renee-weible

Days Gone By

2012-02-09T08:47:00.004-05:00

I think I've dropped almost completely out of the blog world. I haven't posted in months, and I haven't even checked my favorite sites since Christmas. It's funny how things change and focus shifts. The things that once mattered somehow don't anymore, and new things have taken their place for importance. Days go by, and time slips away, and memories are made (I'm just not documenting those memories here anymore... lol).

Time

2011-11-09T18:19:00.000-05:00

Since my last post, school has resumed and our busy lives have too. I say this all the time, but it never ceases to amaze me how the days turn into weeks, and the weeks into months. Life passes by in a blink of an eye. It's so easy to get focused on the routine of things and move through life by way of a matter of necessity, rather than choice. And then I try to remember that not everything is a necessity for today, for right now, for THIS moment. And that not everything has to happen on my time (which is probably one of the hardest things for me to remember...). It's okay, sometimes better even, to take a deep breath and just walk away. Tomorrow will come, and pick up right where today left off.

Happiness in Little Things

2011-08-25T09:53:00.002-04:00

Today is the very last day of summer vacation. Tomorrow starts the brand new school year. Many of my friends are already talking about the stress they feel, and we don't even have day 1 complete yet. Me, I've been trying to focus on the little things that keep me happy. Like this nice stack of lovelies. I have something extra special planned for them, and feel the excitement as I play. Happy day :)

Comes and Goes

2011-07-30T03:47:00.005-04:00

I start counting down for summer vacation beginning the whole way back in September. After what seems like forever, June comes, then July, and now almost August. The days happen in a blur, with constant motion all around. But this motion is different than during the school year because it is relaxed and often spur of the moment. Fun motion instead of necessary motion. And August will continue the same way June and July have, but with almost a sense of urgency as we begin to feel the end of summer. As I prepare to flip the page on the calendar, I feel how fast summer is going, but somehow it still feels like it has just started.

--- Family ---

2011-06-25T15:05:00.002-04:00

Enjoying summer vacation so far :)

Overdue

2011-06-21T20:47:00.004-04:00

I spent last week visiting back home. It was a trip well overdue on so many levels. Time slips away, my parents are getting older, and I'm missing out on time with them, as are my girls. So getting to spend a few days with them was a very good thing. But while I was there, I made visits to other people that I've been missing along the way.

This is a high school girlfriend and her very first, brand new baby! Isn't he so precious?! And not only does she have a brand new baby, but also a brand new house just built and moved into weeks before he arrived. Below is another old friend's little guy goofing with my girls. His eyes are so beautiful!

These girls were my best friends for a long time through junior high and high school. The twins introduced me to their youth group around 7th or 8th grade, and that's when I found the Lord.

After high school, they stayed close, but I moved away. Life can move at rapid speed and sometimes years go by without realizing how little time you've spent together. When I was back home, I took some time to look though old photo albums, letters and cards. The amount of love these girls gave me back then was incredible. Even if I only see them once a year, I am still lucky to have them.

Exactly

2011-06-02T20:03:00.003-04:00

Sometimes things aren't perfect; things aren't exactly how you think they're supposed to be. But they still work. Take this butterfly for instance - it appears damaged, but somehow it still flies. It's strong and it moves on. The same can be said for life, it just goes on.

I got a letter in the mail today from an old friend and it said exactly what I needed to hear. A few simple words, but it made all the difference in my day. It's funny how life does that for us sometimes... Thank you my friend.

And Then?

2011-05-14T14:41:00.003-04:00

You know the saying "The days are long, but the years are short"? I feel like that's my life in a nutshell lately. I've been having some personal struggles that seem to make the days feel like they are never ending. But somehow so much time is passing and I think maybe I'm taking it for granted. I need to spend a little more time appreciating the little moments that every day holds, and stop watching for the next finish line. Life is going to unfold itself before I know it, and I don't want to wish this time away.

Everything is New Again

2011-04-24T13:15:00.005-04:00

Resurrection Sunday - He arose. Spring - new life appears. I can rise and be new again too.

Sometimes you find that you're on a different path in life than you would necessarily choose for yourself. It's those times that you stand strong and make a choice to change. Sometimes it's only minor changes, and others are much bigger. But any change can take work to get the results you're seeking. Self improvement, motivation, discipline, priorities... Life is a work in progress, right? Perfection will never be achieved, but we all have a little room for improvement.

