Summer Break: Week Four

The week started with a celebration/retirement dinner for our Senior Pastor, who has led the same congregation for 29 years. We've only been a part of the church for 2, but we thoroughly enjoyed hearing the stories and meeting the people that go back much further in life history with this man and his family. I volunteered as a photographer, so I got to roam the room, snapping photos to my heart's content. Which is probably partially to blame for the fact that I have very few pictures representing the rest of week 4 of Summer Break.

The next day, we hosted a gathering of all of my siblings (except the one that lives over-seas), together with their spouses and kids, plus my parents and an Uncle. We try to gather as often as we all can, which usually amounts to twice a year, when my Montana sister comes to visit. With 11 adults and 11 kids, I was very glad it was a sunny day so we didn't have to crown into my little house. The cousins had great fun running around, while the grown-ups sat in the shade and swapped stories. And I did more relaxing and hosting that photo snapping.

Two days later, our yard was full again, this time with friends, talking, laughing, eating, then going to see the local fireworks. We think we've finally found the best spot to view the display, after a few years of trial and error. 

The rest of the week included band practice, lots of pool time for the kids, printing and assembling a new design for y'all, harvesting the first of our raspberries, lots of work on renovating the back deck, and a trip to the city to visit my local needlework shop and pick up models from their trunk show. 

Methinks busy = less photographic evidence. 

Lately

Oh my lands, have I ever been busy! This little business venture of mine called Heartstring Samplery has been growing slowly and steadily for the last 9 years, and its been a good thing; but I've reached a breaking point, it would seem, between keeping up on designing and filling orders while also homeschooling three days a week and managing our household. I think I have the equivalent of three full time jobs overlapping all at once. Between all of these wonderful, necessary things (and I confess, the easy nature of Instagram for posting pictures), I've sorely neglected this here blog thing. I've heard from more than one of you that you are missing my posts, so I am currently on an airplane taking advantage of the hours that I'll be sitting with nothing better to do, and am determined to get caught up! I'll be back-blogging (post dating) entries all the way back to January, so keep scrolling down if you're one of the faithful readers who really want to know what I've been up to (but bear with me if you're reading this immediately after posting, because this airline internet connection is pretty slow).

I did finally break down and hire a friend to start doing the bulk of my chart folding and stuffing, which has been an immense relief. I kid you not, the day I gave her the first big batch of orders to assemble, I literally slept better. I didn't realize how much stress I was releasing by doing so. Up until now, every single blessed chart has been touched by yours truly at least three times. Now you all have dearest Becky to thank for the freed up creative space in my head. I just hope and pray that she doesn't get sick and tired of the job any time soon.

As I type this, I'm en route to my first ever teaching gig at a stitching retreat in Virginia Beach. Pat and Ann at Dyeing to Stitch have been so helpful in giving me all the direction I need to prepare, but I admit I'm a bit jittery over how it will go. I get that way when doing something new. Not worried that I'll fail, but just not knowing what it will be like. Once my brain has a frame of reference, I'll be good. Having never even attended a stitching retreat before means I have no clue what to expect. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

This year has been a blur of preparation. First getting ready for the Needlework Market in Nashville, which started for reals as soon as the holidays were over, then as soon as I got home, I started planning and devising fun things for this retreat. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself once this trip is through. No more travel on my calendar for 2017 other than a couple of family vacations. I think it will be very nice to just breathe for awhile. :)

Now with no further ado, here are some pictures from the month of April, including lots of blooming flowers, smiling and growing-up-too-fast children, our first firepit of the season (it was a balmy 65 outside that day, who could resist?), and some Resurrection Sunday fun with cousins.

Kids Were Here