Christmas is coming??

Thanksgiving was so slow in coming.  I guess it is because we were all waiting for Trisha & family to arrive.  They got here on a Sunday and stayed until the next Sunday, and boy did we have fun in between.  It is always so much fun when she comes because then everyone else comes too.  We were however, envious of Katie & Jared & kids because they go to go to Hawaii, but not before they were able to be among us. 

Thanksgiving was small as only Trisha, Matt & kids were actually at our Thanksgiving table.  Everyone else was at their in-laws.  But we made up for that day with many other days together doing:  shopping, celebrating April & Trisha's B-days, going out for lunch, sleepovers and another "fright night" at grandma & grandpa's.  This time we watched:  "The Tingler", "The Birds", and "Watacher in The Woods".  Fun for all.

Now we are just speeding towards Christmas.  Lucky for me, Trisha coming forced me into active Christmas shopping so they could take their presents home.  So as long as I was shopping, I might as well shop for everyone.  As it turns out, I am done shopping and all the presents are wrapped prettily and put underneath my Christmas Tree, which this year is a "real" tree.  Now I am just counting the days, just like all the kids.  It is so fun to come together and celebrate with family.  I just love it.

Now I just hope it snows before the actual day comes.  What is Christmas without snow.  I had plenty of that living in Houston, Texas and Phoenix, Arizona.  Green and Christmas just don't go together for me.

Well, I'm looking forward now to that merriest of all days.  MERRY CHRISTMAS.

On The Road Again

Friday, Sept. 30, Brent & I flew off to NYC where we stayed in Brooklyn for the night before our cruise left on its adventure.  Saturday afternoon we were on board the cruise and ready to set sail.  We left the dock at 5:00 and were on our way to Newport, Rhode Island.  We arrived there early the next morning to partly cloudy skies but we were ready for our adventure.  We took a tour to a mansion home, one of many in the city.  It was a beautiful place called The Elms and was owned at the turn of the 19th century by a coal baron and his family.  The grounds were amazing too, like your own private park.  At the end of the day we boarded the cruise ship an headed off to Boston, MA.

Monday, Oct. 3, we walked the city of Boston along the Freedom Trail with a guide dressed in period clothes.  He brought the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere's ride and the Declaration of Independence to life and we walked and talked about the various places.  The day was sunny and beautiful.  After we were on board and dinner was over we sailed away to Bar Harbor, Maine.

Tuesday, Oct. 4, was a cold and rainy day.  Brent had to buy himself a better coat to keep dry. Of course I had the umbrella.  After walking the little harbor town in the morning and warming up with hot chocolate, we were on a tour to Acadia National Park.  Beautiful National Park along the Eastern coast with granite cliffs and rocky shores.  Part of our tour was to a Lobster hatchery where we learned how lobster grow, molt, and rules of fishing them - quite interesting.  We were the last tender to motor out to the ship and the waters were very rough!!  I am sure everyone was happy to finally be on board after a very bumpy ride.  Now off to St. John's, New Brunswick.

OOPS!  Oct. 5, first thing in the morning we get a message from the Captain.  There are 40 - 60 MPH winds in Fundy Bay at St. Johns so we cannot go there, so we spent the day at sea watching movies, eating, shopping and generally just laying around in whatever sunshine we could find.

Thursday, Oct. 6, Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Cloudy, ugly looking day and very cold.  We wore layers of clothes to keep us warm.  All the tours were sold out - 6 cruis ships in harbor - so Brent & I walked into town and found a taxi to take us on a tour to Peggy's Cove, a quaint fishing village of about 200 people.  It was very windy there but a lot of fun to see this beautiful spot.  This is a picture of the old lighthouse that is still in use in this area.  Notice the cliffs of granite that surround it. That is me with the blue bag in hand.  When we returned to town, we headed straight back to the cruise ship and warmth.  Tomorrow is our last day and we spend it all at sea before returning to NYC.

