Picture Perfect

A few weeks ago, Lissa bought a red, white and blue quilt for her new picnic blanket. She had mentioned that she didn't like that the back was white. I suggested tracing the kids on the back with fabric markers. She suggested that might look like a crime scene, so I said we could just trace their hands. This Sunday we had a BBQ and while everyone was there, that's what we did. We took one corner and traced everyone's right hand (Ben will add his when he gets back in a few weeks) and put the month and year. The plan is to retrace the kids every year when we're all together to make a cool keepsake.

When I bought the fabric markers, I also bought t-shirts for the girls to decorate for themselves. Mia drew pancakes on hers, and traced her own hand, as well as Sarah's. Lauren said she drew a parking lot. She also drew our cat, Bear, in the parking lot, Daddy's car, although she made it purple, and a train. They came out pretty cute.

Abby and I made Luke and Natalie's t-shirts. Although not as imaginative, I think they still came out pretty cute.

This week the new WalMart opened in Albuquerque. It's between Lissa and Abby's houses, so it's the perfect place to stop to pick something up on the way home. We went twice on opening day. They had a mariachi band playing in the produce section.

I also went to Aveda this week to get my hair cut. It's a pretty nice cut, I'm happy with it. While I was in the waiting area, I picked up a magazine and found an article about 'summer camps for adults'. There was one in Santa Fe that does photography workshops, from day classes to week-long workshops. The idea of going is just so exciting. Unfortunately, I can't afford any of the classes. But it does make me want to pull out my camera and take as many pictures as I can and try out new things. I figured out how to change the ISO setting on my camera to be able to use different aperture and shutter speed combinations. I turned on all the lights and lamps in my bedroom one evening and got some cute shots of the girls. I really like this one of Natalie because you can see her bottom teeth:

That one may end up being printed out and framed.

Today I made two little toys for Natalie from 6 different fabric fat quarters I picked up at JoAnn. I got different black and white prints and two with some red in them. I got batting and bells to stuff them with. They came out pretty cute. One is 5"x5"x5", and the other is 3"x3"x3". I have so much of the fabric left over I could make her a bunch more, so I'm going to see what else I can come up with to make for her.

Tomorrow is my last day to train for the next 5K. I can pick up my race packet tomorrow, and Lauren's stuff, too. She's going to be so cute! I can't wait for Sunday evening!

For Now

Maybe I'm doing this the hard way and should just combine my two blogs, but I feel like they're separate things. Ladies and GentleBen is about the family and what we are doing and covers more stuff, while Quilt Sew Bake Craft is just about that. It's been sorely neglected for a good long while, but I have some posts coming to that site soon about the things I've been doing. I had a long stretch -with the pregnancy and Ben's deployment and having two kids and moving- where I wasn't really doing anything creative or crafty and so there wasn't much to post there. I've been doing a lot of sewing while I've been here in Albuquerque and I have more projects to do. Or that I'd like to at least attempt to do.

The internet has been spotty over the last two days here. Pretty annoying. But the good news is, Skipper has made the call to switch over to cable internet and they'll be here next week to get the house set up. Should be much faster and more reliable.

This morning Lauren was coloring and she said, "Mommy, look!" I said, "What is that?" and she said, "A picture." Like, duh. Reminds me of my friend Jen and her "This is not a pipe" shirt, and the meaning behind it, which I believe she explains in her post.

I've been regularly running 20 minutes on the treadmill at the pace of a 12 minute mile. This week I need to go running outside more so that I can get ready for the next 5K which is just a week from tomorrow! All I want to do is improve on my time and I'll be happy. I bought Lauren her own little running outfit for the kids' K and I think she's starting to get excited about going.

Keeping Busy

I have six different sewing projects set up to keep myself busy over the next few weeks. I'm doing 2 shirts for myself, one for Sarah, a dress for Lauren and a new sling for Natalie. The dress for Lauren is an add on to my already long list because I went to check out Hip Stitch and Lauren picked out some fabric that she liked. While we were there I saw some patterns by Oliver+S that were so adorable! They have little paper dolls with the patterns with little cut out clothes that match the pattern. The old-timey art is just cute.

I also have about a week and a half until my next 5k. I'm going to make an effort to run outside as much as I can until then because the asphalt was really a shock to my feet. I need to get used to it a little bit more. I just want to improve my time a little bit.

Ben starts flying nights on Monday. That will last two weeks and then hopefully they'll finish up pretty quickly and he'll get back out here to Albuquerque. I would really love to get into our new place up in Washington soon. I just want my own house and my own space. Of course, when we get up there I'm going to really miss having family around and having people to hang out with and for Lauren to play with. I guess we'll make new friends up there soon enough, though.

About the most exciting thing lately is that I bought myself some new Merrell flip flops so that I can start being nicer to my feet since they've been put through some abuse lately. They're really cute and SUPER comfortable, so I am a happy girl. And my feet are happy feet.

Am I too old for this? Probably.

