HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY

And so, the crazy season of crafty fairs has ended!  Hurrah!

Now to fulfill all of the Christmas orders and gifts that will go out in the next two weeks.

Below should be a cute little camera  with the words : View on Instagram - or something similar...


INSTAGRAM!

Did it work sister?


I LOVE instagram, even though it's not a "safe" social media outlet...Not the creepy stalker kind of unsafe, just that I could never post comments or eecards (haha) that really express how I feel without being totally judgey-judged by peers.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a horrible person - but I have learned to keep my thoughts to myself and a few select people who understand me and won't be offended by my humor...or lack thereof.



Now for a clip of our favorite new show:

Suspenders are in...

Ann - These guys are pretty awesome, not as awesome as Mumford but still excellent...

That is all :)

I updated my Big Cartel shop today!  It's been awhile - and I guess I should at least try to keep it up to date.

This Saturday is the last crafty fair of the season for me and then I start on the crazy amount of items that I have to finish for Christmas!  Ahhhhh!


My shop link : Woot!

:)

Gobble, Gobble, Google!

Happy Thanksgiving!

For the first time in my entire life (except for the Thanksgiving I spent in Oklahoma with Annie when she was in Bible School), I didn't physically spend the day with any of my family.  My mom has the chickenpox and Sophia may be getting them soon so we played it safe and all stayed home.  

I continually thank God for technology, especially since my siblings live far away.  I don't think I could handle life without being able to text, facebook, skype or email them, seriously.  We used to fight so much when we were little but our mom would always tell us to appreciate each other because we were the only brother/sisters we would ever have...or something along those lines.  I guess somewhere in there we listened to her :)  I can honestly say they are my best friends and some of the very few people that get me, for which I am grateful.  Even though we don't live anywhere near each other - we still have that "connection"- even we haven't seen each other in weeks or months, it really doesn't matter and we pick up right where we left off.

So when we tried to 3-way-Skype today and it didn't work, we somehow added the Google video chat and were able to see and hear each other just fine!  The Google chat also has some lovely "extras" that we had to try out.  (Even though I didn't catch Annie with hers)

Freddie with his crown, snorkel gear and birthday cake!  I have an beard and a monocle!

Probably discussing The Hobbit or cornish hens :)

Chatting with them seriously made my day.


In other news, it was a rough morning here in the Solanky household...we were all a bit tired:

Note his watery eyes and droopy bottom lip... :)

There's no light in our kitchen...

We bought our house with the dreams of fixing it up, making it exactly what we wanted.  It reminded me of a tiny farmhouse and the garage reminded me of my grandfather - so I was hooked.

Our guard dog at the back of the compound! ;)

Then, things started breaking we realized how much work we would really have to do.  Don't get me wrong, it's an awesome house.  It's very livable.  It's even cozy sometimes.

But, now for the second time, the light in our kitchen has ceased to function.  And now that it starts getting dark around 4:30pm, we have had an interesting time while trying to cook dinner.  

We have used flashlights, iPhone apps and most recently, an IKEA floor lamp that belongs in the living room but is willing to do double duty.  It's not a big deal and we can live with it but it sure makes life interesting. :)

Christmas 2008?

Necessary

So I thought that for every mother's benefit, I would share the essentials of traveling with a toddler!  I scoured the web for any suggestion that I could find before our trip!  I was so nervous that we would get kicked off of the plane if Sophia had a meltdown and I wanted to do everything possible to prevent one!
In preparation, I found these:

  

at Kate Williams Designs on Etsy.  

I loved them!  I also packed stickers, an activity book and loaded my iPhone with free apps and games. Hubbs loaded her favorite Curious George & a Thomas the Train movie onto his touch pad which was genius and a lifesaver in the end.  

All of these things were utilized to various degrees - and ultimately, being on an airplane (which we prepped her for and she was super excited about) was the greatest distraction.  

I should also mention that on the flights home, Soph broke out in hives (we are still not 100% sure why...chocolate is the suspect though) and I did have to give her Benedryl to keep them at bay - thus she slept 6 HOURS of our 8hr 45min flight home...

Thank you dear, sweet, tiny, infant, baby Jesus!

Anywho, here are some of the things that I found MOST necessary:

Sophia's blue headphones - she was so excited to have her own so that she could watch George!

The BEST $40 stroller.  EVER.

Neck pillow...that had a SNAP!  It was so awesome and was accompanied by an orange blanket!

Ok, these were for me but they were super comfy and a breeze to slip on and off during our many security checks - hands free to cuddle a tired and unsure toddler.

Oh, and I got to help someone out :)

Normal

So, I think that we are finally getting back into our routine here at home- that can be a good or bad thing.

Good because Sophia may sleep past 6am soon.

Good because maybe I will sell some of my wares at the impromptu Holiday Extravaganza I signed up for yesterday...that takes place tomorrow.

Good because I don't think I've been this peaceful/chill/agita-free for a long time.

Good because I know that my sister and her little family are in the exact spot that they need to be and that they are happy.



Bad because I know that part of my heart is back in Ukraine.

Bad because I cannot forget the overwhelming need that I saw.

Bad because I am far away and what I can do to help is limited.

One of the churches near Annie's apartment.

I must say that I felt like I was home while visiting - partly because I was with my most favorite sister in the whole world :) and partly because I know that on some level, though I'm not sure when, that I will go back and be able to help my sis and bro-out-law in the work that they do.
I know I belong there.  I know I will make a difference.  I know it will kick ass.

The more I travel around the world and the older I get, the more I realize how much of a bubble we live in - here in the US.  I am grateful for what we have and the freedom that we experience and the individuality we can express without being totally frowned upon.  BUT - if makes me sad that we just go on about our lives and save for a little extra compassion for others around the holidays we are just so busy living our own lives.  Not really thinking of the hurting, broken, cold and hungry.

I know this does NOT apply to everyone - I am just being convicted and am trying to sort out my own feelings.

This will take a while.