Life with Quilts

Gettin' crafty

2012-01-07T18:14:00.005-05:00

Sewing makes me happy. Since my little break started I've managed to do a bit of sewing and hope to do some more. I got the throw size quilt basted, quilted, and bound.

I made myself a new bag! I got the pattern and fabric on my trip to NYC with Amy and Monica Back in November.

And, I made some more coffee cup cozies for friends.

I think they're adorable. Hopefully others think so too. What do yo think?

mini vacation

2012-01-06T09:13:00.006-05:00

December was a whirlwind of semester finals, Simon's 11th birthday, Christmas, and my mom coming to visit.

Now, I am on winter break until the 23rd of Jan. Nothing could sound sweeter to me. I do have things to do for school while on break like apply for a nurse extern position, order books for next semester, and try to get the house in order before I can't keep up. Once the spring semester gets under way I can't seem to get anything done around here.

Simon is 11 now. I am always amazed at how quickly they are growing. We had a nice little party here at home with some of his friends. He asked for a drawing tablet as a birthday/Christmas present. I try to make sure he feels like his birthday is a separate thing and doesn't get mixed into the holiday. He has figured out that if he wants something big he can ask for it as a gift for both. As long as it's his choice.

This year my mom and little (littlest) brother came out from the 25th-31st. It was a great visit. We were pretty mellow and didn't do a ton of touristy stuff. We went to the Statue of Liberty and walked around Princeton one day as well. Ellis Island is really fascinating. It was freezing when we were on Liberty Island to see the statue. Cold + water + wind = damn cold.

Rebuilding Ground Zero.

Seth didn't appreciate Ellis Island like we did. Think he might be a wee bit bored?

Close sleeping quarters in the dormitory on Ellis Island.

Three little popsicles.

There she is, in all her glory.

Hannah and her Uncle Paul. She loves him, he hates having his picture taken.

Hot chocolate was just what we needed after walking around the statue... and freezing.

Enjoying the ferry ride back to Liberty State Park.

I am planning on enjoying my little mini vacation from school. I still have to get up every morning and get the kids off to school, but then I can mostly do what I want. I already ~~devoured~~ read the Hunger Games books. I've sewn. I've watched movies. I could get used to this...

birds

2011-12-17T13:28:00.004-05:00

I've been slowly working on the bird ornaments. They are super cute, no?

And I made a reversible coffee cup cozy.

Finals are almost over. I took my first HESI exam yesterday. Holy crap that was a hard ass test. You think you know things and then you take a test like that. I only got a 79% on it. Not a stellar grade and if they were basing it on the points I don't know if I passed or not. Crazy. Is nursing school over yet? Another semester down, 3 more to go!

faces

2011-12-09T12:35:00.005-05:00

I'm a bit biased, but I think this is awesome sauce right here.

Sad face

Mad face

Happy face

"I love Mommy" face

I think the last one is my favorite "face" by far.

Ice skating in Central Park

2011-12-03T09:44:00.005-05:00

One of my oldest and dearest friends came out to visit with her daughter for a few days before heading down to DC. We decided to take a day trip up to the city and have a little fun. I pulled the kids out of school for the day. We went to see the tree in Rockefeller Center and ice skating in Central Park.

I had a wonderful day. The weather was perfect. The kids were great (minus Seth acting like a demanding 5 year old from time to time).

At the very end of our time ice skating Hannah fell. Her skate caught on Simon's and down she went. So hard that she split her chin. She needed to go to the doctor. It looked to me like it needed stitches. We had to decide if we should head to a hospital in NYC with all the kids or head home. With such a minor injury we could potentially wait for hours to be seen in the ER. We are about an hour from the city so we decided to head home. Long story short, five hours after she hit her chin we returned home from the ER with her little chin glued shut.

The day ended with dermabond instead of hot cocoa, but at least we'll all have a story to tell about the one time the kids ditched school to go ice skating in the city.

Black belt

2011-11-19T21:20:00.006-05:00

After many years of hard work, Simon has become a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do! It was no easy feat either. He spent four months working on booklet that required him to write essays, do physical achievements, book reports, meditation, fasting, and a teacher recommendation. Then last weekend he had three days of testing. He had a written test on the origins of TKD and about the Masters he has. Day two was an endurance hike followed by a 3 mile run. The hike wasn't easy by any mean. I went with him. I thought I was in good shape... phew, it was hard! The hike was beautiful though! We were in Bear Mountain, NY. It's on the Hudson River and part of the Appalachian Trail. So, breath taking. I wish we'd been there a month earlier when the leaves were changing.

Then day three was about forms, sparring, and board breaking.

He did a fantastic job with everything! We are very proud of him. He was presented with a trophy, new uniform, and a black belt!

October... no, it's November!

2011-11-11T11:15:00.006-05:00

Where did October go? Wow, time slips by so quickly! My poor little blog feels abandoned. I've been swamped with school this semester. With OB and Peds in one class there is a lot to cover! I've got lab twice a week too. Then the kids seem to be involved in every activity under the sun. Dan and I have to coordinate who's getting which kid to what place at what time. Chaos I tell you, chaos.

So, what have I been up to...

I went to my brother's wedding! I got to see my nephew while I was there too. Got my mom her wedding quilt finally. It was done within a year. That's gotta count for something! I took Mallory her quilt as well when I went to Denver.

My little brother is married to a wonderful person! Welcome to the family.

Jack is adorable and I love his red, red hair.

Love the quilting.

I sadly missed Hannah's 13th birthday so I could go to Colorado and see my brother get married. Dan was awesome and let Hannah have a slumber party. There were 4 extra teenage girls in the house. I bet he wore ear plugs all night. :) I told Hannah if I wasn't there then her birthday didn't happen. 13 is too old. I'm not ready. Teenagers are a whole new creature. Start praying for me. For the next 13 years we'll have teenagers in the house!

Halloween was a blast. We did a Zombie Crawl in Asbury Park.

Brains!

Darn, he's cute.

Oh, I'm hoping to make ornaments again this year. I found a bird pattern that I love! When I took this photo with the bird on the book I thought, "This shit is for the birds." The research class is by far the hardest to wrap my brain around this semester!

I'll try to blog more often. My mommy already grumped at me for not blogging enough...

Firsts

2011-09-15T21:10:00.007-04:00

Seth is in Kindergarten. It's the first year I've had all of them in school full time.

It's also soccer season around here. Seth is playing for the first time. He's liking it so far and is going right after the ball! Simon is playing too and his games are at the same time as Seth's. So, Dan and I are taking turns getting the kids to the games. Hannah is also playing soccer at school.

I didn't mean to go so long without using my blog, but I'm having problems with iPhoto and moving the photos around in the blog posts. Here are some pictures from the last month.

Seth's lemonade stand.

New Anna Maria Horner fabric I got. Squee! I can't wait to use it!

I am apparently math illiterate and made WAY too many 9 patch blocks, so I am going to make a throw size quilt.

Simon playing soccer.

Seth playing soccer.

Hannah being adorable at Seth's soccer game.

Big and little

2011-09-02T22:57:00.008-04:00

Lots of things have happened since the last time I posted. Some little and insignificant things and others quite big.

I made two baby quilts and baked some goodies! That was awesome to be able to do. Me stuff. I do still miss my stay at home mom gig. I had it good. I like school too, it's just harder to juggle all the kid stuff, fun stuff, my stuff, etc.

This one is for our friends Mark and LeAnn. They're having a little girl!

A friends daughter is having a boy. I'll get a better picture of this later. It's adorable.

Peach Cobbler, oh yea.

So, we had a hurricane hit us. Yeah, I said hurricane. I can't believe we actually had a hurricane. Thankfully it was only a Cat. 1 when it hit us and the southern portion of the storm fell apart before we had to go through another 6 hours of wind and rain! Lots of old trees came down all over town and they took out power lines with them. We lost power for 4 days. 4 long days.

He was pretending it was falling on him.

Now, it's back to school time. I started this week and the kids start back next week. I hope this year is a good one. I have peds and OB this semester. I am excited and worried. I know I want to be a midwife and I also know the way women have babies in the hospital isn't optimal. I dread seeing labor after labor augmented and sectioned for failure to progress. Ick.

Hannah will be in 8th grade, Simon 5th, and Seth starts Kindergarten. He's not a baby anymore. Well, no matter how old any of them are they're still my babies. I have the stretch marks to prove it.

We went to Ocean Grove last week with a friend before hurricane Irene came through and we went back today. The shore line changed. It's crazy that a little hurricane was strong enough to do that. I am so glad the hurricane wasn't stronger! Now, it really looks like nothing happened to it at all.

Enjoy your Labor Day weekend!

Summer time in Kansas

2011-08-19T19:30:00.006-04:00

All work, and then play! We were there when the county fair was happening and when you have animals at the fair you have to be there to take care of them. My kids didn't balk and cry about

having to help out. Oh, no. They were up at 6 am fighting over who got to do the farm chores first. They fed the cattle, barn cats, chickens, and fetched the eggs from the hen house. All in a days work. Then you can play!

It was awfully hot too. Over 100. Yuck. What better way to cool off then with a trip to the creek. It grossed me out since I could see all the life crawling around in it and you couldn't see the bottom of the creek. My mind goes to places where there are leeches and little fish eating at your toes, while the little water spiders crawl over you... yuck.

Looking for crawdads.

Hannah got to drive the tractor and a pick up truck! She also learned how to carry chickens so they don't freak out.

Simon ran off during the fair and adopted a new family. He helped them with their calf and even learned how to rope.

Seth's little chicken won Reserved Champion. The adorable little chicken is very docile and let Seth touch her. Maybe it's because she can't see what's coming.

An adorable calf thought Seth's pants were edible and Seth thought that was super funny!

My little brother showed his hogs. Poor Pork Chop... your fate awaits you...

And what fair is complete without things like funnel cake.

The week went by too fast and the request for a longer trip next summer started before we even left. "We should come out for a whole month next time, Mom. No, wait. Two months!" So, until next summer I can think of sitting on the porch with my mom and watching the sun set on the farm.

Dublin

2011-08-01T08:44:00.006-04:00

The River Liffey. Also, known as the Sniffy Liffey.

The last leg of our journey, Dublin. We flew in from Edinburgh.

Day 9- Sightseeing again. We saw Phoenix Park, Temple Bar, Dublin Castle, Saint Patrick's Cathedral, and Trinity College where the Book of Kells is.

Phoenix Park. Deer roam free here. The park is twice the size of Central Park.

St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Bono's hotel.

U2 is obviously a big deal around here. They are pretty awesome after all. Joke I heard- What's the difference between God and Bono? God doesn't think he needs to be like Bono.

We walked from Trinity College to the Guinness Brewery.

Christ Church Cathedral.

Arthur Guinness signed a 9000 year lease for the land the brewery is on. I think he had some serious long term goals, or maybe they were drinking heavily.

Official beer at Guinness.

We had dinner at the oldest pub in Ireland, established in 1198! I had the Irish Stew and it was delicious.

Later in the evening we went to a bar close to the hotel where they had a comedy night. It was pretty entertaining. The comedians were novice, so some of the jokes were good, some not so much, and truly there were some we didn't understand.

Day 10- Side trip to Powerscourt and Glendalough. Powerscourt had beautiful gardens surrounding a rebuilt castle. I wish the orginal was still standing, but it burned down. Glendalough is an old Monastic settlement that was abandoned in the 10th century.

I walked up to the upper lake at Glendalough. It was really pretty, yet crowded.

Lower lake.

Upper lake.

