tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54751662024-03-13T16:04:16.980-04:00The Story of our LifeHappenings of the Hamlin Householdrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17372112740001967049noreply@blogger.comBlogger205125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-2528725755999315402013-04-18T17:56:00.004-04:002013-04-18T17:59:25.085-04:00Raising Painted LadiesThis past month we have been raising butterflies as part of life science at King's Dominion Academy. We received our newly hatched caterpillars in the mail on March 13. They came complete with all the necessary food in the bottom of the container, so our job was easy--watch and wait. Here's Day 1:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They started out so small!</td></tr>
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They grew very quickly, and while they grew, we learned as much about butterflies as we could. We checked out stacks of books from the library, printed out worksheets online, and made lots of butterfly crafts. Here's a sampling of what she made:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AR & J painted wooden butterfly magnets</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ylxawDCOSwM/UXBl2S718oI/AAAAAAAAAuA/g4ooa-G091c/s1600/DSC02480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ylxawDCOSwM/UXBl2S718oI/AAAAAAAAAuA/g4ooa-G091c/s320/DSC02480.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We put together this wooden butterfly, and then painted it to look like a Painted Lady butterfly.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">stained-glass butterfly made by melting crayon shavings between two sheets of wax paper with a warm iron</td></tr>
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It was so much fun! I learned so much I had never know before, and we were both amazed at God's handiwork in these small creatures. Some things we learned:<br />
Anatomy of a butterfly (including scientific names like proboscis, thorax, compound eyes, spiracles, etc.)<br />
Life cycle of a butterfly<br />
Monarch caterpillars and butterflies are poisonous because of the milkweed plant they eat, and animals know not to eat them because of their bright colors and markings. <br />
Painted Lady butterflies (the ones we have) mimic this coloring as a protective measure.<br />
Many butterflies have false eyespots to confuse predators.<br />
Some butterflies migrate thousands of miles.<br />
Butterfly eggs are the size of a pinhead.<br />
You can tell apart a male from a female monarch butterfly by looking for a black scent spot on the bottom of their wings.<br />
Butterflies emit a special smell to attract mates.<br />
The caterpillars shed their skin up to 4 times before their final transformation.<br />
They need a body temperature of 85 degrees in order to fly. They warm themselves up by shivering or basking in the sun.<br />
Painted Lady caterpillars love to eat thistle, a common weed.<br />
Butterflies taste with their feet.<br />
They suck nectar from flowers by unrolling their tongue and using it like a straw.<br />
When a Painted Lady butterfly emerges from it's chrysalis, there is a byproduct of metamorphosis that looks like blood called meconium. (We were glad we learned this one, or else we would have been worried when we saw they red marks all over the cage.)<br />
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Here they are getting bigger:<br />
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And bigger...<br />
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About 10 days after we received the caterpillars, the first caterpillar began making a chrysalis, and the others followed suit shortly after. It's funny to see them hanging from the top of the container looking like a letter "J" before they shed their final layer of skin, which hardens into the chrysalis. After they all were settled in, we transferred them from the small plastic container to the netted butterfly keeper. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">waiting while the mystery transformation happens inside!</td></tr>
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On the evening of April 4, we noticed at dinner that there was a butterfly on the side of the cage! We were so excited, but were all a little disappointed that we missed seeing it emerge from it's chrysalis. But we had fun looking at it with our magnifying glasses, and we even took it out and held it for a bit after it's wings had dried. Anna Ruth named the butterfly Beautiful, hoping it was a girl.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josiah is learning to be a scientist</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I held it first to show the kids that it was safe!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It tickles me!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful</td></tr>
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We actually never witnessed an emergence; it seemed like it happened so quickly! But I did catch one right out of the chrysalis, with it's wings still crumpled up and wet. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See the wings all crumpled up?!</td></tr>
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Once they were all butterflies, we put orange and banana slices in the cage, as well as some homemade nectar in a container with a paper towel wick for them to suck it out. It was fun to watch them drink. They really seemed to like the fresh fruit more than the nectar.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">enjoying a banana slice</td></tr>
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With Painted Ladies, you can't tell the males from the females, so you never know what you have, but Anna Ruth decided that we had a couple boys in there in addition to Beautiful, so she and James named the big, obnoxious one Dino. We also had a butterfly with a large eyespot on the bottom on his wings, so she named him Eyespot. Another one did not have antennae, had a wierd looking eye, and something wrong with his front left leg, so AR named him Poor Fellow. About a week ago, we noticed that we had did indeed have some of each, because we got to see them mating! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the lovebirds</td></tr>
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Now, we have teeny tiny little greenish eggs on the leaves and the bottom of the cage. We'll see if we can have another go-around and witness the miraculous life cycle of the butterfly once again!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-52169267669335441232013-03-18T14:44:00.000-04:002013-03-18T14:57:34.230-04:00A Knight with His PrincessOur homeschool support group had a sweet event this past weekend--the Daddy/Daughter Dance. It was a great opportunity for Rich and Anna Ruth to have some time together. I found a beautiful dress for her at Ross for a great price, and she was so excited to wear it and see Rich's reaction. I also made her a pearl bracelet to go with it, and she wore the pearl necklace that Daddy gave her for her 5th birthday. She chose her own hairdo from a website that we use called Babes in Hairland. If you'd like to try it, <a href="http://babesinhairland.com/hairstyles/holiday-themed-hairstyles/beautiful-holiday-updo/" target="_blank"><span id="goog_159718900"></span>click here<span id="goog_159718901"></span></a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6iM-8S4wF08/UUdd5r4G6qI/AAAAAAAAAro/cwtw7PNYPN4/s1600/DSC02419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6iM-8S4wF08/UUdd5r4G6qI/AAAAAAAAAro/cwtw7PNYPN4/s400/DSC02419.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's getting so grown up!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love those dark eyelashes--she has natural God-given mascara!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich and his princess</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view of the hairdo</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">close up</td></tr>
