Fly Tying

One of my goals this year is to learn to really use my camera.  (not just leave it in automatic and pretend I know what I'm doing)  That said, one night I was playing around with different lenses and settings while the boys were learning to tie flies.  (note to self: nightime = not so great lighting) Some of these are blurry in ways I didn't really want them to be but they're cute all the same. 

First things first.

Keep it tight.

This is so fun Mom!

Not sure what this face is about but it's funny.

Things are starting to come together.

Again with the funny face?

He loved that he was able to really participate.

Concentration

I think it's almost done!



Can you stand it?



Fisher was so excited to be able to learn with his daddy.  These boys of mine and fishing.  I think I've heard everyday "I WANNA GO FISHING"!  They are cooking up a little ice fishing trip (which I will NOT be going on so you may never see pictures of it) sometime in the next month or so.  And Fisher has declared "I'm going to spend all my money on hooks and other materials for fishing".  Yes, he really said materials.  So funny.  Again, we named him well. 

Deckin' and Trimmin'

A crafty one for you!

We have had tons of fun this last month deckin' and trimmin' our little house.  Some of these projects are from years past but we love them so much we keep bringing them out, and some are new.

Like this one... 

I made a yarn wreath for our front door. I'm totally loving this color combo for Christmas. (I think I'll make some pillows in these colors too.)  I added a couple of beeswax ornaments to the middle. 


We made quite a few of those too.  Beeswax ornaments I mean.  They smell so delicious and warm when the sun hits them.  I have a string hanging in the kitchen window.

We've made paper chains, and placemats, and gum drop trees. (I'll try and get pictures up of those - awesome)

And a few strings of lights.  These were really cute.  We used glittery craft foam, binder clips (from the office supply store), and some yarn.  I think I saw it in Family Fun magazine.

And here is a Christmas quilt I made a few years ago.

We made cookies at Aunt Carly's house.  If Fisher looks guilty here it's because he was just busted eating a handful of sprinkles.

And these stockings were made the year Fisher was born.

Piper's was made just before she was born.  Mine was made by my Mom when I was little. 

One of my favorite ornaments from my childhood.

Last year we made these dried orange slices with clove and cinnamon.  I LOVE these.  They still smell yummy even a year later.

Fisher has taken up finger knitting.  He knitted this cord for our tree.  It's my favorite new decoration this year!

The (relatively) finished product.  We've continued to add little bits here and there as creativity strikes.  Notice the popcorn string!  This is our first year with that too.  There are all these gaps where little hands have picked off popcorn.  I'm looking at you Pipey. (and we couldn't go any lower or the dog would pull it off)

Another lovely.  She makes me happy.

The kids and I made all these great paper snowflakes that we taped in the windows.  It's so beautiful when the sun is setting and lights up the window.  The shadows cast on the curtains are just magical.

We hope you have a happy and peaceful Christmas.

Love,

JKFP and Bob

I think I'm going to kill two birds with one stone here and post this on Sewtastically Made too. I'm also linking with Happily Home Sewn! 

A Big Day

Piper and her daddy have been talking about this for a couple of months and today it happened to work out.  Can you guess? 

Getting ready.

X marks the spot.

Patiently waiting some more.

 OUCH!

How sweet are these little ears!?!?

She did cry just a little bit.  Long enough to get the wrapper off the sucker and then she was fine. 

Such a big girl.

Bugs, Butterflies, and Fowlers

Pipeyday Part Two:

To any of you who are even almost local you simply MUST go to the Butterfly Pavilion in Denver.  (It takes us from about an hour and a half to get there from Colorado Springs.)  So. Worth. It.  It's wonderfully inexpensive and just delightful.  And it's not just butterflies people! 

They have an aquarium room...

With a starfish tank.

This kinda makes me want mac-n-cheese.  That's probably gross huh?

The birthday girl checking out clown fish.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this is learning.

