We had a call around 2:30 on Monday afternoon from a sweet family that Trouble was in their back yard.  The family had recognized her from the posters hanging around town.  It truly was an amazing feeling.  We are not sure if she was in the heavy woods the entire time or just making her way back to us.
We've been to the Vet.  She has lost 17lbs and they are running a few tests, but everything else looks pretty good.  We then stopped by the groomer for a nice bath and a little trimming.  Trouble is on a bland diet of small frequent meals.  Hoping to pack on some pounds.  That combined with a whole lot of Love should hopefully do the trick.  She doesn't seem to want to leave our sides.

I can't even begin to tell you how grateful we are for your prayers, thoughts and kind words.  Those who had similar experiences, I held your stories close to my heart.  THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.

AND, she came home on the same day I picked my mom up from the airport.  AND saw a rainbow flying high over the city on our drive back home.  What a beautiful day.

Happy Day to you, friends.  xx

The last day of school was Friday.  As much as I love routine, I love the laziness of summer way more.  So happy to have early mornings free for yarn and coffee.

Happy Day, Friends.

 was reminded by Laura (hi Laura!) of dunkin platters (SO good!)  :: felt love ::  cried

 Thank you again for all of your heartfelt words, thoughts and prayers about our sweet Trouble.   They mean the world to me.  A piece of my heart is missing.  I just can't believe there hasn't been a single sighting.  But, I will not give up hope.
We have done everything that I think is possible.  Hikes, posters, Facebook, contacting all the authorities, clothes hanging in the yard that may help her smell her way home.  But, now I think we just have to rely on someone else.  That someone will spot her and bring her back home.  The middle of the nights have been hard.  When I lay there and wonder where she is. Is the storm that is passing through scaring her?  Is she is hungry?  Is she looking for us and can't find us?  Then I think about other possibilities.  Is she stuck on something in the forest and can't get free?  Does someone have her and is trying to make her their pet?  Has she been hit by a car?  However, she has tags and is microchipped.  Those are the two things that keep my thoughts positive.
It's the not knowing that is the hardest.
Remember our trip to London?  And our family fun field trip to Wool and the Gang?
I was in awe of their inspiration wall.
 Wouldn't you LOVE a job like this!  Oooooh, yes!
 I just had to get my hands on some Jersey Be Good yarn.  It's made from fabric roll off-cuts from fashion factories in turkey. The local women take the unused ends of the rolls and make them into this yarn.  It could have gone into the landfill, but instead we get to have some fun.  So grateful for that.
The zig zag shopper.  A simple, super fast project, with a big, bang of fun!

I can't even begin to thank you for all of your kind words, thoughts and prayers.  I am completely grateful.  I truly have hung onto every word and every bit of hope for Trouble's safe return.  I also would like to apologize for not getting here sooner.  Please know, that as soon as I know anything, I'll  let you know.  I do get to instagram a lot more often than I do here.  And, I will post instantly as soon as I know something there.

Your stories about your pets safe returns have kept me hopeful this past week.  I have loved reading all of your comments.   I can't believe how this is affecting me.  I am completely distracted and consumed with thoughts of her.    It is a bit frustrating that there hasn't been a single sighting.  Hopefully, she is just having a grand time deep in the forest.  We live in a deeply wooded area.  So, finding her could be difficult.  I like to think that an angel will be hiking and at least spot her for us.  Then we can pinpoint a certain location to make the search a little easier.  But right now, she is a teensy, tiny needle in a very large haystack.

I just keep reminding myself how lucky I am to have been given the gift of a pure, unconditional love.

We had some new furniture delivered yesterday.  I can only imagine that when Trouble saw those french doors wide open, with delivery men coming in and out, how her heart started to race.  Space.  Wide, open space.  It's too bad that I wasn't home.  The guarder of all doors.   "Close the door!"  "Did you lock the gate?"  "Who left that door open?" Cause if I would have been, I would have kept her in a closed room.  However, I wasn't.  And, off she ran.  To the wide open space that she sees only in her dreams.
 I can also only imagine how fast she was running.  How the muscles in her legs stretched into spaces they never had.  And how her senses were exploding with all of the wonderful smells.  Never once looking back at the walls where she lives.
I hope she ate a mole for dinner.  And chased a bunny down it's hole.  I hope she chased the deer and when she was tired stopped.  I hope she dug the deepest hole in the earth and covered her sweet body with the forest.  But what I hope most is that she senses our hurt hearts and she comes home to us, today.

