I know I said I was going to blog while I build this, but here are the rows done.

I did post the pics on my Facebook page, though. I was making good progress, with only a little bit of ripping, then we got the stomach bug. It went through our house quickly, but took up about 4 days. Now I have to focus on the Cubscout Blue and Gold Banquet, that is next week. Good news is I made the centerpiece treasure boxes yesterday and they actually look ok. I will post a pic next week when they are all finished.

Here is my February Fabric Postcards I am swapping for this month. V-day, Soup, and Friday 13th. The 1 with the faces is my version of a broken mirror, I just couldn't cut into the faces like a real broken mirror, so I cut around them. Anyway, Life is happening, so I must blog later, but I wanted to post updates. Chat at ya laterz!

I-spy quilt Day 1

It's finally getting some much needed rain here. It rained 3-4 inches over night, it was also a loud storm and didn't get much sleep. So, I was going to work on my new i-spy quilt that I started. I really feel like taking pictures, so I'm going to take pictures and blog my steps. Here's the first step:

I've been quilting at night lately, so yup I stayed up until 1 am cutting these out. This is Quick Quilts April/May 2011 magazine. I love math so I always make quilts to the size I want, which is almost always a standard quilt size. So, here I am trying to extend the size bigger and all I had to do is turn the page back to the original pattern, lol. Oh well, good practice. I love to change things up (I don't like rules, lol). My squares of i-spy fabric are 6.5 inch square, but the pattern calls for 5 inch, I hate wasting fabric, so I just made it bigger. This pattern u can actually do any size square. You just take the square and cut it in half and quarters, which is what I did. I had so much i-spy squares that I decided to make all the fabric i-spy, so it won't have the blue in it.

Well, internet is bad from the storm, and I wanted to get back to sewing, so I'll post Day 2 soon!

Christmas 2011

We went to Alaska for Christmas this year(I haven't been home for Christmas in 13 yrs), as u could probably read from my posts. We are back and things are finally going back to normal. Kids are back to school, Jeremy's back to work, dishes need to be washed, laundry needs to be folded, I did finally finish Scott's "Bright Frog Quilt" (well sort of), and we already had a trip to the E.R. (hence why the quilt was not binded today, lol. Big "Z" slammed his finger in the car door and cut it open, of course worried mom with son bleeding everywhere, had to take him to the ER, nothing a little tape can't fix, oh well live and learn.

Scott turned 7 yesterday and we had lasagna and cake and ice cream. He was so happy, his eyes lit up. I was a little worried about him with the trip, but he was fine. Thanksgiving Day he had like 10 seizures, (about every hour) it was a side effect of the flu shot he got the day before. So, he won't be getting those anymore, good thing he has a good immune system. He hasn't had any since. He seems to be doing well, but everyday is different. He was learning about Time in school, 1st couple days were good and he was getting it and responsive, but by the 4th night it was just too hard for him (yes it was the same thing we were working on all week). His numbers are getting better, but still doesn't know numbers after 10. But after Christmas break is when he really picks up his learning, so I'm hoping it will get better and he will start reading.

Anyway, holidays were good, I got new scraps from my Aunt (who is a quilter), some awesome leggings from Mom (which I am wearing to church on Sunday), and a crystal flower press thingy for the window from my Sister in law. Those are just a couple of my favorite things. Michael got Star Wars Clone Wars Book and Legos, oh and a new XL DS. Scott got a Leap Pad and some GC for apps. Zander got little figure things. We had to think small so it could fit in the suitcase, we only had to mail 2 flat rate boxes home! Yeah! The boys all got wallets (with $10, thanks Aunt Jenny) and winter hats also. Jeremy got a rod and reel (it collapses, lol) and a lighthouse picture. There were more presents than that (like a pocket copter), but it's 1am and it's not really important what we got for Christmas.

It was kinda yucky the 1st week we were there, but we still managed to go sledding and swimming. Zander is quite the little fish, especially once he got "magic" goggles for Christmas, lol. From the day after Christmas it snowed the rest of the time. We made a huge snowman and tried to go sledding (not very fun when the snow is up to your knees) and went snowmobiling.

I did start a new book series that is worth talking about. "Blue Bloods" by Melissa De La Cruz, I'm on the 4th book. I like it because it is "safe" to read and it's about vampires, lol. It is a young adult/teen book. It's also a Disney book. I highly recommend this to any teen, especially if u like Twilight. It is a little slow, like they could have put them all in 1 book, but then what teen would read a 400 pg book? It has action/suspense and keeps u guessing, it just told u important info at the end of the 3rd book! I'm just worried I'm going to get to the end of the 6th book and it's going to leave me hanging and i'll have to wait till the next 1 comes out. That's why I usually wait for a lot of the books of a series comes out before I start reading it, lol. Anyway, the book takes place in New York, teens learn they are "blue bloods" aka vampires, blue bloods are reincarnated souls(fallen angels) from the war in heaven with Satan. They don't start remembering who they are until they are teens. Then their are silver bloods which are killing blue bloods, so their are traitors among them. Anyway, I'm not very good at telling stories, so you'll just have to read the book if your interested.

