Craft: Quick Little Bag

I'm sad to say that I will no longer be spending my Fridays with Owen & Caleb. This week the boys moved with their big sister, Sophia, and mom & dad all the way out to Colorado. We're super excited for their family and all the adventures coming up. Owen & Caleb's dad will be the new head pastor at a Vineyard Church out there. Ella & I pretended like we didn't actually have to say goodbye since we'll be visiting them at the end of August! That made the farewell so much easier. We wish the Folman family the very best in Colorado!

As I was recently going through some of my files, I found these pictures of Caleb working on a little bag for his sister a few months ago. He did amazing work! (And was quite serious about the entire process.)


We used a small piece of fabric from my stash for the entire bag.


You can see in this picture that Caleb wanted to try out as many different kinds of stitches as possible. It's how we ended up decorating the flap.


Ta da!


We finished the project by wrapping it in a little goodie bag tied with a ribbon. I think Sophia liked it!


Simple simple. We had a great time sewing together, and it was a lovely way to fill the afternoon while the wee ones napped.

Nice work, Caleb!

A Caribou Treat

Ella & I recently had an afternoon chat at Caribou in Canal Park with our friend Alyssa. After getting settled in, Ella discovered Alyssa's frozen coffee drink and tried just a sip. I got a bit excited and thought it might be a great time for Ella to have her first own little blended drink in a wee cup. I'm sure the girl behind the counter could sense my giddiness as I ordered a junior-sized cookies & cream Snowdrift. Fancy, fancy, fancy. I never order anything like that! And yes, I allowed them to load the top with whipped cream. I proudly handed it to Ella and watched her enjoy the first few sips. What a big girl.


So there we sat, enjoying our Caribou drinks in the busyness of the shop, chatting with our friend. Ella decided she enjoyed sticking the straw into the top of the cup and using it like a spoon rather than sucking it through the straw. Maybe I should have sensed through my still-developing mama sensor that this was leading to disaster, but I was enjoying the experience too much.


And then it happened. In one swift move, the cup slid off the table, poured down Ella's entire outfit, and landed with a plop on the floor. Oy. Goodbye to three-quarters of the yummy treat my girl was still enjoying. After getting both the floor and Ella cleaned up, she finished what was left in the cup. In the end, it didn't actually matter a bit that she lost most of the drink. Really, it was so much more about the experience we shared together.


I'm glad we're only at the beginning of those experiences.

One More Adventure

I forgot to post this adventure! The girls went exploring up the stairs, curious about what might be found.


What did they discover?


A mysterious door just their size! They were so excited to find something on their side of the gate. Ella seemed to lead the way with plenty of encouragement from her cousin.


They did eventually get the door open, where they found the pipes for the bathtub! Such a discovery! Isn't it fun to experience adventures through the eyes of little ones?

Two Girlies

Six days with two little girls equaled lots of little adventures! Ella & Malena completely enjoyed spending their days together. Every time Ella realized that Malena was still here in the morning or after her nap, she was giddy.


Malena practiced her baby care skills with Ella's dolly.


On a trip to the hospital to visit baby Maira and Mama Bex, I strapped on two little backpacks and followed the girls through the halls.

Having a wee chat.




A police cruiser at the mall.



Lunch in the nook! We were just about to head out the door, hence the jackets.

Daddy & Daughter

Maira Marie Has Arrived!

Early on the morning of Friday, February 18, my newest niece Maira Marie said hello to the world. Weighing 9 1/2 pounds and measuring 22 inches, she surprised us all. What a girl! And look at all that hair. It's just like her big sister, Malena's, when she was born.

She looks just like Mama Bex did in her baby pictures.


And here's the proud big sister!



Daddy Darell with his girls.


Grandma Scott showed Ella her new baby cousin.


Ella was amazed. She loves babies.



Malena has been staying with us since early Thursday morning. We're pretty close buddies now.


Proud Uncle Jake.



My baby niece. What a doll. Her middle name is after me! I love that.


We're so blessed to welcome another healthy little girl into the Scott family. Congratulations, Becky & Darell. You've got two beautiful girls.

Valentine Sugar High Party

What do you get when you start out with this...


...and add these...


...and this?


A Valentine Sugar High!


To celebrate the special day of love this year, Ella and I dressed in our Valentine red & pink, slipped on the red, sparkly ballet flats (Ella's favorite) and headed to the Second Annual Sugar High party hosted by our dear friends Jake & Diana. Jake provided the decorations but couldn't actually be at the party. Diana was an amazing hostess, providing bowls and bowls of red, sugar-covered everything and fun activities for the kiddos.


Here's Ella in her very own "pirate love hat."


Notice the red something in Ella's hand above? That's a Peep. Quite the popular item in the Johnson/Scott family tradition, no matter the holiday. Let's reflect for a moment on what Peeps are made of...SUGAR! Ella did not have crazy amounts of the good stuff during the party, but it was still enough to steer away her afternoon nap. Oy. Can I tell you how things get around here with a 19 month-old who hasn't slept? Let's just say, it didn't help her overnight sleep pattern. Thus, yesterday's story time at Barnes & Noble was NOT a success. However, the little darling is now sleeping peacefully in her crib and I've had quite the productive afternoon.

Overall, it was a lovely Valentine's Day! I was so glad to attend the Sugar High party, as it was the only celebrating I got to do that day. Pete & I have postponed our own celebration until this weekend when his schedule will be a bit lighter.


A note on my photos: I decided to change things up for this post and use a fun filter for the Valentine photos. (Although I haven't decided how much I like it for this particular post.) I take all of my pictures on my iPhone. It's always with me and usually takes the same quality as my little point & click. For the above pics, I used the Instagram app. It's free and is a simple way to add a little fun to regular photos!