Last fall my friends Katrina and Mandy convinced me to read Twilight a few days before the movie opened. I really did not think I'd be interested in the first book, and I certainly wasn't planning on reading the next three. I finished the book in less than three days, just in time to join them for the film. I really enjoyed the book, but I totally hated the movie. It was corny and cheesy with bad special effects and uninspiring music. The acting was not stellar and the direction was so b-movie melodramatic. We laughed our way through the whole movie like our own version of MST3K. And then I went on to read the next three books. And enjoy them.

Today I saw the trailer for "New Moon." Here it is:

I'm pretty excited to watch this one. And it'll probably disappoint

me, but that isn't enough to keep me away. I really hope that a

new director will be enough to make it better.

Guess What I Got Today?

I got a text from Jayna today ordering me to update my blog.  So here I am.  Listening to my little sister.  Sorry I haven't been updating it.  I haven't felt like there's been a lot to say, but I guess there have been some cool things.

First off, Natalie got glasses!  We took her to the pediatric opthamologist here in Albuquerque for a follow up for her eye patch therapy, and he said she didn't need eye patch therapy anymore, and he thought her eyes were crossing because she's extremely farsighted.  His theory is that she was trying so hard to focus on things close up that she was crossing her eyes.  Hopefully the glasses will let her eyes relax.  I think the glasses are super cute and she looks just adorable:

I also did my 5K last Sunday.  I finished in 39 minutes, 43 seconds.  It was a better time than I thought I'd get.  It was hard, but fun, and totally great.  I'm signing up to do another one on July 19th.  I also registered Lauren to do the Kids' K after my race.

I think she'll have a lot of fun with that.  It'll be so cute to see her in her little number.  Less than three weeks to prepare for that race.  My only goal is to improve my time over the last one, which I think I can do.  I go to the gym nearly every day.  Right now I'm just working on endurance, and I'm up to running 20 minutes straight on the treadmill.  I go really slow, about a 12 minute mile, but that's ok, the speed can come later.

Ben took his checkride this morning for the days portion of the IP Course.  He passed, of course.  In a few days they'll start on nights and hopefully they'll have good weather and will be able to finish up sooner.  I'm really looking forward to getting into our new house and setting things up.  As for our house in Texas, it's off the market and is being rented.  It's not what we really wanted to do, but that's ok, we can try to sell it again later, and for the time being, someone else can pay our mortgage down.

Training, Biopark, Ben in Bama

Natalie had her 6 month check up last week.  She's 15 pounds, 10 ounces and 26 inches long.  She took her shots ok, cried at first but settled down.  She has an eye appointment next week for a follow up to see how her patch therapy is working.  I really can't tell if it's working or not.  Her right eye still seems to not point the same way as her left eye.  But we're only a month or two into this therapy and I think it's supposed to go on for a year.  I hope it does work, I'd rather she didn't have another surgery.

Lauren is doing great.  She has been cracking me up every day.  Last week we went to the concert at the botanical garden and she went with Grandskips to get a stuffed animal.  She picked out a snake.

  

Definitely not my favorite toy, but she thinks it is great.  The biopark concert was fun, we had a picnic dinner and let the kids run around and dance and be wild.

The girls and I all seem to be hit with some allergies this morning.  I'm hoping to get over it soon.  It's hard to keep running when you can't breathe.  I started week 4 on the Couch to 5K plan last night.  Five minute run intervals!  Hopefully I'll do better with it today and tomorrow.  Next week comes 8 minute run intervals.  I can't believe I'm running!  I'm really looking forward to the 5K, though.  And a big 'WAY TO GO!' to Jayna for doing a 5K and a 10K!  I'm impressed!

Ben called this morning.  He had two tests.  One was on aerodynamics and I forget what the other one was on.  He had been stressing out studying for them both last night, but he passed them this morning.  He has a 3 hour simulator period today and tomorrow morning his sim period is at 4:30 am.  Sounds like he's going to have a lot of early mornings.  They have flight line at 5:30 am through the IP Course.  He said it's really hot and humid in Alabama and I am feeling pretty happy that I'm in Albuquerque instead right now.

The girls are both doing well besides the allergies.  Lauren is having so much fun playing with Mia.  I got all three girls matching tops the other day.  

They were pretty cute wearing them and we got a few good shots of them.  I should have gotten a few of just Lauren and Natalie, but I didn't think about it until later.  I can always do more later, I guess.

I've Started Training

The Cherry Garcia 5K is just 3 1/2 weeks away.   I am in training mode.  I'm doing the Couch to 5K program (which can be found on www.coolrunnings.com) and I'm starting on week 2.  I have one more day tomorrow, then I'll start on week 3 on Friday.  I'm really hoping that I'll start to get used to this altitude soon, but I'm also happy to see that I've already started improving.

Ben is already at Fort Rucker.  Today he's doing in-processing and school starts tomorrow.

Natalie has her first tooth!  I saw a bottom tooth all the way through this afternoon.

Lauren has been doing great.  She's so busy all the time, and so funny.

I guess that's about all for right now.