Callahan Wedding Quilt

My lovely sister was married a few weeks ago. The event was a family affair for the Murphy Clan: Ryan officiated the service, I had the privilege of supporting my sister as her matron of honor and Sam provided the comedy in the position of Ring Bearer.

The wedding was beautiful. From the quartet that provided the music as guests were seated to the emotion behind the vows the couple spoke. This will be a day many will remember for a long time.

One thing I appreciated was how much the day reflected the couple we were there to celebrate. Tauna, my sister, did a great job of incorporating her love of music and art. One way she incorporated this was her wedding quilt.

During the reception each guest designed a quilt square. Creativity was encouraged and the guests came through! There is a portrait of the couple, well wishes and many scriptures and prayers.

While the couple enjoyed their honeymoon it was my task to piece the squares together and finish their wedding quilt. I was very happy to complete this for the special couple. What an honor to be able to weave together all of these memories and create something that the couple will cherish throughout their marriage. It was a great feeling to pass the finished product off to the bride, knowing that this piece will contribute to the warmth and love of their home.

Of course, Sam had to get in on the fun and "cheese" for the picture.

Many wishes to the Callahan's and thank you for including us on your special day!

What else I am up to today...

- Visiting Grandma and Grandpa Teague

- Spent 15 minutes with God, through worship and bible study. Something I have been trying to fit in more but keep procrastinating.

- Skim my closet for clothes that I have no intention of wearing again. The struggle here is I have clothes I love, but don't wear. Well, it is time to let somebody else love them.

Scrap Pillow

I am notorious for substituting materials for crafts or ingredients for recipes. I would much rather use what I have around the house then spend the money. This really takes the pressure off to make what I make "perfect". If I didn't spend money I won't beat myself up if it doesn't turn out! Although I have found that many substitutions work just as good if not better then the original.

I recovered and designed this pillow using fabric scraps and an old throw pillow. I got the inspiration for this project from another blog, this is just my interpretation (so please don't give me any credit!)

What else I am up to today...

- Family day! No big plans, but looking forward to an adventure or two.

- Finish my sister's "wedding quilt" (pictures coming soon!)

Sam's Memory Quilt

Sam's Christmas present this year was a quilt made out of his baby clothes. I made it to fit a twin size bed so when he made the move to his big boy bed it would fit nicely. Last night marked the first night in his big boy bed, I am so excited to share my special project!

I got this idea from my good friend, Tristan. She, like me, was tired of saving huge containers of baby clothes but wanted to save the memories. Thanks for the idea Tristan!

Along with his quilt I made Sam a little elephant. The fabric matches the border and backing of his quilt. It was quick and easy and made entirely from scrapes. Gotta love that!

I hope this encourages you to get creative or finish those projects that are taking up closet space!

What else I am doing today...

- Sam has a play date with his friend Izzy

- Making corned beef and cabbage for dinner!

- Working on my Daily Plan

Basic Weekly Plan

Once we made the decision to have me stay home I knew that I needed a basic weekly plan, I needed to create routines and I needed to stay motivated. I have been working on these 3 things for the past 2 weeks and feel that I have made some progress.

I have talked before about the power of inertia. Basically, if you are moving you naturally want to keep moving, but if you are not moving you naturally do not want to move. This doesn't only apply in science class, this applies to laziness/productiveness too! Well, the past 2 weeks I have made a habit out of not sitting down, especially when Sam goes to bed or when he is enjoying his screen time in the morning. If I make these critical mistakes my whole day is ruined. Instead of cleaning up or finishing laundry during his nap, I never get around to it. Instead of Sam enjoying 1 episode of Sesame Street he spends the whole morning in front of the TV. In addition to not following our routines, I beat myself up for not using my time wisely or being more engaged with Sam. This results in Ryan coming home to a house that isn't picked up, a cranky wife and a needy baby. To me, it is worth having computer time while standing at the counter or folding/putting away clothes while watching Ellen.

I wanted to share my basic weekly plan and encourage you to make one of your own.

Remember, the goal here is progress not perfection. Most days I do not complete everything on my list, but I refuse to beat myself up. I look at it this way: setting a goal and almost making it is better then not setting a goal and doing nothing.

Each day I have a room to focus on. Basically, if I have a minute or 2 I try to do something to organize this room.

As you can see I "award" myself with stickers when I complete a task. Just because it is fun!

What else I am up to today...

- Laundry

- Matching some socks. (woohoo!!!)

- And of course my "Weekly Plan" tasks.

Family Update

February was a month of transition and change for our family. Hence, the break from blogging. We spent our "Free Time" seeking our Father's direction and wisdom. We haven't yet emerged from this season, but things seem to be calming down.

The most notable transition was me resigning from my position at Multnomah University. This was a bittersweet transition. I will miss the rewarding work and the community, however this transition is allowing me the opportunity to stay at home with my sweet boy. As you can imagine, or may have experienced, there are a lot of things to consider and a lot of added stress when making a decision such as this. I am thankful for my patient husband and the clear voice of God as we considered each element.

This was a transition we have been waiting for since Sam was born. The first day I returned to work from maternity leave and had to leave my sweet baby I knew I was not cut out for working away from the home. Almost 2 years later leaving never got easier. Each time Sam was sick, grumpy or got an "owie" I would beat myself up for not being there. I would beat myself up for being distracted at work. I would beat myself up for expecting my exhausted husband to raise our son 90% of the time.

I have always been Queen of burning the wick at both ends. During high school I worked full-time each summer and up to 35 hours/week during the school year. I struggled to do well in school and keep friends. During college I continued to work full-time and took up to 20 credits each semester. My relationships were non-existent, but I was determined to make the most of my education and spent every spare moment earning my 3.9 GPA. Now, as a wife and mom, something had to give.

I don't believe God wants us to be idle, however he doesn't want us over-exerted and useless either.

I applaud the moms who can work full-time and still be connected at home. For me, it wasn't working.

I am preparing myself, just in case this is a temporary scenario, in the meantime be prepared for much more writing and many new home experiments!

What else I am up to today:

- Sam has a "Cookie Date" with his 2nd cousin (??) Lilah.

- Tested out the "mom 2 mom" group at Good Shepherd.

- Write down a simple morning and evening routine.