Wow, it has been a while since I wrote anything for my blog. I hadn't realized how long. So life has been pretty busy and I just haven't felt the need to write anything here. Right now I should be doing homework but I'm obviously not doing that. You'd think that with a deadline, I would just get to it but I can't seem to make myself do that. I hate writing papers!!! I have a rough draft written but I need to polish it off and get it sent off so that I can get to the big major paper for this class. Oh well. Anyway, things are otherwise going pretty well around here. We just had a successful Relief Society event last night, one that I was in charge of, since I'm the Enrichment Counselor (I guess that's still my title). We did a La Posada progressive dinner that culminated at the church building where we had a Nativity program. A lot of sisters turned out for our event and I was happy to see so many there. And they seemed to be enjoying themselves, which makes all the hard work worth it. I hope it also reminded them of the real reason for the season, the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. I'm so grateful that He loves us enough that He was willing to come to Earth and give His life for us. What a precious gift for all of us and that makes this time of year so wonderful as we remember that gift.
Well, I guess that's all for the moment as my grandson is anxious to get on the computer. Hopefully I'll post again before 3 months have gone by!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Is Anybody Reading This?
Ok, it has been a while, I hadn't realized how long. But since I don't know if anyone even looks at this blog, it just didn't seem to be a priority to update it. But on the off chance that someone will be reading this blog sometime, I'm posting again.
Well, my oldest grandson is doing ok in school, although he is having a problem with socializing. He hits the other kids when they do things he doesn't like or he pushes them or cuts in line, those kinds of things. The teacher says academically he is doing fine, it is just his interactions with the other kids that needs work. So an incentive plan has been decided upon and it pretty much seems to be helping. He has had more good days than bad so I'd say that is an improvement. Hopefully he will get to the point where the incentives won't be necessary; we are just keeping our fingers crossed. As an aside, I pick him up after school and so once again, I'm walking to the school every day. I thought I was done with this 8 years ago!! Some of the teachers and other parents recognized me, which was nice in a way--it means I made an impression on them, I just hope it was a good one! It also means that I still know some of the teachers who work there, which makes it seem familiar. It just goes to show that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Our newest grandchild arrived on Aug. 17th and he is a little cutie. I have been going over to help out my daughter-in-law and thus am getting to hold both him and his almost-2-year-old older brother. It's nice to be close enough (location wise) to be able to help out and to be a part of their lives. One thing I've noticed is how much the two little boys look like each other--they are definitely brothers!
Because I've been going over and doing the grandmother thing, I haven't had much chance to work on the new baby's quilt. I worked on it a little this morning and I'm kind of frustrated as the parts are not going together like the pattern says they should. I put it aside to return to tomorrow when maybe I'll figure out what to do to make it work. The pieced border doesn't fit and I was very careful in cutting and sewing but I guess not careful enough. I'm not sure what to do to make it fit.
As far as my classes, I finished the poetry one and started the senior class--a big research paper is the main result of this class. Fun, fun.
Other than those things, life is pretty much the same old same old. Things keep chugging along and I keep adjusting, for the most part. And someday I'll add more pictures to this blog; just don't hold your breath about it though!
Well, my oldest grandson is doing ok in school, although he is having a problem with socializing. He hits the other kids when they do things he doesn't like or he pushes them or cuts in line, those kinds of things. The teacher says academically he is doing fine, it is just his interactions with the other kids that needs work. So an incentive plan has been decided upon and it pretty much seems to be helping. He has had more good days than bad so I'd say that is an improvement. Hopefully he will get to the point where the incentives won't be necessary; we are just keeping our fingers crossed. As an aside, I pick him up after school and so once again, I'm walking to the school every day. I thought I was done with this 8 years ago!! Some of the teachers and other parents recognized me, which was nice in a way--it means I made an impression on them, I just hope it was a good one! It also means that I still know some of the teachers who work there, which makes it seem familiar. It just goes to show that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Our newest grandchild arrived on Aug. 17th and he is a little cutie. I have been going over to help out my daughter-in-law and thus am getting to hold both him and his almost-2-year-old older brother. It's nice to be close enough (location wise) to be able to help out and to be a part of their lives. One thing I've noticed is how much the two little boys look like each other--they are definitely brothers!
