Daughter Control

Big sigh...I have too many daughters. And the problem is just beginning. With three out of six sons married and one original daughter, it's hard to keep them all accounted for and safely knowing who's who. I knew this day would come. So, with the help of Daughter #4, I will now rename the daughters so I can keep it under control. Here's the deal:
Daughter #1 is not married yet and is the original daughter and will now be called Daughter L
Daughter #2 is married to Son #3 and will now be referred to as Daughter M
Daughter #3 is married to Son #2 and will now be referred to as Daughter A
Daughter #4 is married to Son #1 and will now be referred to as Daughter T

Don't ask me what we will do if one of the remaining 3 sons marries another L, M, A or T ! I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Daughters...gotta love 'em!

God Helped...once again!

I bought this amazingly perfect material for Daughter #2's quilt several months ago...her birthday wasn't for a long time, so I stashed it away. A few weeks ago when us girls were going on our Sister's Trip, I shopped for the rest of our family's quilts and I bought another piece of material that I thought for sure would look great with this "perfect" material I had bought awhile ago. So I got home and went to find where I had stashed that amazingly perfect first piece and I couldn't find it! Oh no! Daughter #2's birthday was 3 weeks away. So I began to pray about it, asking the Lord to please show me where I had put it. I remembered I had put it somewhere because Daughter #2 was coming into the room I was in and I had to hide it. But I couldn't remember where I was when I hid that material. I started getting discouraged, because I had asked Daughter #3 to pray with me and we had torn apart every place imaginable that I might have stashed it but it wasn't to be found. Then, yesterday I asked Daughter #1 to look again where Daughter #3 and I had already looked. And in a few minutes I heard her shout, "here it is! I found it!" In her sweet little hand was that amazingly perfect material which I still found to be amazingly perfect and I just started crying. I was going to have to try something else in a few days because Daughter #2's birthday is now 8 days away...but God helped me, once again! It was just a small thing for the Lord to do, but he decided to do it for me...and for my daughters! Now they will have more confidence to ask Him for small things and see how He helps us!

The Return of the Reptile Man

(cue scary music...)
Yes girls, the Reptile Man returned yesterday! Only library business would induce me to be within a few feet of murderous boa constrictors, bone crushing snapping turtles, and blue tongued lizards that spit at you! You see, I have to introduce this brave man named very appropriately "The Reptile Man" for our library program each year. And by the time everyone is the room to see him, I can't get out! I am literally stuck right there, in front--within feet of those hair raising reptiles. Tons of people from our little town come to see The Reptile Man. The kids love him and he's great with them too. The first year, we had 148 come see him, then last year it was 176...are you ready for this? This year, 295 people came from our little town just to see him! We do this program in the Fire Hall meeting room. It's packed! And the Fire Chief is so kind to let us crowd in to his Hall. Even after 295 people jammed in yesterday! All he said to me after the show was, "You know, I think next year I will pull all the fire trucks out of the garage bays and let you have the show in there!" He's great! Daughter #2 and Granddaughter #1 came to see the show this year and at the end, she raised her little hand to get a chance to hold the creepy boa constrictor's tail... I couldn't believe it! Here's the picture to prove it. Maybe she'll introduce The Reptile Man for me next year?

Latest Quilts

Here is Son #2's tropical fishy quilt...not sure if he really knew why I was making him a tropical fishy quilt, but when I told him that I knew that his sons would love laying on it, he seemed happy!











Here is The Dad with his trout quilt...you can't see it, but in each corner he has one of Son #2's tropical fishy faces! He loved that touch. He LOVES his quilt... he only wishes the back could have had chickens on it!

A True Love Story

Once upon a time, there lived a young maiden who longed for a love she didn't believe existed, but had only heard about in fairy tales and stories. She had only the sad example of her foster parent's marriage to look to in real life and wondered if there ever could be a true knight in shining armor somewhere in this Realm. A knight who would stay true and love her with all his heart. How, oh how, would she ever find such a love?

