Signature quilt

This quilt was done by a friend of mine for her grandson's graduation. The 2 dorks in the pics are my dh and ds!

A Quilty Weekend continues

I am having sooooooooooo much fun this weekend!!! I bought a book called "One Block Wonder" and am using it to make a quilt for my son's firestation. They had a major trauma at 3AM today and my 18yo son witnessed his first dead person. He is handling it well and the firefighters he was with told him they were there to listen if he wanted to talk. I hate that DS saw this, but it had to happen sooner or later. The good news (if there is any) is that it was an ATV accident, both drunker than drunk, the passenger lived, took hours to get help for the driver who was crushed under the "Gator" (due to her being drunk). I'm sure Dan will keep that in his memory bank for a long time.

SO...I did what any quilter would do. I started to make a quilt. Here is what I have done so far. I am just LOVING this!
Laurie

Progress made

Here is what I accomplished in the past 10 days or so of off and on piecing. I was hoping the final clue would arrive in the mail today but it didn't. :o( Oh well...it'll have to wait until after we get back from Hawaii I guess.

These blocks will be separated by something...I'm just SURE of it! LOL

Prayers please

My sister called this afternoon. Her son and his wife are expecting their first baby on Halloween. They had an ultrasound yesterday and the baby's intestines are outside the abdominal cavity. When the baby is born, via
C-section, it will be put into a plastic bag up to its neck and taken to ICU. After 5-7 days it will have surgery to put the intestines back where the belong. The problem: we don't know what other issues this child might have.

My nephew's wife had trouble conceiving...so this is a very high risk pregnancy now. Please pray that all goes well and the little one is healthy. It is trying times for all of us.

MAJOR MELTDOWN

I had a major meltdown today. The kids and dh and I celebrated father's day since we will be in Hawaii on Father's Day. My meltdown was this...I have gained back about 25 of the 45 lbs that I lost 2 years ago. I wanted to be in kick ass shape for DH's and my trip to Hawaii for our 25th....needless to say, I am NOT. I am sooooooooooo fortunate to be married to a man who loves me unconditionally. TOTALLY UNCONDITIONALLY!!! Here is our plan:

1. I will work out 5+ days/week again
2. I will stop consuming alcohol every day
3. Dh and I will walk every night
4. I go back to weight watchers
5. I will weigh my food again

I CAN DO THIS...I CAN BE HAPPY...I CAN BE HEALTHY...I CAN LOOK GREAT...I CAN DO THIS...I CAN DO THIS...I CAN DO THIS...

sorry...just needed to vent...oh wait...this is my blog...i can vent if i want! LOL

Laurie

Clue #1 is FINALLY done!!

WOW...it is FINALLY done...clue #1 that is!!! I think this is going to be a fun quilt when/if I ever get it done! ;o) These blocks are 5# unfinished and I made 120 of them...6 in each fabric!!!! On to little 9P's now!!!

Life has been busy

I haven't had the time to work on a mystery quilt that I am doing by mail the way I wanted to this week. I am still working on the 2nd clue and the 3rd one arrived 2 weeks ago! YIKES...the last clue will probably arrive next week. I will get this done. I will get this done. I will get this done! LOL

On the happy side, my son who goes to college in Chicago and is now in an apt. there is home for an indefinite amount of time. He will have an MRI on his knee on Friday. If he needs surgery I don't want him to have it until after we get home from Hawaii. That is difficult for him to grasp, but he HATES needles and I just can't enjoy a trip that has been 25 years in the making knowing he is here recovering from knee surgery. He gets that...but it's hard for him...and I get that!

Tomorrow I hope to quilt a bit. I am getting there!!! Slowly but surely, I am getting there!

Here is a pic (sorry it's sideways, but you get the gist) of a quilt my sisters and myself made for the above son's new bed in his new apt in Chicago. He LOVED it!

