Long May Your Big Jib Draw

Oh my! What a vacation! Words can't even begin to describe... the sites, the food, the people, the parties, the booze, the WHALES! Absolutely amazing...

We did and saw so much in those 2 weeks. A HUGE and heartfelt thank you to my dear aunt and uncle Regina and Dermot for putting us up and feeding us (oh so well!). And the same to ALL of the aunts and uncles, great aunts and great uncles, nanas and papas, nannies, cousins, second cousins, first cousins once removed, and friends who might as well be family for showering the children with gifts, plying us with alcohol, and generally making us feel loved.

And mom and dad, thanks for making it all happen. ♥

We attended party after party, ate food Stephanie hadn't even heard of (but loved!), saw whales in the ocean on at least 3 different occasions and got Screeched In at Christian's Pub! I can't remember the last time I had so much fun...

I took over 300 photos while we were there so here are just a few. I'll post more of the family snap shots, etc. on Facebook as soon as I have a little time. Hopefully this week.

[caption id="attachment_459" align="aligncenter" width="420" caption="One of many parties... "][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_460" align="aligncenter" width="420" caption="Downtown St. John's"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_461" align="aligncenter" width="420" caption="The view from Signal Hill"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_462" align="aligncenter" width="420" caption="Petty Harbour"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_463" align="aligncenter" width="420" caption="Fishermen live here"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_467" align="aligncenter" width="420" caption="The easternmost point in North America"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_466" align="aligncenter" width="420" caption="It was a little windy... "][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_481" align="aligncenter" width="420" caption="Right before the Screech In"][/caption]

We're smiling, but we were nervous (rightly so!).

It was hard to say goodbye but we're home now and settling back into our routine. The shop is back open for business and I'll be getting back into the studio this week. Watch for shop updates soon!

And Regina, we'll toast you every night at FIE'VE TIRTY!

xo

And we're off!

We'll be heading out bright and early tomorrow morning to catch the first leg of our flight. We'll be arriving in St. John's, Newfoundland tomorrow night! (Please send us "easy-travel" vibes, especially since the wee one started feeling a little under the weather yesterday)

I'm not sure what my computer situation will be like while we're there so if I can't post pictures while I'm abroad, I'll post as soon as I can after I return on the 13th.

I'll miss you, but I don't think I've ever been more in need of a vacation!

xoxo

Whew! I have been rather absent from my little ol' blog this month, haven't I? It's been a whirlwind on the Buffalo Ranch.  I've been busy with my day job and single parenting duties while Foxy's been working her little tail off trying to get grants written and trainings completed and other such things necessary to keep a roof over our heads. Those kiddos leave little time for jewelry making and shop updating and blog writing... But when they're not making me cry, they sure do make me smile! ;)   (Did I ever tell you about the time Aidan brought home a "book" she'd written at school and it was clear that they'd been given a very structured outline to work with. It had to start and end with the same key sentence. Aidan's book started and ended with, "My mom loves me more than she loves making jewelry." That girl knows her mama).

Anyhoo...

Four sleeps until Newfoundland!

I'll be putting the shop on vacation mode while I'm away so this is your last chance to place an order before I leave. Orders placed before 10PM CST tomorrow (Friday, July 30th) will be shipped on Saturday morning. Then I'm closing shop! But just until I come back on the 13th.

Be warned... everything that's available in the shop now may not be when I reopen in mid-August. So if there's something you've had your eye on... :)

And just so I don't forget what she looks like between now and when we leave for vacation, this is my recently-mostly-absent wife:

Still here...

And I've actually updated the shop twice this week!

Just a few juicy little treats for you, but something none-the-less!

Teeny tiny little earrings in carnelian and aventurine. There are a few pairs of each available (and I made a pair of each for myself!). They're great little everyday earrings. You'll forget you're even wearing them. As I mentioned, they're in the shop now. I'm still working away on some custom pieces but I wanted to make you (and me!) a little something too.

I have some very big news from last week! Our littlest peanut, Alice, took her first independent step! Those of you who know me only through my blog don't know that Alice was diagnosed with a very serious brain disorder in utero. Doctors did not expect her to survive until birth and warned us that if she did make it, there was a high probability that she would not have functional use of her arms or legs (among other just as dire predictions too numerous to list). Well, Alice is now 21 months old, crawling into all sorts of trouble, perfectly healthy, happy as a clam, and TAKING STEPS!!!

In other news... we are getting ready for a trip to Newfoundland in two weeks. I am SO excited. Most of my extended family hails from the glorious rock but I haven't been since I was teenager. I cannot wait to see it again. I cannot wait to share it with Stephanie and my girls. I cannot wait to take pictures and share them with you. I cannot wait to see all of my relatives, some of whom I haven't seen in 18 years! I can. not. wait.

I will most likely be closing the shop while I'm away. I'll post order/shipping deadlines in the next week or so. I do hope to get a couple of more items listed before I leave but I'm not sure if that will be possible. We'll see. Speaking of that, I'm off to the studio now...

xo

PS: Forgot to mention... At the request of a few people, I've added that little Google Friends widget over on the right to make it easier to follow my blog. So follow me. Please. So I don't look like such a loser! :)