Why I love coming home...

Because at the end of the day

this fun lovin playful lil girl

with her awe

and smile

and gleeful giggle

and this 'lil Momma

who believes that all polkadots match

are waiting for me.

FarM...again...

This morning I woke with grand ideas to create a layout of our property, as well as label pictures from our jaunt to the property tomorrow. However, the laptop (our only PC) that runs Photoshop just crashed, leaving me Photoshopless. Therefore, today you will receive fluff pictures from the property only. Still cute, I'm just unable to explain our intentions at this time.

In the future though, I hope to post ideas we have for houses and barns, as well as locations and such.

So here's to yesterday. A beautiful break from generally bleak Michigan winters.

Travis carried Adalynn...

...I carried Keely.

Silly child.

Our children SO LOVE being outdoors.

T carried Adalynn to the far end of the property, and she walked back holding both of our hands. As you can see, the peeps-that-be cut the corn.

But it's still 1-3' high in most places.

So we walked in the woods and out to the end of the second woods, looking at the lay of the land. Next, and soon, we hope to get a quad path broke out from the road to the corn. Maybe early Feb? And invite builders/excavators out to plan a driveway.

Awww. I love this picture. Soon, I think I'll frame it.

Gotta run - A just pooped in the potty. It's a good day!

By the way...

Travis posted a very nice video last weekend about his trip out to the property.

And while he says that pity comments aren't going to count, I know that some of you out there totally intended to comment, just haven't gotten around to it yet.

So.

Comment.

Click on the "Comment" button below, or in the video post, and let's tell Trav how nice his post was, how informative and fabulous his video was.

Besides, he's funnier than I am.

A New Lil Somethin Special

Since I worked feverishly on Keely's longies, Adalynn felt a little put out. I originally intended on knitting her mitts prior to the longies, but the yarn I bought didn't work out. Pooh. So, the longies came about, but Adalynn kept asking about mittens.

In the recent past I knitted mitts and gloves. I thought about knitting Adalynn a cute sweater, for her growing-ness, and reviewed some options on Ravelry with Adalynn. She humored me, but in the end said to me, "Momma, I really need some mittens to keep my hands warm."

Seriously child.

And so, Mittens it is. Yarn chosen by Adalynn, to match her sister.

*

Happy New Longies Day!

Ahhhh. Woolies. I just like saying that: Woolies. Woolies. Woolies-woolies-woolies-woolies. Yippee!!

Oooooh.

Soooooooo cute.

On Soooooooooo many different levels.

Rock on.

Happy New Dress Day!

Adalynn is growing. She bounded out of 3Ts - length can't hold her in - and is currently grounded in 4T...I should've prepared a month ago, but ... didn't.

So I searched Etsy for some fun, unique clothing options - versatile enough for now and yet may work this summer too. This funky dress, while it may be a shirt soon, hopefully will fit for at least 3 months.

Thank you, Jennifer, this dress is great! (see her shop: 5 lil munchkins!) Quick shipping, very nice sewing, love the adjustable straps...definitely twirlworthy!

This dress has landed a primo spot in the favorite pile, for sure.

Right next to the box.

1st visit to FarM (plus a little bonus)

Can you believe it...pull up to the new property (which we would consider out in the boonies), go to try to back into our little parking spot that we've made, and there's a car in the way....seriously people. I was about 2 seconds from hooking a tow strap to their car and seeing what the new dodge can do.

And now for the added bonus...This is what you get when you take away my MTV...you get MCTV (Masselink Country TV)

Longies Update...as of 5 minutes ago

The longies are coming along...I'm on the bum right now and hope to finish that up today. I love the yarn, it's so soft, but I'm worried it's to lightweight for a diaper cover. I'm trying not to be anxious that they won't work out, and instead relish in the process. I mean, really, either way Keely gets a funky pair of pants!

Jean...No way, really? You spin? That's awesome! How fun!!!! I would be interested in some yarn! Where do you get the wool from?

How's Molly Jean?!?

And yup, I did find the longie pattern on Ravelry. Your mom's a smart woman, the website is great. You should for surely join if you knit/crochet. So many patterns, a lot of them free...which I love, because I'm super cheap (hence, learning to knit as opposed to purchasing pricey longies!).

Hasta luego! *i really hope that says "until later" in spanish. if not, please ignore.*

So, the first night after I cancelled cable, we actually still had cable running through our house's veins. And the second, third, and finally the 4th day the cable guy (hehe) came to disconnect. But, on that first night we lived it up and partied like it was 1999. or 2009. Trust me, Travis captured on camera Adalynn and I dancing and jiving in the living room. Wonderful experience, I wholeheartedly recommend weekly, if not daily, dancing parties.

However, we are not showing the video because I write this blog and upload the entertainment. Sorry.

Let's back up a little.

Since I am one who should not be bored (boredom + me = t-r-o-u-b-l-e), recently I learned a new hobby: Knitting. I've always known how to knit a little...mainly (ok, only) scarfs. After a while scarf after scarf gets boring and after searching I discovered a little gem of a forum called ravelry.com. It's a new love of mine - totally fun, sweet, sassy, and funky patterns of all sorts of stuff to knit (including thongs...who knew? and no, getcha mind outta the gutta, i will not be undertaking a thong pattern anytime soon.) Onto better things, I found this delicious pattern for fingerless gloves. (tiffany, merry christmas!!! i'm sorry i didn't get these to you sooner. i'm blocking them today and they will be in the mail for you by this weekend.)

