I picked up a hook and yarn for the first time in what I'm pretty sure has been over a year. I'm making a pretty little baby bunting for my friend Rachel, whose baby is due sometime around my daughter's birthday. I couldn't find a pattern that I liked as much as the bunting I had for my kids, so I'm going to wing it a little and put a little pocket on the back so it can be hooked over the back of a bouncer seat. I wanted to start with something small that I can actually finish. It makes me feel better about myself.

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This is my Friday of my first week back on nights. Amazingly, although this will be my 6th day on in a row, I don't feel half dead or dreadful of going back to work tonight. I've found love for my job again, and, outside of the lack of time with Corey, I couldn't be happier. I even took some time after I picked the kids up from school yesterday to take them up to the mountains to see the snow. I wish my camera's batteries hadn't been dead - someone built a little foot-high snowman, complete with pine-needle arms. Right in the middle of the road on the centerline! He was flat when we drove back by, too. Very sad. Anyway, when we got to the park up there, there was nobody at the ranger station to take our $5 day fee, so I figured that they could catch up to us on their rounds and I'd pay them then. The kids romped in the snow a little and threw snowballs at each other and just generally reveled in the novelty of it. I got out my ugly red vinyl coat and let them use it to slide down the hills. Alex preferred to roll down the hill sans sled, coming up laughing hysterically and encrusted with snow and ice. We were only there for about half an hour or so, and the ranger never did come by. We didn't leave anything but footprints, so I'm not feeling guilty for being there without paying. Mercedes, Alex, and I had a great brief time up there, and it felt amazing just to have the energy for it.

the last trail...the next path