We also did this optional evening of Irish dance, music, and traditional food. It so wasn't worth it. I think we are about 30 years too young to appreciate the show. I was expecting a pub atmosphere with actually traditional dishes, and good music. It was more of a Irish version of the Country Dinner Playhouse.

I am so glad Dan and I finally got to go on such an amazing trip. I hope we don't have to wait another 15 years for the next one! Some things we decided after the whole deal is, we can do this on our own without a tour company setting the pace, and we want to do a castle tour of the Scottish Highlands.

Edinburgh

2011-07-25T10:52:00.008-04:00

Love, love, love Edinburgh! Old town is a multi-leveled part of the city. Edinburgh Castle is at the top of the hill and all down the Royal Mile are little stair ways leading to streets lower down. Some streets you walk over have another street a few levels down below you. It's so cool.

Day 5- We took a train from King's Cross in London to Edinburgh. For those of you who are Harry Potter fans you'll recognize the train station. This is where Harry took the Hogwart's Express from platform 9 3/4.

Day 6- Sight seeing again! Around Holyrood Park, saw the Salibury Craigs, and then Edinburgh Castle. From there we walked down the Royal Mile to Holyrood Place.

Found my new home!

Front entrance to Edinburgh Castle.

Holyrood Palace.

Remnants of Holyrood Abby.

Day 7- We took an optional tour to St. Andrews. We aren't into golf, but it's the birthplace of golf for those of you who might like to go there someday. We went to the ruins of the castle and cathedral. The castle was so much fun. During a siege on the castle the attackers would dig mines under the wall of the castle. The defenders of the castle would dig a counter mine in haste to stop them. We got to crawl through the mine. It wasn't more the 3 feet high in some areas. The tunnel ended across the street up against a house.

Ruins of St. Andrews Castle.

Mine tunnel.

Tower at St. Andrews Cathedral site. We climbed up the narrow spiral staircase for a 360 degree view.

You could see the castle ruins in the distance on the shore.

We went to a science fiction bookstore called Transreal. Dan was so excited to find signed books from a couple of his favorite authors that live in Edinburgh. We also went to the coffee shop where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter! From where she sat she could see Edinburgh Castle.

The Elephant House.

J.K. Rowling pictures on the wall.

Her view as she wrote...

Day 8- Before heading off to Dublin I walked around for a while by myself. Dan's foot was hurting pretty bad and we wanted to give him some time off of it before we went to Dublin. I went back to The Elephant House for pictures and then I walked over the park on Princess Ave. It was so lovely. I wish Dan had been with me to see it.

Lastly, how could you be in Scotland without seeing this...

Then off to Dublin...

London

2011-07-19T17:18:00.003-04:00

I don't quite know where to start. London is a phenomenal city. I feel like we barely got a glimpse of it even though we were there for 3 days. We were staying a nice part of town called Kensington. On our first day there we wandered around a bit, but didn't go do the big touristy stuff.

Day 2- Sight seeing tour of London. After the tour Dan and I hoped on the tube from Gloucester station and went back to the Tower of London. We walked around there for a while looking at the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge.

Next up was Big Ben, which is actually the name of the bell in the clock tower, not the tower itself, Parliament, London Eye, and Westminster Abby.

London Eye, right before it started raining again.

Westminster Abby.

After our long day of sight seeing we went to see Harry Potter at the cinema.

Day 3- Our trip to Bath and Stonehenge. To be honest I didn't quit know what to expect with Bath and it was a really wonderful little town. I love the old buildings and it was really interesting to learn that the hot springs were used by the Romans.

The hot spring pools used to be at ground level.

Eating pasties for lunch.

I love the little things that are different. Let's play a game called, we say- they say. Yield- give way, carry out- take away, movie theater- cinema, under contract- under offer, to rent- to let, cell phone- mobile. There were so many little things, like the direction traffic goes. It's apparently so complicated for tourists that they labeled the ground all over the city.

Blogger and the internet are done cooperating with me. I can't seem to add any more photos. I'll post more later when I can.

Day 4- Edinburgh...

friend visit

2011-07-14T09:48:00.005-04:00

It's so awesome to have someone come visit you! Laura has been able to come out and see us twice since we moved here. I know Jersey isn't exactly a destination hot spot, but we had a great time.

We were in the annual Kazoo Band. It's so much fun to be part of.

Went to Long Street Farm, which as you all know I love that place. Then a huge neighborhood BBQ followed by 4th of July fireworks!

The Moth.- We listened to unscripted story telling. It was really interesting. There were funny, bizarre, and even some sad moments. The joys of story telling.

Coney Island- Laura took the big kids on the famous Cyclone roller coaster. It's apparently a pretty fun, yet rough wooden coaster.

The kids even convinced Laura to roller skating after our day at Coney Island.

Ocean Grove beach- The kids can play for hours on their boogie boards. Then, some yummy Hibachi for dinner.

Saturday we hit Philly. Went to the Franklin Institute and the City Tavern for dinner.

Sadly Sunday we had to send her back on a plane to Denver. I am so glad she came out here to see us! It was so wonderful to spend time with her. I have some awesome friends. She taught Hannah how to knit, too. Now, who's next?

Once she left I was in serious hurry mode. I had homework, a quiz, an exam, three kids to pack up, a house to clean, and laundry to do. All is well now. We sent the kids off yesterday on a big jet plane solo. It's hard to watch all your babies get on that big plane alone. Hannah told me after they landed that Seth was sad I wasn't with them. It kills me. He'll have fun with his Gramma and Grampa. (Yes, I spelled those wrong on purpose.) Alas, they had to go somewhere, so Dan and I can go on our trip. We leave tonight. London, here we come! I'm so excited!

Update

2011-07-01T09:45:00.005-04:00

I'm such a slacker. I had every intention of updating my blog more this summer and I obviously haven't. Oops.

Last day of preK.

Last day of school for the big kids. Seth was still sleeping when Hannah had to leave at 7:15 for school.

School ended on the 20th. Woo, hoo. Oh, wait. Now I have to entertain them everyday to make sure they don't spend all day picking on each other... I do love summer though. Lightening bugs, beach, swimming, hydrangeas, vegetable garden, fresh fruit, BBQ, smores, and fireworks.

Some bugs I could do without. Like this bug we found buzzing around in Hannah's room. It's an inch long... creepy, no.

I finished the nine patch quilt top.

I think the quilting will make it all come together. You'll see. Next up is a baby quilt for Mark and Leann. Finally, someone is having a girl! I've made this pattern before and it's super cute.

Dan and I are preparing for our trip to Europe. I am excited and nervous all at the same time. I have to ship my babies off on an airplane all by themselves. Start praying that they'll behave themselves and act perfect for Gramma Stella. Then, Dan and I board an international flight to London! Squee! Our honeymoon, 15 years after we got married...

Camping

2011-06-19T08:22:00.004-04:00

Last weekend I went camping with some of Hannah's Girl Scout troop. We camped close to Hersheypark, so the girls could go to the park on Saturday. We got there fairly late to set up camp and the girls all had a really late dinner, but we were all in good spirits. Around 3-4 in the morning I could hear thunder in the distance. I knew it was coming our way. And, boy did it. The rain pounded down on the tent for a couple hours. The lightening was very bright and the thunder was loud. The tent started leaking! I pulled everything away from the walls, grabbed a towel and covered Hannah and I, and I used a blanket to cover the other two girls in the tent. Then, I tried to sleep and not think about the tree above us getting struck by lightening or getting washed into the river behind us...

The rain let up in the morning and we had a fun day at Hersheypark.

Hannah's in the last car.

All was well until we got a call that we had to move our campsite because the weather forecast was for 2 inches of rain and there was a flash flood warning. We took a vote amongst the girls to see if they wanted to go through another night like the one before or pack it in and go home. They voted to stay. I wanted to declare mutiny.

The troop leader fixed it up so we could stay the night on the floor in a large convention hall at Hershey Lodge. It looked like a refugee camp that night with all the troops that had to leave their campsites due to the rain. Some people had their tents flood, collapse, etc. Crazy!

Amazingly, through all the crazy rain we had a fun weekend. I'd even do it again!

super cute

2011-06-04T20:02:00.003-04:00

I made some darn cute kids! Of course, I am biased, but wasn't Seth cute today?

Super cute!

Sew savvy

2011-06-01T14:59:00.003-04:00

I have thoroughly enjoyed not having any classes. I miss my day job. You know, back in the day when I was a stay at home mom. Le sigh... My summer class started today. I am hoping to still have some "me" time this summer, even thought we are going to be busy.

So, I saw this messenger bag on a blog and fell in love. I had to make it for myself!

If by chance you decide to make one yourself and like mine, I made a few slight changes. I opted for using a patterned fabric instead of a linen and I didn't make the cute hexagons. The fabric was busy enough. Also, I used canvas instead of batting to help strengthen the bag. I didn't want it to feel too puffy.

Whatcha think? Adorable, no? It's only 9 x 7 x 2. I like all the little pockets on the front and the big one on the back. My iPhone fits so nicely and I know right where it is! It's not lost at the bottom of the bag where I can't find it.

I delivered the baby quilt. All wrapped up. You can't go empty handed so I brought banana nut muffins too.

Craftiness

2011-05-25T21:40:00.004-04:00

Look, look, I played with fabric!!! I made a little baby quilt for a friend who just had a baby boy. I think she'll like it...

And, I finished all the blocks for this quilt... now I have to assemble it. I threw them up on the wall to see what they looked like.

And, now that I don't have mass amounts of studying and homework, I got the garden started finally!

I love summer break. By the way, I got three A's and one B+ for the semester!!!! Half way done with school. Well, half way through my BSN anyway.

family visit

2011-05-25T11:51:00.003-04:00

Dan's mom came to visit us! It was so wonderful to have her and Greg here. It's been too long since the last time we were able to see them in Colorado. We let the kids play hooky on Monday to hang out with their grandparents. We went to Point Pleasant and walked on the board walk. The kids and I decided to go in the fun house. Turns out, it's not so fun for little guys. It scared Seth, but not Hannah and Simon. The big kids immediately wanted to go through it again!

(Please ignore all the blue tint that the pictures have. I didn't realize what setting my camera was on. Grr)

Even if it's not warm enough, they have to walk on the beach.

Ready for the fun house?

Grandpa Greg taught the kids a few cords on the guitar.

Stella and Greg were also here for Seth's other preschool graduation. You know the one I got to go to!

The highlight of their performance was his refusal to hold one of the girls hands during a song.

He told me her hands were hot and yucky. Someday kid, you'll like holding a girl's hand...

play ball

2011-05-17T19:44:00.004-04:00

As you know, Seth is playing T-ball this year and it's so stinkin' cute!

He also learned to ride his bike.

Now he can be like his big brother...

And, he graduated from preschool. I couldn't go because I had two finals that morning. Sucked, but what was I going to do? Thankfully, with him going to school all week long there is another graduation for the other class. I don't have to miss out on everything!

I think he was a little excited!

Boston: Day 3

2011-04-25T12:23:00.006-04:00

MIT (According to Simon it's his future school...)

Harvard

Hannah's future school, you know, if Princeton doesn't pan out. lol

Harvard Square

Shopping. Too much shopping.

Boston Common

Barking Crab for dinner.

Crab legs for dinner!

Last chance for pictures in the fading light after dinner.

More swimming!

Day 4 was uneventful. We let the kids get up and swim, one last time. We checked out, grabbed breakfast at Starbucks, and started the long drive back home.

It was a great trip. I am so glad we went.

Boston: Day 2

2011-04-25T11:29:00.006-04:00

Swimming in the hotel pool to start the day.