Ahhhh, a Little Breathing Room

2011-04-22T15:31:00.002-04:00

Easter break is here, and I have 5 wonderful days off. Nothing scheduled. No travel plans. Just time for anything we feel like. And what I felt like today included finally dusting off my sewing machine and getting some progress made.

I had this pattern cut for about 2 months or so, just waiting for some time to mess up the kitchen with sewing scraps. I popped in a movie for the girls and was able to get the body of the bag done. Just to add the straps, and it will be another project checked off my always growing 'someday I'll do' list. Again, intended as a gift though...

Hello, I've Been Expecting You

2011-04-17T15:04:00.002-04:00

Yeah! The first sign of Spring in my very own yard! I'm excited for more to come along now :)

There's No Way - It Can't Be!!!

2011-04-14T21:23:00.006-04:00

How in the world is this little girl 6 years old already? It feels like just yesterday that she was that teeny tiny someone nuzzled up tight against my neck. And that smell - that 'new baby' smell...

And now she's having a 'real' birthday party with 'real' kids.

Kids that I don't even know. Kids from a whole other life at school that I am not part of.

How did this happen? My first little baby girl is getting so big.

March in Review

2011-04-03T20:25:00.007-04:00

Where in the world do the days disappear to?! I don't know why life feels like it's moving in slow motion, but somehow the weeks pass without even realizing... This post highlights a few of my bigger moments in March.

Below is a picture of Date Night. John had his 15 year high school class reunion, so we made the trip back that way to attend. The girls stayed with their grandparents and we went out for some fun.

The following weekend, I took a bus trip to New York City with some of my best girlfriends and my sister. What a looooong day it was, but definitely worth it. I've been to NYC a couple of times before, but as a teenager with a group. This is the first time I was able to go at my own pace. We made it to the top of Rockefellar Center, to the Plaza, Times Square, and much much more. We didn't catch a show, just lots of walking.

Me and my Sissy

All the girls from the observation deck. What a great view of the city! I am already planning my next trip back to take Anna :)

A Whole Month Already?

2011-03-01T20:28:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it's been a whole month already since my last post. I have really given blogger the back seat in my life the past six months or so. Life hasn't been exciting, but it has been busy. We have fallen into a steady, predictable daily routine, with little wiggle room on weeknights. And while the weekends prove to have a little more energy, the chores still seem endless. We are all anxiously awaiting spring's arrival since grumpiness appears in at least one Weible every day. I think we will all smile a little more and sleep a little easier when we can catch some fresh air and get a trip or two in to the park. I just keep telling myself - Not much longer... Not much longer... Not much longer...

Cheerful Cherries

2011-02-02T19:37:00.002-05:00

I finished the table topper! This pattern is so easy, and I've made several toppers similar now. It adds such a nice burst of color to the winter time drab. I made it with intentions to gift it, so I won't be admiring it for much longer. One of these days I'll have to make something with the intent to KEEP it for myself :)

The Past Week

2011-01-29T16:05:00.002-05:00

I had a birthday this past week. We had a chocolate cake with fudge frosting - not because it was MY favorite, but because it was ANNA's favorite :) My birthday gift was some mint chocolates that Anna chose for me and a Kindle. Woo Hoo!

These boots were my birthday present to myself... I've been looking to get a pair, and lucky me, they were on sale!

The girls and I spent some time in the car goofing off with the camera today. John was taking care of some paperwork inside, and we were waiting for him in the van. Lots of silly movies were made, and here is a still shot of us girls. Don't you just looove Anna's face?

WIP

2011-01-16T14:24:00.002-05:00

I decided I needed something bright and cheerful to look at for a while, so I started a new project to help me think SPRING (even though winter is just really kicking into full speed...). I've had this fabric just laying around for a year or so, slated for this pattern. I just needed to get myself the proper motivation - and today was that day! This is the full table topper, and it is ready to be backed and quilted now. I have a super cute backing fabric that will make the whole thing pop :-) Now to find something to bind it with; my stash is growing, but I don't think it's built that well yet...

A New Year, A New Start

2011-01-02T19:58:00.004-05:00

Sometimes it's easy to question life's path. Sometimes you wonder exactly how it is that you got to THIS point. There are some things you may wish you could change, and other things that you wonder how you could ever be so blessed?! As 2010 comes to an end, I think about what the year held for me. I do think about what I could change, and that's where the New Year's resolutions come in...