I feel like a little kid

I know it's Memorial Day...but all I can think about is Hawaii! DH and I will be heading there in 18 days for our 25th Anniversary. Even before we were married, we talked about how we would go to Hawaii for our 25th since that is what both of our parents had done. I just cannot believe that the day is almost here!!!

I am so proud of the fact that DH and I have made it this far. We have had a ton of issues with kids...mostly our oldest, and still continue to forge ahead. Our love and perserverance has endured it all.

Marriage is hard work. To say that "we are happily married" is fine, but it should be clarified with "it has taken a ton of hard work but it's worth it". I am happy to be married to my best friend, confidant, lover, and a person who makes me laugh. There aren't a lot of people in this world who can say that. I CAN!!!!!

SO...I know this is Memorial Day and I am truly thankfully for our military, their families, and our family members who are deceased. But I am sooooooooooo very much looking forward to 10 days in Hawaii!!!

DH...I love you so very much!!!

OH HAPPY DAY!!!

My youngest son Dan wanted to get into firefighting school this summer. He was one of 30 candidates for only 15 spots. He was rejected because he didn't have any certifications (EMT, firefighting, Paramedic, etc). He was bummed but figured he'd just keep working on all of the certs. and hopefully get into the firefighting classes next year.

Well...today he got a call from the fire department and they asked if he was still interested in the school because a person dropped out!!! HE SAID YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is SOOOOOOOO excited as we all are in the family!!!!! This is just a happy day for us!!!!!

I wanted to share! We are THRILLED!!!!!! The picture above was taken at Sea World in Orlando over spring break. I just thought the logo was great! BELIEVE!!!! That's what Dan did and look what happened!!!!!

GRADUATION DAY!!!!!

Graduation day was perfect! My youngest is now a High School graduate and I am so proud to be able to say that all 4 of my kids have graduated from HS. Here are a few pics to commemorate the day!

The first is of Dan seeing his quilt for the first time. It was a hit!!!

This one is of his label. Dan's dream in life is to be a fireman. I had to have his picture in firefighting gear on his label! It's hard to read the wording but that's not the point.

Here's a picture of myself, Dan and my DH in the backyard before the festivities! I just LOVE these pics!!!

This is a picture of Dan in his cap/gown with his quilt. He said he will be sleeping underneath this tonight!!! (smiling HUGELY here!!!)

Post-graduation picture of DH, Dan, and DH's parents!!! Gotta love these pictures!!! Dan's tshirt is a gift from the inlaws! How cool is that???? I have called him "Dan the Man" since he was BORN!!!

DS's graduation tshirt quilt top

I FINALLY got the quilt top done!!! WOOHOO!!! After lunch it's assembling the backing and loading it on the longarm. Lots to do but progress is being made. I took a closeup of the sashing fabric because in the big photo it looks very blurry.
Laurie

Mother's Day...it ROCKED!!!

This is the end of Mother's Day. I had a SUPER day!!!! I worked on my youngest's tshirt quilt for his graduation! YEP...the youngest is graduating from HS next Sunday! WOW...where did the time go????? Then I was presented with a homemade brunch...eggs, rolls, sausage, bacon, mimosas, and fruit. It was great!!!! Everyone had a hand in it from DH to the youngest.

My 3rd child, Kevin is still in Chicago. He chose to stay there this summer and work. He called and we had a great chat. He's sick and as a mom, I wanted to take care of him. AHHHHH...the joys of letting your kids grow up!

My mom has been gone for almost 15 years now and I still miss her terribly. She was my best friend and a beautiful woman. I learned so much from her: compassion, desire, courage, love, honesty, and so much more.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOM!!!!!

I also am blessed to have a wonderful Mother-in-law. She raised an awesome son who I am lucky enough to call my husband and best friend. My MIL is truly a great woman and I am proud to call her friend!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MIL!!!!!

Home Opener...