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I also made 100 decorated cookies as favors for the girls at the dance. It turned out to quite a bit more work and time than I anticipated, but I was glad that they turned out so well, and that the girls enjoyed them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sd3958rmLio/UUdd4tWFu5I/AAAAAAAAArk/xyJ3laZCtLs/s1600/DSC02411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sd3958rmLio/UUdd4tWFu5I/AAAAAAAAArk/xyJ3laZCtLs/s400/DSC02411.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josiah had a huge fit seeing all these cookies on the table and being told he could not have one!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tJVwd0EPD7I/UUdd5lcRbrI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/xGzDCYXGJhY/s1600/DSC02412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tJVwd0EPD7I/UUdd5lcRbrI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/xGzDCYXGJhY/s400/DSC02412.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I found some decorating ideas online, and it was fun to try them out</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AeWpQa0IclQ/UUdd5kb9LoI/AAAAAAAAAsU/pA01XdHb1eg/s1600/DSC02413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AeWpQa0IclQ/UUdd5kb9LoI/AAAAAAAAAsU/pA01XdHb1eg/s400/DSC02413.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I loved using the little pearl decorations</td></tr>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-40340408746822908692013-03-05T15:27:00.001-05:002013-03-05T15:27:35.076-05:00Happy 2nd Birthday, Josiah!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mJdY0VQjxAQ/UTZOVmV9P9I/AAAAAAAAAp8/T3zQTkcbILA/s1600/DSC02375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mJdY0VQjxAQ/UTZOVmV9P9I/AAAAAAAAAp8/T3zQTkcbILA/s400/DSC02375.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doggie Decorations</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">W</span>e celebrated Josiah's 2nd birthday on Sunday, so that we could spend it with both sets of grandparents and Aunt Jess and Uncle Brian. The theme was DOGS! because Josiah is obsessed with dogs right now. He really loves all animals, but he especially loves dogs. Every time he sees one in a book or movie, he says, "Awwwww, doggie!" And every bark from a dog when we're on a walk causes him to perk up, and with wide eyes he yells, "Doggie!" It's so funny how he was just born loving animals, and how he has no fear of dogs, even when they are twice his size. We do not have a dog, since I am allergic, but we asked Aunt Jess and Uncle Brian if they would bring their dog, Beaufort, for a visit. All the kids loved seeing him and taking him on a walk. Anna Ruth even got him to sit, lay down, roll over, and shake her hand--she loved being in charge and having someone actually obey her! (Her brothers don't usually listen, even though she tries very hard.) Having Beaufort there was the highlight of the party! And I think Beaufort thought he had suddenly become royalty with all the petting, attention, and treats. :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J6K9_VgXkEM/UTZOV9gLLbI/AAAAAAAAAp4/YbYrLQ2O6J4/s1600/DSC02376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J6K9_VgXkEM/UTZOV9gLLbI/AAAAAAAAAp4/YbYrLQ2O6J4/s400/DSC02376.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"cousin" Beaufort</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">T</span>he menu was hotdogs, with 2 different themed toppings along with a variety of chips. One was called the Carolina Dog: chili, cheese, and coleslaw (jalapenos and onion were optional additions), and the other was the Cuban Dog: shredded lettuce, pineapple, diced avocado, and mojo sauce. Both types were really good! Of course for dessert, I made a doggie cake, and he seemed to like it a lot.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hZnYn6m7Qak/UTZOW3C5vGI/AAAAAAAAAqI/fLtJq8Jj9-Y/s1600/DSC02380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hZnYn6m7Qak/UTZOW3C5vGI/AAAAAAAAAqI/fLtJq8Jj9-Y/s320/DSC02380.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josiah enjoying his hotdog--he ate 2, plus chips!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-72178svLt00/UTZOXCs7f-I/AAAAAAAAAqU/-7Ppq61fScw/s1600/DSC02381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-72178svLt00/UTZOXCs7f-I/AAAAAAAAAqU/-7Ppq61fScw/s320/DSC02381.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James and AR enjoying their hotdogs, chips, and root beer.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VYwwy71NBJg/UTZOVhVxtII/AAAAAAAAAqA/Qp57liD4V2E/s1600/DSC02378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VYwwy71NBJg/UTZOVhVxtII/AAAAAAAAAqA/Qp57liD4V2E/s400/DSC02378.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doggie cake--his eyes and ear got messed up in transit, but he was still pretty cute. Notice the "2" on the collar.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">J</span>osiah received lots of stuffed dogs, several of which he sleeps with every night. He also got a book from Lita and Pop-Pop called <i>I Love Dogs</i> that is written in English and Spanish. Aunt Jess and Uncle Brian got him two cute outfits, a stuffed dog, and a fun book about animals with buttons that make the animal sounds. Gramps and Memaw got him a set of wooden building blocks, and he and James have been building with them ever since. Mommy and Daddy got him a giant dog coloring book, a stuffed dog, and we are looking for a fun outdoor activity toy to get him as well. Anna Ruth picked out a mini monster truck, since he likes to steal James' trucks. He has been enjoying all of his gifts! He is blessed with such a loving and generous family.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YQDa3d6Sl2E/UTZOYsNbEeI/AAAAAAAAAqw/6Fw89hFquXc/s1600/DSC02383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YQDa3d6Sl2E/UTZOYsNbEeI/AAAAAAAAAqw/6Fw89hFquXc/s320/DSC02383.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dalmation pup from AJ and UB</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qimWcEpzlN8/UTZOYc15VFI/AAAAAAAAAqs/tPMe5t-gF-c/s1600/DSC02384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qimWcEpzlN8/UTZOYc15VFI/AAAAAAAAAqs/tPMe5t-gF-c/s320/DSC02384.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He always points to the "eyes"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mbbhGzPvT4E/UTZOZZnNPII/AAAAAAAAAq8/6NPEx0VgP0w/s1600/DSC02388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mbbhGzPvT4E/UTZOZZnNPII/AAAAAAAAAq8/6NPEx0VgP0w/s400/DSC02388.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josiah with all his doggies!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cG1myhmtHog/UTZOZCg7lBI/AAAAAAAAArE/WQ8yfPiHodw/s320/DSC02387.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He loved the book with animal sounds--so cute!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I</span>t was a wonderful celebration. We are so thankful for Josiah's life. He is a joy and a blessing to our family. We love watching him grow and learn, and we pray that he will become a strong, godly leader and example, just like good King Josiah in the Bible. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">H</span>ere are a few more fun pics from the afternoon:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_8IN3Wp4dN4/UTZOYA887fI/AAAAAAAAAqg/LzKDXCYvuvU/s1600/DSC02382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_8IN3Wp4dN4/UTZOYA887fI/AAAAAAAAAqg/LzKDXCYvuvU/s320/DSC02382.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AR had to borrow a sweatshirt for the walk--Thanks Aunt Carol! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NR51V8p37gk/UTZOZURpeII/AAAAAAAAArA/FqO5olMVcDg/s1600/DSC02389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NR51V8p37gk/UTZOZURpeII/AAAAAAAAArA/FqO5olMVcDg/s320/DSC02389.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James finally wore his doggie ears just for 1 picture.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wT8EoD0sVmE/UTZOW_gV2WI/AAAAAAAAAqY/LlbvQNW14g8/s1600/DSC02379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wT8EoD0sVmE/UTZOW_gV2WI/AAAAAAAAAqY/LlbvQNW14g8/s320/DSC02379.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made the doggie ear headbands, and then the kids weren't too keen on wearing them, <br />
so Dad, Jess, and I gave them a try.</td></tr>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-77291235603850307402013-02-28T20:49:00.001-05:002013-02-28T20:49:57.520-05:00If it's quiet, you know Josiah's up to something...James came into my room to let me know that Josiah was doing something bad, and this is what he looked like when I found him. He had gotten into my lipstick, and knew just what to do with it. I don't think it's his color though... :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f-U0Jsxhrmo/UTAIUAGHX7I/AAAAAAAAAos/i8zXmBid51w/s1600/DSC02354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f-U0Jsxhrmo/UTAIUAGHX7I/AAAAAAAAAos/i8zXmBid51w/s400/DSC02354.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He knows I can't stay upset when I see this face</td></tr>
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When I took a picture of Josiah, Anna Ruth wanted to join in on the picture.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WAZzYHEsGyI/UTAIXeQ3gUI/AAAAAAAAAo0/xk-xpltBI8A/s1600/DSC02353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WAZzYHEsGyI/UTAIXeQ3gUI/AAAAAAAAAo0/xk-xpltBI8A/s400/DSC02353.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> My 2 blue-eyed beauties! Can you tell they're related?! </td></tr>
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Then James joined in as well. He knows I get frustrated with him squinting his eyes in every picture, so he did it just to get a rise out of me. Then, he asked to see the picture, and laughed hysterically at his silly face!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i7he2ZI7X5w/UTAIXSRjG3I/AAAAAAAAAo4/_BM9aXEFudU/s1600/DSC02355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i7he2ZI7X5w/UTAIXSRjG3I/AAAAAAAAAo4/_BM9aXEFudU/s400/DSC02355.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I just adore these little cuties--they're growing up way too fast!!</td></tr>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-7775832479541510282013-02-27T14:21:00.000-05:002013-02-27T14:24:17.867-05:00AR's Room RedoI've been thinking about painting AR's room for a while now, gathering ideas from magazines and pinterest, and I finally just bought the paint and decided to start working on it last weekend. I bought some pale blue paint from Wal-Mart, read a bunch of painting tips from the internet (this is my very first painting project), and set to work clearing out the room, cleaning the walls, filling in holes, etc. I was able to get the whole room ready for painting on Friday, and then I painted Saturday morning. Saturday night I then painted on the tree and the leaves. I had found a picture in a Pottery Barn Kids magazine of a cherry blossom tree decal (for $175--no way!!) that I loved, so I decided to try to paint one myself. Here is a picture of my inspiration:<br />
