Amy Artisan

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Category: M’Amy’s Girls (page 2 of 4)

In Pictures: February 2013

Here we go…a second month of 2013 in the books… February

I flew out of Green Bay on the morning of February 1st – on my way to the airport I drove by Lambeau Field. As the temp registered “-1” there was a long line of fans that were waiting to snatch up free tickets for Donald Driver’s retirement announcement the following week.

Rebecca finished up her 5th season as a swim coach. She sent me this picture from when the school won the county swim meet for the 13th straight year. As the teams were at their state meet, I was able to follow their progress through app – a fun way to be connected to her even from so far away.

As the big blizzard struck the northeast, we only got a small taste of it. A few inches of snow fell overnite on Friday & by the time I woke up on Saturday, the maintenance crew at my apt. complex had already cleared the parking lots and sidewalks. Later that afternoon as I walked around the complex, my new snow boots were definitely overkill but at least I had a chance to break them in.

This Valentine cutie…my littlest girl in Texas ready for her preschool party. On Valentine’s evening, it was fun to FaceTime with the girls in Texas as well as the kids in Wisconsin.

I made it to the movies twice – both were excellent – and each movie yielded a dishcloth.

I ended the month starting The Whole 30 which means I’m spending some fun time in the kitchen making new things – among them, my first time making homemade mayo. I’ll be sharing more about this adventure in my next post.

A Darling Knit

I’ve frequently said that I enjoy knitting for family & friends. Recently, I’ve been reminded why there is joy in the process. A couple of weeks ago, I received a picture via text from Texas that reinforced why it is so special to knit for loved ones. Miss Butterfly, who is now 9 1/2 years old (!) had picked out a M’Amy hand-knit to wear to school that day – because it was cool & stylish. The handknit, the “Oh My Darling” poncho that I had knit for her almost 4 1/2 years ago.

Darling Butterfly It is fun to look at the “now & then” pictures and see how Miss Butterfly has grown up. I’m thinking that this year’s knit list needs to include new wearables for the dear kiddos in my life.

Snow – Knits – Joy

I’ve said it before & I’ll say it again – knitting for babes & kids is fun! Especially when you get pictures of the knits in action.

This afternoon these pics came from Texas via text message. When I was in Dallas in March we woke to a Sunday snowfall & scrambled to put together some cold weather gear for the girls to play in the backyard. So, I decided that I needed to provide some additional cold weather gear – this winter I was on the lookout for snow pants for them & found a steal of a deal on ‘basic black’ just before Thanksgiving.  For Christmas, I knit simple “infinity scarves” for Miss Butterfly & Miss Doodlebug & found some winter gloves to match. Today, they have a bit of snow down south & were adequately prepared to head outside & play.

Most of the time, snow isn’t as fun when you’re an adult…there’s the shoveling to do, getting the car in & out of the garage in the alley, dealing with driving in the bad conditions (I had a horrible trek north in December after a big snow), etc…how wonderful to be reminded of the joy that a bit of snow can bring!

Rebalancing the Equation

Looking at the lack of blogging this year, the “work + life = balance” equation is definitely a bit out of whack this year. Work has definitely taken most of my time – although along the way there have been some fun times with family & friends that never made it to the blog. This project came very close to interfering with my annual Halloween with the girls in Texas; however, long-story-short I ended up being able to go & it was so needed!

As soon as I was through airport security on Saturday morning I could feel the stress of recent months melting away & I was pretty giddy at the thought of seeing my girls. My four days in Texas were filled with plenty of girlie & family time. I finally got to meet Baby V & was instantly smitten. The warm weather allowed for playtime in the backyard – swinging on the swing set, playing tag & more.

On Saturday afternoon, the little girls joined the big girls for pedicures – it was their first time in the spa chairs & they were so fun to watch.

Sunday included lunch that was dining al fresco on the patio and ended with trick-or-treating in the neighborhood – we went to the most houses ever.

On Monday, after getting the 2 girls off to school we enjoyed some shopping & then came home for a bit before the girls got out of school. Baby V sacked out in my arms – so I stayed home while Maya picked up the girls. As I looked at the sweet baby asleep in my arms, I thought “this is the best Monday I’ve had in a while.”

On Tuesday, a bit more shopping & then an early birthday lunch of sushi (which isn’t available way north). After school, there were playtime & story time with the girls.

As is always the case, the time flew quickly & then it was time to fly back to Chicago (ticket restrictions meant I had to fly back on Tuesday). As I was getting in some last minute hugs from the girls, Miss Doodlebug summed it up best when we talked about me leaving: “…but we only had you here for 4 days!”

While the trip was short, it was filled with all the ingredients needed to strengthen the “life” portion of the equation. Today is my birthday – later this afternoon I’ll be trekking northward once again – but as I restart on the project & start a new year, I will strive to keep balance in the equation. Without a doubt, time with these girlies always helps that!

Springtime in Dallas

No matter how March arrives, it also signals that it is time for a visit to my 2 favorite little girls in Texas. This year was my fifth (!) winter escape and it was definitely needed. The days were filled with so many fun times both with the girls & their Mom, a dear friend.

Our Friday outing to the Dallas Arboretum was a beautiful day –

…seeing the blooms just made my heart sing!!

After beautiful weather to enjoy the blooms, the rest of the weekend tended towards lionish –

rain & cold on Saturday provided for another M’Amy, Miss Butterfly & Miss Doodlebug craft time…

…we made & painted stepping stones for their garden.

And the weekend was topped off by waking up to several inches of snow on Sunday morning.

No matter the weather, this winter respite is an annual trip I eagerly look forward to – my time with the girls was the perfect recharge from some rather intense weeks at work & helped to remind me of the balance that is so important in life.

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