Because I've been going over and doing the grandmother thing, I haven't had much chance to work on the new baby's quilt. I worked on it a little this morning and I'm kind of frustrated as the parts are not going together like the pattern says they should. I put it aside to return to tomorrow when maybe I'll figure out what to do to make it work. The pieced border doesn't fit and I was very careful in cutting and sewing but I guess not careful enough. I'm not sure what to do to make it fit.
As far as my classes, I finished the poetry one and started the senior class--a big research paper is the main result of this class. Fun, fun.
Other than those things, life is pretty much the same old same old. Things keep chugging along and I keep adjusting, for the most part. And someday I'll add more pictures to this blog; just don't hold your breath about it though!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Catching Up
Ok, so it has been forever since I posted. I guess I just like reading everyone else's blog and not posting on my own blog. What can I say? Anyway, there has been a lot going on here, mostly sending our youngest son off to the MTC in mid-July. My baby! Anyway, here is a big post about that adventure, starting with our trip up to Provo. (This is excerpted from the letter I sent to Abram-our son on a mission in Germany- about all this.)
Tuesday July 21st we woke up at 4:30 am to a thunder storm. While my husband was packing everything into the van, our son Ben stood just inside the open garage door looking out at the storm—all the lightning and rain. He put his new camera on video and caught a small violet colored bolt of electricity either coming from the fire hydrant at the end of our driveway or hitting it. It also hit the across the street neighbor's mailbox. He had thought he had seen it happen but wasn't sure so he watched his video frame by frame and sure enough that is what had happened, he showed it to all of us and it was pretty amazing! Luckily it wasn't a big bolt or we all could have been hurt! Dad said there was a lot of electricity in the air as he kept getting shocks when he would touch the doorknobs on the outside doors. We finally got all packed up, said our prayer and our goodbyes and headed out right about 5:20 am in a pouring rain. Joseph made the comment that Arizona just couldn't let him go without showing that he could have lots of rain here, he didn't need to go to the Philippines to get rain! We had rain through the city until we got beyond Anthem and then it petered out and the rest of the journey was pretty uneventful. We arrived at the hotel in Provo shortly after 6 our time, unloaded our stuff and then walked to dinner at a restaurant nearby. After dinner we went back to the hotel, sat around for a while and then went to bed.
The big day dawned sunny and bright. We all took turns showering and then went to breakfast. Joseph had no problem eating. We went back to our room and got dressed in Sunday clothes then sat around and read the Ensigns that I had brought along. Finally it was about 40 minutes before Joseph had to report to the MTC so we got all his suitcases back into the van and drove to the MTC. We got to the parking lot that we have always parked in, next to the "missionary field" and were there greeted by a MTC worker who asked if we were dropping off a missionary, we said yes and he then said for us to park anywhere, take all the pictures we wanted and then load back up and head over to the MTC and we would be directed from there. We had thought that we would be unloading Joseph's suitcases in that parking lot, like before, and then just taking Joseph and them over to the MTC but that turned out to not be the case. So we had Joseph unload one suitcase, took a couple of pictures with him and the suitcase, loaded back up in the van and drove over to the MTC. (Several other families were walking over with their missionaries to the MTC and taking pictures by the signs there and in front of the main building but as we have never done that before, we didn't do it this time either.) We got to the MTC entrance driveway and were directed around the building to another worker, who told us to go to number 5. I didn't know what he meant until I looked over to the side and saw cars along the side and there were big numbers up on posts by each car. We got to 5 and there was no way the van would fit there and another worker told us to go to 8, so we did but same problem. We were waved forward by yet another worker (some of them may have been missionaries, I don't know) and two cars left the curb by 11 and 12 so now there was enough room and so we pulled in there, backing up a bit to fit by 11. An elderly worker and 2 elders came forward as we opened the doors and got out. The two elders got Joseph's luggage and told him to say goodbye and then go into the building while they took care of his luggage and then he would come out and they would take him and his luggage to his room. Meanwhile the elderly gentleman asked me my missionary's name, found it on his list and checked it off, wrote something down on a card and gave it to me saying that it had the address to write to my missionary at and then he said you have 30 seconds til we need this space again! 30 SECONDS!?!?!?! I grabbed Joseph in a big hug, cried on his suit, said goodbye and got back into the van. The elderly worker said "We'll take good care of him!" Dad hugged Joseph and said goodbye, climbed into the van himself and we were waved off. I turned around as we drove off to see Joseph walking into the building. That was it for our goodbyes! I don't know if I like this new procedure. The family meeting/orientation may have drawn out the goodbyes but it seemed better to me. Oh well, change is always happening.