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On Monday and Tuesday, I did finishing touches like painting more flowers on the tree, hanging things on the wall, putting up new hooks and decorations, and figuring out the final layout of the furniture. Unfortunately, I do not have any "before" pictures, but just imagine a plain white, boring room, without much prettiness at all. Here's the pictures I took today (keeping in mind, I am still looking for a cute curtain rod and curtains):<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fPH423lsPBg/US5X0s_v_iI/AAAAAAAAAnY/c-vYm2xAwco/s1600/DSC02359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fPH423lsPBg/US5X0s_v_iI/AAAAAAAAAnY/c-vYm2xAwco/s640/DSC02359.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view from the door--<br />
the tree and leaves I free-handed, the flowers are stenciled, and the butterflies are stick-on decals</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RZmTVnoySog/US5X00BIy9I/AAAAAAAAAng/5fh_htWFm_s/s1600/DSC02366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RZmTVnoySog/US5X00BIy9I/AAAAAAAAAng/5fh_htWFm_s/s400/DSC02366.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">other side of the room--<br />
2 hooks I got from the thrift store and repainted, her closet, her dresser <br />
and cute necklace hanger that happens to go perfectly</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pZlMQMpk7qA/US5X05r3utI/AAAAAAAAAnc/tLaWNsko2WY/s1600/DSC02361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pZlMQMpk7qA/US5X05r3utI/AAAAAAAAAnc/tLaWNsko2WY/s400/DSC02361.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bookcase right by the door with a cute hand-me-down lamp from cousins, horse calendar, <br />
and pretty framed verse handmade by Aunt Carol</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wOaQMjy2niQ/US5X1SOkEwI/AAAAAAAAAno/jJernaRVp2o/s1600/DSC02367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wOaQMjy2niQ/US5X1SOkEwI/AAAAAAAAAno/jJernaRVp2o/s400/DSC02367.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">close-up of the initials hanging from the tree branch--these I had from her nursery decorations, <br />
but they were lavender gingham with purple ribbon that didn't quite match, <br />
so I repainted them with the extra pink paint, and added blue ribbon from my stash</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-msKyRirGPJE/US5X1sb_o0I/AAAAAAAAAn0/ylzI8RLl2Jk/s1600/DSC02372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-msKyRirGPJE/US5X1sb_o0I/AAAAAAAAAn0/ylzI8RLl2Jk/s400/DSC02372.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looking straight at the tree (the butterfly decals I found at Dollar Tree!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E5jdvm-uiG0/US5X3M5P2JI/AAAAAAAAAoI/TUP82z02UCg/s1600/DSC02373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E5jdvm-uiG0/US5X3M5P2JI/AAAAAAAAAoI/TUP82z02UCg/s320/DSC02373.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I added the pretty scrapbook paper to this verse that was in her room previously so it would coordinate--Psalm 78:4</td></tr>
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I am so excited about how well everything turned out, and the best part is seeing how excited she is about her new room! How do you like it?!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-43527189864295162702012-10-15T18:49:00.001-04:002012-10-15T18:51:50.312-04:00DIY Fabric-Covered Bins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I have lots of diaper boxes around here, so when I saw the idea of covering them with fabric, I jumped at that. I love bins, but they are fairly expensive, so I rarely buy them. But now I have lots of bins around my house that are cute and very cheap and easy to make! I love being able to use things I would normally throw away to make something useful. For this particular project I covered one diaper box and one plastic basket that I got from Dollar Tree. I found the fabric on the clearance rack at Hancock's, so it was less than $5 for all of it. I just cut the fabric to a size that would cover the box, sponge-brushed on some glue (spray adhesive would probably work better, though), and carefully pressed on the fabric. I just sort of folded and cut to make it work around the corners and edges. See how it turned out!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-33EJ96MStxs/UHyO4Oja2iI/AAAAAAAAAmM/YJe1FrpJ_BA/s1600/October+2012+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-33EJ96MStxs/UHyO4Oja2iI/AAAAAAAAAmM/YJe1FrpJ_BA/s320/October+2012+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">what I started with...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sCmuOl2Di9s/UHyO6RwONwI/AAAAAAAAAmU/pKnzdnxf3ew/s1600/October+2012+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sCmuOl2Di9s/UHyO6RwONwI/AAAAAAAAAmU/pKnzdnxf3ew/s320/October+2012+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the transformation begins...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xcZLbhiz3dc/UHyO8enkw4I/AAAAAAAAAmc/sjaJL5kXOi8/s1600/October+2012+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xcZLbhiz3dc/UHyO8enkw4I/AAAAAAAAAmc/sjaJL5kXOi8/s320/October+2012+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">how it looks on the bookshelf</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8fHQnEBMV5w/UHyO-w7kEzI/AAAAAAAAAmk/i-WmYFklI6g/s1600/October+2012+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8fHQnEBMV5w/UHyO-w7kEzI/AAAAAAAAAmk/i-WmYFklI6g/s320/October+2012+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made the bottom pretty with some of the extra fabric.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ACsOMuKsW8A/UHyPBDiZ4nI/AAAAAAAAAms/gECITD9Q5lY/s1600/October+2012+049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ACsOMuKsW8A/UHyPBDiZ4nI/AAAAAAAAAms/gECITD9Q5lY/s320/October+2012+049.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the plastic basket looks nice on my front counter</td></tr>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-33945022964442552832012-10-10T15:03:00.001-04:002012-10-10T15:04:08.870-04:00Pumpkin ButterTo celebrate the season, I always like to make something with pumpkin in it. After seeing a recipe for pumpkin butter on skinny taste, I decided to give it a try. It was super easy, smelled wonderful cooking, and was so yummy especially on my homemade English muffin bread (which I will post the recipe for soon). I also put some of this in jars, and gave it as gifts. <a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/10/pumpkin-butter.html">Here's</a> a link to the recipe. Here is a picture of some of the jars.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7DvmdLns5Y/UHXF2Nln7II/AAAAAAAAAl0/rJHK-e0-KBc/s1600/October+2012+046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7DvmdLns5Y/UHXF2Nln7II/AAAAAAAAAl0/rJHK-e0-KBc/s320/October+2012+046.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I cut some scrapbook paper and put in under the rim to make it look prettier as a gift.</td></tr>
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.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-63899697309763454742012-10-10T14:56:00.001-04:002012-10-10T14:56:46.303-04:00Best Broccoli EverI saw something on pinterest that said it was a recipe for "the best broccoli you'll ever eat in your life." I was intrigued, although skeptical, especially when I read the part about the husband saying it was like biting into a steak! I normally steam fresh broccoli, and it is very tasty, but nothing special at all. So, I decided to give it a shot for dinner that night. Well, it turned out amazing! Rich gave it rave reviews, even though he said it didn't quite live up to steak fame. He definitely agreed that it was the best broccoli he had ever had. I also loved it, and so did Josiah, who usually turns up his nose to broccoli. Even when I try to mix it into something he likes, he finds it in his mouth and spits it out while chewing everything else. He was literally shoving it in like candy! I can't say the same about Anna Ruth and James, who did not care for it because of the lemon juice. They also don't like change, and since they normally love regular steamed broccoli, they didn't appreciate the new method. Oh, well, they will just have to get used to it, because I will definitely be making broccoli this way very often. Try it out and let me know what you think!<br />
<br />
Here is the recipe:<br />
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1 bunch of broccoli (can add cauliflower like I did)<br />
EVOO<br />
S & P<br />
3-4 garlic cloves<br />
lemon<br />
fresh Parmesan block<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.<br />
