That's My Girl!

My baby girl just had yet another birthday!

How did she grow up so fast?! It's so great that Char's birthday is this time of the year (although the gestational diabetes during Christmas because she decided to be born 10 days late was not so fun!) Always having that one more special day between Christmas and New Year's is wonderful... 

I am so grateful to have Charly in my life! And having her grown up does make for some fantastic girl's only outings! Plus someone to talk to about all those girl type things (Jon is so glad too!)

Happy birthday, baby girl!

Best Things of Christmas 2011

Christmas was, as always filled with wonder, joy and fun!

Best gift that I ever got!

Eric was born exactly one week before Christmas, and he is definitely the best gift that I ever got (as one of my favorite Christmas carols proclaims!) Celebrating his birth will always be one of the best things about Christmas for me!

This is my Christ-mas tree... A few years ago, I decided that I wanted a tree filled with things that represented my Savior (not snowmen, santas, etc). The other things are fun, and many of my other ornaments have some of the most wonderful memories attached to them, but I really wanted to focus more on Christ. So, thanks in part to my sister who brought me olive wood nativity ornaments back from Jerusalem, I have been able to put together a truly Christ-filled tree. One day, I will have a large tree- but this small one is fine for now.

 I love nativities! Having a November birthday meant that my kids always got me just what I wanted, a new nativity (they still do)! This manger has a lot of significance to me. And I absolutely love this sign given to me by my sister-in-law. It's one of my favorite gifts this year and one that I needed more than she will ever know.

My nephew, Jeremy, left just before Christmas to serve a two year mission for the LDS church in Finland. As much as we will miss him, I am so grateful for his spirit this Christmas, and I am especially grateful for the 'twin brother' he has been to my daughter!

 We have a tradition of having a birthday party for Jesus on Christmas Eve, and this year was no exception. It is so nice to have a fancy dinner with the kids, spend the evening reading our favorite books and stories and then acting out the birth of the Savior of the world! I am so blessed that my kids can appreciate what Christmas is really all about! ( and you just gotta love 'Mary's' socks!)

And of course, spending time with family is the best thing about Christmas!

Merry Early Christmas!!

This year our family has a most wonderful Christmas present! My nephew, Jeremy, will be departing on his LDS mission to Finland next Wednesday! I am so excited for him and so proud of his decision to serve the Lord! However, we couldn't let him miss the family Christmas; so we are holding it one week early...

 So in that spirit, here is this year's Christmas letter:

Greetings to all our family and friends,

             

            This has been an exciting year for us, full of adventures, with the end of some familiar things and the start of many new!!

            Jonathan became an only child, in more ways than one. With Charly’s eighteenth birthday, Jon is now the only non-adult member of our family. He is also the only one of the children still living at home. He has done well with the adjustment, succeeding in school, spending time with friends, and still finding time to spend with Mom. Jon has also constructed a home theater system in our basement. It is so wonderful to be able to spend time relaxing and enjoying the fruits of his labors!

            Charly has grown up! Not only does she still enjoy her Irish step-dancing, but she has become a teacher of the adult classes. Charly absolutely loves to teach dance, and I am sure her students love having her teach! Charly has also moved out to attend UVU. She is just finishing her first semester, doing a fabulous job! And please stay tuned for a VERY exciting announcement regarding Charly’s talents the first part of next year!

            Eric returned from his successful LDS mission in California, graduated with his Associate’s degree from Snow College, and got married! Yes, I have another daughter!!! Alison and Eric are thriving in their new life together, and we are so thrilled to have them as part of our family. Alison just completed her degree from BYU, and Eric is starting his at the U of U. Their life is wonderful, as it should be!

            I bid a fond farewell to Riverton High School and now teach at Herriman High School. The change was a lot of work, but Herriman HS is a great school- And what an adventure for me!

            We hope that life is well with all of you. Have a great new year!

Love,

 Deanne, Eric & Alison, Charly, and Jonathan 

The Gift of the Gospel!

These are both photos of Charly and Jeremy. They are more than just cousins, more than just best friends... They have been doing so much together for so very long, and it is the best thing I could have ever wished for for my daughter! Jeremy's missionary farewell is next Sunday. He will be leaving to serve an LDS mission in Finland for the next two years- although we will miss him (especially my Char), I am so grateful to the example he has been and will continue to be for my children and for me!