Then one day, when she was not expecting it, a young man was introduced to her. He was not the handsomest young man in town, nor was he the strongest. But something shone in his eyes. Oh his eyes! But alas, as she was a young girl and far from marriageable age she could only watch that young man and wait. As she watched and waited; a miraculous thing happened! The young man became her friend. Just a small friendship to be sure, but it was a beginning.

Now as time went on and this young girl got closer to marriageable age, she was surrounded by young men looking for wives of their own. All were men of honor with shining swords in their hands ready to become knights to fair maidens; sweeping them off their feet and carrying them into the golden sunset to begin their happily ever after. The young girl also looked and pondered the goings to and fro of these young men. But there was not to be seen a young man so pure in heart and shining of eyes as the young man who had become her friend. The man who had captured her secret heart. So she waited and watched.

Now this young man who secretly had the young girl's heart kept himself busy. He was busy sharpening his sword and building up his strength to serve the King of the Realm. It seemed that, as he grew in strength, he shone more brighter and fairer than any of the other young men in the land. Little did the young girl know, but this young man secretly had his heart set on her. And was biding his time until the day he felt that he was ready to take on a maiden of his own and do the King's bidding. Quietly he watched the young girl and waited.

Then one day, the young man was given leave by the King of the Realm to set out to find his own true happily ever after. So he went straight away to his friend, the young maiden. His secret desire. He spent time with her and he found they shared many of the same heart felt desires. Desires for serving the great King of the Realm, for staying true to one love in life, for raising children up to serve the King and for steadfastly seeking the way to the King's heavenly home. The young maiden could not believe that this young knight of her dreams was such a man as this. Could it be, that what she had first saw in his eyes was true? Could it be that this man would be the one who would save her from the sorrow that she had known as a child?

The answers to these questions she found by going to the King of the Realm. She humbly besought Him and asked if the light she saw that shone in the eyes of her secret desire was true. She found that it was the King's delight to answer her and give her a beautiful gift for her asking. She found that the King knew all about her sadness as a child and her sorrow at what she had seen in her home. He knew of her longing for a life full of beauty and love. So He sent her away with a rare gift; a gift of a deep and abiding faithfulness to the young man of her dreams and a sure knowledge that the young man would be faithful to her. What the King had shown her was that as long as she remained faithful to this young knight, and served him well in this life, that all her hopes and wishes and dreams would come true and that they, together, would be given the gift of happily ever after.

So she returned to the young knight and he made her his wife. All their desires were granted to them. They became servants to the King of the Realm, loved each other with a deep love, were given seven children to raise up to serve the King and lived happily ever after.

I know this story is true because it's my story... the story of my true love... my dear Husband who is turning 46 years old today. Happy Birthday to my one and only Knight in Shining Armour. I love you with all my heart forever...Miracles truly happen to people like me; for a miracle happened when God gave me you!

Uh-Oh...Is this a Rooster Posing as a Hen?

I'm really getting worried about this little "girl" here! She's got an awfully big comb compared to the other "girls".

Here is the whole flock of little ones strutting their stuff among the Calendulas last evening. Ok, I'm sorry I called you stinky yesterday girls!

For Today

Outside my window- is the chicken tractor with all the ladies watching me as avidly as I watch them!

I am thinking- about my upcoming weekend and the quilt I'm making for The Dad and what I can do to make his birthday special on Monday

I am thankful for- the sweet smiles of my sleepy children getting started for their days

From the kitchen- someone forgot to start the dishwasher last night!

I am creating- a plan to keep the garden going this year and sew in the evenings...

I am going to- have a good attitude about these stinky little chicks in my utility room and count down the days (hours?)until they get to live outside with the older girls!

I am wearing- my pjs still, even though I should leave for the library in just a few minutes!

I am hoping- to come up with a really good meal my birthday man will love!

I am hearing- the chirping of those stinky (oops!) chicks in my utility room and the sound of Son #6 as he gets ready to go with me to the library.