 Dandelion love was spotted in the grass.

And served it outside.  Thankfully, I knew just were to sit.

Now if someone would just please tell Andrew that we don't need an official "Kids Day".

I hope you are having the same awesome weather as we are.  It practically feels like summer!  The flowers are going in, and we have big plans to get the vegetable garden planted this weekend.  I have even bigger plans to finish the first sleeve by Sunday.  And, I've given myself till the end of the month to finish the sweater.  Fingers crossed.  My toes are crossed that I don't run out of yarn.

No one liked the dough.  I almost didn't bake them.
 Ever since I traveled to Greece I have been a big fan of Tzatziki.  I forgot for a while but as soon as the thought entered my mind, I had to make it.
 Served with baked pita chips, carrots, broccoli, red peppers and those gluten free cookies.
It all made for a perfect after school snack which still just happens to be one of the best parts of my day.

Happy weekend friends!
{We will be celebrating the Derby on Saturday and Andrew's confirmation on Sunday.  Yippee!}

Have you ever been somewhere when your pattern calls for you to place live stitches on a holder and you don't have the correct materials to do so? Ya, me too.  And that is pretty much why I did this thumb and have grown to like it.  Not that I won't sometimes go back to the other thumb.  But, this one just works, too.  So, I thought I would show you in case you would like to give it a try.
And for my visual friends (Hi Barbara!) I thought I'd not only tell you, but show you.

The pattern is Toasty.  Remember there is Toast, too.  No thumb to even knit in Toast!
There is also always a link in my sidebar.
After 7" of working the pattern in the round, start working stockinette.  Purl a row, Knit a row.
Work for 9 rounds.  Thumb opening will measure 1.5 inches.
Join to work in the round again and knit until above thumb opening measures 2-2.5 inches.
Bind off.
Pick up 15 stitches around thumb opening.
Knit for 5 rounds.  Bind off.
Sew in your ends.
Wave to your friends.

Hi friends!

Cast on again and repeat.  :)

 And I snip off the top of the sheet for the draw string.
A tank top from Old Navy and you have the most comfy lounge wear you have ever worn.  Honestly. (I made myself a pair, too!)
It takes me about an hour from start to finish to make a pair.   It truly is a gift that keeps on giving!

And just like last year, I'd like to celebrate by offering you all 15% OFF your order of the chalkboard place mats.  It's an earth friendly product, made in the USA, that helps celebrate life.  Use them over and over to leave love notes, practice school work, play games decorate for the holidays.  It really is the gift of green.

Enter the coupon MIRACLE to receive 15% off of your order at checkout.  Coupon will expire on April 27, 2015.  Coupon code is good on either site.

Have a super beautiful Earth friendly day!

Some weeks just call for these brownies.
Especially when you are trying to finish the body of this sweater.

Happy weekend friends!