The Gospel of Jesus Christ has brought so many blessings to my life both big and small. Big: the lives of my children, nieces and nephews have all been enhanced thanks to their individual testimonies! Every one of them is a great example to me!! Small: two examples...

1. my printer works! Now you may ask what in the world I mean by that- but my printer was so very broken, wouldn't print photos at all! (and I have lots to print, already bought the ink and photo paper...) I cleaned what I could, searched the internet for solutions (tried a few), gave it a week in case it was the ink leaking or something- then basically thought about giving up, even pricing a new one- but honestly, a new printer won't be in the budget for some time to come... it may seem like a coincidence to many, but I know it was a small miracle that when I tried to print today (for the last time), it works! There is great power in prayer, even with the small, inconsequential-to-eternity kind of things!
2. Last night... So Charly spent the day downtown, riding Trax for transport. Now anyone who knows Char, knows that she gets lost pretty easily! I had been teasing her all week in anticipation of getting a phone call late last night asking for me to come and rescue her... So imagine my surprise when I really did get a phone call! Apparently due to an incident on Trax at an earlier stop, the driver forgot to enable the doors to open for the riders. Result: Charly could finally get out TWO STOPS PAST HER CAR! On the last train!!! And at a Trax stop literally in the middle of nowhere (no buildings, houses, etc. for at least a mile), a stop does not list the west co-ordinates on the internet site! I am so thankful for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Not only did it prompt me to call Charly again to clarify which stop she was waiting at, it literally directed me on where to drive to find the stop. I know that without the help, it would of taken me 20-30 minutes more to find my daughter. Having her wait in the dark and freezing night- well, I don't even want to think about the negative possible outcomes. 

I am so grateful for the Gospel in my life and all of the blessings I enjoy because of it!

Good, Better, Best! (part 1)

It's been far too long since I have taken the time to write anything... yes, I've been busy, but still!

 I have been trying to find ways here and there to make a little extra money- trying to make up for some of the misfortune and expenses that go with all of that- so for making a little extra money:

GOOD:

Attendance school- means I have to get up almost an hour earlier or give up my Saturday morning- nothing like getting paid to watch over some wonderful teenagers who want to make up their attendance.

BETTER:

Home/hospital- spending a couple of hours a week helping a student in his home with his geometry homework may not sound like much fun to some people, but it was actually a great experience... I had a student who was eager to listen to me PLUS he understood what I was explaining! (Guess this kind of twisted view on the world helps me to be a good teacher!)

BEST:

Being paid to eat ice cream and then give my opinion! Now if only this could be my steady job...

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly... Now for the Good!

Driveway before...

Driveway after!

Yes! The OZ Rally shell is sold!!! So happy! (Lest you are saddened by the news, I do still have 2, yes TWO, engines and 3/4 of Charly's car left for sale- so you haven't completely missed your opportunity!)

I also have a working washing machine! That's right! Thank you so very much, Christy! Your former washing machine is the answer to many a prayer around this house! I am so blessed by so many wonderful girlfriends who look out for me! You are the BEST hood a woman could want!

 Fall has finally come to the backyard!

These are the before...

After Jon and I cleaned up the leaves...

 And the even later after that... they are back! This is so good mostly because of the look on Jon's face when I showed him the yard- just priceless! Plus this means more time with Jon cleaning up the leaves!

And Jon is finished with the home theater! It is so amazing to watch things on this large screen!!!



Final two good things- that are really great (at least for this blog entry):

1. Charly is inches away from having her book published!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so proud of this girl!

2. Please check out Charly's latest blog entry:
http://allsortsofdancer.blogspot.com/2011/11/beautiful-heartbreak-and-what-faith-can.html

This truly says why life is good, and why bad and ugly, though not always fun, always lead to blessings in my life!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly... First the ugly and the bad!

