Whew!!!

I got a lot of crocheting done on the way to Cali! I am working on some Christmas presents, and have actually completed three of them. I also crocheted my first "granny square" this week, believe it or not. I know that's a basic pattern for crochet, but I had just never done it. Now I'm hooked! I am currently working on two baby blankets using the granny square. Here are some pics. The camo is for a little boy (as well as the camo-lined sling...the camo was at the request of his momma). I also picked up knitting again after a long hiatus. I'm currently knitting a pair of w ool legwarmer/babylegs/knee protectors for Gavin in this awesome yarn! I finished the first one and realized it's quite tight, and won't fit him for long. So I'm going to have to get more yarn and modify the pattern to make them a little bigger. I learned how to knit in the round using the "Magic Loop" method, and it's awesome! I need to get some wool off of Etsy so I can make some felted covers for my sons Klean Kanteens. I can't find any wool that I like that will felt in Joann's.

I didn't finish my sewing projects before moving out here, but I brought my sewing stuff with me so I can finish them. I'm also working on a partial stash for my BFF, Lolo. Her babe is due in December. I'm making slings for her and her sister (due 2 weeks before her) out of this beautiful teal gauze with a silver stripe. I had gotten that material for a sling for myself, but I love my batik one so much, it's the only one I use anyway. All of this crocheting and knitting and sewing, all while trying to work and be a mom and wife...so much to do, so little time!
Gavin is has hit a whole bunch of milestones, all within the last week or so. He had been crawling backwards for several weeks now, and taking belly-lunges forward for the last few days. Well, last week finally brought his first real crawl. And already, one day after he figured it out, he's moving FAST, getting into stuff, and terrorizing the cats. Just these last couple of days, he's already started pulling up on things. So far he pulls up on us, the sofa, and the dining room chairs. He clapped for the first time yesterday. And on the last day of August, he cut his first tooth! He's also finally getting some hair on that bald head of his.

Well, we've been busy since my last post! I've got to get back on here more frequently! Well, for the record, I got the position in Walnut Creek, California. I started on July 28th, and I really like it! If nothing comes available in the Redding area any time soon, we'll probably just move up there and I'll sign on as staff. I didn't write for so long because we were so crazy busy, packing and getting things ready to move, moving, travelling out here, and getting settled in. It's been an adventure! We made it to Sacramento from Ellenton in five days! I got my license without any problems, headed to Oakland for paperwork, then settled into our new apartment. We were greeted by a German Shepherd named Charlie, who loved the kids and nearly licked them to death. There are several lovely parks in the area, and we've had great fun exploring them on my days off. We were also given a couple of kittens by a nice lady we met at a pet store...she rescues cats and had two litters born in April and was looking for homes for the kitties. So, we adopted Jasmine and Emma...Jasmine is the gray one and Emma is the black one. The boys have great fun with the cats, although we had to do some pretty intense training with Deklan to teach him to be gentle.

Deklan turned four the weekend we got out to California! My baby is four! Where does the time go? He's such a joy, and I'm so blessed to have been able to spend these last four years with him.

*sigh* This post ended up in sort of backwards order...messed up while uploading the pics. Well, I'll try to update more often than every few months!