My hopes for 2011 are to say YES a little more often. Make more time to be "selfish" (take something just for me once in a while - maybe a massage or a mani-day, more shopping trips sans the kiddos!). To not get so stressed out. And to work on my inner strength and discipline. With a new year comes new hope. May this year be even better than last!

It's Been a Long Time...

2010-12-26T11:28:00.002-05:00

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I know I've been absent for a while now, so I'm taking a break from the holiday fun to wish you all HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

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Wedding Pictures

2010-11-14T18:28:00.002-05:00

So, my oldest friend in the world got married a month ago. We've been friends for 27 years. She lives far away from me now, so we never get to see each other (not to mention, she's a doctor, so she works CRAZY hours!). But I definitely wouldn't miss her wedding for anything!

Above is a nice shot of the happy couple, waiting to be announced at the reception hall. Below is Anna, the prettiest flower girl I've ever seen!

I was a bridesmaid too and here's a shot of us prettied up together.

My sister kept Nicole for the ceremony and through dinner. But then she brought her to the reception hall for some dancing. The girls had a great time on the dance floor :)

Overall, the entire day was utterly perfect. Susie looked gorgeous and it was great to catch up with some friends from long ago. It makes me realize just how much I miss them. And that I will have to make it a point to plan a visit out to see the new couple before too too long!

Just Passing Time

2010-11-06T16:10:00.004-04:00

My sister came to visit last weekend. She surprised Nicole by picking her up from day care. They spent a few hours at the house just the two of them. What a super cute picture of them!

A few weeks ago, she kept Nicole for the day again, while we went to a wedding. They went to a local pumpkin festival, and Nicole was fearless on this blow-up slide. Doesn't it seem really high?! (I doubt Anna would have gone down it even if we bribed her with cotton candy and lemonade...)

I'm sure you all remember me rattling on about the quilts I needed to finish for wedding gifts. Well, here is said quilt. It was finished in mid-September, and gifted in mid-October. I sent it to the quilter to do the quilt work, but the rest of it is all mine. I just love the colors! I'll get around to posting pix from the actual wedding soon.

Halloween Fun

2010-10-31T19:55:00.004-04:00

Halloween already?! Anna had her first Halloween party and parade at school last week. John was able to make it for a while to catch a glimpse and snap a few photos. She loved every minute of it!

The girls chose their costumes very carefully a few weeks back, and there was no going back for Anna. Nicole, on the other hand, had to be difficult (NO, not Nicole...). Although she chose to be a black kitty, she has been insisting all week on being a princess. So today, she went as a princess kitty (which, as it turns out, in her little mind it was no different than the original kitty mask we bought!)

Our town does a Halloween parade to kick off the start of trick or treat. And it gives everyone a chance to check out all of the great costumes. We saw some really creative home-made costumes. Next year, we just may have to give it a little more thought...

Changes

2010-09-23T18:48:00.003-04:00

*pumpkins from our garden*

Fall is always such a symbolic time for me. There's just something about the way you can feel change coming on - the change in seasons and the changes in life. It's a time that I can sit and reflect on the last year, and note how time just elapses before our eyes. Alot of changes have been made this past year, and it can be strange to think how quickly they came about. And yet, in life, we still have some constants - some things we can count on to never change.

All Good Things Come to an End

2010-08-27T00:15:00.003-04:00

Well, it's officially here - the end of summer vacation... Today is the last weekday of break, and it's back to the crazy days again come Monday.

The end of summer is always hard on me because I get so spoiled from those 10 weeks off. It's all too easy to get used to lazy mornings - sleeping in and eating breakfast in our jammies. Days to just do whatever we feel like instead of being confined by a regimented schedule. Flexibility and fun. Getting to stay up after 8 PM. Afternoon movie cuddles on the couch. Popsicle stained lips, wet morning grass on our toes, dirt under our fingernails! But in just 3 short days, the clock keeps our schedule again and back to work. This year, it's also starting school for another little girl. A great big step for our little family...

Summer Fun

2010-08-10T23:16:00.002-04:00

The summer is really starting to wind down. Here are some pictures from some happy times these last few weeks:

We had lots of sprinkler and pool time in the yard - usually topped off with their popsicle of choice!

The girls often fought over who got to sit in "Mommy's" chair...

We made it out to the dam several times to play in the water and sand.

And Daddy even made it out with us once or twice to share in the fun!