The Ugly:

Having been a single mom for almost 16 years now, I can honestly say that the older dating scene fully qualifies as the ugly! I don't think I am being too picky when one of the only qualities I require in a future husband is HONESTY. So why has it been impossible to meet even one single man over the age of 35 with this trait?! The past couple of years, I have been lied to about schedules (yes, he had a date with someone else but couldn't let me know!), lied to about religious beliefs (telling me that you believe in God is NOT a good idea if you don't; I will notice!), lied to about number of divorces (um, yeah, it will eventually have to come out- lying up front will NOT make your past life change!), and of course, have heard the old 'you are so wonderful, beautiful, etc just because he wants the type of relationship I will NOT be giving away... Plus there was the whole, he broke into my house when I was out of town fiasco of this summer! ('Good' reason for it notwithstanding, did you really have to steal my house key and then lie about all of it AFTER you got caught?! Makes me wonder what would have happened with that whole situation if I hadn't found the fingerprints above the window to prove it!- Yes, even in this Heavenly Father has blessed me greatly!) Anyway, after all of this, am I really ready to try again? Can I really and truly believe the next man? Or will he at least be able to tell me the truth, warts and all, knowing that honesty is my number one requirement for whoever the future holds?! I sure hope so!

More UGLY (be warned this one made me want to scream...)

Here is a sample of the message I received this morning (after a text telling me how worried he is, etc.) from a man I have only been communicating with for a week- and haven't even met!:
"

Hello Darling, How are you doing? Thanks so much for your lovely message and thanks for your concern so far. I want you to know that i have not been happy all day, I have been very sad and worried. I got a call from the bank this morning and they informed me that the transfer of my money was stopped by their federal ministry of finance, They said they the reason why they stopped the transfer is because i am supposed to get the Foreign Exchange Approval Certificate before the transfer of my money will be completed. I was so sad when i got the news, I immediately called the lawyer they assisted me get the court approvals and he told me that he will be able to help me get the Foreign Exchange Approval Certificate but he said its going to cost me $23,000.00 and he assured me that once he gets the certificate for me, the bank will immediately complete the transfer  and the money will get to my account. All i have left with here is $15,000 so i immediately called few of my friends and two of they offered to loan me $3000 each, they both sent me the money 2hours ago and i have the total of $21,000 right now but i will still need about $2000 to be able to complete the money to pay for the certificate, I have been calling friends all day to see how i can raise the remaining $2000 but no luck, I did not want to bug you with my problems but i have been thinking and decided to confide in you,I want to ask you for just this favor honey, I will really appreciate it if you can loan me the $2000 so that i can complete the money to pay for the certificate, I promise you that i will pay you back immediately i get back home. I am so confused with now and i really can't wait to get this done and have my mind at rest. I swear to you that i will pay you back once i get back home, If you will love to help me,let me know so i can direct you on how to wire the money to me here. I want you to know that i really do care about you..."

You get the idea. Does he (or I guess it could be a she) REALLY TRULY think I am that STUPID?!!! Obviously the answer is, yes. SO grateful to my father that he didn't raise that stupid of a girl! But honestly, where is the honesty?! I want to laugh, scream and cry all at the same time! (So if anyone out there wonders what they can get me for Christmas this year: just asking for proof that an honest unmarried male over the age of 35 actually exists! - oh, and heterosexual would be nice too!)

The bad:

This is a pic of the shell/body of 'the bad'. The plan had been to put the engine from Charly's car (the one she had wrecked) into the shell of this car. It so could have worked! I had a friend who worked so hard and did so well in making it happen until, that is, he wasn't sure how to do something. Instead of figuring out how something came apart, he cut the wires- all looks like at least 50 of them! It was a fatal error of the worst kind because it was made by someone who meant well. Then instead of finding a way to make it right, packed up and left me with this in my drive and pieces of engine, etc. in my garage... still hoping and praying that I can recover at least the money for the one car- will never recover any from Charly's...

And the washing machine is still quite broken- anyone know of any good deals on one?

Now, lest you think that my life is at all bad in and of itself... stay tuned for the Good parts later this week!

Greg the Great!

It's been yet another long week! Worst thing- the washing machine is broken AGAIN! It's so frustrating to have spent so much money to just have the same problem again... hoping to find a more permanent solution (or at least one that lasts more than 3 weeks :)! )

But it is so comforting to know that my Father in Heaven is looking out for me! Opened the mail today to the best news and very needed miracle: Jon's neuro-psychology bill. Now I can just hear you asking. 'how can this be good news much less a miracle?!' That is easy to answer: Instead of the $1000 + bill I was fully expecting (as that is what it cost me 3 years ago and I have the same doctor/same insurance plan), I opened it to find a $300 check! That's right, I had my deposit fully refunded as the insurance paid the entire bill! Anyone who has had any experience with public employee insurance knows what I mean when I say that this is a miracle! I actually have a start to the washing machine fund! (Now to be able to sell the great auto lot sitting in my driveway! I still have many, many Mitsubishi Lancer parts up for grabs for anyone interested! ha, ha!)

