This past weekend, I was graciously invited to witness Adam’s brother Drew marry his love Joanna. While I already know and adore Anne Marie (who doesn’t?!?!) and the boys (so cute!), this was my first time meeting the rest of the Swartz Clan.

My last boyfriend and I dated on and off for two years.

If I had to simplify what went wrong with that relationship, I would have to nail it down to one thing: family.

obligation. expectation. independence. validation.

family.

My ex-boyfriend came from a different cultural background than I and his family had ideas about the type of girl he should be with. Needless to say, I did not fit the part and he was unable to make major decisions about his life without being debilitatingly concerned about his parent’s approval.

In two years, I met his parents less than a handful of times. While that might not seem abnormal, depending on the circumstances, I should possibly point out that my ex-boyfriend LIVED WITH his parents.

3 times in two years.

You can only imagine then, how much it meant to me to be so warmly welcomed by Adam’s family.

The Swartzs

Individually, they’re all really sweet and funny and cool and interesting and smart and witty and goofy and nice. As a unit, they’re so nearly totally functional* I was almost a little jealous. It was really something special to see them all together and to witness the way love comes out in endless laughter.

One of the bestest things about it (besides the sap rant above), was that I also got to spend time with one of my favoritest favorites:

Carrie!
and I finally met The Pants! (who is just as awesome as you’d think he’d be.)

and! AND! I got a chance to wear my latest (sewing) FO!

My dress**…

…which was much appreciated by The Boyfriend…

pictured here, quite drunk and quite cute.

It was a beautiful weekend spent with really great people.

Congratulations Drew and Joanna!!!

Thanks for letting me be a part of everything.

* no family’s ALL functional
** an attempt to use craftiness to achieve thriftiness! Pattern + Materials = $25!

Today was my last day working at Knit Happens.

very sad.

Being my last official day, I felt the need to BUY SOME STUFF. After all, you can’t let a good discount go to waste, can you?
No, totally not. HOWEVER, even though that place is a FESTIVAL OF YARNY GOODNESS, I couldn’t find anything to buy. CRAZY!

I didn’t go home EMPTY handed though…small purchases *were* made:

The new Interweave, Steph’s latest book which I’ve wanted but never bought, and a skein of baby cashmerino
I also bought a 16″ US 4 addi circ, but I put it straight to use, so it was not available for the shoot.

Still though, I had kinda planned on buying YARN, you know? Oh well.

Now, you might be asking yourself, “Hey…why won’t you be working at KH anymore, Lara?”

That would be a good question!

Want me to tell you?

DO YOU?

…

The reason is…

…

…

I am now the midday girl at my radio station, working 10 AM to 3 PM!!!

While for me this means challenging myself and new opportunities and greater exposure and a chance to interact with living, breathing REAL PEOPLE during hours when the sun actually SHINES, for YOU it also means MORE LARA! (yay!)

I don’t have to leave Knitty Meetups before everyone else anymore. I don’t have to drive through the night to see you guys at Rhinebeck. I may even pop up at a Knit Happens Late Night or Knit n’ Nosh!!! Dude, for the first time in over four years, I’mma have a normal LIFE!

I’m workin’ 9-5, baby, and what a way to make a livin’!!!!

I am the baby of the family.

The next oldest person in my family is 7 years older than me (unless you count my cousin Sarin, but she lives in Cyprus and I don’t get to see her often )

My point is, BEING the baby, I didn’t grow up with a lot of experience with small children. That has changed a lot with the birth of my nieces and even more since I started dating a man with two young sons.

This weekend, I spent a LOT of quality time with all four sweeties, both seperately and ALL TOGETHER. Needless to say, much was learned.

Inspired by Anne Marie, I have compiled a list of Facts About Kids:

• If you are in a house with small, mobile children and you are planning on getting naked for any and ALL reasons, LOCK THE DOOR. This is best for *everyone* involved.
• Swimmy diapers are not a suitable replacement for overnight diapers. If the person who’s WEARING the swimmy diaper is going to end up crawling into the bed with you in the middle of the night, this is *important* information. Failure to heed this warning will result in you waking up damp and smelling vaguely like urinal cake.
• Don’t speak the words “Elmo” or “The Beach” in close proximity to each other or someone is might accidently interpret what you said to mean, “Elmo is going to come to the beach with us!” When you try to convince said person that, no, actually Elmo is NOT going to be at the beach, she will insist that you are wrong and you will get dangerously close to a meltdown situation.
• Sand and seashells don’t taste very good.

I also learned one thing about cats. Adam’s cat, specifically.

She likes beer.
She kept incessantly licking the mouth of my beer bottle *every* time I took a sip, so I eventually caved and poured her a cap. Who knew?

This weekend was Bananahead’s FIRST BIRTHDAY!!! (can you believe it!!! 1!!! already!!!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANI!!!

I drove up to celebrate with her and picked up Adam and the boys along the way!!! We spent the weekend with my brother and co., first at the birthday party and then at the beach. You would not *believe* how CUTE the four kids were all playing together! LITTLE FRIENDS!! SO CUTE!!!

doesn’t he look like a tiny little drunk man?

digging in sand is FUN!

Needless to say, it was a very fun weekend with lots of family bonding. (there was also a lot of excessive driving/sitting in the car, but I won’t dwell on that part. ugh.)

THERE WAS ALSO AN FO!!!!

(what? did she say FO? like, knitting?)

That’s right, an actual, bonda-fide, FINISHED OBJECT! Witness:

The Eyelet Baby Blanket from Blue Sky!!!

knit with 9 balls of Mission Falls 1824 Wool.

The Secret Beige Knit is REVEALED!

Her sister Ashley got a hand-knit blanket for HER first birthday, so Bananahead had to have one too!!!! How cute are those RUFFLES!?!!

As Ashley said about her trip to Sesame Place last month, this weekend was, “GREAT TIMES!!!!!!!!”

Ok, time for work. Before I head out though, I will hook you up with one last pic:

Pinata Man!!

Another reason to keep him around