Happy birthday, Caleb! You have always been a blessing to me.
Always.
I love you very much!
I pray you have a wonderful day!
(And that you have fun with gold stuff all over your house like we have here.) :)
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
A Golden Twenty-Six
Today my boy is 26. It's his golden birthday! So you know that means we sent him a golden package...
Happy birthday, Caleb! You have always been a blessing to me.
Always.
I love you very much!
I pray you have a wonderful day!
(And that you have fun with gold stuff all over your house like we have here.) :)
Happy birthday, Caleb! You have always been a blessing to me.
Always.
I love you very much!
I pray you have a wonderful day!
(And that you have fun with gold stuff all over your house like we have here.) :)
Monday, March 25, 2013
What a Week
We got home Saturday evening, but I'm still trying to come down from the wonderful vacation we had last week.
Where were we?
For a whole week we called this place home:
Last October we received an email from my dad saying that he and my mom wanted to take us four kids and spouses on a cruise in March to celebrate their 60th anniversary. I read the email to Hubby, we looked at each other and quickly decided we had nothing planned for the third week a March and I hit "reply" (four minutes after the email was received) and said "We're in!"
We had such a fun week. We all were so happy to get away from the Midwest yucky weather and be in the warm sunshine.
Friday, the 15th we all flew from our homes and met in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Here's the view from our airplane window as we waited to pull away from the gate:
The plane then needed to be de-iced:
I've never seen that done, so it was kind of interesting. Even if it did make the flight late and made our connection in Dallas quite close. But we made it and so did our luggage. We had no time for lunch, but thanks to Hubby enouraging us to buy some snacks beforehand, we didn't starve too bad. We did get something to eat at the airport in Ft. Lauderdale before we waited 45 minutes for the hotel shuttle.
(Is it any wonder that I am not a fan of flying? Too many details, too much stress.)
As Hubby and I were waiting for the shuttle, my sister and brother-in-law walked up! (They were coming from central Illinois.)
We all met up at the hotel, hugged, talked for a while, watched a little Iowa State basketball, then headed to bed.
On Saturday we all piled into another shuttle to take us to the cruise ship. I took this photo with my phone over my shoulder of my dad, brother-in-law and sisters and sister-in-law behind me.
Getting on the ship went pretty smoothly and quickly. Our staterooms were all in a row. Here's a shot of us all watching from our balconies as the ship pulled away from the dock.
I cannot even express how beautiful it was to look at the blue ocean and the beach. Such a treat after a long dreary winter!
I stayed out on my balcony a little longer than everyone else. And I was treated to seeing dolphins jumping out of the water! It was a fun couple of minutes!
Our stateroom was comfy and cozy.
We were on our way to a wonderful week!!!
More to come....
Where were we?
For a whole week we called this place home:
Last October we received an email from my dad saying that he and my mom wanted to take us four kids and spouses on a cruise in March to celebrate their 60th anniversary. I read the email to Hubby, we looked at each other and quickly decided we had nothing planned for the third week a March and I hit "reply" (four minutes after the email was received) and said "We're in!"
We had such a fun week. We all were so happy to get away from the Midwest yucky weather and be in the warm sunshine.
Friday, the 15th we all flew from our homes and met in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Here's the view from our airplane window as we waited to pull away from the gate:
The plane then needed to be de-iced:
I've never seen that done, so it was kind of interesting. Even if it did make the flight late and made our connection in Dallas quite close. But we made it and so did our luggage. We had no time for lunch, but thanks to Hubby enouraging us to buy some snacks beforehand, we didn't starve too bad. We did get something to eat at the airport in Ft. Lauderdale before we waited 45 minutes for the hotel shuttle.
(Is it any wonder that I am not a fan of flying? Too many details, too much stress.)
As Hubby and I were waiting for the shuttle, my sister and brother-in-law walked up! (They were coming from central Illinois.)
We all met up at the hotel, hugged, talked for a while, watched a little Iowa State basketball, then headed to bed.
On Saturday we all piled into another shuttle to take us to the cruise ship. I took this photo with my phone over my shoulder of my dad, brother-in-law and sisters and sister-in-law behind me.
It's a pretty bad quality picture, but it's still fun!
Getting on the ship went pretty smoothly and quickly. Our staterooms were all in a row. Here's a shot of us all watching from our balconies as the ship pulled away from the dock.
Our stateroom was comfy and cozy.
We were on our way to a wonderful week!!!
More to come....
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Sixty
Today my parents celebrate their Sixtieth Wedding Anniversary! In honor of their anniversary I had some sweets made:
Yes, that is their wedding picture on one of those M&Ms. So fun! I've always wanted to get those personalized M&Ms and finally found a good reason to!
Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!!!!!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Wednesday Hodgepodge
No. No. Briefly. No. No. (I'll explain the "Briefly" answer. Years ago, Hubby spent a week in San Juan, Puerto Rico on business. I flew down to spend a long weekend with him. The hotel he was staying in had a casino. So one night we wandered through and agreed to spend $20 on the slot machines. Which we promptly lost. We decided it was equal to flushing the $20 down the toilet. Pointless and a waste.)