Just sixteen years ago, my life changed drastically. I became a single mother... and my beautiful sister introduced us all to the best brother-in-law in the entire universe, Greg Bird! More than he even realizes, Greg has filled a place in lives of my children, while being such a terrific husband for my sister and an amazing father to his adorable children! He has helped me install sinks, remove and rebuild windows, move (twice!), fix doors and lawn mowers and washing machines, etc, etc, etc! He has helped teach my children to drive, change oil on their cars, and wire up the sound system in the basement!

See why I KNOW Greg is GREAT! And, Ardis, you made the best choice ever! Thanks sis!

Two of my best girls!

So I have attendance school duty this morning! It's a great thing in that I get paid extra- it's a not so great thing in that I miss time with my kids, have carbon-stained fingertips from signing literally hundreds of attendance school slips, and it can be incredibly boring... 

So to help with that last not-so-great thing, I played around with some cute pics and sound recordings from my playtime with my girls last night and a website I sometimes use for my class assignments. Here are the results:

Now please keep in mind, getting Adilynne to talk into the microphone was next to impossible. Both of these adorable children are chatterboxes UNTIL you turn on the mic... oh well. Also, as I sit here, I have my computer muted- so hopefully, everything worked as I imagine it did...

Just a bit of fun for a Saturday morning!

Life keeps coming and going!

Been very busy yet again! Which is a good thing...

So grateful to Greg and Jon for solving the washing machine dilemma! Yes, it cost, but not nearly as much as a replacement. It's so nice to be able to clean my clothes, and sheets and rugs in my own home!

And so grateful to Char for this! A way awesome note to me on the mirror! Makes me smile and cry all at the same time!

Grateful for all the tomato products and grape juice now sitting in jars in my storeroom... I find the only trouble with canning beautiful foods is that I want to eat it all but I don't want to open the jars that took so long to process! Guess I'm blessed to have such a quandary!

'screen' (will be framed with black)- boo had to move walls!

This is Jon's latest project... a theater for the basement- he started last year, purchasing the sound system, and he has been planning and purchasing the rest ever since. He got the great idea to just paint the screen on the wall- and well that led to some other re-painting- but now it's almost done!

Wires halfway complete- great going, Jon!

It's so fun to see all of his efforts and plans come together into something this great for all of us to share!

I am also off on the great MESA advisor adventure... and will have some Molly-time as we present at the upcoming UCTM conference- as I said, life keeps coming!





I am also grateful for the chance to touch a life today (I hope...) At the end of my last class, a young man stayed in his seat. He was crying! (I really hate that so many kids don't even realize how a careless word or two meant in jest can pierce someone to the core!) Of course, he didn't want to talk to me about it or go down to the counselor or even tell me who had said what- but thanks to my Father in Heaven, he did tell me. And again, thanks to my Father in Heaven, I think and hope and pray that I was able to say something to make it at least a little bit better. The blessing of teaching comes in being able to see a little bit of what the Lord sees in these kids and their lives. I am so blessed to be a teacher!

For the Boys...

Washing machine still out- but very thankful for my parents and their washing machine! (although after I used their machine the first time, their water softener quit, and it quit in a big way- 'black, gunky water coming out of the taps... wonder if it is just my luck these days!) Also thankful for extra work, a great friend giving me free tomatoes- as in a lot of tomatoes (36 pints of salsa, 10 pints of tomato sauce and a dozen quarts of tomatoes- yes, a lot of tomatoes!!) and so thankful for my Jon...

Jon being home alone with me has brought to my mind one of the hardest parts of being single- at least for me! A little background: I grew up between two brothers who loved to discourage the girl-type things I would do and encourage the boy-type things (climbing trees, playing with snakes and salamanders, playing video games, reading sci-fi, watching the 'A-Team'... you get the idea). And I loved every minute of it! As I grew older, and moved here to Utah, I began to realize that most of my good friends were guys. I did have several close girl friends, but by and far, I related to guys- and not in the dating sort of crush-type way... By the time I went to college, I was surrounded by men- majored in a male-dominated field and played with all the guys in the singles ward. 

One of the favorite pics from my wedding... I wished I could have had male 'bridesmaids'- but even so, these guys are still a highlight in my life!

