Hello there old friend aka I'm Back

I was swamped with school, my internship, helping with mom, graduation, and helping with a dear friend's wedding.  All of that is done (well I have a few more hours on the internship to go, but for all practical purposes...) so I spent a week cuddling a Butterfly and a Badger and reading novels.  I spent this week finding my house - some chores got a bit neglected - and catching up on my blog reading to find out how all my blog world friends are doing. 

I did not take a lot of pictures in my absence from the blogosphere.  Which is sad and certainly a benefit of blogging - you remember to get the picture yourself.  My husband, professors, father, and sister all claim to have taken pictures of my graduation, I have yet to see one so doubt remains. 

Jim & me dancing at the reception

Standing up for a dear friend and a union I believe in.

Same goes for my friend's wedding and the dresses I made.  Butterfly was the flower girl and I was the matron of honor.  I made both of those dresses and the bride made her own.  The wedding was Steampunk themed (Mad science + Victorian + Steam engines) and a friend in Canada sent me these two photos she took. 

I have entered Butterfly's dress into the county fair so you will get a chance to see it when I get a picture. 

Next week starts my dig season.  Finishing up the Vieau Site (knock on wood, cross your fingers) and working on the Garfield Farm Museum's dig on the weekends.  Both as a volunteer so graduation changed nothing. 

As far a working my long term plans are to stay home with my children.  Butterfly starts Kindergarten this fall and Badger the following fall, when she is in school I will look for a job, but both my husband and I wanted to have it be us that gave them their start. I don't judge other families for making different choices but this was right for us. 

My garden, the girls playing around the May pole.

Mouse hard at play.

Butterfly playing with her brother...um sleeping.

The view from my reading couch on the back porch, more roses last week.

Same view, I pulled back the lace curtain so you could see the pink wisteria climbing the pink roses better.

On the mom front, she is home and settled back in.  She nearly left us in February and only returned home within the last month.  She is weaker in many ways but stronger in others. Walking only short distances and supposed to be in the wheel chair, but more interested and active in the world around her than before.  The rehab center encouraged (lack of phone really ) to figure out face book on her phone - no reception but it could talk to the internet.   Actually, they were wonderful especially given how short-staffed they seemed to be.  She is breathing better and looks good, except her hair is falling out. In great giant clumps, every morning she wakes to find her pillow covered in hair.  Her hair has been thinning for years, but nothing like this.  I have offered to hack my hair off (and grow more to hack if need be) for her to have a wig made in hair that is like what her's was & they are looking into it.

Life is short and it races by, I am glad to sit back and enjoy it for a while, and more committed to writing about it and taking photos to remember it with.  Thank you for sharing in my world. ~ Julia