I love the random old building mixed in with the new.

Science Museum (Not a lot of photos, I wasn't feeling well).

Dinner with family again at Legal Seafood!

Dan's phone pic at dinner.

More swimming to end the day!

Boston: Day 1

2011-04-23T19:19:00.008-04:00

Boston Children's Museum
Lots of walking

Water on a dreary day

Paul Revere's House

Faneuil Hall Marketplace

Dinner with Dan's cousin and wife at Joe's.

Ended the long day with a swim in the hotel pool...

random photos

2011-04-23T18:58:00.005-04:00

So, I was down loading my Boston pictures and had some pictures to share. Here's the only sewing I've done in weeks. In true Ellen fashion, I did it the day before the quilt guild meeting. Aqua blue binding no less. It's one of the charity quilts the guild is donating. At least it was some craftiness...

I think someone asked me a very long time ago to get a picture of a cardinal. I walked out of my back door the other day and snapped a few shots. I "think" the second picture might be a female cardinal, but I am not a bird expert of any sort!

Before we took off for Boston we dyed our Easter Eggs. I am sure it won't surprise you that we will be bringing deviled eggs as a side dish tomorrow. What else can you do with all those eggs? No, I am not a fan of egg salad sandwiches and I can only eat so many hard boiled eggs.

Seth named one of his eggs. Meet Voldemort. He has another face on the other side...

Also, as a last minute thing done on Tuesday, I made chocolate chip banana bread muffins. Phew, that's a mouth full. Can't let all those bananas go to waste! Plus, the neighbor was fish sitting for us, so I took her some muffins.

Boston pics to come!

fabric withdrawal, exams, and t-ball

2011-04-18T22:15:00.003-04:00

I think I am going through fabric withdrawal. I find myself looking longingly at craft and quilting blogs. Envious of their creative endeavors. It's like quilt porn for fabriholics. Le sigh.

I have an exam tomorrow morning on the gastrointestinal tract. Oh, the joys of nursing school. No time for my own creativity. Spring Break starts after class tomorrow, but I have to come home and start packing for our trip to Boston. It's going to be so awesome to finally get to see Boston after living on the east coast for almost 5 years.

Anyway, since the semester is coming to an end there are papers to write and exams to prepare for. No time for quilting. Sniffle. How much longer will this go on? Oh yeah, I am a sophomore.... 2 more years and then grad school. I am a glutton for punishment. I know I will be delighted with myself when I am done with school and I am a midwife, but until then I will grumble about the injustice of the world. Too much to do and too little time.

I need to get some pictures on here of Seth playing t-ball. All I have is iPhone pics. That'll do for now. Next game, when I'm not working the snack stand, I'll get some pictures. His first game was hysterical. They didn't know what they were doing and you'd have a little kid hit the ball and then go run after it. Or one kid would stay on the base and not move which confused the next little guy trying to go to that base. It was so much fun. Totally worth the $60 registration fee!

This should be titled, "Do you have to take my picture again?"

Run!

Well, breaks over. Time to put my head back in the books.

Out with the old

2011-04-05T17:07:00.002-04:00

We finally got the ugly chandelier in the living room replaced!

Yes, it's a ceiling fan. Sometimes you have to be practical. It gets effin' hot in the summer and the cool air from the window unit doesn't always cool off the living room.

Little Miss Hannah was inducted into National Junior Honor Society. She's one smart cookie.

Seth didn't want me to take his picture when we were there. I did it anyway...

That's some face! I love it. (Disclaimer- I actually do brush his hair and get it cut regularly. He doesn't always look this disheveled.)

Connecting the dots

2011-03-19T20:40:00.002-04:00

We started out on a Med-Surg floor this semester. In lecture the last few weeks we've been discussing the heart. It is a complex little pump. Learning the text book rationals is a different kind of learning then following a nurse around. I feel like I am able to connect the dot between learning in lecture and lab. Like reading about CHF (Congestive Heart Failure) due to aortic stenosis and seeing an actual patient with CHF. You learn from the textbook that the heart will back up fluid into lungs. When you meet an elderly man who has CHF and you try to listen for his weakened breath sounds puts it in perspective. You need to know the science behind the disorder. The signs and symptoms. The treatments and options. You also need to know that the person you met in the hospital is an individual. Maybe an individual who is a non-surgical candidate who has also chosen to be a DNR.

Connecting the dots brings the two worlds of knowledge and practical application together. Bringing it all into focus. Hope I don't lose perspective...

Happy St. Patrick's day!

2011-03-17T12:14:00.002-04:00

I don't have class today. I have homework though. I wrote a care plan already and I have to write a nutritional assessment too. Oh, the joys of nursing school. :) I'll be at the hospital again tomorrow. This semester we're on a Med Surg floor. Next semester we'll do both Peds and OB. I am excited about that!

Well, seeing it's St. Paddy's Day I thought I'd show you a bit of green. The flowers are starting to come up outside! Soon there will be a lot of green. Here are the sunflowers we planted at Seth's birthday party.

Seth painted last weekend while I studied for my cardiac test.

I made a wallet like my SIL has. Love it.

Got all three of them together at one time!

Birth Matters

2011-03-06T15:08:00.003-05:00

Second post in one day...

I went to a talk given by Ina May Gaskin yesterday. On my birthday, no less! It was really awesome to see her talk. She talked about her new book that just came out Birth Matters. I purchased the book while I was there and I look forward to reading it. She talked about all sorts of topics that related to women and birth in the two hours she spoke. She also suggested that if we want to teach people how birth can be more natural that people should see how an elephant is born. According to her, we aren't really any different than other mammals when it comes to birthing. It doesn't need to be taught; we know what to do.

Ina May has a project called the Safe Motherhood Quilt.

"The Safe Motherhood Quilt Project is a national effort developed to draw public attention to the current maternal death rates, as well as to the gross underreporting of maternal deaths in the United States, and to honor those women who have died of pregnancy-related causes since 1982."

I love that she brought one of the panels along to share. Each blocks tells a story...

She talked over her time a bit, but still signed books for us all. I had her sign my copy of Spiritual Midwifery too!

Flare for the dramatic

2011-03-06T11:21:00.002-05:00

Hannah's middle school play, Oz, was on Thursday night. Hannah played a few different characters.

She was a flower.

The queen of the flying monkeys.

One of the guards at the Emerald City.

She was also in all of the chorus numbers. She worked really hard and had a great time. I am however glad it's done now. They practiced everyday after school for months. Now we can get back to our regular, overly busy, schedule again.

Party on, Dude!

2011-02-27T23:10:00.004-05:00

I made Seth a special cake with a little dirt and some worms. Every boy's dream, right? It was delicious in my opinion.

In order to make an awesome birthday cake, you need helpers that like cake batter. It's a must for a successful cake baking experience.

Hannah and Simon are very helpful when it comes to taking pictures. I wish Simon wasn't blurry in the picture, because it's kind of cute.

The weather was very cooperative today. The kids were able to play outside which was so wonderful. It's been so cold and yucky for far too long.

I am hoping to have a rather productive week. I am on Spring Break this week! Of course, I have a few tests as soon as I get back, but let's not dwell on the reality of all the studying I need to do. Let's instead focus on a few free days to quilt! I am also looking forward to this weekend. First off, it's my 35th birthday. I am not sure how I got to be 35 already. It seems so old, yet I don't feel old, so I must not be old yet. Also on Saturday, I get to see Ina May Gaskin! I am sure that all of you just said, Ina May who? She is a renowned homebirth midwife. I am very excited to hear her talk. Yes, yes, I am a dork and I am okay with it.

Hello out there

2011-02-23T12:35:00.003-05:00

Hello, little blog of mine. Is there an echo in here? How have you been? Lonely, I bet. Sorry, I've been distracted by school.

I am sitting in a quiet room between classes. I had Nutrition and Microbiology so far today. I just ate my lunch I brought from home and I have another hour until Micro lab begins. Thought I might pop in and say, "Hi."

Yesterday was a big birthday day in our house. Dan and Seth share the same birthday. My little man just turned 5 (We won't mention how old Dan is, except to say he's older than me!). One whole hand old. He seems so big to me sometimes and yet at other times he seems so little. He can't read yet, but he is getting close. He'll pick it up when he's ready (can you tell he's my third). He can add like crazy. He told me yesterday that 5 and 5 and 5 and 4 is 19... why yes, yes it is... He loves all things that a little boy would like; cars, trucks, tractors, legos, building blocks, sports, etc. He also loves to play on the computer and video games just like his older brother and sister. He likes to drive them crazy too and I think that might be the primary responsibility of the youngest sibling.

I have to add, I am so lucky to have three wonderful kids, and a wonderful husband, that put up with me going back to school. There are days when I have to go get them from three different houses because they had half days. So crazy some times. My friends are so pivotal to my success in getting through school. If they didn't help me out I wouldn't be able make it!

I digress. Where was I again? Ah, yes... birthday boys. We went out for dinner last night with a few friends. Seth wanted hibachi which we were all in favor of. Who doesn't like hibachi or sushi? It was a nice night out. We are having a kid birthday party for Seth on Sunday, so it was nice to have a more adult dinner with friends for Dan.

Tonight Simon will take yet another Belt Test. He is getting very close to his Black Belt! I am very proud of him for sticking it out. He wants to quit, but we're pushing him to complete this. I think he'd feel an enormous sense of pride in himself if he gets his Black belt.

So, that's how we are right now in a nut shell. I am still alive, yet busy and insane. Midterms are in two weeks, eek!

Happy Birthday to my birthday boys! Love you guys!

Fabric comfort zone

2011-02-12T18:48:00.004-05:00

I am leaving my fabric comfort zone and working with some Civil War reproduction fabrics. I do love the simplicity of the fabrics. The colors are muted and blend nicely together. In the line of simple thinking, I think the pattern should be simple too. After all, most quilts in the mid 1800's were for utilitarian use. They were made with scraps from clothes that either were worn out or too small for any other use. I'm going to make a queen sized quilt with 6" nine patch blocks on point. A basic pattern to help show off the style of the fabrics.

Soon this pile of strips will be ironed, cut, and sewn into nine patch blocks. 99 blocks...

Good day

2011-02-05T16:53:00.003-05:00

I'm having a good day today. It's nice to have days like this. Why, you ask?

- Slept in. Great start, no?
- Made pancakes for Hannah and her friends that slept over.
- Went to Adventures in Health with Hannah.
- Went to the mall with Hannah. We had lunch and did some shopping.
- I've got zucchini bread in the oven right now. The smell of the zucchini bread is permeating the house...

So, far so good, don't you think. Maybe I can get some quilting in tonight too!

The big kids both got straight A's on their report cards this marking period, so we're going to take them out for a treat tonight. Our kids are such dorks (just like Dan and I) that they think going to Barnes and Noble to get a book and getting a drink at Starbucks is a treat. Aren't they awesome?

School is going well. Next week we have competency testing in Nursing and Pharmacology. Then it's on to the hospital the following week!

where to find me...

2011-01-25T14:04:00.003-05:00

I'll be under this stack of books all semester. You won't find me over the rainbow, you'll find me beneath the books. That's where I'll be. Don't even ask how much they cost...

Things are moving along. We are preparing to go to the hospital in a few weeks. Real patients, real nursing students. Say a prayer if you pray, "Dear (fill in the blank), please don't let us kill anybody..."

It is exciting. I have my little uniform and we got name tags today. I am official now.

Oh, my husband didn't think the photo really showed how high the stack went, so I compared it to an almost 5 year old.

He more than measures up!

Off to fetch him from preschool now.

