10 things I want you to know...

My beautiful, sweet, amazing son; (yes, I call you beautiful. Because you ARE the most beautiful thing in the universe to me!) some things I want to make sure you know and understand...

1.
You have the most amazing Dad in the world. He loves you (and mommy) unconditionally and will always be there for you when you need him.

2.
Daddy is a Soldier in the United States Army. There will be times that he can't be home with us, maybe even for a year or more. Having to leave us behind for that time is the hardest thing for him to do. But the job he is doing, helps give us all the freedoms we have as Americans. Whether he is far away or sitting next to you, he loves you with all that he is. Please remember that and always be proud of him, even when it hurts to see him go.
 

3. 
You are the BEST thing that has ever happened to me. The moment I held you in my arms for the first time, I knew my heart was yours forever.

4. 
I will always be here for you when you need me. Whether you've scraped your knee, fallen off your bike, have a belly ache, made a mess, had trouble in school, met your first girlfriend, gotten married, had children...As long as I am alive, I will always listen and do everything I can to help you.

5.
School can be tough. Other kids can be tough. Always keep an open mind and a strong heart. Don't be a bully. Don't let some kid bully you. Stand up for yourself when you need to. Keep your mouth shut when you need to. Be nice to other kids who tend to look down when they walk; you may be the one person that will brighten their day.

6.
Pay attention! In school, in a vehicle, on the bus, to Mom and Dad. Be serious when you need to be and ask questions if you do not know the answer.

7.
Work hard. Don't be lazy. Be courteous. Say please and thank you. Hold the door for the person walking in behind you. Open doors for ladies.

8.
You need to stop growing. Just yesterday, you were a little bitty thing that fit perfectly in the nook of my arm. I can only imagine what life will be like once you're grown and stand taller than me. Sheesh.

9.
HAVE FUN. Laugh often. Smile often. Be silly.

10.
Enjoy the ride. Life is going to be ups and downs, side to side's, and everything in between. Things may not always go as you plan, but those are the moments that mold you into who you will become. Bumps in the road make you stronger. Everything happens for a reason, whether you understand it or not. Trust me on this one.


I love you, my boy. There is no other love like the love for your child. I know you will understand that one day.

Love Always and Forever,
Momma




Sharing my thoughts with others at Miss Mommy's Tuesday Ten :)

I'm _____ because...

I'm happy because...

I have the best husband in the world.
I have the best kid in the world.
We get to have our first Thankgiving together.
I recently was able to get out of a crummy job and into a better one.
I am able to craft and sew.
Even though I am far away from friends and family, they are an awesome support group.
I get to sleep next to my best friend every night.
I wake up in the morning to a smiling toddler.
My husband is going to have leave for a couple weeks in December.
My husband is helping me become a better person.



I'm sad because...

I live so far from friends and family.
We can't visit friends and family more often.
I have not continued my college career. 

Our kiddo is growing up SO fast.
My husband has lots of training next year and most likely, a deployment.
My patience sometimes run thin and it gets taken out on people closest to me.
I try to take lots of photos, but I miss way too many good shots because I always use my phone.
I lost a bunch of photos recently trying to get them transferred to our computer.
My memory is terrible.
I want another tattoo, but my artist of choice is in Arizona.

I'm excited for...
Lots of yummy food on Thanksgiving.
Putting the tree up together.
Making family Christmas cards.
Watching kiddo open gifts.
Starting a new year with the two loves of my life.
Starting my new job.
Making our first whole turkey.


I'm strange because...
I like towels folded a certain way.
I'm not a neat freak, but little things around the house bug me.
I could eat Cholula hot sauce on everything.
I want the room to be as dark as possible when I sleep, but hearing noises freaks me out.
I MUST be able to stick my feet out from under the covers.
I will NOT drive out to the middle of an intersection to hurry and make a left turn before the light turns red.
I rarely buy new clothes. I am a thrift store junkie.

I'm a bad friend because...
I forget to return calls.
I don't think to call people often enough.
I never make it to play dates/meet-ups scheduled on post.

I'm a good friend because...
I tell the truth.
I listen.
I want all my friends to be happy and succeed at everything they do.
I love to laugh and have a good time.

I will always do anything I can to help. 

This post inspired by Little Miss Momma :)

Hoot hoot!

I am LOVING my new sewing machine. Daddy B and Ruke Duke headed out to run errands this morning, so I had the afternoon to turn on Pandora and get to work. My music station choice? Bloodhound Gang. Seriously. This ain't yer grandma's sewing! Ha! :)

I've gotten so burned out on country and pop music lately, that I could scream. I definitely enjoyed hearing The Offspring, NIN, (it even played some Johnny Cash!) as well as a few new ones that literally made me LOL.

Anyway, on to my original blog post (I tend to be quite scatter-brained. Sorry.)

I saw some pictures and HAD to try these for myself. They aren't quite as refined, but they're still way cute.

In the process of making the first one (black), my husband made a little funny. "Hoo are you making it for?" Ha. (Guess you just had to be there). My response was "I have no idea. Just practicing".
He then informed me that his mom loves owls. Hooray! Christmas gift!

They really aren't hard to do, it simply takes a little time to cut the circles, pin and sew. I hadn't yet used a machine for circular stitching, so that took a little practice. The little one is a little messier in spots, but I finally got the hang of it after the first eye.

The peach one didn't turn out quite like I wanted, but that's because I accidentally skipped a step. I originally meant to sew on the "wings" like I did the black one, but the scatter-brain kicked in and I ended up sewing the body together before doing so. Thus, the "feathers". It didn't turn out horrible, but still not like I really wanted. I went to add in some hand stitching, but that would have taken SO long to do.

Practice, practice, practice!!

I REALLY love being able to take scraps of fabric and turn them into something cute. Or useful. Or both!

I will probably be doing handmade things for Christmas this year. Because I enjoy doing them. And because, like so many others, finances are still a little tight for us, even with my small income.


If you're a beginner sewer, what are your favorite projects to try? If you're seasoned, what projects would you suggest for us rookies to try?

Also linking up at Sweet Little Gals turquoise lovin' party!

Little Miss Homemaker

So, I finally got a sewing machine! I am beyond excited. I finally have one of my two ultimate wish-list items (the other being a d-slr).

I've finished a few projects. Started with an easy tote pattern, then made an awesome re-usable cover for my swiffer. The last project was a business card holder based off of a pattern from The Crafty Cupboard, which you can find here, and I adore it. Once I got through my first one, it was really easy! ;)

Being that this is my first time really sewing, other than the pillow and couple hot/cold packs (which were simply rectangles) I did okay. It was more learning how things would look working with the fabric right sides facing and imagining the outcome. Once I got to the place where I could turn it inside-out, voila! Couple little missed spots to fill, but other than that, it turned out really well. Works perfectly for business cards, credit cards, folded up cash. I made this one for a friend, and the picture above is with it full of her cards and such.

I definitely recommend! :)

-mk

Little Pumpkin

Our kid is the cutest kid ever. Not that I am partial or anything. ;)

I hadn't had much sleep and Brian had a long day at work as well, so we just stayed at home and gave out candy. Ruke Duke really enjoyed his costume and seemed to have a good time watching everyone come and go. He even waved bye to them, which he rarely does!

It makes my heart smile to see these two together, laughing and playing.

Two BEST things to ever happen to me.

Still loves to be upside down!

I look forward to all the future Halloween celebrations and costumes. Watching little man grow, choose his character and have fun.

Love my little family. :)

-mk