Chop fresh broccoli into florets and spread out on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss around on the cookie sheet with a spatula. <br />
Chop up the cloves of garlic and sprinkle on top. <br />
Cook for 20-25 minutes until the broccoli is crisp-tender and beginning to brown on the tips and bottom.<br />
Take out and zest some of the lemon peel with a handheld grater, then cut in half and squeeze some juice over the broccoli.<br />
Grate some fresh Parmesan on top, then toss it all together and serve immediately.<br />
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Here's a pic of the final product (sorry, I am not a food stylist):<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NdeuKFThVyU/UHXBUqa8LqI/AAAAAAAAAlY/xOt864TDMVs/s1600/October+2012+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NdeuKFThVyU/UHXBUqa8LqI/AAAAAAAAAlY/xOt864TDMVs/s320/October+2012+047.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-59060252523498764952012-10-08T13:08:00.001-04:002012-10-08T13:08:19.975-04:00Josiah's Words--18 months old<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzE2kFC4ebIovAQSjf1TqCoVrEG3hL8Mjz_b1IN_jCKAuj8y6AoWF3d_-khjJeQ42QCuYovswazxWs' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-8613971339412117282012-10-01T18:10:00.001-04:002012-10-10T14:57:18.784-04:00Anna Ruth and Lily Anna<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oppi0n36DXk/UGoT6jcxHMI/AAAAAAAAAk4/dNxWJZi4DSc/s1600/citadel+football+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oppi0n36DXk/UGoT6jcxHMI/AAAAAAAAAk4/dNxWJZi4DSc/s640/citadel+football+003.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">Anna Ruth loves to match hair-dos with her doll, Lily Anna. <br />Here they are right before going to our first American Girl Club. </span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V2CLD67jg4c/UGoT80lAmUI/AAAAAAAAAlA/h81eScr742c/s1600/citadel+football+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V2CLD67jg4c/UGoT80lAmUI/AAAAAAAAAlA/h81eScr742c/s400/citadel+football+004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">side view of the fun braids</td></tr>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-55662088637491289922012-09-27T21:49:00.000-04:002012-09-27T21:49:10.095-04:00DIY Coasters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QoVRcOoRtts/UGUBjpnYPjI/AAAAAAAAAkI/XDr7Noa2A2o/s1600/projects+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QoVRcOoRtts/UGUBjpnYPjI/AAAAAAAAAkI/XDr7Noa2A2o/s400/projects+001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I've somehow found the time to do some crafting since I've been inspired by so much on pinterest. Last Saturday I was out picking up a couple things, so I decided to get what I needed to make some coasters. I went to Lowe's and bought 12 4x4 tiles (16 cents each!), and I already had some really cute scrapbook paper as well as Mod Podge and spray sealer. As I was making them, I got the idea to put a monogram letter on them, so I just found a nice font and printed out an "H" several times and then cut them in circles. I wasn't sure if I would like the monogram long-term, but after posting the pictures on facebook to get input, everyone was in agreement that the monogram looked best. So, if you would like to try your hand at making your own, here are some instructions on how to do it.<br />
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Here's what you need:<br />
4x4 tiles<br />
scrapbook paper<br />
scissors or paper cutter<br />
Mod Podge<br />
sponge brush<br />
monogram circles (if desired)<br />
clear spray sealer<br />
felt pads<br />
<br />
1. Cut the scrapbook paper into 4x4 squares. Try to find several colors or patterns that go together well to make sets. <br />
2. Spread a thin layer of Mod Podge on the tiles. Carefully line up the paper and press down to smooth. <br />
3. If desired, add monograms with more Mod Podge. Let dry for about 15 minutes<br />
4. Spray with sealer in a well-ventilated area, following directions on the can. Tip: I did hold the can closer than the instructions said, and got better results. Also, you will have to do at least three coats of the sealer, until you get the desired effect. Let it dry for 30 minutes in between each coat.<br />
5. When the coasters are dry, apply the felt pads.<br />
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Enjoy or give away a set as a gift or both!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-88641520486528319292012-09-27T21:28:00.005-04:002012-09-27T21:34:06.890-04:00Happenings...Just wanted to get something on here to update about what's been going on...<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Anna Ruth:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZkG29m-mE9w/UGT7t-hachI/AAAAAAAAAj0/M4QMXSzkl-8/s1600/Sept.+2012+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZkG29m-mE9w/UGT7t-hachI/AAAAAAAAAj0/M4QMXSzkl-8/s320/Sept.+2012+018.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna Ruth's hair is in a headband braid</td></tr>
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<br />
She is getting so tall and grown-up. Everyone keeps saying it wherever we go. I can't believe she's going to be seven years old in December. <br />
<br />
She is a voracious reader, and is already reading American girl books and other small chapter books. Because of the AG books, she has gotten into dolls, and we have joined an American Girl club with our homeschooling support group. It meets once a month (with a different doll theme each time), and the girls bring their dolls, they learn about the time period from the stories, do a craft, and have snacks. This month the doll is Molly, whose story is set during World War II. She has read 3 of the Molly books, watched the Molly movie, and has gotten a doll to bring to the club. It is not an AG doll, since they are so expensive, but it is the same size and style of them. Hers has blonde hair, blue eyes, and is named Lily Anna. <br />
I love doing her hair, and she usually has good ideas of how she wants it done. Now that she has a doll, she usually requests for me to make her doll's hair match hers. <br />
Anna Ruth likes to put on music while she works on her handwriting in the morning. Lately, she does not want to choose "kid music", so she has been looking through my CD case and putting on Indelible Grace music. It takes me back to RUF days! She's so funny about wanting to be like an adult now.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">James:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pzyUilGlEBk/UGT7qH2F0zI/AAAAAAAAAjk/qhZEdAJU0Ec/s1600/Sept.+2012+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pzyUilGlEBk/UGT7qH2F0zI/AAAAAAAAAjk/qhZEdAJU0Ec/s320/Sept.+2012+009.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James loves to fight off all the bad guys</td></tr>
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He is a big fan of Anna Ruth, although he might not admit it. He copies everything she says and does, and they actually play together pretty well, because he's willing to listen to her and do what she says. <br />
He is quite the climber.<br />
He was running around the train table the other day saying, "I'm a race car!"<br />
James stood on the toybox and performed the Doxology for us. It went like this: "Praise God from whom all blessings flow! (a step higher) "Praise God from whom all blessings flow!" (a step higher) "Praise God from whom all blessings flow!" (a step higher) "A-men!"<br />
He is doing really well with school. We are learning the sounds of the letters, and practicing writing the letters. He is pretty close to being able to write his name. <br />
He also has begun to draw stick figures; they even have details like eyes, noses, mouths, hair, and tummies. And he stays in the lines on coloring pages if he wants to. <br />
He is still into dinosaurs, and is requesting a T-Rex birthday party when he turns four, which is not far away--November 14th!<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Josiah:</span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xnJQdv50sIo/UGT7rwbZtTI/AAAAAAAAAjs/GKawwW-AK4c/s1600/Sept.+2012+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xnJQdv50sIo/UGT7rwbZtTI/AAAAAAAAAjs/GKawwW-AK4c/s320/Sept.+2012+013.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josiah posing in his new Mexican shirt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This boy is into EVERYTHING! I never had to put cabinet locks on for the other kids, but they've been oh-so-necessary for him. He gets into drawers, plays in the toilets, grabs whatever may be slightly hanging off the side of the counter, rips up paper, finds pens and writes on walls and couches, etc. You get the idea!<br />
He is extremely active and likes to climb. If I had a nickel for every time I got him down from some place he shouldn't be up on, I'd be a rich woman.<br />
He is a pincher and biter. Ouch! <br />
He is a sweet boy, though, and is a little talker. He jabbers on about all sorts of things, especially getting excited when Daddy gets home. He runs to the door, shouting, "Dah! Dah!" Rich loves it!<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Liv and Rich:</span><br />