2. Will you be preparing and/or dining on the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage meal this St. Patrick's Day?
I don't believe I have ever eaten the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage meal on St. Patrick's day or any other day.
This St. Patrick's Day I will be basking in warmth and color somewhere in the Caribbean. Ahhhhh!
Last year I made this cake on St. Patrick's Day. It was more to honor my Swedish grandpa's birthday. It was on March 17th.
Mashed-baked-hash browned-french fried...your favorite way to have potatoes?
Yes-Yes-Yes-Yes. I'm not picky on how my potatoes are prepared. :)
3. What's the last thing you felt 'green with envy' over?
Reading people's blogs who live in the south and are talking about spring. We got 6 or 7 inches of snow Monday. Blech.
4. What's at the end of your rainbow?
A big change in our lives. Hopefully.
5. March 12th marks the anniversary of the death of Anne Frank (June 12, 1929-March 12, 1945). Anne's diary detailing her time spent hiding from the Nazi's during the war ranks as one of the best selling books of all time. Besides your blog, do you keep any sort of diary or journal? Was this a habit you developed as a child or is journaling something new for you?
I have never done much journal-ing in my life. I tried to keep one when I was in junior high. But I wasn't very good at it. I've looked at it recently and it's filled mostly with which boy I thought was cute that week. You know, stuff a 13-14 year old girl thinks about.
(We visited Anne Frank's place of hiding in Amsterdam in 2001. Very interesting and very sobering.
6. What's an item in your home or closet that contains every color of the rainbow?
I think I'd have to say my sewing room. No contest. There is so much fabric in there and in probably any color imaginable. :) It's wonderful. :)
7. Write a limerick with you as the subject. You can do it!! Just remember this is a family friendly blog...don't make me get out my wooden spoon.
There once was a lady who quilted
She sewed until she wilted
The quilts they were pretty
One was even itty-bitty
But none one them were gilted
(Oh my goodness that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever written!!! Ha ha ha!)
(You cannot imagine the stress when I read the phrase "Write a limerick." I never ever excelled at that part of school. Ever.)
8. Insert your own random thought here.
I laughed out loud yesterday afternoon as I was watching TV in my sewing room. The national news interrupted the programming with a Special News Bulletin to say that no Pope has been chosen. Huh? A news bulletin saying that nothing has happened? Someone needs to read this book.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Red and White
I posted this picture of the pieces of a quilt I started on several weeks ago:::
The last several days I've been pushing myself with working on my red and white quilt. I've sewn several strips like this:::
After lots and lots of cutting I ended up with a pile like this:::
And then, after lots and lots of ironing, I have a pile of scrappy four patches:::
Just a few more steps to turn these into the block I need.
Can you see the two different blocks on my design wall in the second picture? Those are the blocks that will make up the quilt.
Getting closer....
The last several days I've been pushing myself with working on my red and white quilt. I've sewn several strips like this:::
After lots and lots of cutting I ended up with a pile like this:::
And then, after lots and lots of ironing, I have a pile of scrappy four patches:::
Can you see the two different blocks on my design wall in the second picture? Those are the blocks that will make up the quilt.
Getting closer....
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Creativity
I've decided and observed lately that we all have some kind of creativity in us that we just have to express.
Examples:
Hubby: He loves to play the piano. I am so blessed to be treated to mini-concerts several times a week. He likes to create spreadsheets. :)
Me: I like to sew. I first learned to sew when I was 9 years old. The first thing I made was a laundry bag. I still have it. I sewed garments for myself for years. Now I make quilts. There is just something about cutting up a slab of fabric and then sewing it back together into something totally different (& useful) that is very satisfying. I also like to cook and bake. I find great satisfaction in making food that pleases the people I make it for.
Daughter: She is loving having her own kitchen and learning to cook all sort of new recipes. (And she's very, very good at it!) She also plays the piano and had the most beautiful singing voice. I miss hearing those around the house. Even when she was a toddler, she would walk around the house humming. She also has dabbled in a bit of sewing, thanks to her grandma, who taught her the basics.
Son-in-law: He likes to play the guitar. He creates things from wood (snow-shoes, a small wooden box, a plaque for hooks to hang clothing on). He ties his own flies for fishing. He cooks very well. (I used to love to invite him over when we lived in the same town and have him cook dinner for us!) He loves to garden.
Daughter-in-law: She likes to cook and bake. She makes cute little decorations for their apartment. She likes to dabble in sewing.
Son: He loves music. (We first noticed that when he was about 18 months old.) He knows how to play a saxophone, the piano, and the guitar. He listens to all sorts of different types of music. He still likes LEGOS. His grandparents gave him his first little LEGO tractor when he was 2 1/2. He finds a lot of enjoyment out of creating things from LEGOS.
