*HINT* Guess This Song *HINT*

In the fashion of this post and this post...I present to you...GUESS THIS SONG.

Just think...4-year-old kid song...not a Wilco song.

*HINT*...The rectangle is a bed.

Nice guesses on the Humpty Dumpty and Lori, we need to talk about your personal relationship with Gustafer Yellowgold.

Aging Hipsters

We joined thousands of other aging hipsters last week for the Flaming Lips show. I'll let the photos speak for themselves. It was awesome.

Why Blog?

I ask myself this question all the time.

1. Makes Our Family Public: This is probably the hardest to deal with. Is it "safe" to make our family so public? I have briefly thought I might make the blog private to only friends and family, but I don't want to do this (refer to D.). For me, when a blog goes private I say good-bye to that blog and the family on it. It is too much work to ask to read their blog. Should I not post pictures of our kids faces? I don't want to do this either, because our kids are very cute and without them the blog would be very boring...

2. Self Centered: Blogs can feel very self centered to readers at times. Look what I did! Look at my beautiful family! We are so perfect and wonderful and do really great things! Our blog doesn't show the dirty floors, dishes in the sink, the ugly things I've made, the super boring things we do...only the good stuff. I really hope our blog doesn't seem self centered. Maybe I will do a post about dirt and dysfunction to balance things out a bit.

After much reflection these are the reasons I blog...

A. Family Far Away: This blog started as an easy way to share photos and stories for family and friends who live far away.

B. Creative Outlet: The blog is another creative outlet for me. It gives me a chance to share the photos I'm proud of and do a little bit of writing. There are many blogs out there that have inspired me to use my blog creatively.

C. Therapeutic: During some rough times it has been very therapeutic for me to write my feelings and get support from others in blogland. This post,this one, this post, and this one are just a few that have helped me through some ups and downs. This leads into D.

D. Connections: Blogging has brought to me several lifelong friends, who I never would have met if it wasn't for our blog. The support I have received through these connections has gotten me through some tough times.

E. Shamelessly...Free Advertising: I have a small craft business...if you didn't know this already. Blogging about my "shop" and my crafts brings me business. I love sewing and creating for others.

In conclusion...I will be a blogger for a while.

Sorry, Babies

Rhett made a fort and declared that there are no babies allowed. Poor Mezmur. He wanted help making a sign.

Mezmur was allowed in and Rhett was sweet even when she tore down the fort and we had to fix it. This boy blows me away with his tenderness to his sister. He loves her so much and she loves him. Just look at how he looks at her...

Oh, by the way. We have a walker.

Rhett repeats all day, "Walk to brother...walk to brother...walk to brother." It is very sweet.

Trapeze Sundress

Go have a look at the Bolt Neighborhood blog...

Mezmur + Zora = BFF

A little back story on this meeting...

April and I became acquainted online while we both were waiting for our referrals for our daughters. She is my first cyber friend. There were very few people who knew how I was feeling while I waited for our referral, but I had April. To have someone in the same place in the adoption process is huge. We also used the same agency and when we went to pick up Mezmur we learned that Mez and Zora also had each other. They were in the same room at the House of Hope (our agency transition home/orphanage). This bond of friendship I have for April was formed during a really emotional time in both of our lives...a time where we both really needed a friend who KNEW. It is the same bond we hope for our daughters who were together while they waited for their forever families in their birth country.

April, John, and Zora were able to spend some time with us while they traveled the NW visiting friends and family. We are so blessed to have them in our lives.

Here we are...meeting in person for the first time.

Mezmur really looked into John's soul with her gaze...she approved.

Zora usually greeted Mezmur with a lick...or a kiss...which is also a lick.

We took them on a little walk to a few of our favorite places. Grasshopper, Bolt...

We were also very lucky to have met April's good friend Becca, who is the local craft celebrity who started Queenbee.

Here are Mez and Zora at Becca and Tony's chicken coop.

Rhett and April had a corn shucking competition...I believe it was a tie.

Mez is going to be the one begging for a dog as soon as she can talk. She looooves dogs. Poor Hank was an old fellow.

Here is Zora going in for a kiss and Mezmur ready for the receiving.

Rhett sure loved Zora. She got some good big brother love this weekend. She looks very happy, doesn't she?

Here we are enjoying a barbecue at Becca and Tony's.

We also got to spend some time at another favorite place of ours...Jamison Square fountain. Here is a good one of the family with one honorary member...checking out John again.

It was sad to say good-bye. We know they will be back next summer, but we hope to see them again before then.
Thanks John and April for coming to our neighborhood...we can't wait for our next visit.

Sneak Peak

Just a little sneak peak at who we got to spend part of our weekend with...ZORA KALKIDAN!

Lucky us!

Rhett's New Pants-Nap Time Diaries

I just finished these pants for Rhett. They are the Oliver and S Sandbox Pants. Written about so lovely here by Lupine. I love them and Rhett will be sporting the Oliver and S Sandbox Pants in a number of fabrics all fall/winter.

First attempt at button holes...ever. Now I can finally finish Dan's Father's Day present...sorry, Dan.

"It's Better Than Disneyland" -Dan Lapour

We had our yearly adventure to Enchanted Forest last weekend. This year we were finally able to convince the Rices to join us. I believe they weren't disappointed. Here is Mezmur and her first Enchanted Forest experience...

Blow this up and look at Rhett's face.

Rhett was this happy most of the day.

Grandpa with sleepy Mezmur.

Rhett had his first roller coaster experience...his thoughts? "I'm never going on a roller coaster again my whole life."

Dan and Jeremy look very happy coming off the log ride.

Good-bye Chippy...until next year.

After the water show Rhett asked, "Can we come tomorrow?"

I'm sorry Rhett, but your Mama can only handle one trip to E. F. a year...your Dad on the other hand...

With Friends Like This...

Sarah, Jeremy, and Elliot just got back from Japan and brought home a beautiful stack of fabric for ME.

I love this one...

Thanks so much Sarah! You are the best!
I'm thinking of a sunhat for Mezmur for next summer with the strawberries, a jacket for Mezmur with the bunnies or the green Red Riding Hood fabric, a jumper or skirt out of the dots...

A Meal of Two Harvests

A lot of flour, one big brother helper in a cute apron,

a whole lot of butter,
Marion berries picked and frozen...

= a delicious pie

The next harvest we enjoyed that night was a bowl full of edamames from our garden. Thanks, Dad.

A little about the last post...

The kids are wearing their traditional Ethiopian clothes. We were at our local agency's summer picnic. I thought it was a perfect excuse to have them wear there Ethiopian outfits. There was a professional photographer there...that is the story of the picture.

Me With My Kids

Nap Time Diaries

We found a dresser for Mezmur at the Fremont Fest last weekend. It was ugly, so painted it...Rhett helped. We were able to find a gallon of mis-mixed paint for $5...score! I did some painting on it during nap time today and in between coats I sewed.

I'm trying to finish a few projects that I have started a while back. First is this skirt for ME. I fell in love with this fabric and knew it would be a skirt for me. I haven't made myself a skirt for 5 years when I made that red floral skirt. I'm sure some of you know the skirt I'm talking about.

Why do I love this pattern? The elastic waist.
The pattern I used was Cute Skirts by Favorite Things. I already have the fabric for a fall skirt.