I am enjoying homeschooling this year. I am re-learning things I had forgotten about history, singing songs about nouns that I still remember from the 1st grade, and even learning lots of new things! It is so fun to have this time with my children. It is hard, and there's not much down time, and I'm usually exhausted by the end of the day, but I really do feel fulfillment in doing what God has called me to do right now. <br />
I am about to start Women's Bible Study next week, and we are reading a book called <i>The Praying Life</i>. I think it is a timely study, from which I will profit much. <br />
Rich has been reading a lot more lately. After we started listening to <i>The Chronicles of Narnia </i>with the kids, he got excited about fiction again, and read ahead in those books as well as reading some fiction by G.K. Chesterton. <br />
Rich is happy about at least one of his teams doing well this football season. The Citadel is having a great start to their season, and we are going to our first football game as a family on Saturday. He has been practicing the CI-TA-DEL...Goooooo BULLDOGS!!! cheer with the kids so that we can spur our team on to victory.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-85607937487665282842012-08-21T17:26:00.000-04:002012-08-22T15:42:36.021-04:00New Beginnings<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">S</span>ometimes updating the blog helps me get back into the habit of writing more. That's what I'm trying to do this time. Do you like the new look and theme? We'll see if I can be a bit more faithful in posting this time around. There is much to write about, but very little time. But I think it is important to write these things down so that I can remember them later. So, here's to a new beginning with the blog. The story of our life moves on, and hopefully, I can write it down. I will post updates and pictures about the children--cute quotes, milestones, achievements, activities, etc.<br />
Another new beginning is the school year! On Monday, King's Dominion Academy (what we named our homeschool) will be starting it's second year. Anna Ruth will be in 1st grade, and James will be in K-4. I am excited to watch them learn so many new things, and I'm glad I can spend all this time with them. I am having to make a pretty tight schedule for our day, but I think it's a good thing to be more purposeful with the way we use our time. I may post about what we're doing and learning in school, and maybe some cool science experiments, too!<br />
A third new beginning is our plan to get out of debt. The only debt we have at the moment is Rich's student loan and the house, so we are trying to really attack the student loan debt in order to get that paid off in the next couple years. I am having to be more careful with the budget and cut back on unnecessary expenses for a while, so I may post about good deals I find or thrifty projects and gifts I'm able to make.<br />
I hope that you will check back often to keep up with our story, and please write a little something to encourage me to continue the updates. You know I need it! ;)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-85334452445771331292011-06-20T16:14:00.000-04:002011-06-20T16:14:36.227-04:00Anna Ruth's blue dress (finally!)I finally finished the project I started before Josiah's birth over 3 months ago. I think it's my favorite pattern so far. I love how elegant it is. And the color is unique and looks great on her. For those who may be wondering, the smocking plate is called "Cynthia" by Creative Keepsakes.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1EtIhhnGj8/Tf-ocyao_cI/AAAAAAAAAjE/6S18eS2ECZg/s1600/June+2011+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400px" i$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1EtIhhnGj8/Tf-ocyao_cI/AAAAAAAAAjE/6S18eS2ECZg/s400/June+2011+001.jpg" width="300px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">full-length view</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mrg3ZZ7C4Ek/Tf-owC6-06I/AAAAAAAAAjI/Aj1_32rN6C0/s1600/June+2011+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266px" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mrg3ZZ7C4Ek/Tf-owC6-06I/AAAAAAAAAjI/Aj1_32rN6C0/s400/June+2011+002.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cleXsVUQpW0/Tf-pS-ty48I/AAAAAAAAAjM/uigKnq100zg/s1600/June+2011+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300px" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cleXsVUQpW0/Tf-pS-ty48I/AAAAAAAAAjM/uigKnq100zg/s400/June+2011+005.jpg" width="400px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">detail view</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-46037786963677660022011-06-20T15:56:00.000-04:002011-06-20T15:56:34.099-04:003As you can tell, 3 kids has been a big adjustment for me. Two seemed so manageable, I figured 3 wouldn't be that hard, but oh, was I wrong. Rich and I are now outnumbered. And the 2 older ones are in the stage where they need lots of training. I guess it didn't help that Josiah had reflux and was very fussy for the first couple months. He didn't like to be put down ever. He is just now starting to feel better, and so he's happy sitting in a bouncy seat for a while. He is also starting to sleep through the night now. But even with that help, it's still hard to meet all their needs. Anna Ruth is a talker, and craves interaction. She wants to help, but many times it's more work to let her help. James is all boy, and I can't take my eyes off him for long. The other day he opened the front door and was out in the street watching the garbage truck before I even realized what was going on. He also likes to get a rise out of Anna Ruth by taking her toys or messing up something she set up. Anna Ruth is a drama queen and reacts loudly to James' pestering. Josiah just wants to be looked at and talked to while he is awake. (which I would love to do, if I didn't have a thousand other things on my plate!) Since he spits up all the time, he also makes a huge amount of laundry for being so small! So 3 kids has been pretty overwhelming, and I don't know how I would survive without parents helping out. I have a brand new appreciation for my mom who had her first 3 closer together than I had mine. Every day is an adventure and a chance to be more sanctified. But sometimes it's discouraging as I see I am not nearly as patient as I thought I was, not as self-sacrificing as I need to be, and not a good manager of my time. Having children sure does bring out the worst in me. I know it is God's way of showing me who I really am in order to bring about change in me. Maybe by the end of this, I will look a little more like Christ. If that's the case, it is so worth it. <br />
Don't get me wrong; I love my kids. I love hearing their little voices say "I love you Mommy" and feel their sweet kisses on my lips. I love seeing them do the happy dance when I tell them they can have dessert. I love hearing their squeals of laughter when they get tickled. I love hearing Anna Ruth talk about her understanding of a Bible story and hear both of their prayer requests during family worship. I love watching them dance in the living room with Daddy after dinner. I love seeing Josiah's huge smiles and first little laughs when I kiss his neck. They are all precious gifts from God. I love them so much, it's hard to believe that my Heavenly Father loves me even more than that. It gives me hope because I know he will keep forgiving me and working everything together for my good.<br />
So, if you have 2 kids, and you're wondering whether you should have another, I would say definitely have 3! :)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-32843331258245474802011-03-28T12:09:00.000-04:002011-03-28T12:09:58.720-04:00Meet the newest member of the Hamlin family!Josiah Hudson Hamlin was born on March 8, 2011 at 12:54 p.m. weighing 6 lbs. 14 oz. and measuring 19.5 in. long. He had a bit of a rough start since he had some fluid in his lungs making it difficult to breathe. They noticed him grunting a lot, and so they put him on oxygen to help him breathe easier. Then he had a couple episodes of apnea, where he stopped breathing for little while, so they had to keep him in the nursery hooked up to several monitors to make sure it wasn't developing into something more serious. He had no signs of infection and all the other tests came back normal, so he ended up being sent home with a clean bill of health. We were very thankful that he was fine and to finally get to go home on the 14th of March. Anna Ruth and James have been enjoying their new little brother. They both love to hold him and kiss him. James is learning how to be gentle and sweet, and so far, he has not seemed jealous of Josiah. We are all excited to have another family member! Enjoy the pics...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VhbJ4zQr5zM/TZCoxh9656I/AAAAAAAAAiw/KW8LKjuYmSc/s1600/Josiah%2527s+birth+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VhbJ4zQr5zM/TZCoxh9656I/AAAAAAAAAiw/KW8LKjuYmSc/s320/Josiah%2527s+birth+010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qKPXDnVFuCE/TZCpLuBZMOI/AAAAAAAAAi0/T4MUHlU2P7Q/s1600/Josiah%2527s+birth+50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qKPXDnVFuCE/TZCpLuBZMOI/AAAAAAAAAi0/T4MUHlU2P7Q/s320/Josiah%2527s+birth+50.