Oh and guess what?  They have butterflies too.  And flowers.  (or fowlers as Pipey says)

James and I had lots of fun practicing our close -up photography.

On the hunt.

I thought for sure these were fake.  They were so patient and still, letting us take picture after picture.  Then a leg wiggled.

Butterfly food.

They just loved every second of this place.

After the butterfly room we went to check out the bug room.  I'll spare you the pictures of clear boxes of cockroaches.  Though Pipey declared loudly "Mommy, I LOVE cockroaches".  (She did not get that from me.)  They also have super cool stick bugs, praying mantis, scorpions, beetles, bees, and spiders.  Lots o' spiders.  They have a tarantula that the kids can even hold.  Her name is Rosie.  (which is interesting because F & P's Nana also has a tarantula named Rosie) Piper waited in the short line to hold her and we had to convince them that she was old enough. (you had to be three - and it was her 3rd b-day!) She sat on the little chair and then told the lady "I don't like spiders".  So Fisher held her.  He's an old pro at it as we've been before.  Then he got a sticker.  Pipey really likes stickers. 



So she held Rosie too.  (and she got a sticker)

How cool is it that my Pipey is three??  And that she held a tarantula?  She's a brave little thing.

JKFP

Celebrating Pipeyday

(Missed me? Yeah, I missed you too.) 

Part One:

On December 4th our sweet Miss Pipey turned three!  She is such a big girl now.  I thought it would be fun to list some things you may or may not know about Piper and then (of course) slam you with pictures. 

- She has several nicknames besides just Pipey.  I call her Sparky.  Her daddy calls her Skippy Bippy. (or just Skippy) And Fisher calls her Pipes.  She answers to all.

- She loves all things pink, purple, yellow, and sparkly.  Also princesses and fairies.  And bugs and dirt and dogs.

- She got her very first black eye at three years and one day.  (she's still recovering from that one) It happened in the cart at Costco.  She slipped and smashed her sweet little face. 

- She sings herself to sleep.  Loudly.  It's so awesome.  One day I hope to video it somehow without her knowing.  She gets quieter when she thinks you're listening. 

- She will try ANY food once.  Anything.  Just the other day she and Daddy were eating jalapeno stuffed olives.  Which she loved.  She even liked the burning...for a minute.  Then she decided they made her stomach hurt.  But still!  Three years old and eating super spicy stuff.

- She likes hot sauce on her eggs, eats hummus with a spoon, and will snatch every speck of a salad off your plate.  She even ordered the kids salad bar the last time we went to a restaurant.  (Having an extremely picky older brother makes all this super strange)

- She loves dancing.  As a matter of fact, she dances ANYTIME music comes on.  Even music on commercials.

- Her favorite TV show is Angelina Ballerina. (shocking I know!)  She even insists I do her hair to look like mouse ears and call her Angelina on occasion.

- She calls flowers...fowlers.  And I hope she NEVER starts saying it the right way.


Now for the pictures... mostly cookies and present opening.

Our friends invited us over for pizza and a giant cookie on Saturday (Dec. 3rd) to celebrate their daughter Onora's 2nd birthday.  Yay for Onora!!

 Then we added a candle and and sang to Pipey!  She's trying not to freak out here as everyone sang to her.  Remember Fisher's 3rd b-day freak out?  I should look for that video...

 Beautiful (and edible) butterflies on the cookie.

Checking out Onora's new toys.  (in case you are wondering - that is braided Angelina hair)

The birthday morning!

This one cracks me up.

Baby cradle and excitement.

Every girl needs a pink castle.

Castle furniture and an up close of the birthday crown.

And a pink and purple sewing machine!!

She is just the sweetest little thing ever! We are so lucky to have this bright sparkly light in our lives. She makes every day better than the one before. We love you Pipey!

Love,
JKF & Bob

And as it's friday I'm linking up with Happily Home Sewn and her Peek of the Week!  I feel I should warn you - her peek today will totally make you want to have a baby.


**  Part two coming soon.