Spring and leaves?

2011-01-18T23:23:00.004-05:00

The spring semester has begun! It should be a fun one. We start clinicals! W00t! So, I have Adult 1 with lab, Microbiology with lab, Nutrition, and Pharmacology this semester. I pushed Statistics out to this summer.

I quilted the wall hanging. Do these look like leaves? Not perfect, but it was my first attempt.

Well, I have an 8 am class tomorrow, so I better head to bed...

Snowy break

2011-01-08T23:07:00.005-05:00

Break, sweet break, don't end. I have enjoyed you so.

I have read two novels, just for fun. I'm making a wall hanging that is sadly very overdue. I have had the option of sitting on my ass and doing nothing for hours on end. Love it! Next week I'll have to start getting back into the grove of school. Buy my books, study up, and get ready for the wild ride of another semester. I am doing well though. I managed to pull all A's last semester. Gotta love a teacher who grades on a curve!

So, here is the wall hanging in question. I'll get some more photos of if after I have it pieced. It snowed again today, so I spent most of the day in my sewing room watching movies and sewing. Yup, I like days like that.

After our trip to Kansas we got home and there was still tons of snow on the ground from the huge storm. The kids woke up early and wanted to go out to play.

I enjoyed our holiday break. It was a wonderful way to end the year and a great way to start off the new year.

More farm hands

2010-12-29T15:22:00.005-05:00

The older two have informed me they are moving here. They love the farm. Hannah is already having a sleepover with one of the girls she met here last summer. Hannah loves the idea of raising animals and isn't bothered by the fact that they are food later on. I on the other hand want to become vegetarian when I see the animals that will become steak and ham. The eggs from the chickens don't bother me though and we've eaten a lot of those! I mentioned a rooster that was sent off the other day. He was made into stew by the neighbor... that will be dinner tonight. Gulp.

Anyway, Hannah and Simon want to live here. They could be little farm hands. I think the novelty of the farm would wear off really quickly and the fun "chores" would become just that. Chores.

Simon is however allergic to something out here. Don't know what, but he is covered in hives. Poor kid. I told him to stay out of the hay for now. Sheer torture.

We are enjoying ourselves for the time we are here. I think that will make it all that more special. Who knew a farm would be such a hit. Hopefully, we can get the kids out here for the summer.

Yesterday's chore- clearing sticks from where the creek had flooded.

Simon's turn on the skid loader. Not as smooth as Hannah, but he got it.

Seth on the tractor with Mike.

Paul.

Hannah filling the water trough for the cattle.

Little farmer girl

2010-12-27T21:06:00.005-05:00

Hannah loves the farm. They all do. She learned how to drive a skid loader today. She delivered hay out to the cattle.

Mike explaining to Hannah where to go with the next load of hay.

She wants to help with everything related to the farm. Too bad she isn't that eager at home! They are all taking turns getting eggs from the hens. The mean roaster that was going after them was sent off today.

Tabby and Hannah each found an egg.

Snippets

2010-12-27T09:32:00.007-05:00

Simon's 10th birthday was 10 days ago. This picture cracked me up. He looks rather maniacal. Better keep him away from lighters...

He wanted to decorate cupcakes so I didn't decorate a cake. Instead I quickly attempted to write his name on a cupcake for him. He liked it.

We decorated cookies for Santa. The more frosting and decoration, the better! Santa's going to get fatter this year!

I made a small gift for mom. The ring pillow. It was Mike's idea.

Opened presents on Christmas morning before heading to the airport. It started snowing so bad the next day it shut down the airport. Dan is stuck home in all that snow.

Mom and Mike got married on the 26th. I am glad we got to be here for it.

Today we are having a second Christmas!

Santa at the farm

2010-12-19T13:56:00.005-05:00

Long Street Farm is so awesome! We went to see Santa there today. The big kids opted out of sitting on Santa's lap. Good idea. Seth on the other hand hopped right on up and gave him the card he had made just for Santa. He asked Santa for a firetruck... Santa better go get a firetruck...

We wandered the farm looking at the house and all the animals on the farm. Hannah wants to go to Grandma's farm now. Just a few more days...

Old sewing room.

Cooking in the side house. It's in the high 30's today!

Happy barn cat.

Merry Christmas from our little family!

Jack

2010-12-13T23:23:00.005-05:00

I met my newest nephew this weekend. I made a quick trip out to Denver to see Jack and Susan. He's adorable!

Jack and Mom.

Checking out Dad.

He looks awfully cute with his new quilt too! That was my big surprise project. Jack's quilt. I also made a diaper bag, called the Nappy Bag, and the changing pad that comes with it. Susan already has an awesome diaper bag but I couldn't help but make the bag. I hope she likes it as much as I do.

I quickly popped in to see a few friends for coffee, (I wish I had time to see all of my wonderful friends in Denver. I felt so much guilt about being there and not being able to see everyone) I saw my Aunt and one of my cousins, and I saw my little brother and his fiance. Otherwise, I helped out with the new baby. I did what I could to help anyway. Laundry, dishes, dinner, etc. I wish I could be around to help more, but we are many, many miles apart. Snuggling a brand new baby was a pretty awesome part of the trip too!

So, now I am back where I can do my own laundry, dishes, and dinners. I have finals this week and next week too. The holidays shouldn't coincide with finals. I haven't done Christmas cards or ornaments this year. If you get an e-card, you know why...

A tree and ribbons

2010-12-06T11:40:00.003-05:00

We ventured out to get our Christmas tree already. With finals being next week I didn't want to wait too long to get a tree. Then I'd be all stressed out about getting the decorations up while I was trying to fill my brain with enough knowledge as possible so I can ace all my classes. Ok, maybe not ace, but pass and hopefully I'll retain some of that knowledge.

Hannah had her third gymnastics meet of the season. She did a great job and was able to get her second qualifying score so she gets t0 go to state. I think that is awesome since this is her first year competing. She still has one more competition in two weeks. She gets better and better. She do so well on bars that she got a third place ribbon! Yay, Hannah!

I truly wish I had some awesome quilts to show you, but I don't. *sniffle*

Schoool, school, school

2010-12-01T23:41:00.004-05:00

This school thing is keeping me pretty busy. And then the kids always have something going on. Busy, busy. I have two group projects going on. We did the presentation for one of them today. Friday I have a head to toe assessment I have to perform in front of my professor and lab instructor. Hope I don't forget anything. Hannah was a willing guinea pig this evening and let me practice on her. Finals are the following week. Then, I get a big break. It'll be awesome. I am going to read books for fun, watch movies, and quilt!

I do have a wonderful project I completed and I want to share all of it with you. First it has to be given to the recipient.

So, aside from the daily grind and mass chaos I call life, not much is going on... ;)

Thankfully I have some cute moments to add in.

Dear Blog,

2010-11-23T15:20:00.003-05:00

I have been busy studying and getting ready for Thanksgiving. I will be on break soon and then the semester will be over in December. I will stop neglecting you soon.

Love, Me

(Little Pilgrim)

A week in review:

2010-11-14T10:53:00.003-05:00

-Hannah did great at her first gymnastics competition. Her first score was high enough for state. She has to have two qualifying scores to go to state.

- Studied with a friend. If your friend sits on your book it's difficult to study...

- Played with fabric. Loving the project.

- Cleared the leaves out of the yard. Seth has a Gryffindor hat on. He has a SMALL Harry Potter obsession going on right now.

-Went on a date with Dan. Sushi and a movie equals a wonderful evening. Red was fantastic.

Taking a time out

2010-11-06T21:39:00.003-04:00

I decided to take a break. A little time out from school work to play with fabric this weekend. I sandwiched a few quilts for the guild. We will all work on tying the tops and donating them in time for Christmas.

Then I started on a little project that I'll have to keep to myself for a bit. I think this is going to be pretty stinkin' cute.

We did have a interesting start to our weekend. Friday evening Simon somehow managed to slip in the dining room and hit his head on the edge of the bakers rack. He split his eyebrow open and we had to make a trip to the ER for some stitches. Poor kid. He's alright though. He's out of soccer and Tae Kwon Do for a few days.

Tomorrow we're spending most of the day at Hannah's first gymnastics competition...

Two happies

2010-10-30T21:41:00.004-04:00

One, Happy Birthday, Hannah, and two, Happy Halloween.

The weather was beautiful on Thursday, so we carved our pumpkins outside.

Hannah is 12 now.

Hannah wanted to decorate her cake with her friends. I think they did a great job.

Hannah and her BFF.

Next year, she'll be a teenager... I'm not ready for that. Is there a pause button or a skip button to either avoid the teen years or let us skip to 20? I'd like one of those, please.

She had a slumber party with 5 girls here. I think it was her last too. It was loud and crazy. Did I mention LOUD! SO, LOUD. And sleep wasn't something they were interested in, but I was. I think they were up until about 4 am. Anyway, we survived... I am only twitching slightly...

One last photo, just because it made me laugh. I took Seth's picture in front of his school.

So, have fun tomorrow. Trick or Treat and get lots of candy! Happy Halloween!

Trees

2010-10-27T22:25:00.003-04:00

I truly love this time of year. The leaves are so beautiful right now. The trees around our house are full of color.

Look at what else you can find in the trees.

We are supper crazy around here. Hannah's birthday is this week. I am in denial that my baby girl is turning 12. When did I get old enough to have a kid that age? Anyway, there will be a sleepover with 5 extra girls in the house this weekend plus Sunday is Halloween. There will also be parties at school and an abundance of candy and sweets. Busy, busy, me...

Completely random here, but check out the size of the cauliflower that came in CSA box this week!

Halloween countdown

2010-10-19T13:28:00.005-04:00

Life can never be dull as a full time student with three kids...

Seth and I got pumpkins and mums last week. Yes, we went without the big kids this year and we didn't go to the pumpkin patch. It's like $1 a lb when you pick yourself and my kids pick out the biggest pumpkins they can find. The pumpkins at Gasko's were like $5 each. I told Seth to pick out three...

Simon and I went camping Saturday with the Cub Scout and the Boy Scouts. The boys did all the cooking and cleaning. I could get used to that. I don't know if I could get used to sleeping on the hard ground when it's in the mid 30's outside. I like my warm comfy bed. Although, I do love the smell of a camp fire.

While Simon and I were off camping Hannah helped out with a haunted hayride. She was in a roaming skit about a crazy chef, I think. Anyway, she was the victim.

Dan took Seth to a movie and then took Hannah and Seth out to dinner. Hannah didn't wash off her makeup and she apparently scared a little girl...

Mid-terms are over. I am determined to quilt this weekend! But first, we have to make it through the week of gymnastics, Cub Scouts, Tae Kwon Do testing, PTO meetings, soccer practice, more gymnastics, Halloween party, and movie night at school on Friday. The kids still need Halloween costumes too! Will I be sane when I am done with school?

Banking

2010-10-19T13:12:00.003-04:00

Before I show you my adorable children I have a small rant...

The older kids wanted to start bank accounts. Hannah was first to open an account. We opened the account for her at a very large bank in America. They told us the custodial account had no minimum balance. Perfect. Just what they need to start off saving up some hard earned money. Months later we go in to start an account for Simon. Hannah made a deposit while we were there and we found out that they were taking fees out of her account and they had an incorrect address for us. Two weeks later I finally heard back from them. We were told they could only refund $15 dollars to Hannah's account when they had fined her like $40.

Hell, no.

I was furious. How dare they steal money from a little girl who rolled effin' pennies to open a savings account!!! They hold our mortgage and I can guarantee you they are making money there! I talked to the branch manager, as calmly as possible, and he resolved it. The accounts apparently have a minimum balance requirement now. They wanted to know if we would bring the account up $300 or if we'd like to close it.

