Hi Alpacas!

After a few days away, we walked over to say hi to the alpacas.

We were greeted by the girls in the shade and some kisses from the babies.

 Football practice starts tonight. Gman is breaking in the new cleats.

Still can't believe it's football season!

The babies are all together now. Before we left, my mom had Jatoba on her own side because the bigger baby boys were too rough for her. Now they're hanging together and they are so cute.

She's hanging in there with those big boys. That a girl :)

Sunday Scavenger Hunt Vacation Style

This week's scavenger hunt is all taken from our vacation.

I'll get back to farm life for next week :)

Here is my take on this week's prompts....Vacation Style

Paint

I had to include a few for this word. We stumbled upon the most amazing seafood joint in Cape May. Tucked into a little marina, fresh crabs and lobster right off the boat...served all you can eat with a mallet, a bucket of food, corn on the cob and a roll of paper towels on the picnic bench. It was a meal that I will never forget. If you're heading to Cape May, check out H&H. You won't be disappointed. It's a BYOB. We didn't know that. Next time we'll be prepared.

And the old-fashioned girl I am, loves a hand painted sign.

 My Garrett LOVES this way of eating.

Green

heehee. A giant sign in the middle of quaint Cape May. Made my boys giggle.

Eyelashes

(or lack of eyelashes in this case)

Our oldest boy is so fair that his eyebrows and eyelashes disappear for the summer. We'll notice them again around Thanksgiving. This was taken at the top of the Cape May lighthouse.

Clouds

Beautiful night at the inlet beach in Brigantine. Rick and I took Chase for a walk to see the clouds and birds while the big kids played mini golf with their grandparents.

Shapes

A view from inside the Cape May Lighthouse. Lots of beautiful shapes, swirls, turns and steps.

Joining in with Ramblings and Photos

Next week I'll have more farm photos.

Have a great Sunday!

-Leanne

 

 

Let the Games Begin!!!!!!!

Olympic Spirit! Can you feel it?!

I LOVE the Olympics. I love the stories of the athletes, the USA pride, the dreams and hopes for all to see, the competition and having a great reason to watch TV ALL DAY LONG.

And now another reason to love the olympics....

The Ravellenic Games 2012!

Ravelry is holding it's own version of the Olympics. The knitting kind.

Now, technically we're supposed to have casted on a new project at the start of the opening ceremonies. Well, I'm a rule breaker. We were on vacation and I had forgotten new yarn but I did have my color affection shawl with me. And I have promised myself that I can't cast on anything new until this is complete. I already have a sore elbow from non-stop knitting. Long gone are my super-athletic in shape soccer playing days. Now I have knitting injuries. Yikes. Maybe I should start working out again....after my shawl is complete.

So, here I am.

Rooting on our USA teams and knitting away.

Join in the fun!

 

Wednesday Yarn Along

Happy Wednesday! I am posting this from my husband's iPad, so hopefully I can do this right. I finally finished a few baby presents for my sister's baby-on-the-way so I thought it would be a good idea to pick up my color affection shawl. It's been a month or so that this project has been sitting neglected in the corner. Once I picked it back up, I quickly remembered how much I love this project and the great miss babs yarn! It makes me want to go to another yarn festival. Rhinebeck will be here before we know it!!! Ok.... So for the past 15 minutes, I've been trying to upload a picture I took on the iPad to this blog. Grrrr. This shouldn't be hard. For someone that works on a Mac every day for the past 15 years, you would think I could do this. Well, this didn't work out well. My shawl is really coming out well. Can't you just picture it? It's pretty, and purple and lavender. And yellow, and squishy and striped and awesome. It's going to be my favorite thing to wear this fall I just know it! Here's the ravelry link, http://www.ravelry.com/projects/leannecoppola/color-affection I am still reading The Murderer's Daughters. I hope to read more this week. Garrett is reading The Talent Show by Dan Gutman. I am looking forward to a nice, relaxing week spent with my hubby, boys and my in-laws. Beach time, knitting time, wine sipping, night out with my favorite guy, walks to the beach and fun. Happy knitting my friends!

Zippideedoodah

I did it! I finally finished something. I am ashamed to admit how many projects I have on needles right now and how long it has been since I finished something.

So it feels really really good to have these two little projects all done.

They will be gifts for my little nephew-to-be. 

He's due to join our crazy family in September, so I'm even ahead

of schedule with these two things! Phew.

I'm happy with the sweater. The yarn is really soft and should look very handsome on Liz's baby.

I tried to find a link on ravelry for you all, but I can't find the pattern. Honestly, the pattern was ridiculous. Written much harder than it needed to be. So, as much as I like the sweater, I really wouldn't recommend making it. There are many more easy just as cute patterns out there.

Here's a link to the website that sells patterns though. Just in case you're interested.

Liz loves hootie owls. So how cute is this little guy?!!! I love him!

He was an easy and quick knit and I think he's a cutie. I want to make a few more.

Ravelry link: Hootie Owl

A few months ago I took my niece to her first yarn shop. This was knitted with the yarn that we purchased. I have some left over, so I think I'll knit something little for her too. Maybe a heart. She'd like that. But I might have to add sparkles to it. She's a glitter girl.

Have a great weekend!

Baby's are being sheared this morning! We'll post pictures tomorrow.

-Leanne

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Pretty

 Our pretty new girl, Jatoba 

 

Happy

 Celebrating our 13th wedding anniversary

Funny

Staying Cool!!!

 

Real

How cute does my sister, Liz, look?! 

That's a real baby bump she's got going on. 

Can't wait to meet my little nephew in 2 months!!!!!!!!