What a gorgeous day for the Royals' Home Opener!!! A high of 80 and SUNNY!!! I am letting my senior in HS play hooky (a college visit day) ;=) and we're going to the ball park!!! We are going to tailgate for a bit beforehand and just enjoy some time together! The Royals aren't the greatest ball team but I've decided if I am going to finish my life here...I might as well embrace the athletic teams here!!! The MN TWINS are still my favorite baseball team though...so when they come to town I wear the TWINS shirt! LOL

Have a great day everyone!!
Laurie

Quilt for DH's Assistant

Well, I finally got it finished!!! This quilt was a product of Karen Combs' online class at Quilt University. It was called "Combing through your scraps" and I like the outcome! I sure hope that DH's executive assistant does too! I will give it to here tomorrow!

There were SOOOOOOOOOOO many pattern opportunities. I gave dh 4 options and he chose this one! Good job I think! ;o) (ignore DS's shoes there!) Here's a closeup of the quilting...just meandering feathers...fast and fun!!!!
And finally...the label. The first line is how my chat goes with Jo every time I call looking for Steve...I sure will miss her cuz she can always tell me where he is! LOL...I sure hope his new E.A. is as good!!!

On to the next project...
Hugs
Laurie

Is it possible...

to be happy and sad about something at the same time??? My DH is changing jobs a week from Monday. He is SUPER excited about this new endeavor but sad to be leaving his coworkers that he now works with. He has been with this company, in MN and here in KC, for 17 years!!! That is a LOOOOOOOOOOONG time and when DH told the CEO in KC that he was leaving, the KC CEO called the CEO in NYC to see what job they could offer DH in order to keep him. The company doesn't want to lose an employee of DH's caliber...but DH knows this opportunity is a once in a lifetime opportunity! NOTHING they could offer him would keep him.

SO...we got back from Orlando yesterday and DH had planned on going into his office for a bit today to start cleaning out his files/office. When he got home from his office, it was obvious that he was a bit cranky. I finally asked him if he was cranky and he said a little. I gave him a hug and said, "It was hard to clean out your files today wasn't it?". He agreed. I told him it's ok to be sad and that this week was going to be difficult. Next week will probably be difficult to a degree since it's all NEW and will be slow due to learning the new company's business!

I never thought I'd say this, but I really wanted DH to get this job. We are now talking about downsizing and moving closer to downtown KC so that DH doesn't have to commute 20+ miles one way/day. In bad weather or if an accident happens, it can take him over an hour to get home or to work. He has been doing this for 20+ years and it's time he get to relax a bit and not spend so much time in a car. I actually like living here FINALLY and this will probably be DH's last job before he retires. The odds of going back to MN seem to be slim to none. I'm OK with that too!!! I really am!!!

OK...that was my ramblings for the day!
Hugs
Laurie

Home...

and EXHAUSTED! Orlando was fun but I can hardly wait to sleep in my own bed! More later.....
Laurie

ORLANDO.....

HERE WE COME!!!!! Another getaway! WOOHOO!!!
Laurie

He's safe...but in trouble...COSTLY trouble

WHEN OH WHEN do they figure out LIFE and GROW UP??????? I got a phone call today around noon asking where I was and when I'd be home. I said soon, why? The oldest said, we need to talk. I said about what? He said, I totalled the car last night and got a ticket for a DUI. The good news is he is OK. There wasn't anyone else involved which is good as well. He was driving home around 3AM and swerved on a 2 lane road to avoid hitting 2 deer. Instead he hit a guardrail and it tore the passenger side to shreds. UNFORTUNATELY, instead of calling ME, he called 911. He knew for insurance purposes he needed an accident report. Had he called me, we could've avoided the whole DUI thing. He told me he wasn't worried about the fact that he had been been drinking cuz he thought he was fine to drive. I know from past experience that he calls for a designated driver if he needs to. But this wasn't his night. He blew under the legal limit but because he was in an accident he was ticked with the DUI. They cuffed him, put him in the back of the police car, took him to the PD and fingerprinted him,, took a mug shot, and he called a friend to pick him up. He wants to fight this because if he's convicted he will lose his job at the liquor store...his ONLY job right now. He also does not feel that he was incapable of driving. SO...he's looking at a fee of $750 if he and the lawyer decide to go the route of diversion. If he goes to court to fight it the lawyer fee doubles. He also has to buy a new car, get insurance, etc etc etc.