So you see, all of us (and I'm talking more than just my family) have a creative side and a need to express it.
What are you creative at?
Examples:
Hubby: He loves to play the piano. I am so blessed to be treated to mini-concerts several times a week. He likes to create spreadsheets. :)
Me: I like to sew. I first learned to sew when I was 9 years old. The first thing I made was a laundry bag. I still have it. I sewed garments for myself for years. Now I make quilts. There is just something about cutting up a slab of fabric and then sewing it back together into something totally different (& useful) that is very satisfying. I also like to cook and bake. I find great satisfaction in making food that pleases the people I make it for.
Daughter: She is loving having her own kitchen and learning to cook all sort of new recipes. (And she's very, very good at it!) She also plays the piano and had the most beautiful singing voice. I miss hearing those around the house. Even when she was a toddler, she would walk around the house humming. She also has dabbled in a bit of sewing, thanks to her grandma, who taught her the basics.
Son-in-law: He likes to play the guitar. He creates things from wood (snow-shoes, a small wooden box, a plaque for hooks to hang clothing on). He ties his own flies for fishing. He cooks very well. (I used to love to invite him over when we lived in the same town and have him cook dinner for us!) He loves to garden.
Daughter-in-law: She likes to cook and bake. She makes cute little decorations for their apartment. She likes to dabble in sewing.
Son: He loves music. (We first noticed that when he was about 18 months old.) He knows how to play a saxophone, the piano, and the guitar. He listens to all sorts of different types of music. He still likes LEGOS. His grandparents gave him his first little LEGO tractor when he was 2 1/2. He finds a lot of enjoyment out of creating things from LEGOS.
So you see, all of us (and I'm talking more than just my family) have a creative side and a need to express it.
What are you creative at?
Monday, March 4, 2013
Monday Morning.
Blech. That's what this Monday is like. It snowed some overnight, only about 3 or 4 inches. Hubby took my four-wheel drive car to work so I'm stranded at home looking at the vastness of white, brown, light gray, dark gray and medium gray out the window. We're supposed to get more snow. Yippee.
I have a severe case of cabin fever. I am sooooo tired of winter! One day last week it was 36 degrees and a little bit sunny so I didn't wear my coat when I dashed to the post office to mail a package. Daring. Or maybe desperate for winter to be over. Either one.
Saturday I did actually see a sky that looked a funny shade of blue. Only funny, because we rarely see blue sky up here in the North Land in winter.
Saturday, Hubby and I went off on a shopping excursion. We had some birthday shopping to do for our firstborn. Even though his birthday isn't until towards the end of the month, I will have his package in the mail next week. Why? Because in less than two weeks WE ARE GOING ON A CRUISE! To the Caribbean!
I may have mentioned that before, but after the weather and dull winter I am SO EXCITED to be somewhere warm and see color.
My parents celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in March and are treating their kids and spouses to a cruise to celebrate. WAY COOL!
Hubby and I even bought a few new clothes for ourselves while we were shopping. You know, shorts, short sleeved shirts, stuff like that!
Speaking of shopping, has any one else noticed how many places have awards type programs? It seems like you can't shop without being asked if you are a member of an awards program. I heard this at multiple clothing stores (even at an outlet mall), a bookstore, a grocery store and even restaurants. Sometimes I would just like to buy without being questioned and "informed" about the program and then looked at like I'm a tad nuts for not being interested.
Okay. I'm done with my Monday rant. Time to fold laundry and eat lunch. Yes. I lead an exciting life. Not.
I have a severe case of cabin fever. I am sooooo tired of winter! One day last week it was 36 degrees and a little bit sunny so I didn't wear my coat when I dashed to the post office to mail a package. Daring. Or maybe desperate for winter to be over. Either one.
Saturday I did actually see a sky that looked a funny shade of blue. Only funny, because we rarely see blue sky up here in the North Land in winter.
Saturday, Hubby and I went off on a shopping excursion. We had some birthday shopping to do for our firstborn. Even though his birthday isn't until towards the end of the month, I will have his package in the mail next week. Why? Because in less than two weeks WE ARE GOING ON A CRUISE! To the Caribbean!
I may have mentioned that before, but after the weather and dull winter I am SO EXCITED to be somewhere warm and see color.
My parents celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in March and are treating their kids and spouses to a cruise to celebrate. WAY COOL!
Hubby and I even bought a few new clothes for ourselves while we were shopping. You know, shorts, short sleeved shirts, stuff like that!
Speaking of shopping, has any one else noticed how many places have awards type programs? It seems like you can't shop without being asked if you are a member of an awards program. I heard this at multiple clothing stores (even at an outlet mall), a bookstore, a grocery store and even restaurants. Sometimes I would just like to buy without being questioned and "informed" about the program and then looked at like I'm a tad nuts for not being interested.
Okay. I'm done with my Monday rant. Time to fold laundry and eat lunch. Yes. I lead an exciting life. Not.
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