It only took me three different yarns and 2 attempts (i knitted 1 whole glove just to find i knitted it inside out. not pretty.), but I got'er'dun.

2nd on the docket was Gloves for T. He was complaining that I don't love him enough to make him anything, as I mostly craft for the girls, so...eat this, buddy!

Next: Longies for Keely. For people who don't know, and not long ago I would have fallen into this category for sure, wool is an awesome, natural material for diaper covers. So, longies are basically knit wool pants. Yes, they can be out of other materials and created by other means (ie crocheted, sewed, etc), but for the sake of simplicity I am knitting Keely a pair. We may, or may not, use them as a diaper cover.

Either way, she will be one awesome lookin' 80s baby.

In other news. Yesterday we met Trav in town after work to buy items to organize our life (ie pantry) and spend the girls' gift certificates from Grandpa Bob and Grandma Lynn at Target.

On clearance we found a yummy (read: quite discounted) kitchen.

Adalynn fell in love. For the next 3 hours while assembling at home Travis discovered why it was on clearance. We're positive that a smart set of parents opened the box, looked at the gazillion step directions, multiple pieces, and large discrepancy between size of box and finished estimated size of project, and promptly taped it up and returned it.

Still. The beautiful kitchen turned out totally worth it.

Awwww!

I wish my kitchen looked this tidy and neat.

We moved our china cabinet to open up the dining room and positioned Adalynn's kitchen in place of the cabinet. Adalynn appears to like her corner of the world and setup shop reading to Keely. Notice that Adalynn follows her mom - not hardly 10 minutes of playing and she already has a sink full of dirty dishes and a counter full of stuff. Sorry girl, you're doomed.

Keely. Did you know she turned 6 months yesterday? In some ways it seems like just yesterday I was pregnant and waddling around, but mostly I feel like she's existed forever in our lives and I'm surprised she isn't older.

We have fallen seriously in love with this grin.

Overall, a joy. She smiles, grins, coos, giggles, and is growing busy busy busier every day. No more leaving any forbidden items within a 5' diameter - she'll find the treasure and eat it up!

She's growing stronger - still rolling front to back frequently, turning in circles, rising on her forearms and knees and rocking back and forth. Like she thinks she's going to crawl. And Keely has decided that 5:30am has a certain sweet ring to it - she loves to wake up and coo/giggle/growl herself into the corner of the crib so Mommy must wake to rescue. It's lovely.

Tiff, she loves this octopus. What a great idea - the legs are so colorful and make great noises when scratched and there are so many of them!

Even the songs aren't obnoxious. A huge bonus and hard to find!

So Keely, we're so glad you made it to 6 months. I know the odds are against you, with us as your parents, Adalynn as your sister, and the boys romping around, but just know - we'll always love you.

And, before I forget:

Scott and Laura - so true! I recall that as a younger child we'd stay a night in a hotel for vacation and always looked forward to 2 things: Jumping on the bed and Watching TV. Looks like that's what we're going back to!

Tiff - thanks! I love that picture too.

Also, Jean, I found a longies pattern. I've started it, I'm super excited.

Anticipation of Disconnection.

December 30, 2009, as we drove up to the wild north, we discussed our TV. Cable, to be exact. And on this issue we derive from two total opposite ends of the spectrum: Cable never landed on my TV until I moved back to MI from TN....for Travis, he's never known anything else.

So we talked about cable. And a possible switch of services to Satellite. Or something else. Anything to take a break from the ever-rising cost of cable and the fight every 6 months when we receive a bill that is $30 over our normal bill, I call and tell them to bring it back down, they tell me to shove it and finally fine, but they're removing all the fun out of experiencing cable. SO. We've put up with it so far as the internet runs as much as cable+internet, but the very nice woman I spoke with on the 30th let it slip that there might be a lower internet price. Hmmmm.

SO. Travis, on the 30th, experienced my pain of dealing with the cable and dish companies as he listened to me nicely negotiating with both. Maybe it was the holidays, or the roofie I slipped him on the way up, or our impending house build (?), farm raising, trips, truck...for whatever reason, he uttered, "After the 7th, Why don't we just take a break from cable?"

Now, I love me some HGTV, I'm not gonna lie. But hmmm. It's too tempting to say no. So tomorrow starts a month long haitus, and maybe longer.

And I gotta admit, I'm excited.

Happy New Year! Cabin Style.

We traveled up to the cabin to ring in the New Year, partly because the cabin provides a calm, rustic aura that greatly complements the gaiety of this holiday, and partly because we just really wanted to take the new truck for a spin.

The whole gang played together seamlessly.

(tiff - sorry, this is as "santa-y" as we get...we tried for charlotte's sake :)

Maggie preferred licking toes.

Nana enjoyed blindfolding T.

Mr. Bill read Silent Night to Adalynn at least 10 times, and listened to the song at least 20 or more.

Hardly saw a pouty face the whole time.

Board games dominated; Catch Phrase reigned as a favorite, playing old school girls vs. boys.

Some of our brains were more lubricated than others. We had a lot of these moments:

Our poor thinkers were rattled from the sledding hill.

To summon the New Year we dressed up in decorations from a decade ago.

Nana

Papa

Mr. Bill

Miss Carol

Daddy

Mommy

Adalynn

The snow fell continuously, casting a white blanket over the cabin. and it all felt Perfect, just perfect. We hope you all had a Happy New Year and send heartfelt blessings that this next year will be your best year yet! Much love, the Masselinks.