Other than that, things are going well as we adjust to less people here at home. Dad and I are trying to keep Joseph's garden growing, at least the herbs as everything else is pretty much dead from the heat. July 2009 was the hottest July on record here in the Phoenix area! The average high was 109.8º. We had 15 days with temps 115 º or above and 27 days with temps 110 º or above and every day in the month was at least 100 º. So it has been mighty warm. Yesterday it got to 111 º and so far today it is 110 º. We are hoping that August won't be the hottest on record but so far it looks like it is trying to be! I've used my solar oven once so far this summer to bake bread but it is just so hot to go outside that it seems to me it kind of defeats the purpose--I get more hot and sweaty making sure the oven is facing the sun than I do baking the bread in the regular oven inside!
Tonight we are going over to meet the teacher night at the school. My oldest grandson, the one who with his father lives with us, will be starting kindergarten on Monday. How time flies! It will be interesting to see how he does.
Lastly we are waiting for grandchild #5 to make his appearance. He isn't due until the end of the month but it doesn't look like he will wait until then. Always something happening around here. I wanted to include a few pictures, but Dad hasn't downloaded them yet so maybe next time, which hopefully won't be too far away!!
Tuesday July 21st we woke up at 4:30 am to a thunder storm. While my husband was packing everything into the van, our son Ben stood just inside the open garage door looking out at the storm—all the lightning and rain. He put his new camera on video and caught a small violet colored bolt of electricity either coming from the fire hydrant at the end of our driveway or hitting it. It also hit the across the street neighbor's mailbox. He had thought he had seen it happen but wasn't sure so he watched his video frame by frame and sure enough that is what had happened, he showed it to all of us and it was pretty amazing! Luckily it wasn't a big bolt or we all could have been hurt! Dad said there was a lot of electricity in the air as he kept getting shocks when he would touch the doorknobs on the outside doors. We finally got all packed up, said our prayer and our goodbyes and headed out right about 5:20 am in a pouring rain. Joseph made the comment that Arizona just couldn't let him go without showing that he could have lots of rain here, he didn't need to go to the Philippines to get rain! We had rain through the city until we got beyond Anthem and then it petered out and the rest of the journey was pretty uneventful. We arrived at the hotel in Provo shortly after 6 our time, unloaded our stuff and then walked to dinner at a restaurant nearby. After dinner we went back to the hotel, sat around for a while and then went to bed.