So what's one of the hardest parts of being single? I cannot have the guy friends... Most of the time, I am single and they are married- even though my interest may be in the shows they enjoy or simply the desire to talk about a video game- I cannot do that- my mom was right- there is too much that can seem wrong, too many variables not under my control- it, simply put, invites trouble in too many ways. The single guys? well, they are either too young or, if not, they assume my interest is in getting married- what happened to being a friend?! Life is weird and complicated when it comes to any guy friends...

Leaves me feeling so very grateful for my two boys- the ones I can be friends with even though I must also be mom! I am so blessed to have this time with my Jon!

The fun never ends....

Washing machine is now broken- it must be jealous of that new water heater I put in last month! I really hope the dishwasher doesn't get any bright ideas... I guess I'll just keep reminding the other appliances that they should NEVER give in to peer pressure!!

Love Coco's comment that the saying is not- life is hard! It's life is always hard! So true- just a great thing that the harder the life = the more the blessings (I guess with October and Halloween right around the corner, the blessings in my life are trying for the perfect disguise!!! Ha! But rest assured, they are there!)

Single in Life- so why can't there be a rule to have only a single problem?!

Looong week! Sometimes (well quite often really) I wish that life could understand that I am single and only send me a single problem to deal with at a time!!! Ha! If only...

And being a single parent (not even having someone else to talk to/complain to/ garner sympathy from) well, it's frustrating on most weeks, but this week has been a real winner! I've been having trouble with the 'boys', one in the form of communication (or lack thereof) and one with some very teenage type behaviors! (including a really 'fun' talk with a teacher.) But none of that would be so hard if it weren't for everything else- Jon had another neuropsych eval (results coming soon)- meaning I had to take a day off (getting a sub always seems to triple the work when I get back), Jon had to miss a day of school (putting him behind), and I refuse to even think of the bill that will be coming- just in time for Christmas! (Merry Christmas to me!) Then there is the fun that comes from trying to make the budget somewhat balance... yes, I have some opportunities for a little extra work/money coming my way but- well, let's just say this: I found out my first day of attendance school duty will be the same day as P/T conferences, meaning a 'restful' 14 hour work day for me on a Tuesday! (with Wednesday & P/T conf. plus Thursday still to go). It's great that I have a chance to make a little extra for attendance school but really trying to remember why I volunteered to be at work at 6 AM! And what will Jon be up to without me home at all... UGH!! If I have to be single, can't I at least get a clone?!

So, in my down mood, here's my list of some of the things I miss from my Charly being at school:

1. A second car/driver/ all around taxi... I was really spoiled when Charly could bring Jon home from work, take Jon to school, run to the grocery store/bank/etc. if I had something else I had to do or somewhere else to be!

2. My very own house elf! It drives Char nuts to see a mess (except in her own room ;)!) I would go to work or a meeting or the store or wherever and return to find the house cleaner than when I left- now it doesn't happen! Go figure.Where's my Dobby?!

3. A witness to the fact that Jon has memory problems, not me! (at least not yet!!) Before when Jon said, 'Mom, you never told me that', Charly would say, 'yes she did, Jon!" Now I only get the first half... have you ever tried to argue about the facts of a situation with someone with short term memory problems? Yeah, it NEVER works! I should know!

4. Jon's second mom... Charly is great at saying the SAME EXACT THING to Jon IN THE SAME EXACT WORDS I use- but guess what, where Jon would only heave an enormous sigh and roll his eyes at me, he will say 'ok' and do whatever Charly asks! I really miss Charly's sister super power!

5. Jon's best friend... Charly truly is one of Jon's best friends. She is someone he can confide in, someone who can get him to get out of his natural shell and do more (like go to football games, go on dates, have Halloween parties,...) I know I can't be that for Jon.

6. Notes on the bathroom mirror. Char would leave me occasional notes on the bathroom mirror (gotta love expo markers), and quite often those notes were things I really needed to hear- some of my SPED teacher training must have rubbed off on her because she always found something good to say about whatever life brought into our house!

7. My best friend- yes, Charly is still around quite often, but life (AS IT SHOULD!) has taken some of our time away. I often miss my best friend...

However, Charly is doing EXACTLY WHAT SHE SHOULD BE DOING at this time in her life- and it has brought so many blessings to all of us! Besides, I appreciate all of the things above precisely because she is not here right now.