Pillowcase Apron Tutorial

pillowcases

Take a sheet, cut or rip(go ahead ripping makes you feel better, lol) into 4-6 inch wide strips, you will fold these 3 times, so however wide you want your ties (X4), it really doesn't matter how wide they are, but I really wouldn't make them smaller than 4 inches.

iron strip in half to find the middle

unfold, and fold top and bottom to the middle crease

fold pillowcase and tie in half to find the middle

Match the middle creases and fold over tie and pin. Make sure you put the side that is open at the top in between the tie.

To make the ends, fold them like a paper airplane, fold over and pin.

Sew the ties as shown. Sew 1 side to the middle and back. I don't know why you only do 1 side then the other, that's just what the tutorial that I saw said to do. Then your done!

Here are all the ones I did! It took me 30 min to do 1. If your opening is in the middle like mine, all I did was do 1 straight stitch across and closed it up. I am also adding a cool gathering gardening thing where you stitch button holes on the sides with a button. Here is that tutorial....

http://www.clevernesting.com/2009/06/pouch-garden-apron-tutorial/

Grandma's Quilt

My Grandma's Quilt
I made it out of all my scraps of flannel. It's a light, but warm blanket she can take any where with her. I even put ribbon ties on the bottom (not in the pic, cause it's not done), so she can roll it up. She travels on the ferry in Alaska alot, because her husband is in a Rehab center in Juneau. The ferry can get pretty cold, especially in the winter. So this will keep her toasty warm!

My 1st pillowcase

Here is 1 pillowcase I made for my cousin!

My 1st Apron!

Yeah! I made my 1st apron! These are made out of a pillowcase and a sheet for the tie. I'm making a whole bunch for Christmas. This 1 is mine, I had to practice on mine 1st, plus I didn't want anyone who might get 1 to see theirs before Christmas. Since I'm making so many, maybe I should make a Tutorial! I am a little electronically challenged and that would intitle actually taking pics then trying to put pics where I want them in the blog, lol. Just like this post (if it actually works, I may be typing for nothing,lol). I wanted to post pics from Facebook, that I took from my phone (which I just learned how to do), so we'll see how this works.

Waiting for Wood

I just want to start by saying I love my Heavenly Father and I know he watches over and takes care of me and my family. I don't own a truck, so every year I have a huge issue with getting wood. So, I asked my neighbors boyfriend and he said "Yeah I can get you some wood." So, he got his friend (that has a truck) and came over, well the problem is they need $50 for gas and the wood. The trusting (nieve and stupid) person that I am gave them the $. 2 weeks later still no wood. He promised it would be cut and split and delivered the day after i gave him the $. We finally have to go get it ourselves and load it in the trunk of my car. The wood is also NOT cut or split (I don't even own an ax). So, now I've spent $50 and 2 trips to town for some crappy wood.

Anyway, couple days before, I was driving on Hwy 160 and drove by a church that had FREE firewood. I already decided that if I didn't get my firewood by Saturday, I would get some from there.

While picking up the crappy wood I paid for, the (lazy good for nothing) guy told me about the church with the firewood and said they can deliver it. So, I decided I would go there the next day and ask them if I could swap out the wood.

OK, next day, I go to the church and they say "No, we don't deliver the wood." Here is the part where I know Heavenly Father watches over me. I am so greatful for people that listen to the promptings of the Lord. When I pulled up to the church a friend from my church was there loading their truck up with wood. I asked him if he could possibly bring me some wood and pick up the wood I couldn't use and bring it there to swap out then get himself some wood. Of course, he said "Yes." I know it wasn't a coincidence, it was the promptings of the Lord. Whether it was me listening or them listening(probably them, lol). I'm also so glad I have an awesome Church family, I know I can call anyone for help. It's kinda funny cause the guy giving out the firewood said, "That was really nice of that guy to help you like that." And I thought to myself, "No, that's just how my church is." If it was me with a truck I wouldn't give it a second thought and I know he didn't either.

No Food

Today I am venting over something that happened today that really bothers me. As I am cooking my dinner (lasagna) and thinking of someone that has nothing. I volunteer at a food bank in Bonham on Tuesdays. Over 400 families a month come and get food. The date you 1st get food is the date you can come back the next month. But this month we will be closed for a week for Thanksgiving, so families can come in before their date. Usually you can't come in any earlier than a week before and I understand rules are important. But when a mother comes in and is told come back in 2 days, it bothered me. She has no car, which means she probably paid someone her last couple $ to get there and get food for her family. I am so sorry. Just the look on her face will haunt me forever. You could tell she was distressed when she walked in the door, and how the tears were in her eyes when she left. I just wish I would have done something. As I am just a person that works in the back and fills orders. I don't think I could ever work in the front office, because I would never turn anyone away, and if I ever did I would feel terrible about it. But rules are rules for a reason.

