your prayers and thoughts.

Abi grew attached to her uncle Erik who spent a lot of time with Abi and me during the week. She also loved the air matress in the front room.

We took Abi swimming one afternoon at the MAC. She is such a fish and LOVES the water.

Abi loves my dad... well, only when he has food to feed her! She was really funny though because she wanted to know every move and action he took, but from the view in my arms.

As busy as I am, I don't have a desire to blog about what is going on. It seems like everyone and no one checks our blog... at the same time, I feel that I blog for myself in some ways and I think that is what is keeping me from blogging. Maybe I just don't feel like remembering this period of time or at least aspects of it. I wonder when it will pass? Hmm...
But on the other end of things and for those who do read my blog...
Life is getting pushy for us but we continue to get caught up in it. Kind of like when we took Abi swimming last week (she LOVED it and is a fish) and when you would get close to the lazy river, you would get sucked in and have to float it whether or not you wanted to go or not.
We are busy at work (yes I have started working with Dan for about 10 hours a week... Abi comes too). My school projects are hitting an all time high and I just have two weeks left of this term. I am waiting to post all my photos up once my portfolio is done. I think that you will enjoy my work. For those who don't know, I am taking a landscape design class (my second of many). My professor says that I have a natural talent for it and through many other conversations with him, I have decided that I will start a design company once I am done with school or maybe even before that. We'll see though and I will try to keep you all posted on that.
Abi intelligence is just shining through now... some of her tricks are---

• She loves to point to the lights, trees, water, fish, birds, and Dad when asked where they are
  
• She points at things and looks at me for explanations of them
• She signs "more" "all done" and "milk" --- we are working on dad, mom, ball, bed, and food now
• She loves all food--- hers and other's food
• She loves animals and can say duckie and doggie noises... like "quack quack" and "ruff ruff"
• She loves to spin the wheels on the stroller when it is upright in our living room
• She climbs on anything!
• She is great at giving loves!
• She plays peek-a-boo
  
• She knows what to do when I say "Watch out" "Lift up" "Let's go"
  
• She waves at people and dances
• She is becoming quite good at throwing fits
• She loves blowing raspberries and saing "boof" with a lot of air
• Helps out with chores by pulling off the shoes on the shoe rack, taking out all the items in my kitchen drawers and unfolding folded laundry
• When she gets into trouble she lays her head down on the floor to give loves... like she's already using persuasion
  

Overall, we are so pleased with her... she is very observant and smart. I went into her room the other morning and she had opened a box that was even closed with a tab and was playing with the items in it. She is more active than any other baby I have ever met, but she is a good girl. She just likes to go and adventure.