and i'm back . . . again

well, sorry about that impromptu absence. i seem to take those frequently, but sometimes they are just needed. it really just naturally occurred and was not something i planned. then once i was a few days into the break i found myself enjoying it.
i think sometimes i put a lot of pressure on myself to keep up with this space. then other times i feel guilty for the amount of time i do spend here, and to be honest it's not that much time. sometimes i just need that recharge to get my mojo back in all the areas of my life.
matt was out of town most of this past week (in the bahamas!), that was what triggered the break. i just didn't have much time between juggling two little ones on my own, keeping house, sleeping (trying to), and enjoying the spring weather to get over to the computer much. it was nice to sit back, relax, and not be hurried. we took walks, played in the rain, ate lunch in a park, had a book day - went to the library then the bookstore, and watched spy kids more than i care to admit.
i tried to keep tabs on a few people that i have a hard time prying myself away from. some peoples pictures and words are sorely missed after more than a day or two. i realized in doing this though, that i don't have to keep up on all the blogs i try to read. my list was getting hard to control and i realized i was pretty backed up on a lot of blogs, so i have thinned out my blogroll just a bit. (i mean if i am 70 posts behind on a blog - do i really need the reminder that i'm not reading it?) but i did notice so many spring projects popping up! i myself have not been that crafty lately. i had a (short) burst of knitting dishcloths because 1) i had never knit any before, 2) we needed some (and still need more), 3) i needed a quick knit fix, and 4) i am tired of buying sponges.
now i need to get on with it and finish my winter projects that have been dormant *ahem* ursa sweater. poor thing. all she needs are the rest of her sleeves and a collar! ha hahaha haha ha . . .
i'll fill you in later on what i've been doing in lieu of real knitting.

speaking of knitting, i have on my i must knit list for this year so far:
3 christmas stockings to be knit. one for bea, one for cousin whit, and one for a cousin yet to be born (and thus named)
2 baby gifts. matt and i will become uncle and aunt to a new babe sometime this winter. and dear friends are expecting their
second at the end of the summer.

so if anyone out there would like to share their favorite patterns for baby i'd love the suggestions!

**and now back to the regularly scheduled sporadic blogging (with pictures that are more relevant to the posts)**