{this moment}

Joining SouleMama for this Friday tradition. Terrible photo quality here, but definitely a moment I want to pause, savor, and remember! Please leave a link to your "moment" in the comments below.

the house next door

Some of you know about the "issues" we've had with our landlord over the past year. We finally (very reluctantly on my part) decided it would be best to move. Coincidentally, the house directly next door to us was just coming up for rent - identical layout but in much better shape, a kind and attentive landlord, lower rent - good all around.

We got the "ok" to start moving things over today, which we did, and will be doing until Monday when we have to be out of this house. Then we have a trial regarding our current landlord on Wednesday. I doubt I'll have time to blog during all this - see you on the other side!

backyard flowers outside -> inside

In the spring and early summer, I endeavored to use every available inch of space in our backyard for planting. This included a small strip along either side of the fence. The flowers have grown beautifully and over the weekend, I noticed that we had enough to bring some inside!

Henry was happy to help me cut and arrange them.

He made one for himself, ran upstairs, and set it on his nightstand.

{my dresser}

{Felix's room, next to the picture Henry made the morning Felix was born - in fact, I think it was being made downstairs while Felix was born upstairs!}

gray booties for Felix

I knit these booties for Felix a while ago, but by the time I finished them wool season was over. It was finally cool enough for him to wear them on our evening walk the other night! {You should have seen the glee with which I went outside to check the weather and ran back in, exclaiming, "It's cool enough for the booties!"}

{in the beco baby carrier, toes toasty warm}

corners of my home: a desk for Dan

Remember the desk I found awhile back at Salvation Army? I found one for Dan there too! I've always wanted to have a secretary desk in my house. Plus, now if Dan leaves his books and things laying around on the dining room table, I can say, "you have a desk, you know."

first canning of the season: apple & peach sauce

{Henry slicing apples; Jude was watching as well}

{the painting that ensued once they were bored of slicing apples}

{I am so glad I invested in this water-bath canner last year}

{as well as the utensil set - makes canning so much quicker, easier, and safer!}

{they finished painting just in time to help ladle the applesauce into the jars}

{after the boys were in bed, I decided to make a second batch}

{peaches and apples!}

{the end result...9 jars' worth!}

{my reward}

the morning after {hurricane irene}

We decided to take a walk this morning to see what impact the hurricane had on our neighborhood.


I discovered this wonderful flower box, which somehow I had never seen before...

The worst we found was this:

Henry decided to see what would happen to various objects when he threw them into this puddle (rocks, leaves, etc). Jude and Felix enjoyed looking on:Jude just kept saying "wow!"

I was pleased that our flowers fared well through the storm.

Check out the lantana! It's looking good, if I do say so myself!

Henry really wanted to visit the fallen tree again, so after dinner we set out to see it once more.

We got there just in time to see this:

I've never seen such serious looks on my boys' faces as when they were watching that bulldozer.

I know there was a lot of damage done by this storm, so I am very thankful that the impact on our neighborhood was so minimal.