My last birthay gift...

I forgot to post about getting my last birthday gift from DH. I wanted a bike so I could ride it for small errands instead of driving! Gas prices being what they are and all! UGH...but I also wanted it for exercise as well! SO...here it is!!

Dan went with me on my first "RIDE"!!! Here are both of our bikes!

Here I am all sweaty after an hour bike ride! It was really fun. I went for about 30 mins today before it got too warm. I am LOVIN' this biking thing...except for all of the hills! My legs should firm up though! LOL

Today I hope to load a quilt on the longarm. I also have to take my digital camera back to Best Buy and see if someone can help me...the shutter opens but all I have on the screen is weird lines...I can't get the pics off of the memory card either. *sigh*

It's date night for DH and I as well. I'm not sure where we will go for dinner but it'll be fun. I want to spend some time in the pool too...IF the sun ever comes out!

Too funny! But oh so true!

As I paged thru my Quilter's Newsletter magazine tonight this caught my eye, written by Alison Dea Bolt: "Last week, as I listened to the radio and wolfed down a tuna sandwich, I heard the repetitive strains of a familiar oldies tune, "One is the loneliest number..." I thought to myself, no wife or mother could ever write lyrics like that with a straight face."

LOL...how true is that???

Twins and Royals Game...

What a fun night. Steve, Dan, and I went to Kaufman stadium to watch the Twins play the Royals. When we left home it was 80 degrees and muggy muggymuggy. Definitely shorts and tshirts weather. Here is Dh and I in the parking lot while we waited for the grill to warm up.

Here is Dan waiting with us!

Doesn't this look yummy? Pringles, coleslaw, potato salad, beer, and dogs! LOL

After cooking we went into the stadium. I love this pic of Dan and I!!!

DH was bored! LOL...can ya tell he's yawning here! NOT a good pic of me but oh well!

It was a great time! We were chilly by the end of the game...the temp dropped drastically and thank goodness we had a quilt in the trunk. Still...FUN FUN FUN!!!

Mixed emotions...

I thought I would be THRILLED tonight...the oldest left home for the 2nd, no wait...3rd time...or is it the 4th? Heck I don't even KNOW anymore! Let's just say he's been gone and back several times in the past 5 years or so. He's not financially responsible and has moved back home to get his feet underneath him again. Is it final this time? I sure as HECK hope so...but why is there a knot in my gut?

Today he moved about 2 hours away from us...he "hated" it here and has a friend 2 hours away. SO...he moved in with his friend and his wife for a couple of months until their baby is born in late July. He found 2 jobs last week and starts on Thursday at one and on Monday at the other. He will put in about 55 hours/week between the 2. He needs to find an apartment but that's tough to do when one has an eviction and poor credit. He most likely will have to pre-pay his rent in order to find a place.

SO...why the knot in my gut? Because I am scared to death that he will need to move home once again. I'm not sure I could survive that. He's 24 1/2 years old and it's TIME that he become responsible AND independent! I'm just not sure that this child will EVER get there. *sigh*

SO...with this knot in my gut...and this child moving out...if you have extra prayers in you can you ask God to wrap his arms around Joe (a non-believer) and guide him to independence and personal success? Thanks...cuz I so want this knot in my gut to be gone.

I love you and miss you already Joe! (Gosh I didn't think I'd say that!)

A Great Day on Saturday...

Saturday was date night for DH and I. For my bday, DH signed me up for a "wine of the month" club membership at Wine's by Jennifer. The month of your bday you get a free wine tasting so we headed up to Parkville, MO around 3:00 in the afternoon.

The wines for this week's wine tasting were good for the bbq. We had tastes of 3 whites and 3 reds. We also got a cheese tray and I forgot to get a picture of that. They were delicious though...a black pepper cheddar, a horseradish cheddar, and a garlic cheddar. MMMMMmmmm...

Here's dh sniffing the wine...first analyze the color, then smell to discern the various aromas in the wine, and then swirl...finally, TASTE!!!

It was a gorgeous day by then (the clouds/rain had left us) so we chose to have a glass of wine and sit out on one of many decks at "Wines by Jennifer".

Next we went down the street to "The Power Plant". A little dinner was in order...we sat outside on the rooftop there and enjoyed a wonderful meal.

I had marinated chicken wrap with a side salad...YUMMY!!!


We headed toward home and chose to stop at Old Chicago.

A little beer and trivia were in order!