Brent & I had a lot of fun together.  Shopped a little, ate a lot even though we said we would not, and viewed the sights.  However, after a week at sea I am ready to return to my own home and my very own bed!

ADVENTURES IN GRANDPARENTING!!

The week started off slow, like most weeks, but as the week went on it gathered steam until it was going full blast.  Thursday, April & Luke left on their trip to Cancun and Brent & I had their two kids for a couple of days.  Thankfully, they are very good kids. Trisha & family arrived Thursday afternoon and then left Friday morning for Matt's Lotoja bike ride.  They left their 4 kids with us.  Now the excitement & chaos is increasing.   Friday night 14 of our 16 grandkids came to our "Fright Night" sleepover plus some of their parents (ie. Katie & Camille).  At 7:00 pm the fun began.  We all watced "The Blob" - old version.  And if that was not scary enough, we then watched "The Fly" - the old version too.  The kids had a great time, were mildly scared and ate up a lot of goodies too.  It was so much fun watching them watch these old movies.  Finally it was bedtime.  In the morning, they all got up and wanted to finish their movies watching "The Return of the Fly" which was sort of lame they said.  After that they wanted breakfast & of course I had to feed them.  We all really had a fun time together.  Saturday Meg took Jaren, Avery, Kylie & Lauren over to her house to stay.  Camille, Randy & boys plus Ethan & Raegan went over till bedtime and then returned back here to stay.  Katie & her boys also went to Meg's, so Dad & I had a few hours alone which we spent watching the BYU game.   Sunday after church I came home & started to cook.  Dinner was at our house tonight.  Trisha & Matt returned home from Jackson Hole and everyone else who wasn't here came for dinner.  We got to eat outside before the weather turned rainy.  About 8:00 everyone went home except Trisha & family.  But life was just picking up steam!  Monday morning we got up, got ready and went to St. George - The Combe family, The Foote family, and Celine & Aliah.  We were staying in one of our friends condo and Monday night going to Tuachan to see "The Little Mermaid" - just the girls.  Oh so much fun.  Tuesday morning when everyone left, it was so quiet.  Dad & I just sat around and did nothing for the whole day.  It was so nice & peaceful.  But actually part of our hearts were gone, for you see, wherever our grandkids go, so do our hearts.  But we know we will all be together again at some point in the future and the chaos will start again.  Now to clean my house !   :(

Life As I Knew It

Well, I am home again after a week in sunny California.  The week before that Trisha was here with us for 10 days and we had a lot of fun with her and the grandkids swimming, camping at Cherry Hill and generally playing with the cousins.  Then 3 days after she left we were on our way to San Diego for our annual family reunion.  April planned a fun few days for us around the pool and then off to the beach to camp.  Of course, dad & I  slept every night at Trisha's house.  But the kids had so much fun.  Sorry there are no pictures, my camera is not working at the moment.  We are now home and awaiting our next adventure.  April, Luke, Jaren & Avery moving in with us till they find a home to live in.  Life has been so much fun lately.  I am afraid I will be bored to death when it is all over.

House For Sale

For anyone reading this blog:  We are building a spec house.  Here are the stats of the home which is under construction:  3170 sq. ft., 1531 sq. ft. finished.  It has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.  We are putting in granite countertops, alder cabinets, travertine tile, wood flooring, a fireplace in the Family Room which has a vaulted ceiling and a jetted tub in the Master Bedroom.  Go look at it!  It is located at 1216 N. Gilbert Circle (210 E.) in Orem, Utah.  The sale price is $274,900.00.  Contact me if interested.

Camping Fun

Well, we have been gone again.  This time we took Aliah & Lexi camping to Bear Lake.  The lake was so full this year because of all the rain, there were no beaches but 2 to go to.  So we found one of the two and played there for a bit.  Water is so cold!  There was a swimming pool at the KOA so the girls swam a bit, played miniture golf, jumped on the huge jumping pillow and rode bikes.  We had the famous raspberry shakes and just had a lot of fun.  The girls are at such a cute age, wish they would never grow older.  This is the fun part of being a grandparent.

