Whew! I am so sick and have been for over a week now. My birthday was on Friday and it wasn't anything too special because I am so sick! I did receive some lovely gifts, my favorite being a *new* camera lens from Conor! Yay! I haven't had a chance to play with it. My pounding head and tired arms aren't playing along with me. My poor girls have cabin fever. I think we'll take a trip to the park today and I'll just sit on a bench. In the meantime, here are some photos of one of our favorite places to go. Greta's big enough to ride some of the rides, which is so fun for her!

Today is day 5 of me being really sick. Poor Greta has just had to survive almost on her own. She's received very little attention. Fortunately for me, she's been a trooper! Yesterday, us girls watched a movie. Greta's not much for shows, but I gave her a snack and she sat still for a little bit. And that honestly felt like a gift to me! Plus, look at how adorable Greta is!

I've made a few skirts out of this skirt pattern - Mccall 3830. It sews up so easily. Have you noticed a pattern in what I sew? Quick and easy is key these days! I used a wool blend herringbone fabric that I've had for a while (again, pulling from my stash that's slowly growing smaller and smaller). This would be a good pattern for a beginning by the way.

I love this peasant dress pattern. I've now made 6 dresses and one shirt from the pattern. Am I in a rut? No. They're just so easy and quick to make and a fun, comfortable and cute piece for the girls to wear. Plus, it's easy to make adjustments or add embelishments. For this new dress, I left the elastic out of the sleeves and added a pom-pom trim to the hem. I love the fabric! It's so fresh! 

What's your favorite quick and cute project?

Over the weekend, I went for a 4 mile run. This was a vacation for me too and that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to go for a relaxing run that was a little bit longer than what I do during the week. Some mornings, I really don't want to run. Three times a week, I get up at 5:55am so I can meet my running partners at 6:30am (and then I try to do a long run on Saturdays). I know this isn't very early for a lot of people. Most mornings, Conor's up an hour before I am. For me this is a sacrafice - my body needs a lot of rest. But, I'm feeling the rewards. I love running. I love the way it all comes together and I love the appreciation I have for my body every time I run. I love the energy it gives me and the burst of confidence. I do it for myself. I have a lot of improvements to do when it comes to my health, however, I'm moving in the right direction. I am taking care of myself. And while I'm doing so much for me, I'm also teaching my children invaluable lessons. Lessons about exercise, health and, most importantly, loving and respecting oneself. 

When I see amazing views, like I did on Saturdays run, I know God is real. He designed my body and this beautiful world. My maker is amazing. Beautiful views like Lake Tahoe and the ocean always bring my soul peace. I believe it's because of the quiet and soft affirmations that God is real.