The autobody shop said without taking the car apart, they would estimate the damage at $7,-$8k...basically the car will be totalled. Now we wait for insurance to get in touch with us...our deductible is HIGH which stinks...but it keeps our premiums lower.

As I said, he's OK and cars can be fixed. I did tell him to let this be a WAKE UP call! Here are a couple of pics of the car...I HAVE A HEADACHE...

Time Marches on

Today is my youngest's 18th Birthday!! It is hard to believe it's been that long since I last gave birth! He was born in MN...during a blizzard! It was AWESOME! And he is AWESOME as well!

I have always wondered why moms cry when their children go off to preschool, kindergarden, become a teenager, turn sweet 16, and any other milestones that happen in their childrens' lives. I have always CHEERED for those days. They've always been HAPPY days in my life because it is the goal every parent works for: progress in the lives of their kids!

Without these milestones, our kids would never grow up, leave home, work in a job that they hopefully love, and give me beautiful grandchildren!

So today I REJOICE and ENJOY that my youngest is now officially an adult. I have no more "power" or "control" over him. I have to have his permission to find out things that yesterday were mine for "free"!!! LOL...oh well...as I said, Time Marches On!

Dan has known for years that he wants to be a fireman and he is getting closer every day. About 8 months from now he is hoping to have a job as a full-time firefighter. His chosen profession scares the crud outta me, but I have always told my kids to chase the dream that they love and go for it. Dan is doing that! SO...when it comes to fruition, I will pray harder for his safety while he risks his life in order to keep other people safe!

Fireman Dan, I love you buddy!!! Enjoy your "Guitar Hero" game that you received today!!!

Here is Dan today, playing guitar hero!

MY GOODNESS...he got his dad to try it as well!!!

WILL MIRACLES EVER CEASE??? Mom tries it too!!!

Sunday's FUN!

I had to play with fabric and wanted something FAST! I just LOVE this pattern, "Just Can't Cut It" by www.allwashedupquilts.com . It goes together VERY quickly and is made for large prints that you just cannot cut into little pieces. I think from start to finish, including pressing fabrics, cutting it out, and stitching it, it took me about 6 hours. Now that is FAST!!! Have a great night and enjoy the Oscars if you are watching!

Hugs

Laurie

Acapulco ROCKED!!

We had a SUPER time in Acapulco. The weather was fantastic...85 and sunny every single day! Clouds were a rarity! It was just a very relaxing time! Here are a few pics from our trip. DH and I outside of Hard Rock Cafe.
This is DH and I on Valentine's Day. Our server, David took the pic. We had an AWESOME dinner for 2 that night...some excellent Mexican wine as well!
This was a rock, naturally made, that was on an island that we saw on a Lagoon tour. Look closely, it looks like an ape's head!
This is a picture of one of the MANY gorgeous sunsets we saw. This was our last night there and we walked the beach.
And lastly, me with one of the clif divers...don't I look HAPPY??? DH needs to learn how to keep his fingers out of the important pictures!!!
DH loved Mexico and agreed that we can go again! WOOHOO!!! I can hardly wait to start planning that trip!!!

Hugs
Laurie

ACAPULCO HERE WE COME!!!

I can hardly wait...tomorrow DH and I leave to MN. We'll do a little shopping at Mall of America and have dinner at our favorite restaurant, Twin City Grill. Then on Saturday morning, very early, we'll fly to Acapulco for a week!!! This trip is our Christmas gift to each other!!! WOOHOO!!!