The big day dawned sunny and bright. We all took turns showering and then went to breakfast. Joseph had no problem eating. We went back to our room and got dressed in Sunday clothes then sat around and read the Ensigns that I had brought along. Finally it was about 40 minutes before Joseph had to report to the MTC so we got all his suitcases back into the van and drove to the MTC. We got to the parking lot that we have always parked in, next to the "missionary field" and were there greeted by a MTC worker who asked if we were dropping off a missionary, we said yes and he then said for us to park anywhere, take all the pictures we wanted and then load back up and head over to the MTC and we would be directed from there. We had thought that we would be unloading Joseph's suitcases in that parking lot, like before, and then just taking Joseph and them over to the MTC but that turned out to not be the case. So we had Joseph unload one suitcase, took a couple of pictures with him and the suitcase, loaded back up in the van and drove over to the MTC. (Several other families were walking over with their missionaries to the MTC and taking pictures by the signs there and in front of the main building but as we have never done that before, we didn't do it this time either.) We got to the MTC entrance driveway and were directed around the building to another worker, who told us to go to number 5. I didn't know what he meant until I looked over to the side and saw cars along the side and there were big numbers up on posts by each car. We got to 5 and there was no way the van would fit there and another worker told us to go to 8, so we did but same problem. We were waved forward by yet another worker (some of them may have been missionaries, I don't know) and two cars left the curb by 11 and 12 so now there was enough room and so we pulled in there, backing up a bit to fit by 11. An elderly worker and 2 elders came forward as we opened the doors and got out. The two elders got Joseph's luggage and told him to say goodbye and then go into the building while they took care of his luggage and then he would come out and they would take him and his luggage to his room. Meanwhile the elderly gentleman asked me my missionary's name, found it on his list and checked it off, wrote something down on a card and gave it to me saying that it had the address to write to my missionary at and then he said you have 30 seconds til we need this space again! 30 SECONDS!?!?!?! I grabbed Joseph in a big hug, cried on his suit, said goodbye and got back into the van. The elderly worker said "We'll take good care of him!" Dad hugged Joseph and said goodbye, climbed into the van himself and we were waved off. I turned around as we drove off to see Joseph walking into the building. That was it for our goodbyes! I don't know if I like this new procedure. The family meeting/orientation may have drawn out the goodbyes but it seemed better to me. Oh well, change is always happening.
Other than that, things are going well as we adjust to less people here at home. Dad and I are trying to keep Joseph's garden growing, at least the herbs as everything else is pretty much dead from the heat. July 2009 was the hottest July on record here in the Phoenix area! The average high was 109.8º. We had 15 days with temps 115 º or above and 27 days with temps 110 º or above and every day in the month was at least 100 º. So it has been mighty warm. Yesterday it got to 111 º and so far today it is 110 º. We are hoping that August won't be the hottest on record but so far it looks like it is trying to be! I've used my solar oven once so far this summer to bake bread but it is just so hot to go outside that it seems to me it kind of defeats the purpose--I get more hot and sweaty making sure the oven is facing the sun than I do baking the bread in the regular oven inside!
Tonight we are going over to meet the teacher night at the school. My oldest grandson, the one who with his father lives with us, will be starting kindergarten on Monday. How time flies! It will be interesting to see how he does.
Lastly we are waiting for grandchild #5 to make his appearance. He isn't due until the end of the month but it doesn't look like he will wait until then. Always something happening around here. I wanted to include a few pictures, but Dad hasn't downloaded them yet so maybe next time, which hopefully won't be too far away!!
Monday, May 11, 2009
It's been a while
I hadn't realized that it has been over a month since I posted! A lot has happened since then. I have another new grandbaby! This sweet little boy is Lowe Goodrich, my daughter's and her husband's first child. Unfortunately all the pictures are still on the camera! I've been waiting for my husband to download them but he hasn't yet. Anyway, I spent a week with the new little family to help them out even though I don't know how much help I was. I did spend one night up with the little guy so they could get some rest and I got to hold Lowe a lot on other days. When I got home, my other 2 grandsons seemed SO big!! It is fun to be a grandma, I don't have to worry about feeding the babies or changing them unless I want to, I can just hold them and love them. Another reason that I haven't posted in a while is that my parents came to visit from Wyoming. We haven't seen them for about 2 years as they just recently got back from a mission to New Zealand so it was good to see them. And their timing couldn't have been better as they got to see both of their newest great-grandchildren--they got here on the same day that Lowe was born.
Other things going on in our lives are that my youngest son got his mission call--he is going to the Philippines Cauayan Mission and reports to the MTC on July 22nd. We need to get him ready to go. The same day that his mission call came, I got a new calling at church, I'm now the Enrichment counselor in our ward's Relief Society and I have been going to lots of meetings to find out what that is all about and to plan our next Enrichment which is scheduled for one month from today! Nothing like having to jump right in with both feet and hope that you come back up to the top!!! I'd always thought that I don't mind being on the committee but I never want to be the Enrichment counselor! Never say never as that is usually what you get!