We also watched the Celtics beat the Pistons...WOOHOO!!! This is Kevin Garnett with Bill Russell...a legend of the past and a legend in the making!

Last but not least...our friendly bartender, Grant! Thanks for taking such great care of us Grant!

We finally made it home around 10:00! It was a PERFECT date! Love you hon!!!

More Quilt Show Pics...

Enjoy! And have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend. Thanks to all veterans and those serving our country! Without you we wouldn't be free!

How cool is this one???

LOVE LOVE LOVE this quilt...everything about it is amazing!

This one is just cute!

People who can do quilts like this amaze me!

Here's a closeup of the quilting...

more closeup of the quilting

this is a silly quilt but I loved it!

The quilting is amazing!

springtime anyone?

It was hard to get this one in...but there were 12 differences between the top and bottom panel

Th-th-th-aaaaaaaaaaaat's all folks!

In Loving Memory...

My mom died 16 years ago today. It is so difficult to believe that God wanted her that long ago! Mom was only 62 and died of ovarian cancer. She put up a great fight for 7 years, but the last 6 months, after deciding to give up all treatments, were rough. It was hard to watch such a vibrant wife, mom, grandma, and friend suffer.

Mom was my best friend. We loved to get together often and go shopping or just play with the kids. I was fortunate to live only an hour away from her and dad and could hop in the car on a whim and spend the day.

Mom taught me a lot. She taught me about faith and trust in God, how to live with dignity in the face of crisis, what courage is, to treat people with kindess and humanity, and so much more. I regret that my kids will never truly remember mom except through my stories.

My mom's favorite bird was the cardinal. This morning I went on a quick bike ride and when I pedaled into the driveway a cardinal flew into the birch trees in front of the house. I said, "Hi mom! Great to see you today!" My family says my mom was female and that she couldn't have possibly be the male cardinal! LOL...I say the RED MALE was her FAVE...so it reminds me of her so BE QUIET!!! ;o)

Probably the best testament to mom is when my DH tells perfect strangers that he doesn't get people who tell mother-in-law jokes because he had the most AMAZING MIL anyone could ask for and that he loved her a lot! Every time he says that I get tears in my eyes and swell with pride!!!

There is SOOOOOOOOOOOO very much more I could say, but my mom was a simple, loving, and kind woman. This post needs to be simple...just like mom!!!

LOVE YOU MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RIP..............

More from MQS and my purchases...

ENJOY THE SHOW!!!

This quilt just blew me away! I LOVE EVERYTHING about it!!!

Here the white glove lady is showing the back of this quilt. WOW!!! The next few pics are of this amazing piece of work!




Again, another quilt where the pattern and color choices blew me away! LOVE IT!!!

This quilt was fun and time consuming! Great quilt though!!!

This quilt has some 3-dimensional flowers on it...the next photo hopefully shows that.

If you look closely at the red flowers you can see the dimension.

I just love these blocks (mental block on the type of block this is) but can never get them to lie flat. GRRRRRRR

Here are my purchases! Not alot but what I wanted/needed!

MQS quilt show...OR...

QUILTS I LOVE BUT WILL NEVER EVER MAKE!!!! LOL I spent a few hours at MQS here in Overland Park. As always there were some stunning quilts. I bought a template from Circle Lord, some thread from Superior Thread, and clamps for the longarm from The Calico Kitten.

Then I enjoyed looking at phenemonal quilts and quilting! Here are the ones that I said "I LOVED but would NEVER EVER MAKE"!!! LOL


This was one of 2 "Best of Show" quilts. It has a TON of TINY pieces...I would NEVER have the patience to do it but it was stunning to look at! (click on all images for more details)

Here's a closeup of the quilt and ribbon.


Here is the 2nd "Best of Show" quilt. This quilt is STUNNING!!! It is by Renae Hadadin. I am not sure if you can see the different colored "cables" running through this or not. It is STUNNING!!!

Closeup of the quilt...look at the quilting details...WOW!!!!!

sorry it's blurry but this is the center...it is done usign metallic thread.

a close up of one corner...maybe you can see the colors on the "trapunto cording" that i talked about

this picture just "kills" me...WOW...this is the back of Renae's quilt!

a close up of the backing...the HOURS and HOURS and HOURS put into the quilting is incredible!

I just LOVE the colors in this one!!!

this quilt made me giggle! The old bike that is once again "NEW"!!!!

Well, that's the end of today's quilt show. Look for more another day!!!