Thursday, April 30, 2009
The Birthday Girls
Between Paul's birthday on April 8th and Collin's birthday on May 16th we have lots of family member birthdays to celebrate. Monday was my darling DIL LaRane's birthday and today is Heidi's day to celebrate. Congrats, girls, you are both just getting better every day!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
R & R in St. George
As tradition calls for, Paul and I have escaped to St. George for our "after taxes rest and recuperation" for the past 5 days and it has been DELIGHTFUL! First of all, it is GREEN here! Actual leaves on all the trees. So beautiful!!! Just a week ago it was snowing up in Salt Lake and we had grown very tired of the white stuff. We drove down here last Friday and it wasn't really all that warm yet. Probably in the high 50s but it was sunny and green! We had tickets to a concert at Tuachan (a fabulous, outside amphitheater with huge, beautiful red rocks as the background of the stage). We were treated to an evening performance by Gladys Knight. There were probably a couple of thousand people in the audience. It was chilly enough that we had to wear jackets and wrap blankets around our knees to keep out the cool evening temperature. Gladys soon got everyone clapping and rocking out and soon enough we forgot about the chill as we rocked out to her familiar hits. A totally delightful evening.
When Heidi heard that we were headed down south, she suggested that she load up her kids and come up to meet us. We immediately took her up on her offer. She left Mesa on Friday afternoon as well but her ride was about 4 hours longer than ours and that was before her couple of little "hick ups" along the way. First of all, when she reached the Hoover Dam just outside of Las Vegas she realized it was spring break for some where because the line to get across the dam was about 4 or 5 miles long. It took them about 17 minutes a mile to get across. She finally called us about 11:30 pm and said that they were about 3/4 of a mile outside of St. George and they had run out of gas!!! Her cell phone had died and she had to wave down a car on the freeway to use someone else's cell phone. Paul & I jumped into our car, filled up a gas can and quickly found them patiently watching a DVD in their car while waiting for us to show up. We had a great little reunion with our grandkids that we haven't seen since we were in China last May! They only stayed here until Sunday afternoon and then they packed up and headed back to AZ. We were so grateful to get to spend a little time together and appreciated the effort they went to to hook up with us!
Quincy even treated me to a poolside massage. She loves to give massages and she is really good! I even had several people come by and say they were really jealous. She can come and visit me any where, any time!
It has really warmed up here in the past 3 days... it was up to 90 degrees today! We have slept with the windows open and it has been so pleasant. Paul has been able to get out on his bike for a couple of 25ish miles outings. I have taken some outside walks and am so ready to be done with my treadmill for this year. I hope it turns nice weather outside at home ASAP. We have eaten out way too many times but we for sure had to go to all of our favorite restaurants. We found a new place called Croshaw's Gourmet Pies. It is a mini Marie Callendars. They feature 34different pies as well as quick lunches of soup, salad and quiche and they are very reasonably priced... check it out next time you are down here. We even caught up somewhat on movies that we have missed in the theaters. We got DVDs of Austrailia, Slumdog Millionaire and Swing Vote. I even got to watch part of Twilight with Cory & Colton.
I think we have recovered enough to face going back home tomorrow. Thank goodness I don't have to go back to the office though.
When Heidi heard that we were headed down south, she suggested that she load up her kids and come up to meet us. We immediately took her up on her offer. She left Mesa on Friday afternoon as well but her ride was about 4 hours longer than ours and that was before her couple of little "hick ups" along the way. First of all, when she reached the Hoover Dam just outside of Las Vegas she realized it was spring break for some where because the line to get across the dam was about 4 or 5 miles long. It took them about 17 minutes a mile to get across. She finally called us about 11:30 pm and said that they were about 3/4 of a mile outside of St. George and they had run out of gas!!! Her cell phone had died and she had to wave down a car on the freeway to use someone else's cell phone. Paul & I jumped into our car, filled up a gas can and quickly found them patiently watching a DVD in their car while waiting for us to show up. We had a great little reunion with our grandkids that we haven't seen since we were in China last May! They only stayed here until Sunday afternoon and then they packed up and headed back to AZ. We were so grateful to get to spend a little time together and appreciated the effort they went to to hook up with us!
Quincy even treated me to a poolside massage. She loves to give massages and she is really good! I even had several people come by and say they were really jealous. She can come and visit me any where, any time!
It has really warmed up here in the past 3 days... it was up to 90 degrees today! We have slept with the windows open and it has been so pleasant. Paul has been able to get out on his bike for a couple of 25ish miles outings. I have taken some outside walks and am so ready to be done with my treadmill for this year. I hope it turns nice weather outside at home ASAP. We have eaten out way too many times but we for sure had to go to all of our favorite restaurants. We found a new place called Croshaw's Gourmet Pies. It is a mini Marie Callendars. They feature 34different pies as well as quick lunches of soup, salad and quiche and they are very reasonably priced... check it out next time you are down here. We even caught up somewhat on movies that we have missed in the theaters. We got DVDs of Austrailia, Slumdog Millionaire and Swing Vote. I even got to watch part of Twilight with Cory & Colton.
I think we have recovered enough to face going back home tomorrow. Thank goodness I don't have to go back to the office though.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
I Hope They Call Me On A Mission...
And they did!
