Monday, August 31, 2009

Felicity's Quilt!

Somehow I only got 5 hours of sleep last night. Ahhhhh! However, I had an amazingly productive day! My house looks great! The incentive...... I wanted to quilt this evening, and I just couldn't justify doing that if I didn't do "house" things during the day! So I finally put the backing on Felicity's quilt! It matches the curtains I made for her room, and I love it! I'm all about making a beautifully pieced quilt, however, I've also wanted to do one like this for quite some time. It's all stripes! The fabrics were all fat quarters that I had bought at the best little quilt store called "The Whole Nine Yards." The were all bundled together in a bakers dozen. So beautiful! I love that without all the fancy piecing, it really becomes all about the great fabrics! I used a really pretty pinky minky for the backing -- and no batting at all. This is the 2nd baby quilt I've done this way and I really like it! It turns out so soft, and cozy -- just right for Felicity to sleep with each night! I'm sure it won't be long before the two of us are having tea parties on it, too!
Here's the finished product. Right now I quilted 1/4 inch in from the brown around the entire quilt. I couldn't decide how to do any other quilting on it. I thought about an over all random design, quilting each stripe in a different design, just outlining each stripe, etc ..... I think that in the end I've decided that I don't want a lot of quilting on it. There's no batting that needs to be held together or anything! So I'm going to come up with one simple design -- probably like a big flower, and quilt that on it! I'll post a picture when I'm done -- it won't be tonight since I really need to stop and sleep! Happy quilting everyone!
I love to make quilts!!!!!!!!!!!

Quilting around the top edge.

This is all trimmed, and ready for the pinky minky to be folded around to the front for the binding

Another view before the binding.




Sunday, August 30, 2009

The next food network star.....

Today on the way home from church Ben decided to bake some cookies to take with him to his home teaching appointments. Instead of just chocolate-chip cookies, he was going to make chocolate-chocolate-chip cookies by adding nestle's quik powder. I tried to explain a little about the difference between Nesquik and cocoa powder.....! Needless to say, while I took a nap, he spent that time reading about cookies and is now an official expert on what each ingredient does. He can now tell you exactly what the egg will do, and how the baking soda will react with the alkali in the nesquik powder; what ratio of white sugar to brown sugar will produce the softest cookies and just how to get the perfect combination of chewy inside with the crispy outside. Incredible! He had a great time baking and we certainly had a good time eating! They were pretty amazing! He still wants to try a few variations, so I'll be making a trip to the store for some more chocolate chips tomorrow! (got coupons, Mindy?!)





I want ANOTHER cookie!!!!!!


Gary and I

Boys and their cookies.

Yummy, yummy!



Saturday, August 29, 2009

Fun in MA!

We had another great vacation in MA this past weekend! Thanks everyone! We stayed with my brothers, and visited my aunt's house as well. More family came out to visit, and we had a great time being together.

Gary found a tractor! He even slept with those ear muff things!

If you look carefully in the tree right in the center you'll see two boys up in the tree. My brothers built a house for their families together on 45 acres. It's a boy's dream yard! Quite different from our yard in NYC...


Felicity and Nana!



Ben and Gary in the pool!


SOOOOO happy on the tractor! My brothers were at work, so he didn't get an actual ride.... but he was content as long as he had his ear protection on!!


More fun in the pool. All the girls were out at this point, and we commented on how physical boys are! The were throwing each other and splashing, and chasing, and racing, etc. The girls talked about how if it were just us girls in there, we'd be floating, and talking, and being calm. Such a difference!!


Hours later, Gary is still sitting on the tractor!



Popsicle break....
Gary, Eli, Ethan, Nathan, Hunter


Swimming stuff....






Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Back today and leave tomorrow!!

There's nothing like summer vacations! We just spent a fabulous time in Maryland with family for the long weekend. We leave tomorrow for MA for more family fun! But, back to MD -- we went to Six Flags on Saturday... it was a blast! The boys were perfect for going in the kiddie-land, yet adventurous enough to ride some bigger rides also! Nathan had no fear, and rode a big roller coaster for the first time! He rode in the back the first time, and when it was over he rode again -- this time in the front! Ben and I took the boys on one ride that we got completely SOAKED on ! It was really fun! Gary just happens to be 36 inches tall, so he was able to go on so many rides! He had a great time! The tea-cups nearly did him in, but Nathan was there to save the day... bumper cars, logs flumes, giant swings, etc!
We also did tons of lego playing, eating, baking, gardening, laughing, and loving!
I hope you enjoy all the pictures!

Gary was so excited to ride "the tractor!" Ben mowed his parents whole yard which took an hour and 15 minutes, and Gary stayed on it the whole entire time!
Ben and the boys rode this ride, and were completely soaked! I rode the first time with Ben and the big boys, then all the boys went a 2nd time with Gary. It was short, but tons of fun.

So tired! This was at lunch after lots of rides. Then they woke up and did some more! I sure do love my double stroller!


It's hard to see, but Grandy, Papa, Ben and Nathan are in the last two rows here! Nathan rode it 2 times! He's determined never to ride in the back again -- only the front.

Here are the three boys ... I don't remember what the ride is called, but it lifts them up and drops them down. It's very tame.... Ben indulged me, and the 2 big boys rode it once first, then after I saw what it was like, they rode again with Gary.
Here are those tea cups I mentioned! Hunter really liked to spin, and of course they're all going up and down, and around at the same time that they're spinning, so Gary's head was lolling back and forth. It was so funny to watch! We had Nathan put his arm around him, and after that Gary just rested his head on his arm and was fine.
This is the classic pirate ship that swings you back and forth. If you look closely you'll see Grandy, Ben, Gary and Nathan two rows to the left of the center mast. Nathan has his arms up in the air loving it! Nathan and Ben rode it twice, but the rest of us were perfectly content to watch!
A happy train ride!

boys and planes....
We went on lots of other rides besides these, and had such a fun day! It was hot, but overcast, so no unbearable sun beating on us. Plus, there were little to no lines at all! It was a fabulous time!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Christmas in ....August?

Yes, I admit, we've started making Christmas presents here already! The boys make their Christmas presents to each other every year, and this year Hunter is getting a headstart. I wont tell what he's making..... but it involves the sewing machine! I have seriously been amazed at how well he's doing! He's been using the rotary cutter, and sewing every seam, he's doing great! He's only 6!! .... oh, and he's loving it, too! Just take a look at those seams! I thought Felicity was going to be my sewing budy, but it looks like that might change!! He He He! (literally)




Saturday, August 15, 2009

Through the years...

We had a fabulous day today with all of us being together again. It was really, really nice. We hung a new swing in the backyard, jumped on the trampoline, played inside, rode scooters to the water park, explored in the woods, played games, played legos, and so much more! Here are a few pictures of the boys when they were so much littler! After having not seen them for 6 1/2 weeks they seem huge to me right now! Enjoy!!
















The boys are back in town!!

We picked up Nathan and Hunter from the airport last night! Yay!!! Although I must admit that they look a little different than I remember!!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Summer Quilting











Monday, August 10, 2009

Summer Project!