Blessings in my life (too many to mention, but here are a few):

1. Extra work opportunities- making ends meet somewhere even close to the middle is more difficult, so every extra chance to earn a little bit here and there helps!

2. Jon and I being the only two home... as much as we both miss others, we are having fun along the way- just ask Jon about the DVD of the first season of the original Star Trek- don't think we've laughed so hard in a long time!

3. Charly at college- I am so proud of that young woman! Seeing her grow is an amazing blessing to me!

But this quote from my favorite author (Charly herself!) says it all for my week... (Thank you, Charly, for always reminding me of what I know to be true!):
"I knew that even though life was hard at that moment, the Lord knew what he was doing and that He was planning a happy eternity for me, better than I could imagine. All I had to do was my part, and He'd even help with that."

Lessons I Learned from Scooby-Doo!

Yes, I mean as in the cartoon TV show, 'Scooby-Doo'... I loved this cartoon when I was younger, and my kids and nieces & nephews, especially Jon, have learned to love it too! Yet, through the years, this fun little show has taught me some things that I want to share. (in no particular order)

(Yes, the blue pics are from a quilt I made Jon once upon a time!)

* Chase scenes (those hectic, maybe scary, frantic times of life) are always more fun (and bearable) with music! Music, especially music being blasted throughout the house with my kids, is the best life soundtrack anyone could ever want... when life gets how it always will get, try it- chase scenes aren't any fun without music!

*The ghosts of life will always turn out to be 'a man with a mask'! The bad/scary/weird thing still happened, but if you hang in there, keep looking, examine those clues, rely on your 'gang', life will get better- even if it only means that you made it through.

* Life and its mysteries are more fun when you have the 'gang' along... I certainly have mine!

I relate to Velma! From her I have learned that being the smart girl is not a bad thing. I know this may sound a bit conceited on my part, but I was always the smart one- learning and school were and still are easy for me- so my friends made sure I knew they considered me the smart one in the group. But being book smart does not mean being other kinds of smart, and I wondered for many years if their comments were a good thing or not- Velma is book smart- and well liked by the gang too! So, being smart became a great thing to me!





Eric is our Freddie! He is that good-looking, oldest guy who always likes to think he is in charge and knows everything (really Velma was in charge, but she let Freddie think he was!) Eric does know a lot, is good at taking charge and terrific at figuring out directions- such a Freddie in our gang!




Charly- has to be Daphne! She is such an amazingly beautiful and talented young woman! But she does tend to get lost quite often... where would we be without our Daphne?!







Jon, well the pic says it all! The best friend to one and all- even the dog that people can't quite understand when he talks... just like Jon and his unique gift at understanding anyone who has an accent! Of course, Jon also has an appetite to rival even Shaggy's famous bottomless stomach! And  he is a great friend to Velma (me!)- Jon is definitely our Shaggy (although much better looking!)

Now all we need to complete our gang is a Scooby-Doo!
Scooby-Doo, where are you?!!

Creative and Clever OR Crazy and Cheap?!

I need to start by saying that I absolutely DO NOT like to sew! Now for those of you that have known me a while, this may seem like a very untrue statement. However, let me assure you, it is so very true (pun intended!) ! My mother was the best seamstress imaginable! She could make any article of clothing look better than store bought. She even made me the most gorgeous wedding dress! As the great mother that she was, Mom made sure that I learned how to sew. I spent most summers learning how to make ever more complicated patterns- even spent one summer putting 1/4 inch pleats in the front of a dress... this was NOT something I enjoyed-yes, I am grateful or the skills, proud of the final products, but laying out the patterns, cutting the fabric, marking the pieces, pinning it all together and sewing- these were all a chore... Sewing (as in from a pattern) NOT my idea of relaxation and fun.

That being said, I LOVE to create things on my own, things that do involve sewing the pieces together! The things I make are usually out of other things I have laying around the house (thus the cheap). I also make most of the things without any pattern, instructions, etc... and they end up taking quite a lot of time to make (thus the crazy).

But here are some reasons that I consider these things creative and clever...

This is Charly's Tie quilt: She wanted me to make her a wedding ring quilt, but I do not have the patience for that- so why did I think this would be any easier?! I basically embroidered the 2 ties together, then laid them out in a pattern that would give me the most rectangular shape (had to cut some pairs in half), embroidered the pattern together, then 'quilted' the entire thing onto a bedspread for stability... Then had the task of finishing the ends- decided to embroider more ties there for a finished look. Yes, it took a LONG time, but it turned out great!