This weekend my daughter graduates from nursing school and they are blessing their baby too so we have a busy weekend ahead of us. I was talking to a friend and she said, "Remember when we were young mothers and never had any free time and we couldn't wait until our children were grown because then we would have some free time? Well, our children are mostly grown and we're still waiting for that free time!!" Isn't that the truth?? But you know, I wouldn't trade any of it for the world.
Mother's Day was great for me. I didn't have to do any cooking--my husband and sons grilled chicken and we had bought a double chocolate cream pie at Costco for dessert. I can't decide which tasted better, they were both yummy!! I also got to talk to all my kids, even my missionary son in Germany. He has been out for 14 months now and you could tell that he was having to think of how to say things in English, he even asked his companion once how to say something! So he has definitely been blessed with the gift of tongues. It isn't an easy mission but he is working hard and learning a lot nonetheless. We are proud of him and all our kids as they are all making correct choices and living right. What more could a mother ask for?
I guess I've rambled on enough. Belated Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there! Hopefully I won't wait over a month to post again! :-)
Other things going on in our lives are that my youngest son got his mission call--he is going to the Philippines Cauayan Mission and reports to the MTC on July 22nd. We need to get him ready to go. The same day that his mission call came, I got a new calling at church, I'm now the Enrichment counselor in our ward's Relief Society and I have been going to lots of meetings to find out what that is all about and to plan our next Enrichment which is scheduled for one month from today! Nothing like having to jump right in with both feet and hope that you come back up to the top!!! I'd always thought that I don't mind being on the committee but I never want to be the Enrichment counselor! Never say never as that is usually what you get!
This weekend my daughter graduates from nursing school and they are blessing their baby too so we have a busy weekend ahead of us. I was talking to a friend and she said, "Remember when we were young mothers and never had any free time and we couldn't wait until our children were grown because then we would have some free time? Well, our children are mostly grown and we're still waiting for that free time!!" Isn't that the truth?? But you know, I wouldn't trade any of it for the world.
Mother's Day was great for me. I didn't have to do any cooking--my husband and sons grilled chicken and we had bought a double chocolate cream pie at Costco for dessert. I can't decide which tasted better, they were both yummy!! I also got to talk to all my kids, even my missionary son in Germany. He has been out for 14 months now and you could tell that he was having to think of how to say things in English, he even asked his companion once how to say something! So he has definitely been blessed with the gift of tongues. It isn't an easy mission but he is working hard and learning a lot nonetheless. We are proud of him and all our kids as they are all making correct choices and living right. What more could a mother ask for?
I guess I've rambled on enough. Belated Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there! Hopefully I won't wait over a month to post again! :-)
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Update and TAGGED
First the update. I managed to finish that cute pink baby quilt just in time for the new baby to come home from the hospital. I got my machine back and then ran out of the pink thread! But now it is done and given to the proud parents. But guess who forgot to take photos of the quilt?!!?!? Oh well. I asked my son to take some pictures of little Sophia with the quilt but so far haven't gotten any. We are going down there again this weekend, for Sophia's baby blessing, so I hope to get some pictures then. But for now, here is a photo of the happy family.
She was born on March 7th at 8:13 pm, was 7 pounds 8 ounces and 21 inches long. And she has tons of hair! Not something that is normal for either our family or her mother's family. But she is a cutie and a welcome addition to our family.
Now for the tag. My daughter tagged me and I think that I just have to put in my responses to what she had on her blog so here goes:
5 things I was doing 5 years ago:
- Working at the City of Mesa Library's Dobson Ranch Branch
- taking classes long distance from BYU
- being a mom
- teaching the spiritual mini lessons at Enrichment/Homemaking meetings
- becoming a grandmother for the first time
5 Things on my to do list for today:
- fill out this tag
- work some more on the quilt for my daughter's baby
- make dinner
- get our van back from the garage
- turn in another lesson for my class
5 Things I would do with a million dollars:
- Help my kids with their various expenses
- Put most of it in savings for our missions/retirement
- get new furniture
- get some new clothes for us
- donate a lot to the LDS humanitarian fund
5 Places I have lived:
- Provo, Utah
- Laramie, Wyoming
- Brookhaven, New York
- Scottsdale, Arizona
- Tempe, Arizona
5 Jobs I have held:
- babysitter
- hotel maid
- refreshment stand attendant
- library page
- library clerk
5 Things I want to be doing in 5 Years:
- finally be empty nesters (no kids living at home)
- have all the kids married in the temple
- finished with school at last
- be a children's librarian
- have lots of grandbabies come to visit
5 People I tag:
- Jeannette
- MiriLou
- Crissi
- Ben
- Dave (this'll never happen!)
