one year.

we have been here already for one year, and, really, it's hard to believe. yesterday marks the one year anniversary since the husband's installation/ordination. i suppose i have mixed feelings about this...in fact, there are many things to be happy for, but many things still seem absent. we are making headway in the church, but it seems like such a huge hill to climb...much like Sisyphus walking up his mountain. is this pointless and unrewarding? not really, but really not what we expected or really intended. i, in particular, am ever-so-slowly learning to look for (and actually find) some element of positive in all of these things. for example:
-we live in a lovely (though horribly wood-panelled) house with plenty of space.
-i have had two great jobs (at least for the resume) where i've still been able to teach what i love.
-we are close to the ocean and our favorite california things.
-we live close to downtown which is great for bargain fabric runs!
-we have a lovely daughter who will call CA her home.
-i have had plenty of free time to focus on sewing, knitting, art, parenting and home-making.
-we are (finally) renovating the nursery at church, and under my artistic/motherly direction, it should be awesome!
-we started a youth small group at our house, and, to our surprise/elation, there were 16 kids on sunday (11 were invites!)
-i am slowly making some new friends, including the bean's new babysitter, a lovely woman we knew very briefly in st. louis. she is a nice reminder of that home.

today we travel to orange county to also remember the husband's father who died one year ago today. this, in particular, reminds us of the bad things we have experienced since being here. yes, we have seen twelve people die in one year (one per month almost! yuck.), not including his father. this is too much death for us...too much mourning and seeing times change. too much maintenance and not enough growth, innovation, experimentation. so, overall, we have mixed feelings about this past year. they are mostly good, and we are learning to laugh at the bad ones. i still miss good friends and community. soon.

finally, the long-awaited video of the bean walking. forgive the low light; it was getting dark and we are in desperate need of another living room lamp. she cracks me up, though, with her love of phones...you can hear her saying 'hi' in the phone. also, her little "couch" was a gift, unappreciated at first, but i am learning to love it because she adores it. (plus, she looks so precious lounging in it with her arms on the rests and a juice cup in the cup holder...i need to get a picture of that one day.) please also excuse her cleavage...her dress was falling off.

things i've been meaning to do

i've been meaning to post some of the things that i've made this past year. i think i've taken a break from artwork this year to focus on other things like..........

-having a baby, then taking care of her (that takes just a little bit of time)
-moving
-starting not one, but two different jobs
-getting slandered by my boss, reporting her foulness to the provost and dealing with all of the crap that ensued (still going on by the way)
-practice sewing...slowly getting better
-make a lot of things for the bean, plus try to make our 1970s wood-panelled house feel like a home.

whew. well, here are a few things:


a snippet of the bean's crib. amy butler fabric bumper pad (i nearly ripped my fingernail off sewing it.) and hand-made bird mobile with hand felted balls.


corner of her room with recently sewed (but too big) birthday dress (we opted for a more "adult" black and white polka dot number (also made by me). also, baby pics of mama, papa and aunt kiki.


the reading corner...and the bean "reading" on the floor. lots of artwork here...a plushie i made her a while back (cursed be velvet!!!), plus some prior artwork, plus a lovely piece by brooke noble.


the newest shirt and my most favorite. built by wendy #??...i just know that i love all variations on this shirt, but i think i need to branch out and learn how to sew something else.

now, off to sew a mai tai carrier for the bean and our mountain vacation coming up. pictures to follow.