I think I'll take the money elsewhere thankyouverymuch.

I think it's awful that banks punish people for not having enough money in the bank and reward the ones that have a lot.

Quilt Display and Comic Con

2010-10-10T21:49:00.005-04:00

Yeah, we're all over the place! In this house we are all different kinds of geeks.

Our guilds quilt display went well on Saturday. It was a small event, but it raised a little bit of money for the guild. It was wonderful to see such an array of quilts from the members of our guild.

Today we went up to New York for Comic Con. It was actually pretty cool even though I am not a big comic book/gaming kind of person. I did recognize one person though. I saw an actor, Shane West, walk by with a big group and security. Dan and Simon had a blast and will probably go back together next year. Hannah was bored and Seth ran out of steam from all the walking. While we were there the kids made some capes and little clothes pin superheroes.

(I can't imagine drawing like this in chalk!)

Well, I have to study for my next midterm. Here's a glimpse of the next quilt I'm making. I washed and ironed it all. Now, I have to decide between two patterns...

SSDD

2010-10-07T23:10:00.002-04:00

We're in the grove now.

School. Work. Activities. School. Work. Activities. Wash, rinse, repeat.

I had a midterm yesterday and I have two next week. Yay, me. I think I a doing well so far this semester and hopefully this trend will continue.

Tomorrow I am going to help set up the quilt display the guild is having. They asked us all to show something. I have quilts that I could show, but they are all on our beds. I decided to take the one off of my own bed. If I remember to use my brain tomorrow I'll take my camera along and get some yummy quilt pictures. With the upcoming weekend being a 3 day weekend I'll have some time to quilt. Ok, I really won't, but I wish I did. I have a few baby quilts to make soon.

How are you all doing out there on the internetz? Working on anything exciting? Doing anything fun?

Newport, RI

2010-10-02T23:11:00.005-04:00

We missed it.

What do I mean by missed it?

We missed the wedding.

You know, the one we were trying to get to on Friday. We missed it. See, we knew it was a 4 1/2 hour drive so we gave ourselves 2 extra hours to get there. What we could have never anticipated was the weather causing serious delays around NYC. It took 90 minutes to get across the GWB (George Washington Bridge). Then the traffic was still heavy into Connecticut. We tried but we couldn't make up the time. We missed the wedding... I should take up drinking...

We did however get to go to the wedding reception here.

We mingled and had a good time. I saw some pictures and the wedding looked lovely.

I still can't believe we missed it.

This morning the storm had cleared and it was beautiful. Newport is an adorable town with some seriously large mansions. We went on the Cliff Walk before breakfast. It was awesome. The ocean is so wonderful. I love the sound of the crashing waves.

After breakfast we went into Newport. I love the cobble stone streets and the little shops lining the street. Adorable. Quaint. Yeah, we'll go back.

Even though we missed the ceremony we got to enjoy time with some of the family. I am glad we went.

The drive home was uneventful. Too bad the drive out hadn't been the same.

Oh, I found out that the bride and groom read my blog. Oops. See, if people don't post I don't know they're there. In my attempt to share my quilting with my three trusty readers I also shared the gift with the recipients. However, she was very, very excited to receive the quilt. Phew. That makes me so incredibly happy.

Congratulations to the bride and groom. Welcome to the family.

(Sorry about the grainy iPhone shot.)

Crazy, party of one

2010-09-25T22:16:00.006-04:00

I should be studying Spanish right now...

Simon was sick this week. Not terribly sick or anything, but enough to keep him out of school for a couple days. He missed picture day with his soccer team and he missed picture day at school. He won't be in his class picture this year. He was only really upset that he missed a science experiment on Friday. I love that the thing that upset him the most was missing a science experiment. He loves school. If he hadn't had a fever I would have totally sent him to school. Thankfully, Dan's boss is flexible so he was able to work from home while I went to school.

He felt good enough to go to his soccer game today. He wasn't up to full speed though.

I'd love to show you a picture of him scoring a goal, but sadly out of the two games his team has played they haven't even scored one. Maybe next time...

In the midst of my usual chaos I got one of my quilts back! I love it! The quilting is fantastic. Once I get the binding done I'll show you the details in each block.

Oh, I forgot to share what I got at the last guild meeting, aside from a stack of quilts that need to be sandwiched by November's meeting. Don't ask me what I was thinking when I said I'd do it. Anyway, someone brought in some Dresden Plate blocks that aren't finished. I split them with another lady and came home with more than I needed. They're pretty neat.

I know I don't need to add anything to my to-do pile, but I love fabric. I'll say it again, "Hello, my name is Ellen and I am a fabriholic. It's been two weeks since I last bought any fabric. I am going through withdrawal."

So, in between classes, homework, and running the little ones around to all the activities, I have to finish binding the quilt. It's for a wedding on Friday! No, pressure.

How 'bout them apples

2010-09-20T22:04:00.005-04:00

Finally decided what to do with all the apples we picked last weekend. Apple pie filling! So much better than applesauce.

If you are going to can apples I highly recommend this handy little tool. It peels, slices and cores at the same time. So, awesome! This is the only step where the kids were willing to help. They think it's a fun toy. Don't worry, they took turns.

I asked Hannah to come help me again and she took pictures instead.

Once they are all done processing, sit back and admire all your hard work. It'll be wonderful on Thanksgiving to bake an apple pie with this filling or maybe anytime I am in the mood for a delicious pie!

Preschool

2010-09-15T22:36:00.004-04:00

"Hey, Seth. Let's take your picture outside since it's your first day of preschool!"

"Aren't you going to smile? I know. Whatever you do, don't think about monkey butts!"

"Show Mommy how excited you are about school."

"Have a good day little man. Mommy loves you."

Things that have kept me away

2010-09-14T12:35:00.006-04:00

Oh, school... you are a means to an end. In a few years when I am a nurse midwife I will look back and think how easy and worth it school was, but for now I think being a stay at home mom was way easier than this! There should be an honorary degree given to moms, a Bachelor in the fine art of juggling. Add in school for me and this honorary degree is put to the test!

Since Chicago:

Hannah and Simon started back to school. One in 7th grade, the other in 4th.

Quick apple picking expedition.

Seth had preschool orientation where he got to ride a train after seeing the classroom. I didn't get to ride a train when I went to preschool! I won't cry tomorrow when I can't drop him off or pick him up from his first day of preschool. He will be with some friends and that makes me happy. He's very excited about it.

On the way to quilt guild last night I saw an awesome sunset.

My weeks will now be filled with school, gymnastics, soccer, tae kwon do, boy scouts, and heavily sprinkled with mass quantities of homework. Quilting has to fit in there somewhere...

Except for the first picture they were all taken with my iPhone. I had this one on here too that I thought was neat. This is a shot of Chicago on our plane flight home.

Chicago and a wedding

2010-09-06T08:52:00.005-04:00

Dan and I ran off for the weekend again and left the kids with a sitter this time. Last summer when we went to Chicago for a visit my mom was able to watch the kids for us. Now that she's in Kansas that isn't such an easy thing to do. It's nice to get away for a few days. Especially to go to the wedding of one of Dan's oldest friends.

Saturday was spent doing all the fun wedding stuff.

Presenting, Mr. and Mrs...

Sunday we walked around Chicago with another good friend before heading to the airport. The architecture in Chicago is so neat.

This was also my first week back to school. My mental plate is full! There is so much to do for each class. I took homework with me on the flight. Nothing like answering questions about health assessments while 30,000 feet in the air after frantically packing, cleaning and organizing in two hours before we had to leave for the airport.

It was a fantastic weekend, truly. Now, back to homework, homework, and more homework. The big kids start school this week and Seth starts next week.

Pin cushion caddy

2010-08-29T19:58:00.003-04:00

I love, love, love Anna Maria Horner. She makes wonderful fabrics and fun projects. I've had one of her books for a while and I wanted to make the little pin cushion caddy. So, with the leftover fabrics I had from the last quilt I made the caddy. It wasn't easy and mine certainly isn't perfect, but isn't it adorable? You want one don't you?

After I finished the project I started on my next project. Cleaning my sewing room...

Two more days until I walk back on campus and begin a semester full of nursing classes, chemistry, and Spanish.

Market bag

2010-08-27T21:48:00.003-04:00

I made a fantastic little purse. I only have a few days until I am back in the grind of school work and I wanted something fun to do. Not that quilts aren't fun, but they take a lot more time. I made one of these purses last August actually and I love the pattern. I am planning on using this at the quilt show for the guild. Do you think people will like to see what you can make? Not just quilts or wear-ables, but purses too. I am contemplating taking it to the wedding next weekend. I am worried I might get it dirty though, but it's soo cute!

Hannah was my trusty helper again. This time I let her take the pictures while I held the purse. Simon tried to help too, but I don't think bunny ears are all that helpful.

Hannah didn't like the camera turned on her though... she whipped around fast!

She's pretty cute. I wish she'd let me take pictures of her!

Beach day!

2010-08-20T17:16:00.006-04:00

We've managed a few trips to the beach this summer. I am loving it! We hit Ocean Grove again to use up our beach passes. This time I took my camera with me...

The tide was low today which makes the beach just about perfect. No big, scary waves that threaten to drag your children under and suck them out to sea. Just nice, mellow, shallow water. We did the usual things while we were there like:

Play in the water.

Hunt for shells.

Drool on the sea side homes.

Enjoy the view...

I love the ocean.

Sandwich, baste, and quilt

2010-08-19T13:27:00.004-04:00

This quilt was at the max for what I can do. It covered the entire floor area in my sewing room! I was able to get it basted though. Lots of crawling around was involved. I think I should invest in some knee pads. Yes, you should snicker.

There was a lot of quilt to get under the sewing machine, but I did it!

I'm working on the binding now. I am so excited that I'll be able to get this done before we leave for the wedding!

Kitchen goodness

2010-08-12T22:00:00.004-04:00

Lots of good things have come out of my kitchen this week. Our friend Said is staying with us so of course we had to made a delicious Mexican dish. He picked Chiles en Nogada. It's sooo good. Oh, we made the vegetarian version because we had a vegetarian friend coming over for dinner. We made Flan for dessert. I'd never made it before, but it turned out really well. Said was also interested in helping me make some Jam so we whipped out some organic blueberry jam too.

Tonight we made Rajas. Yummy too!

Lots of tasty food goodness.

My hydrangeas are pretty much done for the season. The colors are fantastic though. I am going to try and dry some of them...

My quilts are awaiting quilting. Once I have my sewing room floor back I'll baste the brick pattern quilt and get to work on it.

They were well received at the quilt guild meeting on Monday. We are having a quilt show in October and I have no idea what I'd show. Most of my quilts are either on a bed or gone as gifts. I think I'll make a couple purses instead of a quilt. This way I can get it done quickly! I only have two weeks until school starts up again! Yikes.

Wedding quilts

2010-08-06T22:39:00.003-04:00

I love this quilt. The colors are so vibrant. It is destined to be a wedding gift in October...

I quickly moved on to the next quilt because I need it for another wedding and this wedding is Labor Day weekend! I've done this pattern before and really love it. These Anna Maria Horner fabrics are fun in this brick pattern too. I'm going to quilt this one myself since I don't have enough time to send it off to the machine quilter.

We've been spending the rest of our summer relaxing and playing. Simon had Cub Scout camp this week. He had a good time, thankfully. Otherwise, we've hit the beach, Six Flags again, and we went bowling. Summer is going to disappear and school will start up again soon! Gotta have fun while we can.