So there you go, a brief update and a tag. Enjoy!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Wouldn't you know it
I got the pink quilt top finished and then layered and ready for quilting. I started the quilting, outline stitching around the appliques. Then on Friday, when I went to finish the outline quilting, the needle bent! So I changed it out and then tried sewing again and the thread kept getting caught in the bobbin area. So I took it apart to clean it out, there was lots of lint in there, and while doing that noticed that there was a little metal piece that seemed to be loose, it was what the thread was getting caught on. I tried to get it back into place, but it wouldn't go. I fit it back in as best as I could and tried sewing again. The thread was still catching on it. So I took it out and tried again. Well, now the thread wasn't getting caught but it was doing all kinds of loops on the bottom of the fabric! So I re-threaded the machine and tried one more time, still some loops but not as bad. I was done!! My new machine just wasn't working. When my husband got home that evening and I told him my problems, he asked if I had called the store. Well, no I hadn't, so I called them quick and described the problems and they said to bring it in on Saturday. I was afraid of that. I had a feeling that they would want to take it and then I wouldn't be able to finish the quilt. So Saturday, after I put that piece back in, we took it over to the store and the manager sat down at it and had the same thread catching problem I had had. She took the bobbin area apart, like I had done, and found that loose piece. She said that it was part of the cutting mechanism (when you push a button, the machine will automatically cut the top and bottom threads for you) and was obviously broken so it would have to be sent in to be repaired. Great. Well, she did give me the store floor model of the machine so that I could continue working on the quilt so I wasn't out of a machine. I think it won't cost me anything to get the machine fixed as it has only been 4 months since I bought it, I was too afraid to ask. She said that she put a rush on the repair order so instead of 10 days from Tuesday, it should be less than a week. We'll see. I guess it is better for it to happen now, while still under warranty, than later. Up until now, this sewing machine has worked great, so I hope once I get it back, it will still work great.
As for my classes, I took the final for that other class and am now waiting for the grade to be posted. But I went ahead and signed up for the next class, a poetry class, and will be starting that this week. I hope to get it done within 6 months. Wish me luck!
As for my classes, I took the final for that other class and am now waiting for the grade to be posted. But I went ahead and signed up for the next class, a poetry class, and will be starting that this week. I hope to get it done within 6 months. Wish me luck!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Things are moving along
I have been going to chastize my kids for not putting up new posts and then realized that I hadn't put up a new one either, so here it is. I have been working on the first baby quilt, a pink one for our first granddaughter, and the baby shower was last Saturday. The quilt wasn't done but I took it anyway. I put it in a pretty gift bag but then when Lindsey pulled it out, I had to explain that it was a work in progress and that if she wanted it finished, she had to give it back! Nothing like being an Indian giver, is there? (I suppose that is not politically correct.) Anyway, one of the reasons that it is taking a while to get done is that there are several appliques on the quilt top and most of them in pink, and guess what, I didn't have ANY pink thread!! In all my years of sewing, I have never made anything pink. I guess that is to be expected when you have 6 boys and only 1 girl and she doesn't like pink! Even when she was a baby, I didn't make pink things, I made a yellow smocked dress, and several light purple dresses, but NO pink anything! Hence the lack of pink thread. So I had to go find some and after looking around at a couple of different stores finally found some that matched. So now I can get back to work. Less than a month now until the baby comes, so I need to hurry up and get this quilt done. Then I have to work on the next one, that baby (a boy) is due at the end of April, so time is getting short! Luckily the 3rd one isn't due until August so I can take a breather between the 2nd and 3rd ones, but not a long one. At least I like making quilts!
