baby blanket #2 is being repurposed...

so after attempting to stitch the pieces together it became obvious that it was not going to be pretty or work.  so i ripped out the middle bit and now have two burp cloths or whatever they might be used for.  it's sad, but also happy that i can use them for something other than chalk them up to a fail.  now to sort out how much yarn i need for the next blanket in which i will be using a pattern.

i just need to weave in the ends

43 days...

back in the states and driving again i have a small, minuscule fender bender.  ugh!  i gently tapped the rear end of another car today at a stop light.  the damage was 4 small circles on her bumper from the four screws that hold our license plate in place.  this kind of stuff just stresses me out and i instantly burst into tears.  i have never dealt with car type stuff well, ever.  thankfully, the lady was kind and understanding.  the police did come, but did not issue me a ticket, thank goodness.  i went to barnes and noble after (where i was going anyway) to have a coffee and soak up some of my favorite things on the planet, books, and calm down.  i am blessed to be married to a super patient and understanding guy that does not yell, get mean, or nasty with me over situations like this.  he wanted to make sure i was okay and, although not ideal, said it would be okay.  the lady called me a few moments ago to check on me since i was so upset at the accident and also mention that we might be able to take care of the damage without getting insurance involved.

i still don't like driving and wish there was another way to get around.....nashville tuk tuks would be fabulous, but somehow i think i might be the only one buying into that idea.  

pictures of baby blanket #1

i finished it up last night....just had to weave in all the ends.  i still need to wash it and block it a bit, but here it is:

the whole blanket--about 24" x 30"

up close detail - three yarns crocheted together

bit by bit...

our house is finally coming together...little by little, bit by bit.  it's been a wild and crazy ride, but things are starting to settle down and become more normal, whatever that may be.

our apartment is mostly complete except for our shipment from cambodia which hopefully will arrive closer to the end of march.  we also still need art work up on the walls, but some of that is in our shipment and a few pieces are in houston.  the most important members of our family, the cats, are still in houston visiting with nana (my mom).  they should arrive via friends late next week.  i cannot wait.  i miss them a lot, but i know that nana has enjoyed their company and crazy ways.

paul is settling into his job and finding ways to make it exciting for himself.  he enjoys the folks he works with and seems to enjoy walking to work.  it's been so nice to close to his work.  he has a few projects that he is working on for otterball stuff, but that is winding down.  he might do a bit here and there, but nothing too time consuming or stressful.

i am adjusting to being at home.  it's been weird, but good.  i feel so blessed to have a husband that supports my staying home.  there are days when i don't do much and i feel guilty, but there is really nothing to do.  i have cleaned, finished laundry and the dishes are all put away.  i have been doing some reading, although the book i am reading is not gripping me at the moment.  i have been working on crochet projects (read baby blankets) some as well.  i go the chiropractor once a week which is in cool springs area (about 20 minutes from our house south on I65).  on those days i also make a trip to target since there is a nice one on the way.  i also like the tj maxx down there too.  depending on errands i need to run, i usually organize them by area of town and make a larger trip of it.  finding things/shops to check out in the area while i am out.

baby is doing well, as far as i know.  i feel good.  i need to do some walking on the treadmill in our fitness center to help with my lower back pain.  the adjustments at the chiro have been helping manage my pain too.  my sacrum likes to get out of line and than cause soreness.  it's all that relaxin my body is producing to loosen things up, but it's starts so early that adjustments don't hold as long as they should.  it's a bummer, but i am managing.  lots of flutters and movement happening inside.  it's a nice affirmation that our baby is well and moving.  i go back to the midwives on march 28th and i will be 28 weeks then.  not sure what's on the docket to happen at this appointment, but i am sure it will all be well.  at the moment, we are trying to figure out a birthing class to take so we can learn about all the ins and outs of what we will happen or could happen.  they aren't the cheapest in the world, so i have been doing some research to find a deal.

i am going to houston mid april for a visit.  there will be a baby shower which will be exciting and my brother has a birthday to celebrate too.  i cannot wait to see family and friends one last time before the baby arrives. we were able to use miles and get a deal on a plane ticket.  this will most likely be my last flight before birth. crazy to think about that.

there are pictures up on my flickr site of our new place...i am working on catching up on getting more photos up.  click here to see photos of our new place in nashville.

my next crochet project....

i think.  i have 95% finished baby blanket #1, just need to weave in the loose ends.  i am about 2/3rds finished with baby blanket #2, a pattern i created in my head.  i have been using baby's first yarns from lion brand.  i chose three colors--honey bee (soft yellow), beanstalk (soft pea green), and pixie dust (cream/off white).  both #1 and #2 are made with these three colors.

i am thinking this might be baby blanket #3.  i have never ventured into anything that is off the path--i stick to stripes and straights lines--but i really like this pattern.  i may even use the same three colored yarns for #3 to provide some consistency.  i got this patternfrom blogger, lisa, i follow.  she is a crocheter too and has lots of great ideas.

i will keep you posted how it goes....must finish #2 first.  

here we are....

after living in asia for five and half years we have landed back in the states.  it's exciting, scary, emotional, uncertain, but also good.  it's really the best for us right now and that's what matters most at the moment.

we felt a move was inevitable, but was not sure when/where/how, etc.  we made the decision jan 10th that the states was where we should be and sooner than later.  paul had been looking for a job and it seemed more advantageous to be in the states rather than in cambodia.  before we left he had offers which was reassuring, we just had to move us and all our things to the states to secure such offers.  in three weeks time, we packed up our life in phnom penh, bought one way flights to houston, said goodbyes to friends, and got in a plane (barely) with our kitties in tow.  after 32 hours of travel, we landed in houston with no return ticket to asia.  it was weird and surreal.  the next day we bought a car and spent the rest of the week sorting out details for our life back in the states before loading up the car (very full with wedding presents and stuff) and driving to nashville.  we stopped over in memphis for the night before arriving at our r & j's house where we would stay until we found our own place.

paul accepted a job one month after we made the decision to leave cambodia and we found an apartment the day before.  God was making a path we just needed to follow it and be obedient.  a week and half later we moved in what he had to our new apartment which we love.  we bought a bed and had it delivered too.  we just had to order some furniture from a local company that makes trips to IKEA in atlanta every few weeks.

so here we are....beginning a new chapter in our journey in nashville, tennessee.  it's been just over a month since we said "see you later" to asia and left many good friends behind, but God promises hope in obedience to His plan.  it was hard and bittersweet, but we are looking forward to what's next as we follow Him.