Blocks and berries

2010-08-01T00:02:00.004-04:00

Our friends, Devon and Monica, came down today and we tagged along to go blueberry picking with them! Ignore the fact that there are still frozen blueberries from last summer in the freezer. I was totally going to make jam, I swear! I guess I better quit swearing and do some canning instead. I don't know what it is about getting your own fruit, but I like it.

Pick it and put it in the bucket, not your mouth!

Hannah won't let me take her picture... little stinker...

Then, we had dinner out followed by a movie. Dan picked Inception, which is pretty darn good! A pretty good day if you ask me.

I've made lots of progress on the quilt I'm working on.

I threw the blocks on the wall before I squared them up so I could see how they looked. I like! They'll look much different on point with the other fabric I have as the alternate block. Did that make sense? Did I lose you? I'll show you when I'm done...

Thanks for letting us tag along today!

Dear fabric,

2010-07-26T13:16:00.001-04:00

Oh fabric, dear sweet fabric, you make me so happy!

Thank you,
Ellen

Kansas

2010-07-24T22:41:00.007-04:00

Wow, we did a lot in Kansas in just a few short days! The kids LOVED the farm. They really didn't want to leave. I think if they had to feed chickens everyday they wouldn't like it very much, but for them, helping on the farm was a novelty. Helping at home, well that's kind of like torture.

Hannah loved the chickens and the one barn cat that would let her pet him. She named him Taylor for some reason. Hannah also loved playing with a young girl out there who's about her age. She was invited over to her house on Friday and got to see piglets that were just a few hours old. I have to say, meeting the meat you eat... well, it makes me want to be a vegetarian...

Here are few pictures of some of the things we did. I didn't have my camera at the pool or when we had our BBQ. I am sure there are other things I missed like Mom and picking and pickling beets, putting up 4 quarts of corn, etc. We even went to a county fair. Phew, we packed a lot in.

Hannah caught a chicken.

Hannah and Simon in the creek.

Picking peaches.

Indulging me at a small quilt display at KSU.

Picking corn.

Children of the corn!

Riding on the tractor.

Grinning from ear to ear!

Washing the hogs. God do they smell...

I loved the chickens walking all over the yard and the fantastic old farm house.

And, I liked this shot of the moon over the farm on the last night we were there.

Vacation is over. Yay and boo. Back to normal. I had some fabric I ordered waiting at home for me. Hopefully some of my upcoming posts will have quilts in them!

Red Feather Lakes

2010-07-22T23:10:00.002-04:00

I hadn't been up to Red Feather Lakes since I was a kid. My dad used to take me up there camping and fishing just like he'd done when he was growing up. We usually went to Dowdy Lake though. This summer we went with Mike's (my Mom's fiance) family to a reunion at Beaver Meadows Resort Ranch. It was a great little resort nestled into the mountains. There were little things that I liked. Like how cold the water was and how good it tasted, and I love the smell of the mountain air even if the air is thin up there. It's weird to be winded in the mountains. Guess we've lived at sea level too long.

We hiked.

Watched the horses.

Gathered around a camp fire.

Contemplated.

Conquered small mountains.

And, spread my dad's ashes here.

It was a wonderful weekend.

Best mom ever goes to...

2010-07-15T22:20:00.004-04:00

Sam and I! We took our girls to see a Jordin Sparks concert. It was actually pretty fun. We had some yummy dinner first and then off to the show. Sam's daughter and Hannah insisted on meeting one of the open act musicians, Ashlyne Huff.

Even though we didn't know any of the music it was a blast. Jordin Sparks is adorable and talented.

Oh, I did know one of her songs, "No Air." I couldn't figure out how I knew it and finally it dawned on me that they did a cover of the song on Glee and I have the soundtrack!

We survived, but we didn't get any medals or awards...

Lifeguard on Duty

2010-07-15T11:48:00.005-04:00

Denver, I love you. I always know which direction I am facing. I always know where I am. Your beautiful mountains are always to the west, thank you.

We've had our usual whirlwind visit with friends and family. It so awesome to see everyone. Let's see if I can summarize what we've done so far...

-Dinner's with family.
-Time with my aunt while she did my hair.
-Dinner with friends.
-Birthday breakfast.
-Fabric shopping at Fancy Tiger!

-Two BBQ's.
-Swimming at the Boulder Reservoir.

-More eating out with family and more swimming.
-Breakfast at Snooze.

We are having a great time. I think the only drama we've had so far is when we were at the Boulder Reservoir. The kids had to pass a test to swim out in the lake. Simon barely passed. The lake was really chilly. Probably has something to do with the fact that the water is snow run off from the mountains. Anyway, the stubborn kid wanted to swim out to the platform with his sister. I knew this was a bad idea, but he wouldn't listen to me. What do I know, I am only his mother. We went over what to do if you're struggling to swim so the life guards know you need help, etc. Hannah swam with his so she could help too. He barely made it out to the platform. Can you simultaneously be scared for their life and pissed as shit because they didn't listen to you? On the swim back he was dog paddling... not good. He got about half way back and I could see Hannah helping him. (The lifeguard had been watching the whole time.) Simon threw his hand up in the air and before the lifeguard hit the water another adult swam right out to him before I was more than waist deep in all my clothes...

He learned something. He isn't a good swimmer. Why does he have to be the one that learns the really hard way? He told me he never wanted to swim again. That is until the next day when he begged to jump off the high dive. I said no. If you can't touch, you can't be in the pool. Period.

Hopefully we won't have anymore drama!

Today we head to Pirates Cove for more swimming. Dinner with more family tonight. This weekend we are going to Red Feather Lake and then we are heading out to Kansas to see my mommy's farm!

Colorful Colorado

2010-07-11T11:53:00.002-04:00

We are enjoying our stay here in Denver...

Beach, garden, sewing, and a trip

2010-07-06T20:02:00.006-04:00

We are leaving for a two week vacation on Thursday.... nothing crazy, just a visit home.

Do any of you get all nervous about leaving on trips? I get all nervous and start thinking about everything. Will the garden make it? How will the flowers do? Do you leave the window unit on so the cats don't roast while we're gone? I also keep thinking of things we need to do or take. Laundry, pack, don't forget swimsuits, don't forget the camera... I think I might drive myself crazy...

Since I never have enough to do anyway, today we got Simon's new scoliosis brace, ran by the grocery store for a few last minute things, hit the library, came home for lunch, and then went to the beach.

Simon and Hannah love splashing in the waves.

Yes, Seth covered my pasty white legs with sand.

Hannah is at gymnastics right now and Simon just got home from Tae Know Do. A full, full day. Fun too.

For dinner tonight I pulled some veggies right out of my garden! I love that. We had a small batch of green beans and I got the first zucchini of the season! I am a big dork. I know it. Lots of people probably have awesome gardens full of yummy veggies, but I have a small garden and I am delighted with the little I get.

Yes, I need to pull the weeds...

The zucchini looks rather small in this picture. It was still on the smallish side. I could have left it to get bigger, but well, I wanted to eat it!

I have done a bit of sewing. I have 13 out of 16 blocks done. I like seeing all the blocks coming together.

Me and my daddy.

When I get back from our trip I am going to have to quilt like a mad woman to finish all the projects I wanted to get done.

Tomorrow we pack! Our flight is early on Thursday.

Fourth

2010-07-03T15:10:00.008-04:00

It's becoming an annual tradition for us to be part of the Kazoo Band in Ocean Grove's Independence Day Parade! It's quite fun to be in a big group of people all playing songs like Stars and Stripes Forever on kazoos.

As usual my older two didn't want to be photographed. I snuck one of Hannah while we waited for the parade to start though.

This is how it goes...

First, some practice.

Our leader, Heather. She totally rocks! She puts this whole thing together.

Now, we wait...

... and play while we wait.

Then we march! Or, walk forward-like in a large mass.

When it's over we eat some lunch and have some yummy ice cream at Day's. Then, if you're a little guy and the walk was long and hot, you crash out in the car on the way home.

Happy 4th of July, everyone!

Break and getting it together

2010-06-26T09:27:00.003-04:00

Where to start... sometimes I am a bit discombobulated.

-Summer break is on! I think the kids like it...

-Seth picked some flowers for me.

-The memory quilt is coming together, slowly, block by block.

-I think I found a pattern for the next quilt I want to make.

-Taking Hannah to see a movie at midnight next week!

-We'll be in Denver in a few weeks!

I like that my dad's memory quilt is coming together and that I finally have a cohesive plan for the next quilt I want to make . If anyone wants to get together while we are in Denver in July, just drop me a line!

Summer

2010-06-22T19:38:00.008-04:00

It is officially summer now! The big kids are in their final week of school. Finally. It feels like they are the last ones to get out of school. Colorado kids have been out for almost a month already, but my kids won't go back until after Labor Day instead of mid August.

I have to admit I have been in a quilting slump. I don't know why. I have a ton of projects to get done and a few things I want to do, yet they all sit there unfinished. What's up with that? I figured with my break from school I'd be a quilting fiend. Gotta get my groove back.

I've read a few books... I've taken a trip to Denver for a funeral... I've spent time doing fun things with the kids too... and this week, Daniel is in Israel for work. Yes, he's in Tel Aviv, Israel for 5 days. We took him to the airport on Father's Day. At least he didn't have to fly coach. On our way back we swung by the grocery store for some milk. I saw that organic strawberries were on sale, $5.00 for a 2 lb container! I had thought I wouldn't be making strawberry jam this year because we didn't go picking, but if they were that cheap then I could do it! I grabbed 3 containers. Two for jam and one for eating, of course!

Hannah was my trusty helper. Seth smooshed some berries for us but that was about all he could do. He sampled some too. I really love that Hannah wanted to do this with me. I love that my mom and I got to can together. Will she love it too?

To enjoy this last week of school and get a dose of summer we've had some fun afternoon trips. They have silly half days all week. Yesterday we went to Great Adventure. The big kids had a blast but Seth didn't fair so well. He got tired and cranky. Today, we went to the beach. The water is still cool, 67 degrees, but you can still get in. The waves were pretty big as the tide came in. We had a good time and everyone tried to bring home half the beach in their swimsuits.

My mom and I talked this weekend and she asked how my garden was doing. Wanna see?

Zucchini.

Tomatoes and Simon's shoes in the background.

Pumpkin, that Seth convinced me to plant off to the side. I kind of hoped the seeds wouldn't take...but they did.

Many more things are growing. We've got cucumber, basil, green pepper, tomato, zucchini, bush beans, and snap peas. Oh, and the pumpkin. The whole garden is still quite small, growth wise that is. We got it started a bit late and most of these veggies won't yield until mid-late summer. I wish I had more room for other squashes too! Next year, maybe.

And Mom, these last two pictures are for you.

The plants you helped me plant are doing very well.

My rock...

Well, I better go put my kids to bed! I'm going to sew tonight... I swear...

Pattern ideas

2010-06-16T23:08:00.004-04:00

I have this wonderful stack of fabrics that I want to make a quilt with. I am having a very difficult time finding a pattern I like or that I can see these fabrics in.

So, I want some help. I need some ideas. Is there a pattern that you think these fabrics would work well in?

Memorial

2010-06-15T14:48:00.004-04:00

Sunday was my Aunt Sharon's memorial service. I flew out very early on Saturday morning. Although the flight was god awful early, it gave me a chance to see a few friends and some family before the service on Sunday. I had a red eye flight home Sunday night. It was a quick weekend trip.