I saw Jesus today

Zander is in Pre-K and when I pick him up from school he always asks me what I did while he was at school. Maybe because I always ask him what he did in school. I went to the temple that day, so I told him where I went.

He asked, "What do you do at the temple?"

"Oh, I don't know." I said, trying to think of what I could say.

"Did you see Jesus at the temple?" he asked.

"Yes, I saw Jesus at the temple." I replied as a tear escaped my eye.

Later at dinner everyone was talking about what they did that day. And Zander says, "Mommy went to the temple and saw Jesus!" I just smiled and said, "yes, I did."

It's these moment I want to remember forever.

Galveston

We went to Galveston for the weekend! Actually, my mom called me and said my Aunt Joan and cousin Kayla was going to be in Galveston for a National jumprope tournament! So, any excuse to go to the beach is good for me! All the hotels were (of course) booked and if they weren't, they were over $200 a NIGHT! We did find 1 though. Saturday, we went swimming in the ocean then in the pool at the hotel. We were so hungry (from skipping lunch) that we ate at Golden Corral. Of course, you can't go to Galveston without going to Burdocks! By then it was dark, so we went for a walk on the beach. I LOVE to walk on the beach at night! We met a Dad and Son looking for crabs (they come out at night)! Anyway, next day we were eating our Continental Breakfast and we learned about the ferry. It's a FREE 20 min ferry ride to an island. So, we did that and got to see lots of dolphins! We did lots of beach combing, it was sad to see all of the trash that washed up on shore. We did find a couple OLD coconuts, some NICE whole shells, 2 hermit crabs (1 we brought home on accident and is in our aquarium), lots of bamboo, and a plastic bucket to put all our treasures in. When we got back we ate our Super Saver lunch at Wally World, and rented 1 of those cool bikes that our whole family fit on. Watch out while renting those, Michael got hurt twice on the foot, so maybe wear tennis shoes. At the jumprope tournament they were cutting hair for "Locks of Love", I have done this 4 times (I think) and had been wanting to do it, so I got it chopped off. Yup, thats what they did, pony tailed it and CUT! (usually they cut in sections) So, still waiting to go to the salon to get it styled. Then, we met up with my Aunt and cousin to say goodbye. We didn't spend much time with them, because they had to stay at the tournament the whole time, and when they did go anywhere, they had to stay as a group. So, the 1st day we all wore sunscreen, ya know "at the beach", but the 2nd day I did not. I wore my suit under my shirt and when we went over on the ferry, I took my shirt off and stuck it (what I could) in my pocket. When we got on the ferry to go back, I noticed my shirt was not hanging out of my pocket anymore. Bummer! 1 of my favorite shirts too! So, yes, I am very sunburned, but it'll turn into a very nice TAN! eventually, lol.
So, summer is not even half way over and already I'm so ready for school to start. We are going to the Texas Rangers baseball game on July 3rd (FREE Jerseys for kids day), plus it's a night game. We are also doing the summer movie clubhouse program at Cinemark, I'm all for 50 cent movies. We have done alot already like Cub scout camp and in the X-factor audience! But after next week we will be staying home. I'm sure summer will be over before we know it. We need to find a good summer reading program.... (Me just thinking to myself, lol.)

Sickness Brings Seizures

Scott has been having seizures, but it's a combination of a few things. #1 rule - take medication every day. It is summer, so it's harder to be on a set schedule since there is no school. Therefore, Scott didn't have his medicine Sunday morning and Monday morning (he takes it twice a day). But also when he gets sick he has seizures. His body is trying to heal his brain, when he gets sick, part of his body has to stop healing the brain and go heal whatever sickness is attacking his body. So, he has had a fever since Monday, and the little cough started today (for some reason the 1st symptom is always a fever). He had the seizure sometime Monday night while he was sleeping. I know he's had 1 because of his slurred speech, drooling, and weakness on the right side of his face. I feel the seizures are getting worse, because he never had the weakness on the right side (except the 5 min 1 he had in class).

As I kneel by my sons bed, I plead to my Heavenly Father to make my son better (as any mother would do). I realize that maybe I should be praying for strength instead and to be OK with whatever happens. I should accept that this is his life and "yes" it does get easier with every seizure he has. But no mother likes to see their child suffer and I worry about everything. I have a lot of Faith in my Heavenly Father and know everything will be ok and He is with me.