I'm Still Here, Just Waiting....

"Simple Joys" 2011 by Harmony Lenasbunt (Prints available HERE)

I know the blog has been a bit silent the last 2 weeks.  I had lots of intention to keep blogging daily with creative goodness and updates from my shop and life and all but once the craft show was over felt really confronted with the decision to focus on my family life without the distractions of my creative work.  I chose my family (my husband and 3 year old son), mentally closed the door of my art room, and we've been preparing for the arrival of our new little one together ever since.   First there was the practical stuff... cleaning and organizing the house.  Holy Cow, how did I let it get so messy and dirty this year?  Between graduate school, my art stuff, and family life, the house work fell to the side.  We kept things relatively clean and straight, but did so by stuffing every closet full of randomness and ignoring all the dirt and dust that was gathering in the corners and cracks of our home.  So a full home overhaul was desperately needed and with the help of friends and family, we got everything decluttered and cleaned.  We gathered all the supplies we need for our impending birth (have a second home birth planned!), and started creating our birth plan for labor, what to do with my eldest son, who will be doing what and when, etc...  We went on the mother of all grocery trips, stocking up for the next few weeks to make life more simple as we tackle the ups and downs of newborn care taking and labor recovery.  And then we played together just the 3 of us as much as we could, celebrating our last days as a threesome and getting excited to add one more to the silliness.  We went on lots of nature walks, visited a local farm, attended an art festival, built sheet forts, made gingerbread cookies, and had nightly snuggle times of storybooks and songs.   All the while, I can feel my body starting to prepare, getting ready to bring this new life into the world.  My normal labor process tends to take several weeks of on and off mild contractions, and we are definitely getting very close to the end of that preparation period.  I am currently 5 days away from my "due date", but all that really means is baby could come at any point between now and 2 weeks from now.  The waiting is the hardest part, next to the sleeping (so hard to sleep now).  Trying not to get psyched out by all the starting and stopping my body is doing, but also trying to stay ready, positive, and strong for the "real thing" when it does begin.  So I just wanted to let you know that I have decided to let this blog slow down for a bit while I focus on my family, on the coming birth of my second son, and on myself.  I will be updating here as things happen, but it will be in the timing that works best for my family life and not on a regular schedule.   Thank you all for sticking with me and granting me patience in this very special time. 

My shop is still open and is a way that we support our family income, so if you are starting to think about the Christmas season, keep me in mind.  I am still working on adding all the new artwork and journals I created this Fall there, and there are several new ones up this week, so take a look and see what I've been up to.   Be blessed friends and have a very lovely week!

XO, HARMONY