Hugs
Laurie

Today is a better day!

Thank goodness the sun rises and a new day dawns! Yesterday was just one of those days that one would rather sleep through. I was angry at the DH, the oldest 2 kids need to REFOCUS and figure out how to get their lives on track, little stuff built up...but all is well! (except for those oldest 2...but moms always worry!!!)

Thanks for the well wishes! I needed to vent and decided to blog!

Have a great day!
Hugs
Laurie

Life...

Sometimes life sucks. Answers that you want aren't there. People you want to respond and treat you with respect don't. The ones you love don't act like they love you back. People who you thought were your friends aren't. Sometimes we don't even live up to our own expectations. I guess it's just LIFE...it is what it is...but sometimes it SUCKS. I think I'll get some sleep...

A new handbag for me!!!

Here is what I got done today. I had some money left on a gift card from Joann's and wanted to make a handbag out of this Amy Butler fabric. The pattern is b y Lazy Girl Designs. I need to purchase a button for the flap as decoration. But I liked how it turned out.

LazyGirl Designs are so easy to follow and they are very neat!!!

This is the front...the flap needs a brown button!
Here is the back...not too much different than the front...just a little less flap showing!
Here is the inside...the lining matches the fabric for the flap.

Have a great weekend everyone!
Hugs,
Laurie

Just not a lot going on...

I haven't posted in awhile. There's not much going on. I haven't been in a quilty mood since I finished the house quilt top. I'd like to get it quilted and bound and hung up...but the mood isn't there!

I've been watching my food intake the past week and have lost almost 5LBS...so that is GREAT news. I want to lose at least 6 more before Acapulco in February. I CAN DO IT!!!

The kids and dh are fine. I'm waiting to hear if my oldest got a management job at Boston Market. He REALLY REALLY needs this job. The place he managed before closed before Christmas. He has bills to pay. Honestly, I don't think he's been hitting the pavement that hard looking for a new job though. He's not the most self-motivated person in the world.

DH is interviewing for a job here in KC that he REALLY REALLY wants. I hope he gets it. He's such a talented and smart man. He's always looking for challenges in his job. This one would definitely provide that for him.

That's about it I guess. Just wanted to check in!

Have a great weekend everyone.
Hugs
Laurie

Winter weather...

Well, it's definitely WINTER-like here. Sleet stuff though...not the pretty stuff S*N*O*W. DH called and he rear ended a pickup truck. The truck came to a sudden stop and dh was on ice. There was nothing he could do. The truck is fine but DH's car is wrinkled in the hood area. I'm not sure what the car looks like since traffic is moving at 15 MPH on the hiway so DH will be awhile getting home. It looks like a night for movies and snuggling. If this weather is affecting your town...be smart and stay home!

Hugs

Laurie

PS...this winter scene would bring a HUGE smile to my face!

Blogger issues?

Is it just me...or is blogger being difficult? I have tried to upload pics for 3 days and no luck. I hope it's not just me.
Hugs
Laurie

Final phase of the 'hood is complete!!

WHEW...I finally got the top completed! All I have to do is put the backing together and get it loaded onto the longarm! Probably get to that this weekend!



The sashing strip is a deep purple, almost a black purple, with a brighter, bluish purple along with it. It's a Nancy Crow fabric. I think it finished it off quite nicely!!!

Hugs

Laurie

Urban Sprawl! LOL

This section of the 'hood gave me headaches! UGH...I have been working on these for about 6 hours or so but I continued on and conquered the headaches! LOL...only one more set to go and then I can assemble it! I'm really liking this! It's a happy quilt! Now to relax!