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxY5FpN-3hk/TZCph7BbVhI/AAAAAAAAAi4/xwumePbLJEo/s1600/Josiah%2527s+birth+61.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxY5FpN-3hk/TZCph7BbVhI/AAAAAAAAAi4/xwumePbLJEo/s320/Josiah%2527s+birth+61.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M-lr_i_sE7Q/TZCp6Bs8bsI/AAAAAAAAAi8/ffC4JTRC1u8/s1600/Josiah%2527s+birth+52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M-lr_i_sE7Q/TZCp6Bs8bsI/AAAAAAAAAi8/ffC4JTRC1u8/s320/Josiah%2527s+birth+52.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KR9FGppaj44/TZCrsXzfvjI/AAAAAAAAAjA/3CiFZmcmvyQ/s1600/Josiah%2527s+birth+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KR9FGppaj44/TZCrsXzfvjI/AAAAAAAAAjA/3CiFZmcmvyQ/s320/Josiah%2527s+birth+025.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-49063076651748747292011-03-02T22:20:00.000-05:002011-03-02T22:20:43.771-05:002 down, 2 to go...Here's the latest completed smocking project--another dress for Anna Ruth. This was by far the most complicated pattern I have tried, but it was fulfilling to finally get it done. I really like how it turned out, and Anna Ruth keeps asking when she can wear it to church. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/--DBQACvfaDA/TW8IC1R71FI/AAAAAAAAAik/FkSRTjQN4vQ/s1600/butterfly+dress+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/--DBQACvfaDA/TW8IC1R71FI/AAAAAAAAAik/FkSRTjQN4vQ/s400/butterfly+dress+002.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-dlUWA7eeHYU/TW8IjnCLaHI/AAAAAAAAAio/t5w6AncvcqQ/s1600/butterfly+dress+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-dlUWA7eeHYU/TW8IjnCLaHI/AAAAAAAAAio/t5w6AncvcqQ/s400/butterfly+dress+003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">close-up view of the butterflies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I am now working on a more elegant design on a pale blue dress, and I hope to be able to get that done before Tuesday. We'll see... I was supposed to get an outfit done for the new baby, but I ran into a problem with the size of the design, and I'm not sure I'll be able to do it. I will not be getting that one done before he comes, but it's a 6-9 month outfit, so I have a little bit of time to get it done. More updates to come!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-886070667941374082011-03-02T21:48:00.001-05:002011-03-02T21:49:31.270-05:00Getting ready...<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">T</span>hings have been very busy around here with all the usual stuff along with getting ready for our new arrival. I have been tweaking the baby's room, moving stuff around, and figuring out everything I need to have on hand. I am very excited about this new baby, but it still has not quite set in that I will have a newborn in less than a week. I don't think it will set in until it actually happens. I feel about as prepared as I could be except for getting enough sleep. Rich is super busy at work trying to get things in order before he takes 2 weeks off starting on Monday. I am thankful for all the help I will have with my mom and mother-in-law in town, Rich being home, and a wonderful church family helping out. I am excited to see Anna Ruth's reaction to her new brother, and hoping James will not be too jealous and whiny. He does seem to like babies, but probably will not appreciate this one taking up so much of my time and attention. Anyway, here are a few pictures of the nursery, which is ready and waiting to be occupied. I changed a few things from the way it was for James, like I added ribbon to the wall art to give it a different look, and (with the help of my mother-in-law) I added more cushion and re-covered my glider rocker and ottoman. I think it looks super cute!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QoOpXRA-WXo/TW7_38YT6QI/AAAAAAAAAiY/9ArChwGA11k/s1600/nursery+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QoOpXRA-WXo/TW7_38YT6QI/AAAAAAAAAiY/9ArChwGA11k/s400/nursery+001.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-j6f73FWKlR4/TW8APZ_PszI/AAAAAAAAAic/rqOm4bx1VRY/s1600/nursery+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-j6f73FWKlR4/TW8APZ_PszI/AAAAAAAAAic/rqOm4bx1VRY/s400/nursery+002.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OmNK-7xqObk/TW8ApsJNPYI/AAAAAAAAAig/zGFUSXlip0k/s1600/nursery+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OmNK-7xqObk/TW8ApsJNPYI/AAAAAAAAAig/zGFUSXlip0k/s400/nursery+003.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-8047538958153700442011-02-02T18:48:00.002-05:002011-03-02T22:22:14.088-05:001 down, 3 to go...Here is the first dress that I worked on. This pattern wasn't too challenging except for the actual tulips. I had to take out several of them and re-work them to get them to look right. But overall, it went fairly quickly. I started this project last Monday and finished it by Friday night. I worked on it for a few hours in the afternoon and evenings each day. I'd say it took about 8-10 hours total. Not sure if that is good or not, but if I continue with the rest of my projects at the same rate, I will be able to finish them all before the baby is born, which is my goal. I am currently working on a pale blue dress for Anna Ruth, but it will be more elegant. Check back in for more progress updates!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUnsvz9CZqI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/go17d5kggz4/s1600/smocking+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" s5="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUnsvz9CZqI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/go17d5kggz4/s400/smocking+004.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUntIW-UJaI/AAAAAAAAAiU/bfZeCdEzb-4/s1600/smocking+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" s5="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUntIW-UJaI/AAAAAAAAAiU/bfZeCdEzb-4/s400/smocking+003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">close-up of the tulips</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-70148094144849011652011-01-26T18:37:00.000-05:002011-01-26T18:37:23.170-05:00Ketchup Post<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCQo57cslI/AAAAAAAAAhI/dDIuV3Upjoc/s1600/ketchup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" s5="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCQo57cslI/AAAAAAAAAhI/dDIuV3Upjoc/s200/ketchup.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">No, actually, this post is not about <span style="color: blue;">ketchup</span>. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">BUT I do need to <span style="color: blue;">catch up</span> on the happenings of the Hamlin household, so here goes. As I've mentioned before, I knew this kind of post would be necessary from time to time since I am busy with all that's going on and blogging is not exactly my first priority.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>The next event on the list after James' birthday is Thanksgiving. It was our year to spend Thanksgiving with Rich's side of the family, which makes it nice since we get to stay put--traveling with kids is something we try to avoid if possible! Anyway, all of Rich's siblings except for Shannon were able to come to town, and it was especially good to see Ben and Judith since we knew they would soon be leaving for Germany. Anna Ruth absolutely LOVED Adia Sulwen, and has now named several of her dolls after her little cousin. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCjxQd2lTI/AAAAAAAAAhM/dtraxSX_YKc/s1600/AR+%2526+AS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCjxQd2lTI/AAAAAAAAAhM/dtraxSX_YKc/s320/AR+%2526+AS.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna Ruth holding Adia Sulwen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We all participated in the Turkey Day Run, which was a lot of fun. Rich ran it, I walked it with the kiddos in the stroller, and Anna Ruth and James also did a kid's fun run after the race. They each ran with their respective age groups and genders, but they both needed a parent to run alongside them (and in Anna Ruth's case, I had to practically drag her because she was scared to do it on her own). They both got a t-shirt and a medal, and we hope that they next time, they will both do a bit better. <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After the race, we went back to Rich's parents' house to hang out, make food, and play a little 4-square. We enjoyed a wonderful meal of ham, sweet potatoes, crockpot mac 'n' cheese, corn pudding, spinach salad, and pumpkin and apple pie for dessert. Wish we would have gotten a picture of the food--it was amazing. We always feel more justified in pigging out on Thanksgiving dinner after exercising in the morning. :)</div><br />
