Got this in an email, thought it was worth passing on.

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend.

He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend,
'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.'

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend. He asked her,'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?' The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.

Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.'

This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.

Life Is a Gift

Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion.

Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who went too early to heaven.

Before you complain about your children - Think of someone who desires children but are unable to have them.

Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean
or sweep - Think of the people who are living in the streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.

But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another - Remember that not one of us is without sin.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and think: you're alive and still around.

Tooting my own horn haha

I'm so thrilled with how well my hats are doing. This week I listed two hats and had them both sell straight away. (Thank you to those who purchased them! I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them.) Here they are in case you missed them in my store. I plan on making many more in different colors. As of right now I am sold out of hats in my shop and have a custom one to make tonight. If you'd like a certain color, please ask, I'd love to make something special for you!

Also have added some new earrings recently.

On a more personal note, we showed the house this weekend. They seemed to really like it but I honestly got the impression they aren't seriously looking to buy. The husband might be, but the wife isn't. And we know how that usually goes. On the bright side having them come to see the house made us get off our butts and get a lot done on the house. It's looking really good. More to do of course, only so many hours in the day, but we should be able to get it listed officially when Mark gets back off TDY.

The kids are doing well despite being sick over the weekend. My daughter came down with a bad fever on Friday night. It was severe enough to cause me to take her to the ER. She is fine, just has an ear and throat infection that seems to be getting taken care of by the antibiotics. Now my son has come down with the fever as well. So I suppose I'll be taking him to the doc to get some antibiotics too. They are still in pretty good spirits except for the occasional "we miss daddy" moments. They are obsessed with the movie Enchanted right now. I've got the songs in my head constantly. Cute movie though. "That's how you knoooooowwwwww...." lalalalala

What have we learned so far?

We've learned quite a heckuva lot actually! I attempted a hat with no pattern, just an idea in my head and a will to live. After a few nights of work, no idea how many hours exactly, this is what I came up with. I made it to my daughter's size, because I knew there was no way it was going to be perfect and therefore unsellable. And I was right, it has definite flaws. But she looks like a cutey patooty in it, so I'm pleased. Especially since I learned so much doing it and will be able to make a great one next time. :) Plus my son wants one now too...of course!

We spent the weekend preparing our house for potential buyers to see it next weekend. Still a lot more to do this week but if they decide to buy it'll save us a lot of work in the long run. Keeping our fingers crossed the wifey likes it! The husband has already seen it and is ready to buy, but you know how it is!

Here's some fun pictures of my kids displaying their inner nerds:

No idea where they go that from! ;)

Goings on.

I have posted a few new things in my shop that I'm excited about. My new earrings are going to break my heart to leave, they turned out so beautiful. But I can make myself more, I have to remember that. I seriously have to tell myself I can't keep everything I like.

Also made some new magnets that are really cute. The pictures just don't do them justice! I like them so much I'll be making another set for myself.

And I'm still adding new crochet items whenever I get the chance. I'm offering an add-on flower as well. And today...drum roll please...I sold my first hat! I did a happy dance with that. So that's what is going on. With my creative juices flowing and our lives about to get crazy busy with selling the house and moving to Washington...it's hard to stay focused! I should be able to get a lot done during Mark's upcoming TDY trips. Crossing my fingers.

A Downer of the Military

Today is one of those days we military folk have to deal with from time to time. The day when a friend leaves us for a new duty station. This is one of the parts I don't like about being active duty military. You get to know someone, become good friends with them over the two to three years you are stationed together, then it's time for them to move on to somewhere new. And we'll do it too, in October we will be the ones leaving our friends here behind. Someday we hope to be lucky enough to be stationed together again, or maybe be able to visit....but when, after retirement? Eight years down the road for us. We'll be moving three more times and leaving a lot of friends during that time. The good thing is the times we live in. We have the internet, email, digital cameras, webcams, Myspace, blogs, and cell phones and so...no excuse not to keep in touch.

On top of it being a friend who is leaving ME, it's a friend of the entire family. She and her husband were a couple we spent a lot of weekends with, playing poker, watching sports, just hanging out. She babysat my kids and they love her. My son especially is very close to her and had a pretty bad day when we had to tell him she was moving far away. Heck, you can't blame him, he's five now and she has been a regular babysitter and friend to him since he was two. She threw me a baby shower when I was pregnant and she was there the day my daughter was born. She sat in the hospital room visiting me and holding my newborn daughter for hours. She is one of those people that is right there whenever you need them, and without hesitation or expectation of payback. I hope I was able to convey my thanks for that properly. I helped her for several days preparing her house to sell in time for her day to leave...a bittersweet duty when you want to slow them down and keep them around for just a few more days.

So to my friend, she knows who she is, I wish you the best at your new place of duty. I hope it can feel like a home for you. Be safe on your upcoming deployment, and you better keep in touch! The Thompson family will miss you.

New Store Section!

So after crocheting beanie after beanie, hat after hat, I finally was able to get the sizes right. So I've listed my first couple of crocheted hats in my etsy store. Yay! I'm so excited about it. They have been well received so far, lots of hits in the first day, and got some good comments from my fellow Homefronters. (Thanks ladies!) Now I just need to get a good selection going and see how they do! Check 'em out.



Off to make another one now. :)

The Dynamic Duo

I love my kids, but they are crazy. I get the camera out and they really just lose it. Banana sandwiches crazy. But at least I got my daughter to leave her new hat on long enough to let me take a couple of pictures! I think it helped she saw her brother was also wearing his hat. Okay, so it's a tiny bit big for her...I'm still learning about how to get the size right for the right age, but it still looks cute on her and she has room to grow. And she'll need it if she ends up with a big ol' noggin like daddy. For some reason the angle of this shot makes the flower look too high up and really big, but in real life it is in a good position and isn't very big. Weird.



I had planned on having another one done this evening, but I fell asleep on the floor with Ava at 8:30! I'd say my sleep deprivation caught up to me. Normally as soon as it's bedtime for the kids I suddenly get a burst of energy to get me through some alone time. I slept for four hours on the floor with Ava and woke up starving. So rather than having another hat to share, I'll share the little cell phone pouch I made myself last night. More practice for making different things. And an easy one to make in any size, love that.

And last, but never least, my son dressing himself like five year olds tend to do. Nuts crazy mad, but I love them!

Kyle's new hat

The many faces of Kyle while sporting the new hat Mommy made for him. Can you guess which ones he calls his rocker face? He really likes the hat and says he looks like a skater. Now he wants more hats. Yikes, I've created a monster! (I did pick him up some camo yarn, but he doesn't know that yet. shhh) This is only my third hat, so I hope for them to get even better. I've picked up a few patterns to try and have another one for Ava about 1/3rd done. I'm loving it so far, let's just hope this next one fits her. If not I know lots of little girls to give them to. ;)

More pics, he was being a ham. That last one is for Daddy, his idea.