Yarn, Flowers, and Hygge

 I always forget that in the fall flowers look stunningly bright.  Mums, zinnias, even the petunias perform a late show.

Do you know what this is?  I did not plant it.  A bird did.   

 The coleus are still so hearty and the nasturtiums are fresh.

 Bill gave me a huge basket of mums for my birthday!

 Jenny's family gave me roses!

 My mom gave me money and I went straight to the yarn store to buy fancy yarn.  Hedgehog Fibers and Madeline Tosh.  Socks and more socks!  

 Christie and Jeff bought me yarn, too! Lamb's Pride for a fun West Knits pattern. So between three of the kids (Kelli gave me adorable bird mugs and earrings) and my mom, I am RICH in yarn! 
I thought this stash basket made for a lovely color pop. 

Bill broke one of Jeff's old swords while sword fighting with Atticus and Finn so he ordered James another one and it came with this funny hat (and a genie pot which he thought looked like a teapot so he doesn't want THAT!)

 It's been so fun to have Plum Cake and Samantha here.  They are so sweet!  It's absolutely heaven to cuddle with them in the morning and sit outside and talk to them.  

 We've been conducting Granny's Writing School.  Ha! 

 After we went to the yarn store and pet supply store, we stopped at Trader Joe's.  This shopper was SUPER!

Timothy has adjusted to Jenny and Scott's pom (not a cat chaser) and their beautiful cat George (pouting in the basement even now). He is the NICEST baby cat.  He never scratches, loves to cuddle, meows very quietly and is over-the-top ADORABLE!  

And now for a little hygge education from The Book of Hygge by Louisa Thomsen Brits

"Hygge gives us a framework to support our very human needs, desires and habits.  There is a simple, material structure beneath the immaterial rewards.  To learn to hygge is to take practical steps to evoke it - to shelter, cluster, enclose, embrace, comfort and warm ourselves and each other.  Cultivating the habits of balance, moderation, care and observance will then comfortable ensure more hygge in our daily lives." (pg. 20)

So tonight after a taco supper, we will huddle around the tv and watch the presidential debate (argh!) but I am going to light a candle to make it at least a little bit hygge.  

The sky is blue so blue and the leaves are making the outside look magical.  I drank apple juice for lunch.  I DID make the mistake of buying one of those plug in air fresheners for the laundry room.  Wood smoke.  Blech.  The fake smell of it gives me bad dreams.  I threw it away.  I can't tolerate many candle smells so I must remember to buy cinnamon and pine and MAYBE lemon and that's ALL.

Candles ARE very hygge.  

Now I shall brew a cup of peach tea and eat another piece of my lemon cake.  I bought a pink and white polka dot tin tea set at Homegoods and Plum just informed me that she'd like to have an outdoor tea party right now.  Done!

Thank you for coming by!  

Extreme Excitement

 The last week and a half have been FULL!  I took Plum to the mall to buy her birthday gift (just a week early!) and isn't she a picture?
We stopped at the Disney store.  Wow! 

 We had three of our Ft. Collins grands here and April gave ME my birthday gift early!  Handspun!  I love it!  

 We did a lot of park hopping while the grands were here!  It was FUN!  They love to roar around and they play a lot of imaginative games.  Geniuses, I say!  

 James is coming over for his Saturday morning visit so I'm going to leave the picture order a bit random, but I want you to see the hat I made for baby . . . NOAH! 

Some of you remember when Aria was a baby!  She's a big girl now!  Aw, I love her artsy little heart!  

 Finn and Atticus are such nice boys.  Look at Finn!  King of the mountain!  

 Little Timothy has won his way into our hearts and is enjoying a very charmed life! 

 THIS came from the UK and it is EXCELLENT!  I shall share more about it in the posts to come!  

 James came to us while his brother was coming into the world!  We had a lot of fun but he missed his parents SO much.  

 Noah is here!  Look at lovely Mommy!  She did so well and Noah is WONDERFUL! 

 Another grandson for good Grampy!  

 And another son for our sweet son! 

 It's exhausting having a new brother!  

 And then we have another photo of OUR baby!  

 On Plum's actually birthday we went out to lunch with her!  James came along!

 Even though it sounds very busy (and it HAS been) somehow a certain someone scores A LOT of lap time!  Ha ha ha ha!  

 Aw!  James was so happy to see Mommy.

 Noah gave James a big frog!  

 Tonight our Jenny's family of four (and two pets) are moving in with us for two and a half weeks because they sold one house and bought another.  We shall have a lot of fun and a lot of hygge, to be sure!
The days are beautiful and mild.  The leaves are changing and the grass is still vibrantly green.  We shall peg out the laundry, drink tea, maybe light a candle or two and be extremely grateful.

Please pray for my hometown where four people were shot at the small shopping mall.  My sister in law had been at that same department store just three hours before the horrific event occurred.  

Cling to our God.  Cling to your people.  Love.  Love at all times.  Love will win.  

Book Club and a Cozy Cat

 Book club was VERY fun!  Everyone came (that's twice in a row!) and we had lots of fun talking about the book A Man Called Ove.  It's so enjoyable to glide through the book again and get insightful perspective.  

 The book clubbers are all very lovely, don't you think so?

 I bought green flowers at the grocery store.  Mums.  I do love green.

 I did put mums in the bathtub because I told you I would.  I had second thoughts when I looked at the price tags.  Are you a cheapo when it comes to buying flowers?

 I bought ducks at the grocery in anticipation of three of the Ft. Collins grands coming on Friday.  They are too old for ducks but ducks are cute.  Please pray that James' little brother comes at a time when it's not too nutty!  What am I saying?  I want him to come right now!  So does his mommy!  

 Do you think you are living the good life?  THIS BOY is living the good life.  He's fattening up.  He has a cozy bed in each of his two favorite hiding spots.  He gets kissed and petted whenever he wants.  He eats fancy salmon cat food and kitty treats.  

Tomorrow Miss Plum Cake will be here all day and Friday I'll pick up the three cherubs around 11 am.  It's a big slumber party weekend with adorable darlings.  And soon the baby will arrive!
I always underestimate the time and energy it takes to clean house (because I am not a regular cleaner type of person) so now I'm pooped.  I'm going to go upstairs and pull Timothy out of his nestlike bed.  I miss him.
Take care, good reader!  Thank you for popping by!