STILL RUMPUSING

The three bff's play Playmobil

Mason keeps himself entertained.

Ivan was pooped

Mason loved the kids sitting on the stairs entertaining him

Grandpa outside on the deck was a constant source of entertainment


Nintendo DS time

Hmmm...ymmmm

Ipod pictures and a good book

Tom meeting the needs

This picture doesn't really capture the artistic beauty of five full spools of thread wound around and around and up and down Grandma's sewing

Wyatt spent a busy day spreading out Connor's new quilt, the pillows, afghans, etc. so that he, Aunt Marie, Grandpa and Grandma could take a nap. Of course, he got the yellow pillow.

Boys at play....

In among the quilts and pillows and chaos is a sleeping boy

Harmony sneaks some alone time

BFF's.

In among the branches is Harmony helping Grandpa feed the birds

Wyatt joins the dog

Boy fun

Wyatt all ready for the dance















NEED I SAY MORE?

LET THE WILD RUMPUS BEGIN

SAME SONG, SECOND VERSE

As I sit among the boxes in my sewing room, I'm trying to imagine how I'm going to stow all of their precious contents into the nooks and crannies of the sewing room. Shifting a household around to accommodate for the nine additional people who will be living here for at least six weeks is not a task for the faint-hearted. It's been great to clean out closets and shelves, to plan bedrooms, meals, entertainment, and to baby-proof the house once again!!

Dad enlisted Tom's help with sheetrocking the laundry room. It's now fully sheetrocked and waiting for white paint, shelving, and a countertop. Tom's height has been a real plus in getting everything in place.

I have been decorating. This is a portion of the new middle deck. You're looking out the living room window. Literally minutes after I took this picture, a strong wind came up and blew down the huge philodendron on its wrought iron pedastel, but.....As they say, same song, second verse.

I'm bursting my buttons over everyone's accomplishments lately!! Mark seems to be a world traveler for his company lately: Shanghai, London, Turkey, and Jennifer, Debbie, and Kevin are lending their support and expertise to the local stable and charitable events. Darla is a new position with the corporation she's working for...so new that they're having to create a name for the position. Susan, with support from family and friends, has taught us all the importance of "dancing in the rain" in the way she's handled her cancer treatments and just wrote the first 30 pages of her first novel. Steve has been instrumental in some spectacular rescues of late, including one of a tire that tumbled out of a truck and down the hill!! Marie is counting the days...20? 21? until she can get some retail therapy by hitting the Target store in the US!! Tom pulled a 3.7 gpa last quarter, worked part-time, and took apart and put back together his bike so many times I've lost track!! Dad is a driven man. When he isn't out working on this project or the other, he's thinking of ways to get things done! Me? I'm now first counselor in the RS, so I have to start behaving myself--going to meetings, etc.!! We're doing well, aren't we? But, no time to sit back on our laurels...we need to forget ourselves and serve those whom we love. Love to you all. Mom

SPRING PROJECTS--What can I say?

The sun was out, but the wind was chill.

You know how it is with an April day.

When the sun is out, and the wind is still.

You're one month on in the middle of May.

But, if you so much as dare to speak,

A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,

A wind comes off a frozen peak,

And you're two months back in the middle of March.

Robert Frost said it well in his classic poem, "Two Tramps in Mudtime." Today we're in the middle of May...Tomorrow...who knows? It's spring and as usual, we're in project mode.
Dad's newest project is siding, siding, siding.

No, these are not biker's vests as Dad teases...they're cowboy vests for Kahlil and Wyatt.




Kobe's quilt--#9 of the Grandkid Quilt Caper is begun.
These little fellows are black-headed grosbeaks who are singing their hearts out.
My first tulip all bloomed out

The siding...can you see why I may have been biting my lips a little until he built the "middle deck." The empty planters still need to be filled. Here's to Project Mode and Spring and love and wonder and a world that is "mud luscious and puddle wonderful" right now. Love to you all, Mom

COMFORT AND OTHER SMALL PLEASURES

On one of those days when rain was clattering on our window pane, and the wood stove was snapping and popping burning embers, I pulled out some "comfort" clothes to wear!! One is an old cotton t-shirt--big enough to cover all the bumps and grinds, worn so thin that it's almost too obscene to wear, and solid as the Rock of Gibralter. The old t-shirt got me to thinking about comfort. Our life is so comfortable right now that it's almost hard to relate to all the turmoil of the world that's going on all around us.

