Recent Project

This is my most recent quilt that I completed. It was fun - there are things I will do differently next time - next time? Yes, next time - I gave this one away. A sister in my ward, actually my VTer, saw me working on it and fell in love. Her oldest 2 girls room is in these colors and she wanted to buy it from me. I don't sell my quilts so I told her she could pay for the quilting and buy the backing because I didn't know what she wanted. She almost cried when I actually handed it to her today - I am just glad that she liked it.

What do you guys think? I know it doesn't keep up with Beth's millions so far these two weeks (I think she and Tammy have made 6 so far) but with my schedule I think it is pretty good. I am currently working on another quilt - completely different than this and many many polyester bags for children blocks that go to 3rd world countries.

Update

Well, I have been waiting on some pictures that Kim and I took last weekend in St. Louis, but Kim has been in DC at a training and is now in Florida with her family. Hopefully I will get them someday but for now I will just jabber a bit.

I have been busy but generally nothing hugely exciting happening. I am working hard at work and so by the end of June we will have done 24 interviews for HURT. The original goal was 10, we hiked it to 20 for summer so we are even beyond that - wahoo for us!

Both my internships are going well. I am working on getting all those hours in - thank goodness for an awesome boss!

I am taking a summer class and always forget how much work they are. I will be technically still in it while I am home for vacation so I am trying to do all of the assignments ahead of time so that I don't have to do them while I am home. That is proving to be harder than I wanted it to be since it is only a 8 week class and times flies even when you are not having fun. So, wish me luck.

My dissertation - well if there is anything that is getting the back burner it is this. I tell myself everyday that I need to transcribe and sometimes it works most of the time I think of about a million other things I need to or could do. Like vacuum the rug or wash my hair - I really hate transcribing right now. I have given myself till the middle of August to be done transcribing and coding and start to write - deadlines are good for me.

Last weekend Kim and I went to St. Louis and went to the temple, to the downtown gardens and then to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir perform. It was amazing. I have been waiting on the pictures of outside the temple and the gardens - they were beautiful. I was a little worried about hearing the MOTAB sing in person because often I have no idea what the words they are saying but this time it was amazing - the orchestra was also with them and they were awesome. They performed folk songs, songs from different countries (there was one from Africa that was amazing), hymns, our national songs, etc. It was so cool - the choir had not been to St. Louis in 58 years! That is a long time. At the end Retired Attorney General John Ashcroft conducted a song and so that was cool. He is from MO and was a governor in the 80s - I didn't know that part. So the experience was wonderful. It was Kim's last weekend in MO so it was nice to go and spend it with her.

I started my new calling about a month ago and nursery is going well. I do miss the friendship of the two primary presidencies I was in the last 2.5 years and the new (as of last week) secretary has called me about 10 times or so about questions, worries, etc. She will do a great job! I miss it but I am glad to be with the little kids in nursery and getting to know Becca better - we are becoming a good team and that is really nice.

My Dad

Well I am a few days behind but didn't want to not mention how much I love my dad. My dad is a great man and has taught me so many things like what it means to work hard, be ambitious, love your family, forgive easily, continue to learn throughout your life, enjoy his children and grandchildren (he loves to watch them be happy and play), love your mother, make hard decisions, do something that changes your life completely (joining the church), enjoy traveling, sacrifice for others, welcome all into your home with open arms, support his children, reach out to others, serve in callings, etc.
Over the years our relationship has grown better and better and I am so grateful for such a wonderful father whom I love dearly!
I was going to put pictures but blogger won't let me right now.

Great Quote

"Every life has peaks and shadows and times when it seems that the birds don't sing and bells don't ring. Yet in spite of discouragement and adversity, those who are happiest seem to have a way of learning from difficult times, becoming stronger, wiser, and happier as a result."

Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Come What May, and Love It," Ensign, Nov. 2008, 26

Great Short Video on Fatherhood

I loved the Mormon Messages that they put together each week and are on the Church's website.  I really loved this one about a father that shows great devotion and love to his family.  Fatherhood Video click on the link - it is really great.

I will update tomorrow Shelly told me it is time and I have to do what my big sister tells me! :)

40 Years

Yesterday marked an important day in our family - my parents anniversary and the starting of our family! 40 years ago my 18 year old mom and 19 year old day (not Mormons yet) got married much to the dismay and possible dislike of their parents. My Grannie (Mama's Mom) told her as she was about to walk down the aisle that she didn't have to do it - we are all very glad that she went through with it.
(Sorry I don't have a single picture of just the two of them - we will work on that when I am home in July!)

So what do you get in 40 years?
* living in 12 houses
* moving cities 11 times
* being a member of the church 33 years
* 9 wonderful children (of course I am bias I am one of them) - Mandy, Nathan, Asia, Mary Ann, Cyndi, Bob, Donna, Kathie, Shelly
* providing great educations for all those kids
* 20 grandkids and 1 on the way
* countless friends
* countless acts of services
* countless church callings
* a temple sealing (in fact 7 really)
* more dogs and cats than I can count
* living in Europe, Southeast Asia, and all over the US
* losing both Grandma's
* losing a baby
* teaching their children to love, serve, work hard

I could go on and on but one of the things that is most important to me is always providing a loving, warm, safe and welcome home that we could call home even if life does sometimes go wrong, take unexpected paths, or we lose people we love and cherish.

Thanks for being such great examples to all of us!

Camping with Alison

On Friday I took half a day off and Alison and I drove to Staton, MO where the Meremac Caverns are to camp.  We got there set-up our tent and then tried to start the fire.  Well, the fire pit was somewhat wet and the wood was as well so all my girl's camp efforts to start it without lighter fluid were in vain.  Eventually I went to the little camping store and bought some lighting fluid.  It took almost half the bottle to get it going so that we could cook our dinner and make smores.  This was Alison's first camping trip ever and she did well, she helped me to set up the tent, feed the fire and was the official marshmallow burner, I mean cooker.  The weather was perfect for camping and we woke up to the birds singing.  I love that.  We packed up about 9 because we both had things to get done today but it was a really nice evening and Alison enjoyed it so there will be other camping trips in the future for her and for us.  Here are some pictures:

The fire once started (had to take a picture of it after it being so stubborn).

Just chillin.

 

The making of smores or eating of them.

The evening fire - so pretty and so hot.