The Cross-Stitch

So it's FINALLY done! I think I started 8 months ago and worked on it off and on, but I finished it!

I completed a more simpler cross-stitch before Isaac was born, framed it, and put it in his room and was ready for a new challenge. My mother-in-law had done a cross-stitch that I loved and was ready to buy the linen (yes, linen) for it, but could not resist the "new" pattern at the cross-stitch store! My mother-in-law thought it might be a little challenging for me, seeing that it was a sampler and had a whole bunch of special stitches, but I thought I was up for the challenge and started working on it right away!

This cross-stitch was a souvenir sampler, where you complete the sampler alphabet and a couple other borders, and then you can go crazy and put whatever you want in the remaining areas. There are a couple suggestions in the pattern book, you can insert names with the sampler letters, choose one of the suggested flowers/butterflies, customize the houses/buildings, and even insert special buttons and fabric swatches. I focused on doing things that represented Mark and I in our first years of marriage.

The first cross-stitch I completed for Isaac's room. Pretty simple compared to the beast I undertook.

My second cross-stitch half done! This was the alphabet/borders that you complete.

TA-DA! The finished project. I even framed it myself!

So now for a little explanation:

1. Starting @ the B, you see my name.
2. Right next to the D is Mark's Duke of Edinburgh pin..d for duke.
3. Next to the K is the date we were married and a swatch of my wedding dress. Which was one of the littlest, hardest things I had to sew in my life! Hope you appreciate it!
4. Next to that is our first home. I actually took a picture of our house and copied the colors/windows and inserted the year we moved in in the roof of the house.
5. Under our wedding date is Mark's name.
6. Next to the S is a scout button with "on my honour" next to it
7. I've got a Canada flag pin on there
8. With my personal progress medallion I've cross-stitched "we are daughters"
9. You'll also see in the left bottom section the Cardston temple where we were married. Don't get too amazed because I didn't make that part up myself. I copied a cross-stitch my mom had but altered the colors and made it more dimensional and made up some trees to match the ones by our initials and the year.
10. Finally my name and town.
11. There's also an Ellingson tradition of putting your name/date somewhere in the pattern and if you squint your eyes you can see them by the big tree above the temple.

"And now for something completely different"...I think I'm going to try a quilt next. I've already got a pattern in mind and I'm so excited! It'll be a while until I start another big cross-stitch undertaking!

The Yoga X

For all of you who are nieve like me and think Yoga is easy? Think again! I tried it, it kicked me in the butt! Mark and I tried it a while ago, as part of our P90X program, and we had to stop because 1. It was late 2. It was dang hard, and we were wimps. That was over a week ago, and sure enough, it returned the next week. I did as much as I could and still had 15 min left. I'm much better at the flexibility half where you are sitting down and stretching so I'm glad that finally came along. I think if I had nice LuLu Lemon yoga clothes I'd perform better. I'm sure of it! Ha ha.

So far, Mark & I have been pretty impressed with the whole P90X program. I'm feeling myself getting stronger and stronger and am not nearly as sore in the morning as I thought I'd be. I think we've got another 80 days to go. Yay?

The Gift of Thanks

So this Thanksgiving I had a lot to be grateful for.

First of all, I'm grateful for quiet! When you have 28 people in one house at one time, it gets pretty loud! Each member of my extended family contributes such different personalities and talents. Even though they may get a little out of hand, I love everyone from the oldest grandfather to the littlest preemie grandbaby.

I have a renewed gratitude for my husband, Mark. He works so hard (>9 hrs a day) and he STILL loves his job. He even comes home and works again! He is a wonderful, charismatic teacher and knows how to guide youth. He's a big dreamer, but dreamers make things happen!

I thankful for my home! Not a lot of couples who have been married for 2.5 years own their own home! I know it is hard work & sometimes causes stress, but it's much better than hearing girls clomping up the apartment stairs at 3 AM! I've finally begun putting up pictures and it feels so much more like a home!

I'm grateful for my posterity! Isaac is so happy and joyful! He's becoming such a curious, determined, curly-haired little boy! When he hugs and snuggles me, it shows me he loves me too. He's definately worth all the pain, late nights and tantrums.

I'm thankful for my testimony. I thankful that I have the freedom to worship God in my country. I'm grateful I feel my Heavenly Father's love every day.

The Over-ripe Watermelon

So I thought I was smart and bought 2 watermelons at $3 each on clearance. They seemed to be ok. When I cracked one open, it was pretty ripe, I guess you could say overly rip! I usually end up eating these kinds of things because Mark doesn't feel obligated to "get rid" of things when they're super ripe and don't taste too good. (This takes me back to when I bought a mini watermelon for a fruit tray in April. It was like $5 and I made sure to pick a nice on. Also over-ripe! I could only use the outer edge.)

So I had to think of creative ways to eat up these 2 watermelon! I had the super idea of feeding it to Isaac. Mash it up, add cereal...voila...watermelon flavored goodness! He's addicted. I then referred to my all knowing "Joy of Cooking" bible, and found a great recipe for a watermelon drink! It just consists of apple sauce, watermelon, & celery all pureed up. SO GOOD. Isaac also can't get enough of this either! I'm going to make watermelon sorbet tonight in our ice cream maker! Does anyone know any other good watermelon recipes? I have another whole watermelon to "use up"!