Onto another subject, I finally took the final for one of my classes, just have to take the final in the other one and then I only have 3 classes left until I can graduate!! The end is in sight, yay! Oh, and I have to get them all done by April of 2010, if I don't want to take 4 more classes! So I really need to get on the ball with the classes. Nothing like a lot of pressure in your life. Oh well, it is what makes us (me) get things done.
Lastly, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to one and all!
Onto another subject, I finally took the final for one of my classes, just have to take the final in the other one and then I only have 3 classes left until I can graduate!! The end is in sight, yay! Oh, and I have to get them all done by April of 2010, if I don't want to take 4 more classes! So I really need to get on the ball with the classes. Nothing like a lot of pressure in your life. Oh well, it is what makes us (me) get things done.
Lastly, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to one and all!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Sewing Room
Well, my sewing room is all put together for the most part so tomorrow I can start sewing, I hope!! Woo hoo! I'm excited, can you tell? Oh, just a side note, my grandson asked me the other day if his and his dad's new room would soon be their old room and they would get moved into a third bedroom!?!? I told him no probably not. Interesting the things that go through their minds.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
More Quilt Photos
Well, I finally got my husband to transfer some photos to my computer so I could post them. The first quilt, the one with the trucks, is the one I made for my first grandson for his 3rd birthday. He still loves it two years later and it is none the worse for wear other than being slightly faded. Not too bad, considering all the use it gets and all the washing! Pattern from the Nov/Dec 1998 Quiltmaker magazine which someone gave me about 4 years ago.
These next ones are for the first bed sized quilt I made. I saw the pattern in a book from the library--Eleanor Burn's Quilt in a Day-Still Stripping After 25 Years --only hers was for a smaller quilt. I have a friend who works at the Quilter's Ranch (quiltersranch.com) who helped 
me enlarge the pattern to fit a bed. I think it turned out pretty well consideri ng it was the first time I had made such a big quilt and therefore it was the first big quilt I machine quilted. There are a few oops in it but overall, it is pretty. It took me over a year to make the quilt as I put it aside fo
r a while since I was scared to start doing the machine quilting but I finally got up my nerve and got it finished just in time for my husband's birthday, which was a lucky coincedence, I thought. As you can see I also made a matching pillow. My husband photoshopped the pictures to take out all the "distracting" stuff around the bed so that it why it seems to be floating in space! Also he changed the flash between the two photos when he took the pictures, that is why one seems more yellow than the other. 
me enlarge the pattern to fit a bed. I think it turned out pretty well consideri ng it was the first time I had made such a big quilt and therefore it was the first big quilt I machine quilted. There are a few oops in it but overall, it is pretty. It took me over a year to make the quilt as I put it aside fo
r a while since I was scared to start doing the machine quilting but I finally got up my nerve and got it finished just in time for my husband's birthday, which was a lucky coincedence, I thought. As you can see I also made a matching pillow. My husband photoshopped the pictures to take out all the "distracting" stuff around the bed so that it why it seems to be floating in space! Also he changed the flash between the two photos when he took the pictures, that is why one seems more yellow than the other. 
I'll post more quilt photos as I get them.
I couldn't resist!
My daughter changed the background for her blog the other day and it is cute so I thought I'd look and see what the site (thecutestblogontheblock.com) had for Valentine's Day and there on the next to the last page was this background with an owl!!!! I couldn't resist it and so had to use it. Anyone who knows me, knows that I like owls and so this was a nobrainer choice for me. It will probably be here on my blog for longer than just Valentine's Day, just to warn you! :)
Monday, January 19, 2009
Sewing room mess
With 3 grand babies on the way, I'm anxious to get started on making them some quilts but my sewing room is nonexistent at the moment! With all the moving around of stuff for when we had the house re-piped, we thought we might as well rearrange rooms since everything was already moved around. So my oldest son and his son moved into what used to be my sewing room and now my oldest and youngest sons are tiling the floor in what used to be my oldest son's room which will then become my sewing room! Did you follow all that? So needless to say, there is no place at the moment for sewing. But since I couldn't wait, this morning I cut out the fabric for the first baby quilt. Yay! My husband says that by this weekend my sewing room should be up and running so then I can start putting the quilt together. Yay again. So that's how things stand around here.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
1st Quilt photo
Well, I couldn't find any photos of the other quilts I have made up to this point, I'll have to ask my husband where they are. But here is a photo of a quilt I recently made. I made up the pattern myself, it is very simple but came out ok. This picture doesn't do it justice. I'll have to practice more on taking photos of my quilts. Anyway, this wall quilt was a baby shower gift for my husband's nephew's new son. 