 These two have been long distance friends for about 8 years.
And, we owe it all to knitting.  After all, I met Amanda through our knitting blogs and shortly after, we realized that we each had a daughter the same age.  (Actually, only 5 days apart!) So, we started them out as pen pals and with social media, they have kept their friendship growing.
We are filled with gratitude that the France family drove 3.5 hours to meet us.  Meeting Amanda was one of the highlights of my trip to England.  And I owe it all to this passion that we both share.  Knitting.  Isn't it amazing.  Lives woven together just like our projects.  I will never underestimate the power of knitting.
Lily started knitting when she was young and is amazing.  Not only does she knit, but she also designs and publishes her patterns.   (Of course, she knit her fabulous sweater!)
The rest of this post will be in Libby's words.  As I asked her to write a little something just like she did when she was 9.
 At the end of our United Kingdom journey, my stepdad asked us all what was the most life changing thing we experienced that week. I, without a doubt in my mind, said finally meeting Lily! Lily and I first started to get to know each other when we were only 9 through writing letters back and forth; we were pen pals. And after eight years of being in touch over letters and social media, we got the perfect opportunity to meet. I was beyond excited when I found out Amanda and Lily we're going to make a visit to where we were staying in the UK. Lily and I instantly clicked and it felt like we had been best friends for years. She has such a sweet disposition and I felt like we could talk about anything together. My mom, Amanda, Lily, and I sat for three hours just talking about absolutely anything, and it was SO fun! We also had to take some pictures, of course. 
By the end of the day, Lily and I were already planning our next visit to each other! We were both so sad when we had to say goodbye, because it truly felt like saying goodbye to a longtime best friend. BUT, not goodbye for long because we are definitely going to visit each other within this next year! I think it's so amazing for both Lily and I to be able to say that we have a bestie in another country. So, to say the least, finally meeting Lily was my absolute favorite part of the trip, and more than I even imagined! She and her mother are such wonderful people and Im so glad my mom and I could finally get to know them. Never would have thought pen pals would come this far! 

xoxoxo Libby

My mother took my sister's and me to London when we were young.  I couldn't wait to dig out the photos when we returned from our trip last week.  I have 9 photos.  They each were so special and brought back a flood of memories.  I hold those photos so dear to my heart.  It was a such special time.  And a wonderful trip.
I also couldn't wait to download the photos from our trip last week.  We had a fabulous time and I think my children will hold it and the photos close to their hearts.  But they will have about 600 photos.  Ha!
 We arrived in the Fizrovia neighborhood feeling a little woozy from our travels but totally excited to explore.
And, these 10 feet took us around town feeling very grateful.


******************************************************************************
Excerpts from Andrews journal.  (That he dictated for me! )
 Notting Hill.  Beautiful.  Portobello Market.  Take more cash next time.  Fabulous flee market finds.  Bought: nothing.  Pizza for lunch at a corner Pub. 
 Big Ben looked, well, Big.  
 We went on a tour through the tower of London.  It was really cool.  The Ravens were cool, too. We went to mass at Westminster Abbey.  It was so much fun to see where Kate and Prince William were married.  (I made my mom wake me up in when I was in fifth grade to see the entire wedding.)
We went to a Pub for fish and chips.  I was bummed the drinking age was 18.  Steve took us to the Grenadier.  It was so cool.  There was money attached all over the ceiling to pay off a man's debt that was killed because he apparently cheated at a game of cards.  They say it is haunted.  I didn't feel any ghosts.
We went to the Natural History Museum.  There was a Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit. It was amazing.  I liked the photo of the scorpion that the 8 year old took.  Liesl, Libby and mom went to the V & A to see the Alexander McQueen Exhibit and then to have tea.  While, Steve and I went to the Imperial War Museum.  I felt like I was traveling through time and proud to be an American. 
We went to Duck and Waffle to eat lunch.  The lift took us 40 stories up and is on the outside of the building.  Libby was afraid.  She doesn't like heights.  Mom took us to Wool and The Gang where we met Ali.  Mom really loves her yarn.  And then we went to see Abbey Road and try to reenact the Beatles album cover.  I was totally embarrassed.  We had dinner and then went to the theater to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.    It was awesome!
Mom, Libby and I went to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guards and then met Steve at the British Museum.  Libby and I were tired, so we sat most of the time in the lobby, while mom and Steve looked at the Lewis Chessmen, the Mummies and they really liked the Big Marbles.  We then went to get Liesl after her classes and took a train to Taplow then to the Taplow House.  We had dinner in the hotel restaurant and then played a game with Belinda and Samir.  Two other hotel guests who asked if we wanted to play.  It was really great laughing and listening to them talk.
 We were told the queen was in the Castle which was fun to know.  I loved that old Windsor Castle.  


The last day was spent with the France family.  (Mom is going to tell you all about that in her next post. ) And then to the Hinds Head for dinner.  Yumm!

I loved England.  And can't wait to go back.  

-Andrew