Changes

I've been thinking about writing this post for a long time but I wasn't really sure how to approach it. I still don't. I suppose I'm still trying to digest everything that's happened over the last few months, and hope at some point to eventually gain some perspective. The fact is, however, that Aaron and I have decided to divorce.

And as a result in the change in our circumstances, I've decided to start a new blog:

http://erinstar80.blogspot.com

Please join me there as I talk about my life as it is now and where I'm headed.

Gratitude

Spring 2012 has been rather busy for me, but as it draws to an end, the theme that rises to the surface of my mind is that of gratitude--

Gratitude for my dear husband who insists on loving me and staying by my side despite everything--challenges, disappointments, bad moods, etc. He may not always be able to deliver on all of my expectations (and I DO expect a lot, poor guy), but he believes in what we are trying to achieve together, and tries in his own way to help us get there. His birthday is on May 15th and I am reminded of all that he brings to my life. He is the guardian of our finances, a fastidious maintainer of our vehicles, a giver of excellent massages, and the would-be (but not always appreciated) comic relief in our home. I'm a lucky woman.

Mother's day, this year in particular, has brought to mind how grateful I am for my mother. At church that day, our bishop asked me to think of a story to tell about my mother during a lesson that he was to give later on. Due to other obligations, I ended up not being able to attend that meeting, but it caused me to spend the day searching my memory for some meaningful story that I could relate about her. Many things could be said about this woman, but all I could narrow my thoughts down to was the fact that my mother is everything--all that is good in my life is because of her, a direct result of her love, support, and sacrifice. My education. My ability to earn a living. My decision to enter into an eternal marriage. The down payment on our house. The trust that I have in God. Any virtues that I might possess, or wisdom that I have gained--it is all because of her. It is my hope that I may become half the woman that she is someday.

And, though it may seem silly to some, I am also grateful for our little fur-babies. I think that on some level, I had begun to take the cats a bit for granted until a few weeks ago when Kenneth got very ill. I had noticed him occasionally vomiting and urinating in various places around the house, but I just chalked it up to hairballs and bad behavior. I woke up one morning, however, to find our kitchen floor literally covered in vomit, blood, and urine. It looked like a grisly murder scene. Luckily I found poor Kenneth alive, huddled in a corner looking miserable and very, very scared. We rushed him to the only animal hospital that was open that early on a Saturday morning, and the vet informed us that his kidneys were diseased and had begun to fail. He stayed in the hospital for four (rather expensive!) days and endured countless tests, and came home with us still leaking bright red urine and without any appetite to speak of. We spent the next week just giving him lots of love, administering oral meds, forcefeeding him, and sticking a needle under the skin on his back to give him extra fluids from an IV bag. It was no fun for him or us, but he slowly began to show signs of his old self. Now, a few weeks later, he seems to be feeling better than he has in a long time. He's playing more, and taking full advantage of the extra attention he's been getting. We have to be on our guard for any signs of relapse now, but can hopefully expect to have several more good years with him.

Oh, and here's some stuff that I've made for some people:

A yarn wreath for my sister Amy's birthday:

Another one for my Mom for Mother's Day:

And, yet another for my sweet MIL:

And a sweater for my adorable honorary niece, Berkeley:

More to come soon!

Fall Catch-Up

So... I'm really bad at this blogging thing. It may have to do with the fact that my life is rather dull and uneventful.

Nonetheless, here is my attempt to recap Fall 2011.

I held a craft night with a couple girlfriends from work, Shayda and Ariel. I made a Chipotle-esque burrito bar and...


we made witch candy holder thingies! Aren't they cute?


I made this one for my mother-in-law Anne, whose birthday is on Halloween. I felt her hair could use some body, so I decided to pull apart some strands of yarn to create spiral curls, and interspersed them with the straight strands. Kinda gives her what I'd term "club hair, circa 1999".


I also took a few shots of our mantel all decorated for fall. I found this fall garland for a steal at JoAnne's and tossed some small white pumpkins up there for good measure.




I found these cool looking pumpkins at a local farmers market--they're supposedly a variety that comes from the Caribbean.


Also, here's a knitting project that I finished! It was a gift for a former co-worker of mine who recently had a kid. Nevermind that the finished size ended up big enough for, say, a kindergartener. It's a dinosaur hoodie. So fun!


More to come...

What I've Been Up To Lately...

Once again, while reading the fabulous blogs of my friends, I remembered the long lull since my last post and suffered a great pang of guilt for my neglect of my own humble blog, so here's my attempt to eke out a quick post.

Atlanta lately has given us quite a show with a very early and very warm spring, causing a dazzling display of springtime blossoms. I will post some pics of our latest attempt at gardening sometime soon. We've also been catapulted into tornado and thunderstorm season, which certainly keeps things lively.

Aaron and I had a terrific date night last week during which we visited the recently renovated Atlanta temple. It was truly incredible and a very spiritual experience, and we even got to see a couple of families from our old ward there. Though the outside of it isn't particularly spectacular in comparison to other temples I've seen, the inside with all of the architecture, stained glass, chandeliers, and new furniture is truly gorgeous, even more so that the below photos show. I'm thrilled that Atlantans, members and non-members alike, have turned out in force to walk through it during this open house and feel of the spirit there before it is again closed to the public.





I've also been churning out some more knitting projects in my spare time. Here are few of those endeavors--

A purse for my sister's birthday:



A summery little cardi for my cousin Tawnya's newest baby, Tiffany:



And another cardigan for a yet to be determined recipient:

Projects!

Thought I'd take a minute to share the latest fruits of my labors. My super-rad friend Kristen has been teaching me how to knit, and I've finally managed to squeak out some actual projects.

Blanket for my cousin Amber's baby, Sarah:


Bikini for my other cousin Laura's baby, Zoey:


Back view of the bottoms (how much do you love butt ruffles on babies??):


I also dragged out the ol' sewing machine and whipped up these two sofa pillows with some fabric that I actually ordered for a different project but decided it wasn't quite right for:


All these projects took way longer than I ever would have supposed, but all in all, I had a blast making 'em. I've never considered myself particularly crafty or domestic, but I'm finding it surprisingly satisfying to have a creative outlet.

The Big 3-0

So. Yeah. I'm not really big on talking about it, but I turned thirty the other day. Here are a few pics...



At the Cheesecake Factory. FYI, the kobe burger and the lemon roasted chicken with mashed potatoes are DA BOMB!




Some of the super cute cards I got on the mantle. Thanks to my peeps for sending them. My fave is the Twilight one featuring a (as always) very hot Edward on the front, courtesy of my super cool co-worker, Kristen.




My hunny got me this cake. Very sweet of him, although I can't help but point out that he got me HIS favorite flavor (red velvet)... but it's the thought that counts, right? It's not his fault that he's a boy.

All in all, I had a pretty good time. And I've decided it's not so bad entering a new decade in my life. I'd certainly rather be thirty than fifteen again. And the alternative to aging is death, so I guess I'll keep on aging as long as I can.

Our House -- Interior Photos

At long last, here are some pics of our new home! I got it as clean and decorated as it's gonna get for a while since my mom and grandmother were coming for a visit, so I managed to snap a few pics before it could get messed up again. The photos are pretty poor quality thanks to my crappy camera and lack of light (it was about 10pm when I took these), but I hope you enjoy them nonetheless!

Master Bedroom:













Master Bath:




Guest Room #1:




Guest Room #2:




Upstairs Guest Bathroom:




Front Entryway:


Dining Room:


Living Room:






Kitchen:




Downstairs 1/2 Bath:


Laundry Room: