Alaska and Fabric

I've been MIA from Blogland for a couple weeks now, so Hello again!  I'm currently writing from wild Alaska, where I'm spending quality time with my family and getting my mountain fix for the next six months.  It's wonderful to be home again; something in me relaxes when I get off the plane and smell the clean Alaskan air, see the mountains, the ocean, and of course, getting to hug my parents and siblings in person.  Skype--as great as it is--just isn't enough.

Looking out at the Chugach range behind the Anchorage skyline across Cook Inlet.

Me, my hubby and my siblings.  I love this clan!

While visiting here, I found out that my absolute all-time-favorite line of fabric was released to the public.  After much mental tossing-and-turning about whether to purchase a line or two or three (or all four), I have in my hot little hands 3 colorways: Honey, Olive and Indigo, the latter being my favorite!

Smokey blues, greys and yellow.  Sunny and gorgeous.

The light greens are more lime than sage, but totally bright and happy!

Ahh...bliss.

Luckily I am staying with a master quilter, so finding the perfect patterns for my new fabric gold is going to be fun, fun, fun!!

Well, just wanted to pop up and make everyone jealous that they aren't in the most beautiful place on earth, nor have the most beautiful fabric on earth.  I'll write more soon and let you know more about vacation and my fabric projects.

Until then, Tschuss!

These are a few of my favorite frustrating things...

I spend my days with toddlers.  My toddlers.  Adorable?  Yes.  Inspiring?  Yes.  Terribly, terribly frustrating?  Yes.

My husband is a resident physician, so he is required to work 80-ish hour weeks.  That has its perks and its drawbacks.  Drawbacks: As far as I'm concerned, there's mainly one.  I see him far less than I would like.  After being friends/dating/married for 10 years, I still like him. A lot.  Perks: I don't have to work, enabling me to spend every waking moment with our 2 children.

We have a 14-month old darling, mischievous girl, "E", and an impish, precocious almost 3-year-old boy, Finn.  I love them both more than life itself.  But, I have to admit, there are days that I really don't like being the mom of 2 toddlers.  Today was one of those days.

Finn decided that Momma needed to validate his every move, follow her around the house, asking a barrage of questions about absolutely nothing.  E decided that to soothe her teething she needed to put everything in her mouth.  Dust bunnies, shoes, an empty butter box she pulled out of who-knows-where, Mr. Potato Head's accoutrements.  Needless to say, I was happy when bed time came and I could tuck the kids safely in bed, away from inappropriate teethers and out of earshot.

Even so, I wouldn't change a thing.  I learned from my own mom to laugh at things that the kids do--and take a picture--because these are the things I'll remember fondly and shed a nostalgic tear over in the years to come.

So in honor of Mother's Day, here are a few of my favorite - and most frustrating - moments.

I love you, Finn and E.  Thanks for making my life full and wonderful.

E, on the day before her 1st birthday, decided to eat a black marker.

Finn's "naptime" - tearing up his room and getting stuck in diaper boxes.

Finn's first masterpiece: blue crayon all over the bathroom floor.

A true amazing moment: playing in snow for the first time.

Happy, happy girl.