More Travels in the Land

Returned Sunday night from trip to Boerne, TX, where we had a small reunion with Brent's family.  Such a fun time gathering and remembering.  It was HOT, HOT there, but we still seemed to have a lot of fun.  The food was more than good, it was terrific.  A big thanks to Sylvia & Jan for all their work.  Families are fun to be around because it causes you to all remember events from your past which when put together create a picture of life as it was.  

Traveling Grandma

Just returned yesterday afternoon from San Diego.  It has been a long time since I have just been at home.  It all started on April 19, the day Charlie Knox was born.  I had Jude with me then we went to SLC to see mom, dad & baby, then back to my house for a day, then back to Katie's when she returned with the new baby.  I was there for 3 days, then came home to go to Women's Conference with some of my girls.  After that was over, I went back to Katie's to help her out some more with the baby.  It is so fun to hold a newborn.  You are just filled with love!  I came home May 6 and was here for a couple of weeks.  On May 19 I flew to San Diego to spend time with Trisha and her kids and April and her kids.  We had a lot of fun, shopping, hanging out, eating together, etc.  On May 26 April & I left with her kids to drive back to Utah where she stayed for a week.  We visited with her sisters, had family gatherings, played with the grand kids, shopped, etc.  Then on June 1st April and I and her kids drove back to San Diego.  I think I am "driven" out.  I stayed for a day - Thursday - then on Friday morning April took me to the airport and I flew back home.  I think Brent was really glad to see me.  He had been alone a lot and had to cook for himself, poor boy!!  I am home for a few weeks now.  But on June 21 both of us fly out to San Antonio to have a family reunion with Brent's family.  I will enjoy being at home while I can.  I have lots of quilts to catch up on and lots of ideas going round in my head for quilts.

Quilts for sale anyone?

     A week has passed since our Boutique.  We have counted all our money - profits - what sold well and decided that it was a good day.  We are now working towards Swiss Days in Heber in September on Labor Day.  Sandi has a booth across the street and I am going to be her assistant and therefore I can put some of my crafts in her booth in lieu of payment.  I am happy about that.  The creative ideas for quilts have been running rampant in my head for days as I think of new designs, etc. for quilts.  Hope I get to make them all.  It is a process and takes a bit of time too.  However, I have fun in the doing.  I love shopping for the material and seeing it come together in a quilt top.  The only thing that did not sell at the Boutique were my cloth bowls.  I love to make them, but others do not see their use like I do - oh well!  A good and a funny thing happened with the boutique money.  When I was putting away my new earnings I found an envelope with my old earnings in it.  I had approx. $200 left over from last boutique.  I guess I better spend more $$$$$$$$$!   
     If ever you need a quilt, just let me know.  I always have a supply on hand that are up for sale at any time.

Crafty Ladies Boutique

Hootie Owl Quilt

The "Crafty Ladies" Boutique is upon us.  Saturday morning at 9:00 am until 2:00 pm Sandi Spencer & I will be selling our creative crafts.  The quilt at left is just one of my quilts for sale.  We will have jewelry, quilts, aprons, cloth bowls, etc. for sale.  We do this twice a year just to deplete our stock of crafts so we can then buy more materials to make more crafts.  We have so much fun.  Why don't you join us this Saturday morning - May 7th - at my house for some great shopping for Mother's Day, Graduation Day, New Babies, or just something for yourself.  It will be a lot of fun.

BYU Women's Conference

Trisha came from sunny California to join with me, Sarah, Meg & Camille for BYU Women's Conference.  What a fun 2 days we had together.  We were spiritually fed, entertained and got to hang out with each other.  Thursday night we went out to eat and celebrated birthdays and then went back to BYU for the concert which was amazing.  Saturday after it was all over, we went up to Katie's, took presents and food and had a little gathering while everyone got to hold the new baby.  It was a lot of fun.  I just love being with my girls.  Wish they all could have been here.  Maybe next year, cause we all decided that we were going to do it again next year.  We went to classes on communication in marriage, the Atonement, forgiveness, how to receive revelation, and scriptural heroines.  Many more classes we wanted to go to but there was just not enough time.  Last night Trisha, Joan & I went to see the new movie - JANE EYRE!  It was fabulous.  Love that story anyway.  But it was very good and well done.  Well, till next year!