Joining in with this week over at Like Mother, Like Daughter.

Have a great Thursday!

Leanne

Yarn Along and a Birthday!

Happy Wednesday!

I am sooo happy to present an almost complete looking baby sweater. Yikes. This took me way too long to complete. What a wonky pattern. Not a fan of patterns that you have to keep an eye on the whole time. Not that it was difficult at all, just a pain. Still need to do the collar, assemble and get some buttons.

Still reading The Murderer's Daughters.

And I need to wish my littlest guy a very happy 1st birthday!

Chase is one today. How did that happen???!!!!

Sunday Scavenger Hunt

Hello!

It's been a VERY exciting day here on the farm.

After 370 days of pregnancy, Geneva had her baby girl this morning!

 Her name is Jatoba. 

The birth was picture perfect. 

This is Geneva's first baby and she is proving to be the good mom that we hoped she would be.

 So far, so good! Right now they are both taking a well deserved nap.

Nursing is going well, but we just need to keep an eye on them both so Jatoba gets enough milk in her. It's hot here today, so that's the biggest concern.

Ok, so onto the Scavenger Hunt!

 Water

This is one of the sprinklers in the field for the alpacas.

In the background, Geneva is having her baby!

Petal

Daisy plant given to us by good friends :)

Fresh

Nothing fresher than a brand new baby! That's Jatoba getting a kiss from her mom.

Eight

Thanks to my big win on the radio, we enjoyed a free day at the boardwalk.

Calm

I ran home to get Chase some new clothes after the baby alpaca was born.

On my front flower bush was this butterfly. I think of my MomMom every time I see one and it always make me happy and calm. So there you go...my version of calm.

 Joining in with today's scavenger hunt.

Two Years

Every time I see a butterfly, I think of her.

Every time I see a rainbow, I think of her.

Every time some one says, God Bless You, I think of her.

Every time I say Okey Dokey, I think of her.

It's been two years. How did the time go so quickly?

The alpacas are growing in number, MomMom. We know you have two up there with you.

I hope Sanda is making you laugh and our preemie is cuddled at your feet.

I hope you see us every day and know that your kids, grandkids and great grandkids are doing well.

We miss you all the time.

Mail, A Book and Some Knitting

After my last picture of the mailbox and the dreaded parking ticket, I was thrilled to open it today and find inside...

My book from Lori Ann and drawings from my nephews, Brady and Shea!

How fun!

In the days of email, the internet and facebook, it's rare that we get handwritten notes and letters.

Even better, pictures drawn by little kids!!!

My grandmother, MomMom used to write me letters when I was first married.

I was living in Pennsylvania at the time and she would write long letters to

keep me up to date with everything going on in her world.

She wrote just like she spoke.

Tomorrow will be two years since she passed away.

I wish I had kept all her letters. But I do have one tucked away.

I think I'll get it out tomorrow and read it. She always finished it with a clean church joke and

a quick recipe if you were lucky. I think my letter has her potato soup recipe in it.

I'm still knitting the sweater. I don't know why it's taking me so long. Oh yeah...because I have a little one that doesn't think it's a good idea for Mom to sit for more than 3 minutes at a time.

I'm reading The Murderer's Daughters. Sad so far.

Geneva is still pregnant. Maybe tomorrow she will have this baby.

MomMom reborn! We could call it Okey Dokey.

I'm going to try not to cry tomorrow....but I'm sure I will.

Write a letter to someone and put it in the mail.

I'm sure they'll appreciate it :)

-Leanne

 

10 on 10

I am participating in the 10 on 10 project again this month.

The idea is, once a month on the tenth taking a photo an hour for ten consecutive hours. Finding much life and beauty among the ordinary things of our day.

For more information, see here.

So here goes....

8 am

These two are making me crazy. Chase is obsessed with Jeter. 

Jeter tolerates him but won't move away while Chase tries to rip his fur out.

 9am

Mailing the most ridiculous parking ticket EVER. We were in a near by town and paid for our parking, put the receipt in the window as instructed and when we returned we had a ticket.

YES! A ticket. For improper display of receipt. It had slid down so it was covered by part of the windshield. Really? Really? I could have fought it, but if anyone has met my 10 year old and can picture his complete freak out and fear that I was going to JAIL when I said I was going to court to fight this....well, it was just easier to pay the stupid fine. So there.

 10 am

Seriously, how cute is this kid?

11 am

Poor Geneva.....still pregnant. Come on!!!!!!!! Have that baby so that MomMom can leave the farm and have some fun with us!

12 noon

We opted out on going to the beach today. Instead Garrett's best buddy came over for the day.

1 pm

New library book! I finished Gone Girl last night. Wow! Couldn't put it down.

This book looks good. I see a theme.....Yikes!

 2 pm

Free yogurt with friends :)

3pm

Nap time. Sweet sweet nap time.

4pm

Getting dinner started. Note to self- the two filets that used to feed our family NO LONGER is enough. BUY MORE next time! Good thing I made big sides!

5pm

Fishing in the pond. Another bass caught by Dalton. Notice the hideous Wii pants. I swear he has been wearing them for 4 straight years. No clue how they still fit him. Also not sure why he is wearing them outside before bed.

 Chase showing me his fake worm. He wishes he could fish too.

Soon little man, soon.

Technically I'm supposed to be done here, but I have a few more that I took that I wanted to add in. So here you go...

Look at those freckles. And when did he start looking so old?!

 1st time on the tire swing.

 Me and my little man. Please ignore my double chin.

 The big one and the little one. My middle one needs to get in more pictures. He's camera shy.

So there you have it. A day in my life.

Have a great day!

Leanne