The service was held at Lookout Mountain Park on a cool, rainy day. She had requested that we all attend in our pajamas. She said she always wore hers and that when she died we should have a pajama party instead of a funeral. She was probably looking down and laughing at all of us in our pj's in the rain because she way ornery like that. They released balloons and spread some of her ashes up there. It was very nice. We had a reception at a church down in Littleton following that. I got the chance to see some family that I haven't seen in a very long time. I wish our family would have reunions that weren't because of a death.

All in all, things went well I think. With my family that is truly saying something. It isn't all that uncommon to have the cops called on a few select members of the family... yeah, I have a Jerry Springer family.

I also got to bring home a very special thing with me. A quilt.

When my dad died Aunt Sharon told me that this quilt belonged to me. It had been given to my dad, but he apparently didn't think he could care for it so he entrusted it to his sister. I told her to hold on to it for me.

Now, it's mine. At a high cost unfortunately. The cost was losing one of my aunts...

I am truly blessed to have this quilt come to me though. I love it. There are a lot of things about this quilt that I'd like to figure out. I don't know who made it or when it was made. I think it was made in the 30's. Each block has a name on it. I recognize some of the names, but not all of them. I have some research to do. It has 56 names on it! Granny, Poggy, grandma Betty, and great uncle Jim are all on there, but their other 3 children aren't listed so it was probably made before they were born.

Betty Seward was my paternal grandmother.

Rest in peace Aunt Sharon. Thank you for this beautiful gift. I promise to take good care of it.

Doctor, gymnast, or politician?

2010-06-08T13:01:00.008-04:00

Hannah is doing so well with gymnastics. I don't anticipate any Olympic events in her future, but she has been in gymnastics for a few years now and has steadily gotten better. She made team a few months ago and she participated in her last recital this weekend. From here on out she'll be helping with recital instead of being in it. In the fall she'll start competing with the team too! Pretty cool and unfortunately not cheap.

So, Hannah did something really cool Sunday night. She sat down and wrote a letter to the President. Yes, the President of the United States. She had an idea of how to stop the oil spill and wanted to let them know her idea. I can't even explain how awesome I think this is. This was all her doing, not ours. She did ask Dan for help to find the information about where to send the letter. I think she wrote 3 drafts. We told her that she may not get a response back, but I truly hope they send her a little form letter or something thanking her for her input. It is a good idea coming from an young girl.

She still wants to be a doctor when she grows up. At least, that's what she says right now. Whatever she does when she grows up I know I'll be proud of her because I already am.

It's the little things

2010-06-06T09:47:00.004-04:00

It's the little things in life that make me happy...

Like finishing a baby quilt for a little girl that was born this week. We'll see her next month when we go to Denver.

Or picking hydrangeas from the yard.

It really is all about the little things.

Rail Fence

2010-06-01T10:24:00.003-04:00

Oh em gee! This is so adorable, if I do say so myself! I really had a hard time deciding on a pattern. Finally, I thought something simple would be best. Rail Fence is a nice simple pattern. I think it fits the fabrics well. I really need to start with a pattern first. It's harder to have fabric and find a pattern that fits your fabric quantity. I don't think I'll ever learn though. If I see cute fabric, I buy it and worry about what to do with it later, like make an adorable baby quilt.

Quilting makes me a happy camper! Yay, for summer free time! Time to get these blocks sewn together!

Anniversary, parade, and a science experiment

2010-05-31T22:29:00.008-04:00

Today we celebrated our 14 year wedding anniversary! We spent the day with a few friends and some good BBQ food. I don't need anything fancy to celebrate. I think that's one of the things I love about our relationship. Neither of us requires a big display or expensive gifts to show the other person that they are valued and loved. We are good together. However, next year we are going to try to do something to celebrate being married for 15 years. We never had a honeymoon. We got married so young and had absolutely no money, so our honeymoon was a week off of work. Next year we're going to go somewhere, just the two of us...

So, today was a great day. We started with Simon and I walking in the Memorial Day Parade with his Cub Scout Pack. Dan took the other two to watch and Seth apparently loved all the fire trucks. This afternoon I got a chance to introduce my philosophy teacher to a few of our friends. When I met him I just knew he'd get along with them. We had to move inside when it started to down pour. The kids ran out and played in the rain, splashing in all the puddles. How often do you get to do that? We even lost power for a while and even with that it was still a really great day.

I have no good segue here so...

I got my garden started last Friday. The yard looks so completely different now. The grass looks awful though and I need to get some mulch or something put around the raised beds.

Before:

After:
Without meaning to I got to show the kids how important sunlight is for a plant when it's growing. Call it our science experiment. The window shadowed the corner where the smaller tomato plant sat. Amazing isn't it?

So, take a moment on Memorial Day and remember all the veterans that have served our country so well. Thank you.

Happy Anniversary, Daniel. I love you.

CSA and napkins

2010-05-26T09:09:00.004-04:00

I am really excited about being part of CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)! We were able to sign up with Earthen Harvest for the 2010 season. We will get a box of organic vegetables and fruits delivered to our house each week from May until November! Isn't that awesome? I am still such a novice gardener and we buy so much of our produce from the grocery store each year. This is a great way to support local farming too. I love that we can get new things that I usually wouldn't buy. This will challenge me to try new recipes. Dan said the challenge will be to not compost everything. This morning Simon and I were looking through the box. He asked to try some of them. He tried the chives, scallions, and the radish! Great kid. I bet he won't want to eat them when I make a meal out of it!

I decided to continue down my crunchy granola path... I made more cloth napkins. Bright and fun yellow ones. I got this fabric on sale in March for $3 a yard! It's Heather Bailey, no less!

I bought melamine plates, bowls, and cups too. I am tired of having a BBQ and buying paper and plastic that you end up throwing away! This was we have reusable plates, that won't break as easily, and washable napkins. I think it will ease my guilt about throwing things away for no reason. Yes, I am a granola girl.

Since my older two rarely hold still when the camera comes out I took the liberty of taking a picture of their school pictures this year. See, they are adorable (says the biased mother).

Garden and blocks

2010-05-22T22:08:00.007-04:00

Boy, things don't settle down here at all. Sadly, my aunt passed away earlier this week. We all thought we were going to lose her last summer when she was sent home from the hospital with hospice. She defied the odds and lived almost another year. She was very sick, so in some ways it's a blessing that she was finally able to let go. My family is in a bit of upheaval with her death, but it'll all work out. When they decide on a memorial service time and place I'll buy my tickets to Denver. I think it'll be a week or so.

In the mean time I will continue to fill up my days even without school work. Yard work, helping at the school, quilting, and some leisure reading. Ahh, it's fabulous. I have so many quilt projects I want to do that I don't even know where to start! I began with some blocks I've been meaning to complete for the quilt guild's charity quilts. I made blocks for 3 different quilts.

The kids and I started tomatoes, basil, oregano, and we just started some peppers from seed.

Seth and Hannah have been my little gardening helpers. Simon isn't interested all that much. When I get out the camera Hannah runs like the camera is her enemy.

Hannah did help me plant a blueberry plant. Is it a bush or a tree? I had a great spot for it in the backyard. I need to get a picture of the finished project.

I am waiting for the landscape guys to come in and clear out an area in the back so we can have a bigger garden this year! There are some trees that need to be removed and I didn't want to have to tackle that by myself.

We got some corn the other day. It made me happy to see Seth shucking the corn. I can't wait for summer.

Florida pictures

2010-05-17T08:58:00.005-04:00

Indian Rock Beach.

This week went by in a blur. Study, study, study, test, test. Then, you have to catch up all the things you've neglected while you studied. Finally I had a chance to upload and share a few pictures from Florida.

Wedding.

Graduation.

Beach fun.

The pelicans went fishing even though people were in the water!

Crazy family.

April, Aunt Vonnie, Miranda, Christina, and little ol' me.

I have sewn a bit since Thursday. Do you need pictures to prove it?

Florida

2010-05-10T07:45:00.002-04:00

I am back from an awesome weekend in Florida. April's wedding was so quaint. I love the small backyard weddings. They seem so much more personal and intimate. Don't get me wrong, I like big fancy weddings too.

Her college grauation was the next day. She's spent 10 years working toward her degree. That's dedication. She's going to make a wonderful teacher. In the face of small prewedding disasters she stayed so calm. Her cake top slid off on the drive home from the store and she still held it together. Don't worry, we got a new cake all fixed up for her before the wedding began! Also, her niece got a pair of real hand cuffs locked around her little ankle and they couldn't find the key. They had to take her over to the police station to get them opened. Poor little Hope was a puddle of tears because she didn't think they'd be able to get them off of her. She didn't know they were real cuffs. April just laughed. She will definitely be a great teacher for special needs kids!

We managed to go to the beach twice too. The water is so warm in the gulf.

Right before I left my main computer got a nasty virus on it. The resident computer guru aka Daniel, is trying to figure out what to do to save ALL of my photos so he can clean up the box. It's a big fat mess. You hear this all the time and it's true, back up your data!!! So, I'll attempt to upload my new pictures to my netbook. Dear God, please let my pictures be okay! I've got a disk that Dan burned for me about two years ago and that's it. All the photos I take reside on that box.

Go back up your data now. Buy an external hard drive and BACK UP! (This has been a public service announcement.)

Ok, I've to get Simon off to school, me ready for school today, and prepare for my presentation at the quilt guild tonight. Phew. I can't forget to study for my two finals this week as well.

I really had an awesome weekend. I got to see some of my family members that I haven't seen in a really long time. Loved it. We've got to get together more often. Easier said than done.

Weekend at a glance

2010-05-03T22:48:00.007-04:00

Simon got his next belt. He is 4 belts away from getting his black belt!

Seth and I had some time just the two of us, so we went to get ice cream.

Misty and I spent a few hours in the city on Sunday. I sure wish she still lived out here, but she is home where she needs to be. We had so much fun though. Mani-pedi's and sushi for lunch... a great day in the city!

Look what they did to Times Square! They blocked off the traffic and have cafe style seating.

Devon and Monica's wedding reception was fabulous. They held it at Queens County Farm. It was awesome for the kids and grown ups too.

Congratulations to them both. They are truly perfect for each other! (Oh, and they loved their quilt too!) Here's a picture of my disheveled family!

Seth and a little girl named Abby hit it off... at least, Seth thought so...

Enchilada sauce

2010-05-01T16:56:00.002-04:00

I had a request for the enchilada sauce recipe. It's one of those "ish" recipes.

Dried red chiles, like guajillo chiles
Garlic
Salt
jalapenos, if you want it hotter

Cut the tops off of the chiles. Said told me that if you leave the seeds in, it'll be hotter, but these chiles are rather mild in my opinion. Put the chiles in a pot and add enough water to cover the chiles. Bring it to a boil and then turn it down to a low boil. Let it boil for about 15 minutes until the water is red. Remove from heat and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Pour all of it into the blender. Add your garlic, probably one or two cloves, and salt to taste, I'd guess about a teaspoon. If you want to add jalapeno to make it hot you can. Then, puree away! If it's too thick you can add some water to it. Taste it... see if needs more of anything. I haven't experimented with this recipe too much yet but you could probably add onion powder or cumin to it. Once it's done you can use it as is or strain it to get the seeds out that didn't puree. I'm in the lazy camp over here, so I leave it.

Or, you can go to the store and buy a can or two of enchilada sauce!

Veggie enchiladas for a mama friend

2010-04-30T23:08:00.004-04:00

I spent a lot of time today working on my final paper. It's 11 o'clock at night. I should head to bed soon, but first I thought I'd share a recipe, again.