New Grandson

Yesterday we got a precious gift in the form of a new grandbaby - #16.  I visited him today and he is so cute.  Just very snugly.  He's a big little boy weighing in at 9 lbs. 6 oz and is 20.9" long.  Katie - his mother- says he doesn't cry, just loves to sleep.  Love to have these new babies in our life.  It reminds us of how blessed we are and how close to heaven we can be at times.  You can see from these pictures just how cute he is.  I think his name is going to be Charlie Knox Afualo???  I am blessed!

Too much material, so little time!

My room is full of material and quilting patterns and my head is full of ideas.  I dream at night and create quilts in my dreams.  Now if I only had time to sew all these ideas I have.   Almost every day finds me in my quilt room sewing on something or another.  Last week I made 2 adorable aprons (if I do say so myself), finished machine quilting a lap quilt (beautiful), sewed an alphabet quilt top for a baby girl, finished an owl quilt for a baby boy & am finishing up a pink & green star quilt for a baby girl.  It is always so much fun in my quilt room.  I have the TV on, but mostly just listen while I sew.  Picking out the material is so much fun.  I love that process and I love to "feel" all my material.  Colorful is me totally.  If it doesn't have color I do not much like it.  Even the Owl quilt had oranges & blues in it.  I love to make cloth bowls, but no one seems to have a love for them like I do, so I don't make many.  However, they are so much fun to create and each one is so different.  Two weeks ago I did a couple of baby buggy quilts which are so adorable.  I also made a bear claw quilt for my grandson.  I was gone to St. George for 5 days, but when I returned, back to my quilt room I went to continue my "creative process".  Anyway, it keeps me out of trouble.

Voices from Heaven

General Conference has come & gone but listening to it was like hearing voices from heaven telling us what we should try to do, or TO BE as one speaker talked about.  We can do things, but to be is to have that part of our very being.  I loved that talk.  Elder Cook made me feel very good as a woman in the church trying to do my best.  However, we all need correction and Elder Christofferson helped us all understand what correction does for us individually, Elder Oaks talked about how our desires help us reach perfection, as we become what we desire.  To me however, the over riding theme was on adversity - what it is, how we can deal with it, how it helps us to grow and how we can prepare to meet it.  President Monson's closing talk on the temples really sums up our life.  The temple is where it all comes together, where we receive revelation pertinent to us, where the Lord teaches us the path back home to Him and where we can go for solace in this sometimes disturbing world.  I love conference.  I love the gospel of Jesus Christ.  My testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints grows each time I really listen to a prophet's voice.

Another Quilting Day - 3/29/2011

It's Tuesday and I am about to enter "The Purple Room". This is where I quilt day in and day out. I love the creative process and love, love, love material. I have at any point, 3 quilts I am working on, and at least 25 quilts that are ready to sell or give away to those I love. I am a wife, mother of 6 daughters, and grandmother of 15, almost 16, wonderful grandkids. I love them all dearly. Each one has at least 2 quilts made by grandma. One for sure when they were born and one whenever they need a new and bigger size. I have a large quilting room upstairs in my home with awesome views of the backyard and the mountains. I am well-entertained there. I started sewing when I was 10 years old on an old Singer treadle machine that belonged to my girlfriend's mother. We had so much fun making doll clothes & blankets for our dolls and creating other items too. Sewing has always been my first craft love. I sewed for my 6 girls all the time. When they got older I made their prom or dance dresses. When they got married I made their wedding gowns. When they all left home I wondered what I was going to sew. Then I found quilting, and now I am an addict, having made more than 250 quilts in the last 12 years. Need a quilt, just leave me a comment and I am sure I can accommodate you.