celebrating Lent

I had a post all written out about what I was giving up for Lent and why and I realized that in doing so, I was not really following the things I'd like to do for Lent itself. Funny eh? To sum it up, more reflection and thanks, less expectation and self-indulgence.

Things have been going along smoothly lately, and I think that's part of the reason my blog has been quieter recently. There just hasn't been that much going on. Mike and I have had a few social events for his school - His visiting professor from England is headed back home this week - I know Mike will miss him. I only met him and his wife (both lovely people) a handful of times, but he's been teaching the plaster students at the school for the past 8 weeks, and had a wealth of knowledge to offer. So we've had 'beers at the pub' a few times, 'a going-away dinner' and a few other related events to keep us busy.

We're getting used to the SleepNumber, although it's still tough to stick to a setting, (its so fun to play with it though!) but I think we're finding our groove. Partially because I'm just so tired when I go to bed that it makes it easy to just keep it at whatever setting it was at the night before. I've been working out more the past few weeks - there's a friend from work who's been joining me (or saying she will and then bailing at the last minute so I'm already there) so that's been helping a lot with motivating me to go. I've been doing more yoga/Pilate's than the cardio, but try to fit in a cardio or weight class at least once a week.

There is another friend who is supposed to 'run the bridge' with me (or at least attempt to walk/slowly jog it at first) sometime after work, and I've been a slacker on calling her on it, but I'm tempted to this week, depending on the weather. (YOU know who you are, and YOU'VE been warned!! I know you read my blog there girly!!! :) We all need a nudge now and again eh? I shouldn't push too hard - I haven't done it yet so who am I to talk right?

A while back, I won a contest on this blog, and was told my prize would be coming in the mail a bit late, and promptly forgot all about it. Well, it came the other day and is just beautiful!! There were 2 skeins of Brown Sheep's Handpainted Originals, and 5 simply gorgeous stitch markers - I love them! The website doesn't do the yarn justice -so here are some pictures, but they really don't capture the lovely colors either:







Knitting wise, I'm almost finished with the baby gift as I've been calling it, and I've decide to post some pictures because I don't think the recipients mother really reads my blog very often. I'm still stuck on the ears - I made them once, and they were too small, and not the right shape. I think I've finally fiddled around and found a shape I like, but I can't get the color to work out right with the color changes without it looking really weird. After a bit I'm just going to give up and stick the ears on there, but in the meantime, I will give you a few pictures:

Here he is without any ears:

and here

and from the top (which i think is so cute!)


And here are his first set of ears which Mike said made him look more like a bear than an elephant:


I kinda agree. So I've been working on another pair and then he'll be done! The baby's due in April so I'm not sure if I should send him on, or bring him with me when I go to visit. We'll see.

I'm also working on a hat for Mike. He drew me a picture:



and I've chosen this hat pattern for the basic idea (here for you Ravelry folks), and making a few adjustments. I'm not doing the actual patterning on it and changing some of the garter stitch to stockinette,and adding some stripes to it. So far he likes it, and that's with me only ripping it out maybe.... 3 times due to my own knitting mishaps. Once I cast on too many stitches making it too bit, another time, the striping wasn't working out the way I liked it, and the third, I was trying to match what I did the first time and couldn't get it. But now I think I'm on a role. It talks me a bit to get going sometimes.

But overall, it's all good. Right now, life is all good. And that's something I'm going to try to actively remind myself - that it's not that way for everyone, and so, I need to continually count my blessings. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.Thank you, thank you thankyouthankyouthankyou....