New Year's Eve...a close call

For years now, we have fondued for New Year's Eve. We usually do a cheese fondue for an appetizer, then our pnut oil fondue for the main course, followed up by chocolate fondue for dessert. The main fondue is done with electric fondue pots. The other 2 are done with sterno under the bowl. WELL...while getting ready to eat I put the sterno where it belonged under the chocolate in the bowl. It was sitting on the cupboard in the picture below. I decided to put the sterno out and rather than use the "snuffer" that came with it I picked up the flaming sterno container and it fell to the floor. Sterno gel splattered up the cupboard door and we had the potential for a bad fire. Luckily, we got it put out but not before we had some damage. (sigh) I had tears in my eyes and my son said, "Mom, this was an accident and it's not going to ruin our night!". He was right...we had a great time, stayed up to late, played games, and laughed a lot! Ya just gotta love family time!

Here are pic that my son took to capture the moment after all had settled down!
Happy New Year's everyone! I hope you do something quilty!
Hugs
Laurie

Another neighborhood complete!!

I got another set of houses done. I did misspeak in the previous post though. I thought I had 30 houses to do...YIKES...but I only have 10 more to go! WOOHOO!!! I think I am going to call this quilt "Funky Town"!!! Whaddya think? ;o)
Hugs
Laurie
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
PS(unfortunately, one color is showing as red but it is really a hot fuschia pink!!)

The trees are done!!

It sure is great to get something quilty done! I finished the trees for my polka dot house quilt! Only 30 houses to go! YIKES!!!

Now to cut out another grouping of houses! Have a very Happy New Year! Stay safe!
Hugs
Laurie

Thank goodness it's over!!

We had a great Christmas, as usual! We went to MN for 2 days and then drove home on Christmas day for our celebration with the kids. My DH takes this week off and that is always nice. Unfortunately, the restaurant where I work at 2 days/week was very short staffed and the mgr. talked me into working a bit. UGH...I said only short shifts though so it's not too bad. But I have to work Saturday evening for a few hours...that will be strange!

I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas! Now to put everything away!!!

Hugs
Laurie

5 years makes a huge difference

WOW...5 years ago we spent our last Christmas in MN. It was a sad experience since we had spent our whole lives in MN. We had our usual celebrations at both sides of the family on Christmas Eve and then our own family celebration on Christmas day at our home. Then the sad reality set in on 12/26/2001...the moving truck showed up and starting packing up our things.

Was I happy...not AT ALL. My whole life was in MN...one sister lived a mile east of me and the other lived 1 mile west of me. We all quilted. We used to shop together and have a great time. When one had an issue with a quilt there was a meeting of the sisters!!! If my dad was sick or my in laws were sick we could be there in an hour.

But a job is important to survival. My DH had lost his job because his company had been sold. He tried SUPER hard to find a job in MN but it just wasn't there. It was obvious that we were destined to leave MN. His company that was sold had a branch in Kansas City, MO and they offered him a job. He took it...we aren't big gamblers and believe in security.

We had (still have) 4 kids. One was a senior in HS, one was a jr in HS, a freshman in HS and a 7th grader. We made an agonizing decision to leave the oldest 2 in MN with my sister to finish HS. The other 2 came with us.

We ended up moving into our house in Overland Park, KS on 12/29/01. New Year's was very sad but my DH and I tried to make it a celebration for our 2 boys who moved with us. Every weekend we tried to find something to do. It took awhile but our boys finally adjusted.

For me...it took over 4 years to find my niche. I FINALLY have girlfriends and can say I "think" I am happy here.

Do I miss MN? ABSOLUTELY!!!!! Do I miss my family? ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!!!!!! Do I like staying in a hotel on Christmas Eve night in MN? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!! Do I like driving back to KS on Christmas Day to have our own Christmas? YES AND NO!!!

I am very thankful for the fact that my dh has an amazing job that he loves and that provides very well for our family. I am thankful for my family being together (we are all in the KS area). I do however miss MN a LOT and my family.

The experience was difficult...bad situation, bad time of year, bad stuff all around. But I survived!!!! My kids survived! We are stronger people because of it!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!
Hugs
Laurie