{ Crocheting into July }

Can you believe that it is July 1st?  We are halfway through this year already, my goodness.

So before I get into my actual post, I have to tell you all that I am so happy to be back blogging full time.

It's been so refreshing, so nourishing and replenishing for my soul, as a mother, as a wife, as a homemaker.  The very essence that made me the woman I am was lost for a while, especially for about two years but it's been amazing getting back on track :)

I've been consciously remembering to take my camera, snap photos, and do my very best to get a post up every single day.

There's even been nights (like tonight), where I came to bed but realized I hadn't yet posted, and brought my laptop along so I can get the post up before I go to sleep. 

Anyway, I've spent a very quiet Saturday.  We had insane storms last night.  We were actually at my brother's house last night visiting with my niece and her husband and by the time we left at 10pm, it was so bad out that we rushed to get home and out of that mess.

As I got up this morning, the skies were still cloudy, so I let Marley out, made my coffee and lit some candles.

One thing I've been doing the past week, is reorganizing, cleaning out and tackling some projects that I have wanted to do for a while.  For some reason, the sight of a closet or room or even a bookshelf, that has been completely cleaned out and reorganized, makes me feel so much better.  Are you also like that?

I tackled a bit of the office today.  Well, I started to get it done but had to stop because Miss Bella was trying to go after Marley, and he is absolutely terrified of her.  She is lucky in that sense, because she weighs about 12 pounds and he weighs well over 70 pounds.  But yeah, it got a bit frustrating for Curt and I trying to get anything done while juggling dogs too, so we stopped for today.

I started on my laundry, did the dishes, gave the guest bathroom a good cleaning and then Marley and I settled down on the couch to rest a bit.

I opened my blog to book for 2011 and got a bit more work done on that. I tell you, it's been a lot of work getting these books done but I'm loving every single second.

As I worked, I indulged in some amazing Biryani that my sister in law's mom made. She is here visiting, along with her sister, they came for Tiffany's wedding. She's known for her Biryani and it had been, oh, close to 20 years since I had any. I had forgotten just how amazing it is. Curt tried it for the first time and went crazy over it. I am going to try and get the recipe from her so that I can make it too.

I then pulled out my Mandala Madness. I hadn't worked on it for months, I got so distracted by the Nuts about Squares, the Hygge CAL and now the Atlanticus, that I didn't get a chance to work on this one. But I'm completely caught up on everything else and while I wait for Monday for Part 7 of the Atlanticus to come out, I decided it was time to crack on with this one.

I did forget how big it was and how long it took to work a single row, but I managed to get 3 rows done and am almost finished with Part 11.  Literally sat for a few hours today, doing nothing but crocheting and watching some documentaries.  Felt so good.

I can't do it too often though because I always feel so guilty if I sit for longer than 30 minutes.  Even if all my housework is done and I have nothing else going on.  Must be a mom thing.

Dinner tonight was a leftover night, so everyone was fending for themselves.  Kids love these kind of nights once in a while, but they do prefer when I make something, because they do love mama's cooking.  :)

Well friends, I'm going to watch Ghost Adventures real quick and then head to bed, but I wanted to leave you with these two photos.

While cleaning and organizing this week, I've come across a few things that I hadn't yet pulled out of the moving boxes.  Like these two photographs of my kids when they were born.  They look so much alike, they could be twins.  Isn't that funny how your babies always tend to look exactly the same when they're born?

My Jasmine

My Nicholas

Right???  Crazy!!!

Have a blessed night :)