knittingirl

Water

Lately as you watch the daily news, there is much talk about water and the way it is changing people's lives.

Florida citizens are living in the flooded aftermath of Fay's storms and downpours.

Grand Canyon visitors were shocked by the onslaught of flash-flooding.

South Texas farms are still experiencing drought conditions.

And of course, who could forget Michael Phelps and his history-changing Olympic performance?

My life was impacted by water this week as well - I was baptized.

Now I accepted Christ into my life a while back, but I always assumed I had already experienced baptism since I was baptized as an infant.  I was wrong.  It had so much more meaning and significance in my Christian life this past week than I could have imagined. 

I was in choir practice Wednesday night, singing words I know well:

"All to Jesus I surrender

all to Him I freely give.

I will ever love and trust Him

In His presence daily live.

I surrender all.

I surrender all.

All to thee my precious Savior, I surrender all."

And I knew.  I wanted to be baptized, to profess my belief in Christ and surrender all to Him as his servant.

I've had some rough weeks as of late, mainly consisting of doubting myself in my roles at work and at home.  I've been struggling with my oldest child's fits and smart mouth and defiance.  I've been overwhelmed by my schedule and my lack of being able to fit myself into it.  I've been consumed with guilt when I longed for the days of no children and no obligations.  I've yearned for worldly things and cursd the fact that I don't have the money for them.

I'm lifting it all up to Him.

I know the Lord has a plan and a purpose for me, and I'm surrendering to His will, listening for His voice.

By the water, I surrender all.

Mickey hold-up

I'm sorry I don't have FO pics yet, but I have yet to get the perfect grosgrain ribbon for the waistband and Big Sis has been a bit of a toot as of late and falling short on her modeling jobs.  I did manage to get her to try it on this evening for about, eh, 4 seconds or so...  It's a little long right now, but I think it'll be perfect in the fall with tights and boots.  Soooo not the way the pattern intended, but nonetheless, very cute.

And I must say that while the process of knitting handmade things for my children is quite gratifying, the lack of appreciation for the effort sort of takes away the gratification.  Know what I mean?  As my dh pointed out to me - "She's three.  She doesn't know how to appreciate it." - which I know, but still.  It makes me not want to make that adorable little smocked coat pattern that I found in IK this month...

Methinks I'll finish up the knit monkey toy and some upcoming baby giftage and then it's time to make something for me.  Lord knows I'll appreciate it!!

FO on the Horizon

I finished Mickey yesterday and am blocking it right now.  All that's left is to find some gingham ribbon to put through the waistband eyelets and I'll have some FO pics to show you, hopefully modeled by Big Sis, although she already has said the skirt is not meeting her twirly-ness standard.  Oh well... there wasn't much I could do about that.  If I'd kept adding rows to make it twirlier, it would've ended up fitting my waist!

A Mickey from Kenickie's like a hallmark card...

when you care enough to send the very best!

Mickey's almost done, I swear.  I'm still adding pleats so it meets Big Sis' "twirly" requirements.  Yes, I said twirly.  If it doesn't twirl when she spins, it's as good as garbage.  Skirts must twirl... apparently that's the number one fashion rule for a 3 year old.

Happy Fifth Blogiversary!

That's right - it's my fifth year as knittingirl, so to honor tradition, I'll be giving away something made of wood (needles, perhaps??) and of course, some yarn goodies.  Post a comment to enter the giveaway (open until August 31, 2008), and the winner will be drawn at random at the end of the month.  Good luck!

Life Turned Me This Way

There's this country song *eek - I know what you're thinking*... about life having its effects on a woman, and let me tell ya, life is doing its job on me.

For those of you who know the song and are wondering, no, my marriage is not in trouble!  It's just a lot of stuff taking its toll on me and I'm really feeling it lately.  There's kid stuff:  kids driving me crazy, feeling guilty for wanting to get away from said kids, feeling crazy for not getting away from kids, cleaning the house the kids destroy, balancing the checkbook the kids drain.  There's work stuff:  drawing the line between friend and boss, wishing I wasn't the boss, wishing I had friends other than work friends, feeling like I don't know how to be the boss.  There's me stuff:  carrying extra flab because I can't /don't make the time to work out, wishing I didn't get a Mirena so I wouldn't feel bloated and flabby and crazy, wanting to do more things in a day but not wanting to feel so tired all the time, wishing I could be a better mom, boss, wife, me without feeling so overwhelmed by all the stuff.

So don't blame me... Life turned me this way.

Mickey progress:  I've got maybe 5 or 6 more repeats until I can bind off and seam.  Progress is slow due to stuff.