So here is the first quilt photo that I'm putting on this blog.
So here is the first quilt photo that I'm putting on this blog.Obviously I need more practice on posting photos (and taking them!).
Thursday, January 1, 2009
It's a New Year!
And I'm starting it with a bad cold! :( I feel miserable. But at the same time I'm hopeful that this new year will be a good one for me and my family and for you. We've had good times this past year and some sad times but for the most part, 2008 was a good year and we hope that 2009 will be the same.
We are starting out the new year with completely new pipes in our house. We discovered a slab leak (the pipes under the concrete slab of our house developed a leak) a week before Christmas and rather than just have the plumbers jackhammer and fix the one leak with the possibility of more leaks in the future, we had the house re-piped. So now there are no pipes in use running under the slab, they are now in the attic. And we got all new pipes at each of the fixtures in the house. That meant that we had a swiss cheese house for Christmas but one with new pipes so that was ok. We got the holes in the walls fixed this Tuesday and then painted those walls yesterday so our house greets the new year in better condition than it was before. Hopefully we won't have to worry about anymore leaks of any kind for 20 or more years.
But in between all those repairs, we saw all of our children sometime during the week of Christmas except our son who is on a mission for our church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, in Germany and we spoke to him for about 2 hours on Christmas day so it was almost as if he was here with us. So this Christmas weekend has been like our year, good things mixed with not so good things, but we made it through just fine and I'm sure, with the Lord's help, we will make it through the new year.
And as far as quilting things go, I finally finished the Christmas quilt for our bed on the Friday before Christmas. It only took me a year to finish! But in between starting and finishing it, I also worked on some other projects--a birthday/Christmas quilt for one of my grandsons, a quilted table runner, a wall quilt for a new nephew, and a stitchery project example for our Super Saturday Enrichment in November, so I was busy. I need to get my husband to download the pictures of all those things so that I can post them here. Maybe this week before he goes back to work on Monday.
Anyway, Happy New Year to you all!
We are starting out the new year with completely new pipes in our house. We discovered a slab leak (the pipes under the concrete slab of our house developed a leak) a week before Christmas and rather than just have the plumbers jackhammer and fix the one leak with the possibility of more leaks in the future, we had the house re-piped. So now there are no pipes in use running under the slab, they are now in the attic. And we got all new pipes at each of the fixtures in the house. That meant that we had a swiss cheese house for Christmas but one with new pipes so that was ok. We got the holes in the walls fixed this Tuesday and then painted those walls yesterday so our house greets the new year in better condition than it was before. Hopefully we won't have to worry about anymore leaks of any kind for 20 or more years.
But in between all those repairs, we saw all of our children sometime during the week of Christmas except our son who is on a mission for our church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, in Germany and we spoke to him for about 2 hours on Christmas day so it was almost as if he was here with us. So this Christmas weekend has been like our year, good things mixed with not so good things, but we made it through just fine and I'm sure, with the Lord's help, we will make it through the new year.
And as far as quilting things go, I finally finished the Christmas quilt for our bed on the Friday before Christmas. It only took me a year to finish! But in between starting and finishing it, I also worked on some other projects--a birthday/Christmas quilt for one of my grandsons, a quilted table runner, a wall quilt for a new nephew, and a stitchery project example for our Super Saturday Enrichment in November, so I was busy. I need to get my husband to download the pictures of all those things so that I can post them here. Maybe this week before he goes back to work on Monday.
Anyway, Happy New Year to you all!
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