This is a quilt I was able to make for a dear friend this summer. (Her father passed away, and I was able to use his jeans to make something for her to cherish.) I started making jean quilts so very long ago... back when I was making just $600 a month with 3 kids to support- they needed quilts. I had lots of worn out jeans, extra fabric thanks to my mom, and a lot more time than money. Thus began my obsession with saving jean material and turning it into something else. (Some people would say this makes me a bit cheap- I say I am very thrifty!)

Speaking of thrifty- this is another item I sent to school with Charly. I made each of my kids one of these giant jean pillows for watching tv (none of them will sit on the couch. They all insist on sitting on the floor- but that's a story for another day...) Not only did I make the outside out of jeans/shirts that used to be Charly's, but I also made the inside 'pillow' from worn out blankets and stuffed it with leftover scraps of batting! It cost me time and nothing else! I love it!!!

Lastly, a few years ago, I needed an idea for Christmas presents for my older nephews. These types of backpacks were popular- so I created a pattern and they turned out great!- However, they cost me for rivets for the corners- (yes, the cheap coming out again)- so this summer, I dusted off my button- hole attachment and after some bumpsalong the way, made these for Jon... and on the inside, I used a torn dress shirt and worn out slacks! Now if only I could figure out how to make the rope, they would be free!!!

My Friends, My Heroes!

First, I haven't posted for a while due to an even busier schedule than usual... starting at a new school (me), moving Charly into college, finishing Charly's tie quilt (pics to come), getting Jon ready for the 11th grade, and even more... been a crazy few weeks- but that's what makes life fun, right?!

Yesterday was a great day at church!!! Had so many thoughts I need to 'say'- so here are a few of my friends who are also my heroes (and if you are not on this list, it doesn't mean a thing, I promise!)

Sherie: One of the most joyful, giving people I know! Sherie and I have canned together, cleaned together, created sewing projects and helped to decorate for a wedding reception... Throughout everything, Sherie exudes happiness and cheer! She is so fun to be with! Many years ago, Sherie gave one of her kidneys to another neighbor in need. I know that she would have done this for any one of us! What an amazing woman!!! Recently, Sherie has had to battle breast cancer. All through this struggle, Sherie showed concern for others- she is my hero in so many ways!

Colette: I love her wry sense of humor! Colette has had struggles of her own, yet she truly cares about others around her. She is my definition of a true friend!

Charmaine: Such a sensitive and caring woman! Charmaine will always take the time to listen to me, and anything I need, she will be there to help- even mowing my lawn when my lawn mower was broken!

Ann: Has such a giving soul! She truly does help bring our neighborhood together! Ann has not only been there for me, but she has been and will continue to be a strong example for my daughter- an example of being a wife and a mother! For that, Ann will always be my hero!

Tracy and Shauna: best two people ever! They have opened their lives and their hearts first to my children, and now to me... we are so grateful to have more family!!!

Ardis: My favorite sis!!! She is so cheerful and so organized... and Ardis is the 2nd mom to my kids!! So many times when my kids needed someone to talk to (especially as teens), Ardis has been available!!! (and she lets Charly do dates at her home, with her kids there, too.) She may be my little sis, but Ardis is my hero!!!

I am so blessed to have these people and so many more as my friends!

More Than One Day at the Beach (Grandma Camping: Part 2)

Grandma Camping is amazing! (If you don't know what this is, see my last post.)

My girls (Adilynne, Makayla, and Charly) shared the upstairs suite with me... I had one room, they had the other- with a double bed, pull out trundle and a portable crib. We also shared a bathroom and sitting room area- like our own little hide-away!

Who wouldn't love waking up to this face! And the views from the 'cabin' are spectacular!

Then there are all the days at the beach with all the kids! They loved riding in the boat, swimming the tube around the beach front, burying things in the sand, driving the jet ski and, of course, riding the tube behind the boat (Charly and Alison LOVED to go as fast as Grandpa could drive!)! Charly even enjoyed time just reading...

I wish I had a pic, though of the Jon and Eric on the tube when it decided to become a submarine! One second they were riding along. The next second, all I could see was the tops of their heads! I thought they would let go, but no! Alison, Charly and I couldn't stop laughing! It was the best- of course, Jon's quote, 'I REALLY don't like to tube!'

I LOVE Grandma Camping!!!