Lindsalita

Around the Ranch

Walked up to pet the horses and threw me back with this amazing view.  This is my life.  This is where I live.  

Josh and Ray were picking up straw from Kochivar's field by Utica.  Josh does not like to drive semis, and especially not an extra long load.  Josh would toot the horn when he drove into the yard.  Eli goes crazy when anyone drives up (UPS guy included) so you can only imagine his excitement when Josh rolled in and toot tooted!

Speaking of tooting, Eli had to grip onto Timid to rip one!  Such a good dog.

And that's an evening on the ranch.   Piggy back up to the house!

Book Worm

Eli started Stanford preschool today.  Now he can't seem to keep his nose out of books!  So funny.  His books of choice, anything with trains, trucks, or tractors.  I hope Eli finds a love in reading.  I remember my Mom taking my sister and I to the library and we were allowed 27 books by the library and my Mom said if we could carry them we could check them out.  She would tell us to turn off our lights at night because we would stay up until morning reading.

Diggin' in August

1.  Feeling the Love from all those close to me for my birthday.

2.  Eli loving being on the swather, hay rake and baler which gives me time to knock out my todo list or just be.

3.  Finding local friends that make living in rural America that much richer.  My friend Amanda and I did a lil beading.  The next day that necklace that took me 3 hours to make he ripped apart in 2 min!  When I asked him if he ripped my necklace apart he said enthusiastically 'YEEEAhhhhh!'  Lil stinker!

4.  Learning to say NO.  And funny thing, Eli learned how to say it too this month.  He makes the cutest little cheerio lips and says no-no-no.  He'll keep me on track.

5.  Soaking up the last bits of summer before the school year starts.  Man, this new year will bring early mornings.  Goodbye staying up late.  Hello new waking up early.

6.  Tying up custom jobs now that the school year has started.

Adios Summer Fun

Today is Eli's last official day of summer.  It was a blast! 

 

Schedules

 

Things are about to get wild.  Eli will learn a lot.  Heck we all will.  I'm such a night owl, I've joked that I would like Eli to go to night school!  Anything before 9 is too early for me which means alarms are in our future.  Ewwww.    

2 schools

4 days a week

6 different therapists

T-minus 2 days!  Better get prepared.  Even though I have mixed feelings about my three year old having a schhheeedule, back to school always reminds me of this commercial...  

 

Diggin' in July

1.  Getting pep talks from my amazingly talented friend Toni.  Always knows just what to say to me and at the right time.  No more excuses!!

2.  Starting a Facebook Page for my lil business.  Thanks to my el numero uno fan and motivator.  See numero uno.

3.  Lots of family time.  With the fourth of July and a visitor and just being at home together.  Love that.

4.  Studying for my ASVAB to change my job from Jet Engine Mechanic to Photo Journalist at the guard.  Wow is my brain rusty!  (Text added to photo from A Beautiful Mess App.)

5.  Learning to let go.  Eli's learning so many things, but my biggest lesson is to let him go.  Let him be independent.  It's a tough one.

6.  Honored to be the featured artist at Prairie Collection.  Wanda who claims me as one of her daughter's had me be her featured artist.  What a priveledge!  I made over 300 new cards for this event.  Crazy town.

Havin' a BLAST Getting Digital with Studio Calico

I'm getting the hang of this digital thing!  Fiddled around in photoshop early in the week.  Once I printed these cards came together lickety split!

Admiring E's Wall

Little man was sick at the beginning of the week.  This is really the only time he slows down, snuggles and gives me a break.  As we were lounging in his room I was admiring his wall (the only completed one in the house) and all of the creative people that are a part of it.  So from left to right...calligraphy piece by me, awesome print by kal barteski, feet piece gifted by Pastor Editha, pencil drawing by crazy talented cousin Alana, foot mold by Great Falls NICU nurses, animal prints thrifted by Grandma Bonnie, Miracles placard written by NICU nurse Shirley, photo of feet by dear friend photographer Leah Sloan (and you might notice that I like little feet).  But not only the wall, my mother bought that lazy boy when I was born and would rock me to sleep wearing shooting muffs because I was a colicky baby.  And the two pillows Josh sewed in home ec!  I love this wall because it is a collection of so many people who are important to me.

Lil E restin up for the next adventure.  Kind of hard to admit, no one wants their child sick, but part of me enjoys the break!

I Love a Good Challenge!

Studio Calico puts on a card sketch challenge (found at the bottom of this post) each week and they have been inspiring me lately.  When my kit arrived today the cork washi jumped out of the box and into my hand.  Then this card was born. 

 *Supplies/Tools: Studio Calico Valley High Card Kit, white embossing powder, heat tool, pop dots and sewing machine. 

Diggin' in June

1.  Finding out I have controlled my blood pressure with DIET.  There really is something to this eating clean business.  I am medication free.  And found out my doc used my story for a newspaper article.  I told him immediately it's going into my book!

2.  Soaking up SUMMER!  It's nice to not have to run to Great Falls twice a week.  I've knocked out so many projects (started my 2013 PL, painted, made cards, took an Art Class, met a living relative found through genealogy, got a new job at the guard).  In this month alone it makes me wonder what I was up to the first five months!

3.  Crossed the ONE YEAR mark married to my man.  Wow!  Feels like 17 years and two months ago all at the same time.  He gave me a note of paper to get a camera!!!!!  Yes, I'm spoiled.  But read #4.

4.  My big camera is not well.  So I took it to town to have Melissa take a look at and lo' behold she had the magic touch.  Like it was never broken.  So I am grateful for going on mini photo walks around the ranch.  I'll share photos of that soon.

5.  Free People.  These clothes are pricey but feel OH SO GOOD.  Picked up a super sweet dress my mom would love but I do at the same time. (and for the record I do not 'fill' the dress in the way the model does)

6.  Spending time with Eli running around the ranch.  He wanted to climb back into my womb I had been gone so much.  I'm kinda a big deal.  But if you ask him who he loves he DISTINCTLY says DA-DA.