Dad has his projects: Now it's new siding for the house. The windows are new; the siding is too. The old beige eaves will be covered with shingles soon. Lately, Dad stands often at the living room window, gazing out into the back yard. He tells me that he's envisioning now how he can build scaffolding so he can do the siding along the living room picture window. I think I'm going to go visit Susan or Darla or Grandma while he's doing that!!

I have my projects as well:

I've made 19 of the 20 blocks I need for Connor's quilt, and I have half of Tobin's quilt hand-quilted.

A week or so ago, we were traveling to Bremerton to see Grandma and had settled into our usual mode: engrossing book on cd entertaining us, our seat warmers at full blast, cups of pop, sugar free snacks, and a sewing project for me. Comfort, solidity--all's right with the world. I was reminded of a time in my youth when I was in third grade and called to the principal's office. I was terrified!! I was always a good girl and never got into trouble, so I didn't know what to expect. Following me down the hall were Aunt Joan and Uncle Joe--all looking as terrified and puzzled as I was!! At the office, we were greeted by Mama and Daddy. They never came to school in the middle of the day!! They were checking us out of school for a day or two and wore mysterious smiles. Really? I remember them pouring cups of coffee back and forth from Daddy's work thermos. Unheard of! The car was warm; the ambience one of confidence. Then, my dad did something really unpredictable; he pulled around a Detour sign, knocking a sawhorse down, and we proceeded to drive through a road construction are for several miles!! What a memorable trip. My dad even waved to a state patroman--who waved back! My dad had a job offer at OK Tire Welders in Hermiston, Oregon from one of his old CCC buddies, and we spent that day exploring the area around Hermiston which was booming because of the construction of McNary Dam. The memory of that trip and the two years we lived in Hermiston were some of the highlights of my young life--my time of comfort, growth, and coming of age!! Hope this little post finds all of you in a comfortable time in your life as well!! Love to All. Mom

SPRING IS SPRUNG...THE GRASS IS RIZ...

With the coming of spring to the Gorge, we're back in full swing into projects, trips, and the ordinary "stuff." Dad has remodeled the old shed. Although the new roof won't be on until fall, a beautiful little potting/storage shed has replaced the old eyesore. A window will be going into that blank wall next week. I'm not sure what Dad would do without his projects....

I have joined a quilting group. It's some ladies from church who've been friends for many years. We get together twice a month to share quilting techniques, make quilts for welfare projects, and we're each making our own quilt--two blocks a month. Lots of fun--gossiping, sewing, laughing, sharing. The quilt block you see is one that will be used in Connor's quilt.

We spent the later part of February on a fun road trip. Breakfast with Tobin and her family. Notice how bundled up Dad and I are compared to Tobin. She was acclimated to the frosty winter weather!!

We'd intended to head for the Hole-in-the-Rock area but didn't quite make it to that area!! Too much snow!! We did go through a lot of the area around Hole-in-the- Rock though. Dad took lots of pictures. We explored around some beautiful sites.

Very, very early in the morning, we stopped to take pictures of the Snowflake Temple. I always marvel at the desolate land here and think of the pioneers and cattlemen who were courageous enough to make the desert blossom. Kevin and Debbie have a ranch in Snowflake. The landscaping around the temple is in keeping with the surroundings.

We spent a fun day in Tombstone, Arizona. The cemetery in Tombstone is a national monument, and visitors are asked to respect the fact that it is a cemetery. That's a bit hard to do when one walks along the barren gravel paths in the cemetery and reads the epitaphs!!

I stayed in Mesa for a week to help Susan, and Dad drove to Santa Maria, California to visit DeAnne. Right now she's working on a set for "West Side Story" and designing a set for "Peter Pan."

Life is good....blessed....charmed. "All is well. All is well." Love, Mom