Anna Ruth's 5th birthday quickly followed Thanksgiving, and this was the first year we had an actual party for her where we invited some of her little friends over to celebrate with her. She was so excited to have a princess-themed party! We asked each of the girls to come dressed up as a princess, and the activities were as follows: decorating princess-themed sugar cookies, decorating purple jewelry boxes with gems, giving make-overs, and playing dress-up. A while back I had seen a castle cake online, and decided I would give it a try for Anna Ruth's birthday. I made it purple, since that is her favorite color and added the princess figurines at her request. I stayed up very late the night before the party making it, but it was worth the look on her face in the morning when she saw it. She got lots of girly presents including a princess comforter for her bed, a Rapunzel dress-up outfit, a ballet nightgown with a matching nightgown for her doll, and a special gift from Daddy--a real pearl necklace and bracelet set. We can't believe how fast our little girl has grown up! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUClYmb7HlI/AAAAAAAAAhg/4LEbOLQBwao/s1600/12-2010+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUClYmb7HlI/AAAAAAAAAhg/4LEbOLQBwao/s320/12-2010+019.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">front of the castle cake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUClrwS_k8I/AAAAAAAAAhk/Prq11B5GhbY/s1600/12-2010+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUClrwS_k8I/AAAAAAAAAhk/Prq11B5GhbY/s320/12-2010+020.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">back of the castle cake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCmDio_7JI/AAAAAAAAAho/JKmo7Jaett4/s1600/12-2010+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCmDio_7JI/AAAAAAAAAho/JKmo7Jaett4/s320/12-2010+042.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna Ruth showing off her new pearls from Daddy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCnosxmniI/AAAAAAAAAhw/2T_qtKJ-8N0/s1600/12-2010+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCnosxmniI/AAAAAAAAAhw/2T_qtKJ-8N0/s320/12-2010+022.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our little princess on her 5th birthday</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCmydXVN8I/AAAAAAAAAhs/1RMLRNDl5n0/s1600/12-2010+046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCmydXVN8I/AAAAAAAAAhs/1RMLRNDl5n0/s320/12-2010+046.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna Ruth wearing the new nightgown with her matching doll sitting on the new princess comforter</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A few days after Anna Ruth's birthday, she performed in her ballet Christmas prgram. Her little class danced to "Away in a Manger", and it was adorable! She was scared at the beginning, but she pulled herself together and did a great job. (As a funny sidenote, whenever James hears the song "Away in a Manger", he starts twirling, with his hands above his head, just like Anna Ruth does in her dance.)</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCkCSHDFbI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/wq40xWk3LaY/s1600/12-2010++050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCkCSHDFbI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/wq40xWk3LaY/s320/12-2010++050.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a big smile before the program</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCkV81KBcI/AAAAAAAAAhU/Ep1JNP937Ss/s1600/12-2010+051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCkV81KBcI/AAAAAAAAAhU/Ep1JNP937Ss/s320/12-2010+051.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna Ruth striking a pose</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Christmas was spent with my side of the family this year, and my 3 sisters were all able to be here along with my parents and my grandmother (my Dad's mom). It was pretty chaotic with 8 kids in the house (my oldest sister Sarah's 6 and our 2), but the adults had just as much fun as the kids. We enjoyed many wonderful meals, played games, had a comedy night, sang Christmas carols, went out thrift store shopping and out to lunch, and opened TONS of gifts on Christmas! Again, I wish I had gotten more pictures, but everything seemed to happen so fast and stay so busy, that I rarely thought about getting out my camera. We also celebrated Sarah's 30th birthday and Milienne's 11th birthday, which are both on December 29th. Overall, it was a blast, and we are looking forward to the next time we will all be together. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCpR3tRBvI/AAAAAAAAAh4/WNmq-lAaELo/s1600/12-2010+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCpR3tRBvI/AAAAAAAAAh4/WNmq-lAaELo/s320/12-2010+008.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the living room full of presents!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCoa8W_xiI/AAAAAAAAAh0/kUHXV2JT03c/s1600/12-2010+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCoa8W_xiI/AAAAAAAAAh0/kUHXV2JT03c/s320/12-2010+052.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(from left to right) Sarah, Jessica, Mom, Olivia (me), Lisa<br />
We are wearing the matching pajamas Sarah got us.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Just in case you didn't see our family picture we sent out this year in our Christmas newsletter, here it is:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUClEsQ_iOI/AAAAAAAAAhc/ktzIC_5EqSQ/s1600/newsletter+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUClEsQ_iOI/AAAAAAAAAhc/ktzIC_5EqSQ/s320/newsletter+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of Rich's Christmas gifts to me this year was a real pearl necklace, that I absolutely love! I wore it to a wedding, and Rich wanted to get a picture of me with it on.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCkmIePtYI/AAAAAAAAAhY/Vjs2B63spe8/s1600/portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCkmIePtYI/AAAAAAAAAhY/Vjs2B63spe8/s320/portrait.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
Other than holiday festivities, we've also been keeping busy attending lots of oyster roasts associated with Rich's work, going to lots of doctor's appointments, getting back into the routine of Anna Ruth's school one day a week, going to the library, etc. I've also started working on some smocking projects that I would like to get done before this little boy shows up in early March. I have plans to smock 3 dresses for Anna Ruth and one outfit for the new baby. On Monday I started on the first dress and have made some good progress on it. I will post more pictures as I get each one finished. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCrN9xfPDI/AAAAAAAAAiA/X605_WfYSBw/s1600/smocking+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TUCrN9xfPDI/AAAAAAAAAiA/X605_WfYSBw/s320/smocking+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a spring dress for Anna Ruth that will have pink and purple tulips on it.</td></tr>
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Thanks for reading, and I will try to do better, so that I don't have to have such long ketchup posts in the future! ;)</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-73812707764512396492010-11-16T12:33:00.001-05:002010-11-16T12:36:04.032-05:00James' 2nd Birthday!<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">W</span>e had a crazy fun weekend with lots of different activities including celebrating Memaw's and James' birthdays. Sunday, November 14th was James' 2nd birthday, and we had a little party at Lita and Pop-Pop's (my parents) house and invited Memaw and Gramps (Rich's parents) to come over. The menu was spaghetti, garlic bread, and broccoli, since that is a meal that James likes to eat. He especially likes broccoli, which is funny, because he's pretty picky otherwise. I also made a truck cake since he is into all things with wheels, but especially likes construction vehicles. Rich and I got him three vehicles--a bus, a delivery truck, and a tractor--which all go speeding across the floor when you pull them back. He got a big Tonka dump truck from Memaw and Gramps that used to be Rich's when he was a little boy. Gramps repainted it, and it looks great! He will have great fun with it outside in the yard and in the sandbox we are hoping to get soon. Lita and Pop-Pop gave him a fire engine that makes siren noises, lights up and the ladder rotates. Mom also found a fire hat that says "Goose Creek Fire Department" on it--perfect! He (and Anna Ruth) have been enjoying his new toys since then. Here are some pictures of the day:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TOK8mAFLqpI/AAAAAAAAAgo/4sxv0BSwTc8/s1600/11-2010+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TOK8mAFLqpI/AAAAAAAAAgo/4sxv0BSwTc8/s400/11-2010+012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James is happy to be 2!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TOK9EE5XeVI/AAAAAAAAAgs/7FPXYr795dI/s1600/11-2010+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TOK9EE5XeVI/AAAAAAAAAgs/7FPXYr795dI/s400/11-2010+017.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">eating his second helping of broccoli</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TOK9WWaiY1I/AAAAAAAAAgw/HNzDUAY5j8g/s1600/11-2010+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" px="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TOK9WWaiY1I/AAAAAAAAAgw/HNzDUAY5j8g/s400/11-2010+024.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first attempt at a truck cake--I was happy with the outcome, and James liked it too! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TOK9su6rgEI/AAAAAAAAAg0/Og5ISeQnpwA/s1600/11-2010+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TOK9su6rgEI/AAAAAAAAAg0/Og5ISeQnpwA/s400/11-2010+032.