It was my night to take dinner to one of the moms in the MOMS Club. She has a 10 day old baby boy who is utterly adorable and smells delicious. You know the smell. It's that new baby smell that makes all women ovulate instantly. Ah, the memories of my little ones actually being little...

So, I had given her a few options because I know her husband is a vegetarian and they picked the vegetarian enchiladas. Good choice.

We love this recipe. It's so good. Plus, I told Susan I'd give her the recipe. I got an email from the mom this evening telling me how much they enjoyed it and her husband wanted the recipe! See, I told you it's yummy. I wonder if he'd work on my house in exchange for meals?

Don't wait, go get the ingredients and make it yourself!

MIA

2010-04-29T22:02:00.005-04:00

Sorry, to have abandoned my little blog. I know all three of my faithful readers were sitting on the edges of their chairs anticipating a blog post from moi!

The semester is ending and I have LOTS to do over the next two weeks. Final exams and papers, you know, the stuff you do in college. To make it interesting I'm going to spend this weekend hanging out with one of my bestest friends and attending the wedding reception of an awesome couple. Then I leave on the 6th for Florida. My cousin is getting married and graduating from college. It was very nice of her to do both at the same time so I could be there for both occasions. In my family, ok my dad's side of the family, graduating from college is a HUGE thing to do. Usually, we're celebrate the select few who complete high school. Sad, but true. Anyway, Florida will be awesome. I will have lots of fun. I will be there by myself!

Hopefully I'll find some time to study philosophy and religion...

So, what's been happenin' since my last post.

Seth insisted on riding a two wheel bike, without training wheels. Which equals a pain in the back for me! I think he'll get it fairly quickly. On his first try I could let go briefly and he'd hold his balance for a few seconds.

Hannah had a Skills Meet for gymnastics. She came in 3rd place with like 4 other kids. It was an in house thing they did to give the girls the experience of being judged on their routines. Everyone got a trophy.

Seth loves his big sister!

Simon tested for his next belt in Tae Kwon Do. I totally forgot my camera and I left my cell phone at home too. I didn't get any pictures. I suck, I know. But, there is a Belt Ceremony on Saturday, so I can get a picture then.

I'll try to pop in here over the next two weeks if I can! Then once the semester is done, then I can quilt, quilt, quilt!

Dad's quilt and playdough cookies

2010-04-19T11:08:00.002-04:00

Memory quilts are hard to make. I think this one will kind of make itself. The largest t-shirt I had looked good as a 16" block. Ok, then they can all be 16" blocks. How many blocks will I make? Don't know yet. I hacked apart the shirts and printed out lots of photos. It was hard going through pictures and realizing I have so few of my dad with Hannah. He died when Hannah was 17 months old and he never got to meet his two grandsons. He really wanted a grandson. He would have loved them too.

I love that I am finally making this quilt.

After a busy Saturday full of Pinewood Derby Racing (Simon didn't win and he burst into tears over it. Someday he'll control his emotions better... someday.) and a rollerskating fundraiser for the Gymnastics Club, we took it easy on Sunday. On Sunday we made cookies with dough that was colored like playdough. I don't actually want to think about how bad the unnatural dyes are in them. Sometimes you just have to have fun. They mixed, blended, and created. They don't listen very well, so we had some HUGE cookies. Oh, well.

In the wake of disaster, this is what we had. Colorful sugar cookies!

I better get off of here and get my tush to school. Only a month left, but who's counting?

Yard

2010-04-17T20:55:00.004-04:00

I love, love, love to see all the signs of spring! It's like everything that was asleep just wakes up!

I took a few picture about a week ago and a few more yesterday.

We might have missed the cherry blossoms in DC, but we didn't miss them at home!

Strawberries!!!

It won't be long before we can go pick some for making jam! I might want to clear out the freezer first though. I still have some frozen blueberries from last summer. I guess I could make some blueberry jam too. School will be out in a month, then I can play around with my garden ideas, make some awesome jam, and in general play! I really think I've done well so far this semester.

Guacamole

2010-04-17T20:28:00.004-04:00

I have so many different blog post ideas rolling around in my cluttered brain right now. A recipe for guacamole, pictures of the yard in bloom, my memory quilt for my dad, our weekend so far, etc. One at a time, eh.

My Version of My Mom's Kick-ass Guacamole

2-3 avocados
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 small tomato
1 clove of garlic minced
lime juice
sea salt
jalapeños (if you like it spicy!)

This is a completely ish recipe. If you want to add more or use less, it still works. It's very forgiving. You could use garlic powder, add less onion, etc. Mix (with a potato masher) all of the above ingredients together. Use just a little lime juice and salt though. If you live some place awesome (not NJ) then you can find cans of diced jalapeños to use. Me, I had to roast mine. I used one in the guacamole and the other two in the home made enchilada sauce. Enchilada sauce is really easy too. (Thanks Said, for teaching me!) Let me know if you want that recipe.

DC

2010-04-12T09:28:00.007-04:00

Wow! DC is awesome. I've heard it's not a nice area to live around, but what a great place to visit. We saw quite a lot, but also didn't rush it. We can go back again. It's about 3 hours in good traffic to get there. I took so many pictures. I think this should do though as an overview of the weekend.

First, the Capital building. Our hotel was two blocks from there.

Then the one place everyone wanted to go. The Air and Space Museum! I know we didn't go in every room and we were there for hours. Guess we will have to go back...

We called it a day after that and went back to the hotel for dinner. After dinner we did the most important thing for the kids. We took them swimming. I think that was what they all looked forward to the most. Seth unfortunately choked on some water and decided to puke (I got him out of the water before it happened) so his swim time was brief.

At 2 am the fire alarm sounded. That isn't a sound you want to be woken up by! We hastily threw on shoes and grabbed coats so we could get out... from the 9th floor! It wasn't a real fire, thankfully, and we all went back inside within a few minutes. Crazy though!

Sunday, after breakfast we aimed for the other end of the mall where the Lincoln Memorial is. We walked by the Vietnam Memorial Wall first. I looked up the name of an uncle I never got a chance to meet, Kenny Seward.

The Lincoln Memorial was next.

Then, the American History Museum. Dan wanted to see the flag that inspired the Star Spangled Banner. No pictures were allowed. I however found a quilt and Julia Child's kitchen!

A brief jaunt into the Natural History Museum.

Then, then it was time to head home. Fun was had by all. I can't believe it took us this long to go down there as a family. We have lived in Jersey for almost four year now. We still haven't gone to Boston... yet...

Zoo

2010-04-08T23:14:00.007-04:00

Ah, the zoo. What a good idea, right?

Tiff and I took the kids down to the Philly zoo for one last hurrah before my season pass expired. Things were good. We saw lots of animals. This is a zoo after all.

We played in the Children's area.

Saw some neat Lego displays too.

All was well until we had ice cream...

Seth ate very little of his ice cream and then decided he was done. I double checked that he didn't want it anymore and then threw it away. After he chewed the gum, that came with the ice cream, he spit it out and asked me for his ice cream. I told him it was gone...

That was the end of the road for Seth. He lost it. He wanted me to go back and get it. Out of the trash no less. Obviously, the answer is no. If it were appropriate in company and around children the answer would have been more colorful. More like, "WTF? Are you of your mind!" So, our day at the zoo was over. They were all hot and tired anyway. As was I. I wish kids didn't throw fits because they never get their way as a result of the tantrum. I wish they had even a shred of logic to pull them out of it. Once he realized we were leaving the zoo he wanted me to go back to see the animals he missed! Heck, no!

He calmed down at the car. Ate a few bites of food and slept the whole way home. His world is unfazed. My day had a huge crimp in it! Ah, the joys of parenting.

We're going to DC as a family this weekend. Hopefully, the kids will all be wonderful darlings while we're there and not wee little heathens...

Easter and quilts

2010-04-08T22:50:00.005-04:00

It turns out I didn't get any really good pictures on Easter. Well, of my kids anyway. They wouldn't hold still. I got great shots of the back sides of them. We had an Easter egg hunt in the back yard at John and Tiff's house, followed by dinner with friends.

I did get one picture of all of them when they sat on the couch to play Super Mario Brothers. I'm one proud mama...

Over the break I have done a little bit of quilting. I've spent a lot of time doing things with the kids so I didn't have a lot of free time. With Seth getting a little bug we spent a few days hanging out at home, so I did complete the baby quilt. I took a couple quick pictures of it today before dinner. I also took a picture of the quilt I did the binding on over break. I need to start naming my quilts so I can easily refer to them. I'm up for suggestions.

I pieced a heart block for the charity quilts we do in quilt guild. Not my favorite, but I didn't pick it out.

Speaking of quilt guild, I somehow got roped into doing a rag quilt demo at the May meeting. Yeah, good idea, Ellen. Right at the end of the semester too!

The next quilt project I'd like to do is another baby quilt for a couple we know in Denver who are due this summer. They're having a little girl. I know what fabrics I want to use and now I need to pick out a pattern!

This post is loong enough. I'll do a separate one for the zoo...

Frist week of break

2010-04-05T11:29:00.005-04:00

Here are a few of the pictures I took with my iPhone this week. I have more on my camera too, but I thought this would give a good idea of how I've tried to keep the kids entertained so far...

An impromptu roller skating trip on Wednesday.

Seth's first time too!

Thursday was a day that went from the dentist to the library, lunch, park, grocery store, and finally ice cream!

Friday we went to Six Flags. It was a zoo, but we had fun with a few of Seth's friends. The big kids ran off to ride roller coasters while we hung out in places like Wiggles World.

Flying airplanes...

Taking a break at the fountain.

Seth fell asleep in the long line to get our season passes taken care of. Hannah offered to hold him for me for a while, that kid is getting heavy!

That evening Dan and I went to the Flyer's game that I won tickets to! Not quite an Av's game, but it was so awesome to go out to a game with my husband.

I've Easter pictures on my camera and once my computer upstairs cooperates, I'll get the photos uploaded. We're just hanging out at home today. Seth threw up this morning a couple times. Yuck. Cross your fingers that it isn't contagious! I think I'll sew a little bit today even though it's a beautiful day outside...

Monster eggs for Easter

2010-03-31T16:45:00.003-04:00

Since nothing is quite normal around here, we made our Easter eggs into little monster this year!

It apparently takes a lot of concentration to decorate the eggs before dyeing them...

Here are the results of their hard work.

Yes, Simon made his eggs say "Broncos", "Avalanche", and the puke colored one says, "Easter". I like that the Broncos egg has orange hair. Hannah named her three egg monsters Fred, George, and Joe.

Happy Easter!

Shoes

2010-03-28T23:01:00.002-04:00

I took Seth to a birthday party today. After all the fun of bouncing and playing was over it was time for pizza and cake. They all needed to get their shoes back on. I sent Seth over to retrieve his shoes from the giant, rolling, cubby-cart. He got his shoes out. I went to help him and noticed he had sand in his shoes. I suck as a parent from time to time, so I figured I didn't notice the sand the first time I put his shoes on. It probably came from the sand box in the back yard. I shook the shoes out in the trash and helped him get the shoes on his feet.

We were sitting there while Seth ate his pizza in yet another noisy room, except in this one your feet stick to the floor, and a woman I don't know walked up to me and asked me if these were my son's shoes. "Size 9, right?" I looked at the shoes she was holding. Seth's shoes. I just laughed and apologized. She had tried shoving her son's feet in Seth's shoes only to discover they were too small. I didn't even realize the shoes Seth put on were too big. Go me. We swapped shoes. I apologized again and told her I had been confused about not knowing how he got the sand in his shoes. They had gone to the beach earlier in the day.

Yup, I rock as a parent...