Yesterday wasn't just a huge, momentous day because it was the END of our tax season but because it coincidentally ushered in the beginning of our new future as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in
NEW ZEALAND!!
We are so excited!!!!! The title of this blog is the name of a Primary (Children's auxillary in our Church) song that I have sung my whole life without really expecting it to apply to me. But for the last 3 years or so Paul and I have been trying to get our life in a situation where we could leave and serve a full-time mission for our Church. In February we began all of our medical exams to verify that we are indeed healthy enough to go. Then in March we sent in our "paper" (our application) to Church headquarters and we have been sitting on "pins and needles" (anouther quilting term) ever since just waiting to see where we would be called to serve. We will leave for our assignment the first part of August and we will serve for 18 months!!!
I want to write more but we have to go to dinner with some friends who are waiting to hear our good news but I at least wanted to share my life-changing news with you first!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
We will survive!
Only about 36 hours left and we will get our life back! Once again we are hanging on by a thread (quilter's term) to our sanity! This is such a CRAZY, intense 3 1/2 months. In case you aren't getting what I am rambling about... tomorrow is April 15th, the TAX DEADLINE! As always, the pressure, frustration and cash flow has intensified with each passing day. The main thing that keeps us going is knowing there is an end and we will make it! I hope all of you out there have gotten your taxes done and I really hope you all got big refunds (or at least just a little something back to soothe your financially strapped souls). Even though I "retired" last summer I have been going in to the office to help out however they need me for the past ten days or so and I have realized that I am out of "office shape". But, never fear, we will survive! I'll get my husband back full time and we have a bright, exciting future ahead! Stay tuned!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Happy Birthday Dear!
This is a very momentous and noteworthy day! It is Paul's _____ birthday. (I don't think he really wants me publishing any specific numbers on my blog but it is one of those BIG ones like when you sign up for Medicare).
You would never be able to guess his age by watching him ride his bikes (like this foldup one he bought in China) or by looking at the color of his hair. You are setting a pretty high standard for the rest of us, dear! Hope you can enjoy your special day despite all the tax returns you have to deal with today and for the next 7 grueling days! I know you'll survive... the best is yet to come!!
Happy, happy birthday dear! Let's celebrate!!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Quilt of the Week
Nothing like a bright, fun, cheery quilt to make my day! And this one isn't even mine! But I'm pleased to have been included in it's creation.
When Heidi was in China (that sounds really bizarre since she has only been back for a week now) she had some really close friends named the MacKay family. Their daughter, Maddee, decided that she wanted to make a quilt for one of her personal progress projects. Heidi had her come over to her house and check out some of the quilts that I had made for them over the years and see if she could find some inspiration. I guess she really liked the quilt that I had made for Capri when she was born. Heidi, Maddee and Maddee's mom, Hollee then took a trip to the fabulous fabric market where they chose this bold, colorful and perfect combination of fabrics. Then Maddee got going and in no time had sewn together all the blocks. She did such a fabulous job for a "first time quilter". I think another woman in their neighborhood helped sew the blocks together and put on the borders. I got involved when Heidi called me to ask what I thought about how they should finish the quilts. "Should they tie the quilt or have it machine quilted?" My opinion was to definitely have it machine quilted. It just so happened that Hollee's father was over there visiting and he was able to bring the quilt top home with him and pass it off to me. I was so excited to see it and so impressed with what a super job Maddee had done putting it together. I took it to my favorite machine quilter friend, Betty, and she whipped it out in about a week. I just picked it up yesterday and spent the evening sewing on the binding to finish it all up so I can send it back to China today. I just love a beautiful quilt! and I just love one with a beautiful story woven in to it as well. Great job Maddee! and thanks for letting me be involved!
Here is a close up of the border and backing fabric...those crowns are so adorable! Betty did such a super job of quilting hearts all around! There is definitely a lot of love in this quilt!
When Heidi was in China (that sounds really bizarre since she has only been back for a week now) she had some really close friends named the MacKay family. Their daughter, Maddee, decided that she wanted to make a quilt for one of her personal progress projects. Heidi had her come over to her house and check out some of the quilts that I had made for them over the years and see if she could find some inspiration. I guess she really liked the quilt that I had made for Capri when she was born. Heidi, Maddee and Maddee's mom, Hollee then took a trip to the fabulous fabric market where they chose this bold, colorful and perfect combination of fabrics. Then Maddee got going and in no time had sewn together all the blocks. She did such a fabulous job for a "first time quilter". I think another woman in their neighborhood helped sew the blocks together and put on the borders. I got involved when Heidi called me to ask what I thought about how they should finish the quilts. "Should they tie the quilt or have it machine quilted?" My opinion was to definitely have it machine quilted. It just so happened that Hollee's father was over there visiting and he was able to bring the quilt top home with him and pass it off to me. I was so excited to see it and so impressed with what a super job Maddee had done putting it together. I took it to my favorite machine quilter friend, Betty, and she whipped it out in about a week. I just picked it up yesterday and spent the evening sewing on the binding to finish it all up so I can send it back to China today. I just love a beautiful quilt! and I just love one with a beautiful story woven in to it as well. Great job Maddee! and thanks for letting me be involved!
Here is a close up of the border and backing fabric...those crowns are so adorable! Betty did such a super job of quilting hearts all around! There is definitely a lot of love in this quilt!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