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James enjoying his chocolate cake </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TOK-aQNACuI/AAAAAAAAAg8/FUr_-rtqOVU/s1600/11-2010+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TOK-aQNACuI/AAAAAAAAAg8/FUr_-rtqOVU/s400/11-2010+036.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James trying to figure out how it all works and enjoying every minute!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TOK-tVcL-QI/AAAAAAAAAhA/-v431bpYPp0/s1600/11-2010+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" px="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TOK-tVcL-QI/AAAAAAAAAhA/-v431bpYPp0/s400/11-2010+041.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">playing with his truck at home while wearing his new hat</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-45863334841136087042010-11-16T12:06:00.002-05:002010-11-16T12:07:18.350-05:00Fall Smocked Dress for Anna Ruth<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TOK4Pjnce8I/AAAAAAAAAgk/s8FjWARh9vE/s1600/11-2010+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TOK4Pjnce8I/AAAAAAAAAgk/s8FjWARh9vE/s400/11-2010+001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Here is another dress I smocked for Anna Ruth. I like how it turned out. I had a hard time figuring out what kind of design or picture to go with. But I wanted it to be elegant, so I think the geometric design accomplishes that. I am also working on a matching outfit for James, so I'll post pics when I get that finished. I am enjoying smocking more and more as I get better at it, though! I have two more dresses to work on for Anna Ruth for the winter. But if I don't have time to get it all done, I'm sure they will fit her next winter as well, so that's good. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TOK32XzY5II/AAAAAAAAAgg/_YI76CrfKYs/s1600/10-2010+AR+%2526+J.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TOK32XzY5II/AAAAAAAAAgg/_YI76CrfKYs/s400/10-2010+AR+%2526+J.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are my two cuties all dressed up for church!</td></tr>
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-23242928098730394752010-10-30T14:28:00.001-04:002010-11-16T12:45:13.804-05:00Puppy ChowPuppy chow is a really good treat that is easy to make and very addicting! I made it today to take to a fall festival because it's easy to fill up a cup and eat it while walking around. Here's the recipe if you want to give it a try. Bonus: It's a yummy gluten free dessert, too!<br />
<br />
1 C chocolate chips<br />
1/2 C creamy peanut butter<br />
1/4 C butter<br />
1/2 tsp. vanilla<br />
10 C Corn Chex cereal<br />
2 C powdered sugar<br />
<br />
Combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a microwaveable bowl. Heat on high for 1 min., then stir. Add vanilla and stir well. <br />
Place cereal in large bowl. Pour chocolate mixture over ceral and toss lightly to coat. Sprinkle 1 C of powdered sugar, toss to coat, then repeat with the remaining sugar. <br />
YUM! Here's what the finished product looks like:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TMxjiNG8t6I/AAAAAAAAAgc/XbLIMxYu7-I/s1600/10-2010+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" nx="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TMxjiNG8t6I/AAAAAAAAAgc/XbLIMxYu7-I/s400/10-2010+019.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-57396103656350941782010-10-26T10:41:00.001-04:002010-11-16T12:45:45.688-05:00James' Words at almost 2 years oldIt's so interesting to see the difference between boys and girls. It really is neat to see how from the very beginning of their existence, they display different characteristics. James and Anna Ruth have been so different, it blows me away! James is so into vehicles of all varieties--cars, trucks, airplanes, trains, tractors, etc. He plays with his cars ALL DAY LONG! He rolls them on different surfaces, pushes them across the kitchen floor, and rams them into stuff. When he's not doing that, he's climbing, throwing, running, or destroying. He also loves to be outside digging in the dirt or throwing and kicking balls. He is obsessed with Pop-Pop (my dad) and his Daddy. So with all that activity, he doesn't have much time for talking. Now, he certainly gets his point across, just not necessarily with words. I remember at this age, Anna Ruth was speaking in complete sentences and already talked incessantly. I don't think I even attempted to make a list of her vocabulary, because it would have been such a long list. But I'm finally getting together a small list of James' words now that he's almost 2 years old! Lately, he has started trying more, instead of just shaking his head when we would ask him to say a word. So, a lot of these are pretty recent new words.<br />
Here's the list:<br />
Mama<br />
Dada<br />
Anna (for Anna Ruth)<br />
Pop-Pop<br />
Bi-buh (Bible)<br />
bye-bye<br />
eyes<br />
all done<br />
mine<br />
ni-ni (night-night)<br />
hi<br />
bus<br />
ball<br />
boo-dah (he says this for shoe, and we have no idea why)<br />
nana (banana)<br />
buzzzz (birds)<br />
uh-oh<br />
Hun (he calls me this sometimes, because he hears Rich saying it)<br />
gah-gah (lollipop)<br />
my-min (vitamin and medicine)<br />
Amen<br />
He will also answer the first two catechism questions:<br />
Who made you? Gah (God)<br />
What else did God make? Aaaall tins (all things)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5475166.post-48162815307213253202010-10-13T11:53:00.000-04:002010-10-13T11:53:31.113-04:00Blue or Pink?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TLXRZxQ72II/AAAAAAAAAgI/vRCWYv1VSm0/s1600/ultrasound+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TLXRZxQ72II/AAAAAAAAAgI/vRCWYv1VSm0/s400/ultrasound+pic.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see the arm and hand above the head.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">On Monday I had my ultrasound to find out if the baby is a boy or girl as well as to make sure everything is developing normally. It went well; so far everything looks good. She did have trouble getting a good look at the face, so I am scheduled for another ultrasound in a month to look at that again. The baby will be a good bit bigger and so it will be hard for him to hide then! :) They want to check for cleft lip and palate, but she said she doesn't suspect anything, it's just routine to check it. Anyway, during the ultrasound the baby was moving all around and I was thinking to myself that it probably was a boy because of how active he was. But I asked the ultrasound technician to write the gender down in an envelope and put the pictures in another envelope for me to keep. I then took the envelope to Bi-Lo where I got them to make a cake with white icing and either a blue or pink inside. They don't technically do that, but when they heard what it was about, one of the ladies in the bakery said she would bring her own stuff from home to make the cake since she thought it was such a fun idea. She did a great job, and it was funny because all the ladies in the bakery were telling me to come back with pictures so they could see the reactions. They really got into it! </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TLXRwDep55I/AAAAAAAAAgM/vKZId7LhO8I/s1600/10-2010+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TLXRwDep55I/AAAAAAAAAgM/vKZId7LhO8I/s400/10-2010+002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pretty cake from Bi-Lo</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The next night my parents and Rich's parents and us all went out to dinner at Sesame Burgers & Beer. If you've never been, you should try it! Tuesday night is $3 burger night, so it's a great deal for a huge, really good burger. And they let you choose how you want it cooked, so it's not a well-done dried out burger. I always get sweet potato fries to go with it, and they are so good! Anyway, after eating, we cut open the cake to find out all together what this next baby will be. It was a fun and exciting way to discover it was a boy! <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TLXSJnLPWdI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/CiY0rPmZzIw/s1600/10-2010+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TLXSJnLPWdI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/CiY0rPmZzIw/s400/10-2010+003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich and I cutting the cake</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TLXSpa7LF1I/AAAAAAAAAgU/135-JWXtZ9s/s1600/10-2010+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TLXSpa7LF1I/AAAAAAAAAgU/135-JWXtZ9s/s400/10-2010+004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We pulled up the piece and it was blue!<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TLXTHFWsW8I/AAAAAAAAAgY/bfIq8vtaObg/s1600/10-2010+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0xz4cJB9gT0/TLXTHFWsW8I/AAAAAAAAAgY/bfIq8vtaObg/s400/10-2010+005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We are all excited about another little boy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2Flivandrich.blogspot.com&description=The%20Story%20of%20our%20Life--Happenings%20of%20the%20Hamlin%20Household" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05782056346932614806noreply@blogger.com2