Around the house- you'll find lime green thread on the ground from Son #2's quilt, my kitchen table overflowing with quilting stuff/sewing machine/rulers etc. and a DVD for Sis. B that will help her exercise while sitting down!

One of my favorite things- is that bag full of material I bought at the Quilt Store just waiting for me to make into beautiful quilts for the ones I love.

I am praying- for my dear Sis. R and Sis. C in OK who are planning a wedding next weekend with tons of company coming and who are stressed out getting sewing, cooking, cleaning and shopping done in time!

Now it's your turn...

Getting to Work- on the Quilts!

I started this past year on a project of epic proportions; making quilts for each of my family on their birthday. So far, I've made 8 of them, and I have 7 more to go! It all started with us girls making a quilt for "Project Quilt", which is an organization that gives every Oregon soldier going to Afghanistan or Iraq a handmade quilt to take with them. My kids saw that quilt I made and said, "we would love a quilt like that!" So, I decided that I couldn't get 15 quilts done by Christmas, but I could make them each one as their birthdays came around in the year. So I started last November with Granddaughter #1 and Daughter #4. And it's been a whirlwind ever since! Here are some of the quilts I've made... oh no! I can't find a pic of one of them! Each of the quilts has some fabric in it from one of the other quilts! So, on the married couple's quilts, I am adding some of each other's material, etc. It makes it fun for them to see who's material they have in their quilt. Anyway, when we were on our Sister's Trip, I got to go to the Quilt Shop in the nearby town. I was able to find the material I needed for the rest of my family's quilts! I am so excited. It was so much fun and some of the girls helped me pick out fabric. So, I have to finish Son #2's quilt today and then work on The Dad's quilt. The Dad's birthday is Monday, so I'd better get to work!

Who Could Resist These Faces?

While Daughter #1 was out with The Dad last night watching "Speed Racer", I snuck on her computer and "stole" some of her pics from the Sister's trip since I new she took way more than I did. I have no clue why in the world this post is underlined. So excuse my underlinings!Here is Grandson #2! He's the one with the infectious smile. (not to mention infectious cookies he sneaks into his Grammie's mouth!)

And here is Grandson #1 who knows how to wear an adorable hat just like his mommy!

And here is that cute little one and only Granddaughter

Saga of the Sleepless Sisters

sHere's about the only girl among us who actually looks like she got rest this past weekend! We all missed our own beds and felt either too hot or too cold!




Actually Grandson #2 looks pretty chipper right here! What a smiley boy. He was a good little guy this weekend and made us catch our breath every time he went down those two stairs into the family room of the house we were staying at. Let's just say he went "head first" several times! You can just barely see the bruise on his forehead from a previous brush with disaster.
Here are the breakfast girls. Notice little Miss A's sweet apron her mommie sewed for her just for this occasion! Too cute! Her mommie is reading her the book "Little House on the Prairie" and I showed her the picture of how Mary and Laura had the exact same aprons as she did! She had to explain to me that theirs were green and blue and hers is white, of course, silly me!

All in all we had a great time despite our sleepless nights. Daughter #4 and I got to snuggle down and watch the movie "Bella". And even though I was sicker than a dog, Daughter #3 let me hold Grandson #3 for some much needed Grammie time. Sis. D had an adventure with the stairs and a bag of ice on her tushie... poor baby! You gotta watch those slippery slopes! We all breathed a sigh of relief when she could sit down properly. And once again... we all brought TOO MUCH FOOD! Oh well...don't want to miss out on a chance for munchies. We accomplished our one duty on our sleepless weekend. We planned SKY Camp! It's August 29-31 so mark your calendars everyone...

Sister's Trip This Weekend!

Each year, our Sisters and their daughters get to go on a weekend away trip just because! Oh, we have an excuse...at least we like to tell ourselves that! We go away and plan our big Church Camp. And we really do plan and get organized when we go on our trip. But, most of all it's wonderful together time for us all. We look forward to it and plan on lot's of good food and fun. So it's countdown girls... T minus 4 days and counting!