The tabs across the page here at the top are separate pages.
Finland-Sweden trip is a link to my journal blog I kept during my trip there. Farm sweet Farm is pictures of the house, ect that we spent 2 1/2 years in-our first taste of "country living" during our married years. (And are just leaving) This is a work in progress for my scrapbook.
House to Home page is the picture journal of making our "new" house in the West part of the state into our home (On-going current)





Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Raya Elaine

Announcing our beautiful grandbaby--Raya Elaine was born March 4, 2011 into her Daddy's hands, at home. Quite the over-achiever already, she insisted on racing the Midwives--- And won by about 10 seconds.
1:27am 7 1/2 lbs.
 For those of you who didn't see this on FB--this is one of my favorite photos!


  I snapped this picture on Skype while I was still home.  It sure made us anxious to get on the road! 

 Our first view!

   I wasn't planning to come up until the 5th, so Baby arrived without me here, but lucky for her Mama, she came after a  very short hour and half labor.  I think the genes are being passed along! Leon got to switch his weekend off, and came up to ND with me, along with Ryan and Alishia.
Jessi was so excited to show us her new baby sister,  Raya Elaine, named for her Papa Leon (Ray) and her Memaw Ruth (Elaine)
 




 Flowers from Auntie Nish & family--It's hard to have new babies born so far away!






 Jessi is enjoying putting her new puzzle together--actually 4 puzzles, all scenes from Astrid Lindgrens books (Pippi Longstockings) that I found for her when I was in Sweden.

 Barrett ended up with Pnemonia, so was a sick and unhappy little boy for the first few days I was here.  He's on the mend now.




 Papa finally managed to hold him, Barrett really didn't want anyone but his daddy while he was sick.  Thankfully the meds seem to kick in pretty fast!
 Baby girl time--Raya is very content as long as she is in someone's arms.  Thank goodness for slings!  Even Grammie can get her stuff done holding a baby this way!


 Breakfast time with grammie--

 Barrett hasn't paid a whole lot of attention to his new baby sister--probably partly because he was sick.  I'm don't think he's  really aware yet how much he's going to have to share Mama!
 Diapers drying--A timeless thing--and yet so colorfully different than scenes of diapers drying on the line years ago!  I have to say, I love these cute and cuddly cloth diapers.  A far cry from the ones I occasionally used when my babies were little!

 And Miss Jessi--My sweet helper around here!  We're having a great time putting puzzles together, reading stories, baking bread & cinnamon rolls, and Jessi helps load and unload the dishwasher and set the table for me too.

All for now--hopefully we'll have some more to share soon!

Photobucket

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Happy March 1

      
 I'm feeling very blogged down.

I can't believe I did ONE post in Feb. and that was hardly what you could consider a post.

It's the first day of March.  It came in like a lamb.  It is SO beautiful out there.  I'm loving the earlier sunrise and the fact that it's now daylight when we leave for school in the mornings.

It feels like spring--I know we can have more cold and wintery weather, but I'm going to love this while it lasts!

Maybe I'll manage to get some posts done soon.  Life keeps happening around here, ya know!  Right now I'm getting ready to leave this lovely NE weather and head to ND, (where I don't think the weather is going to be quite so spring-like).... hopefully in time to meet our newest grandaughter when she arrives.  I've been quite lucky with all the others.  I'm quite aware that daughter, family and new baby would all function just fine without me there when she arrives, but Wow--being there to help welcome those grandbabies in the world is just the most precious thing!

I finished up a big scrapbooking job for someone--A years worth of pictures/pages each for two darling little boys.  I've had their family as one of my clients for about 10 years now!
Next job is my trip to Finland/Sweden album for myself, and I'm really looking forward to doing it!

 The second weekend of April some of my blogging friends are planning a girls weekend in St. Louis!  Anyone want to meet up and go with me from here?  I would love to go, but driving by myself all those miles is not too appealing--especially since I've got pretty much the same distance (9 hrs) to travel this month.

Maybe March "Madness" will hit, and I'll do some "mad-blogging"!
In the meanwhile--Enjoy whatever weather you're having--spring IS right around the corner!
Photobucket

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Wintertime is good for something!

Yes there is something I like about winter-besides looking at it out the window of my warm house.  Even tho I really don't like the cold and the mess that it brings, I realize that I should be looking at it as a great time to accomplish all those inside things that I am wanting to get done.
Scrapbooking--
Sewing--
Quilting--
House projects--
Yeah, those things that get put on the back burner in the spring and summer because then it's time to work in the yard, garden and out buildings!

This winter I've done several sewing projects, dipping my toes back into that huge lake of possibilities that I've ignored for quite some time.  All it took was helping my sister get going on a quilting project that she wanted to do for her grand-daughter, a trip to the fabric store and then a quilt store, and I was majorly hooked again.



I've never made a table runner before, but when I went "up North" to visit Jana for her birthday in Nov, we spent the day at a friends quilt shop.  I fell in love with this fabric, and it came home with me.  Because I made it double sided I ran into some problems when I wanted to quilt it, so I am quilting it on each side separate. (Not going all the way thru) as the design doesn't match up exactly on the other side.  A bit more time consuming, yes, but nothing that has to be done all at once.


Lynisha was wishing for some dresses for Kyrie--so here's the first one I did.  It had been a long time since I'd made any little girls dresses.  Definitely time to get back in the groove!

Here's the 2nd one I made for her. 



I took these pictures when I gave the dress to Kyrie.
This dress sort of evolved .  When I originally bought the pattern for it I was planning on using knit fabric, but couldn't find any when it was time to make it.  Then I had quite a time finding fabric that I was pleased with.  The triangles in (really ON) the skirt are original--not on the pattern.  I came up with the idea since the skirt is totally circular, and to get the length I needed, it shorted me on the side seams a bit.  I came up with the idea of adding them, (and the bows) but didn't know if Lynisha would like them, so only pinned them on the sides when I first showed her.  She was enthused about putting them all the way around, and I think they turned out great.

 Here's little Miss Kyrie, all dressed up, & cute as can be.  (I can say that since she's my grandaughter, right?!)


Next on the list were some doll clothes for the bitty twins that Kyrie got for her birthday.  This was the first time I had ever made ANY doll clothes.  I've always resisted the idea of sewing this small...I discovered it's really quite painless, and rather fun too.  My "list" just got longer!




Last, but not least was this project.  I hadn't really thought of doing a quilt when I asked what Baby Z could use, or would like....However his daddy said he didn't need any clothes or toys, and "well, you know mom, you still have my baby quilt that was made for me....and I know the other kids have special ones you've saved....It would be kind of nice if Zander had one".....  Need I say more?

It was actually a very fast easy project.  The quilt top I bought pre-made, on the roll from the fabric store.  It is flannel and soft.  For the back I used fleece.  Nice wide width, so no seams needed.  When I laid them together I realized that it didn't even need any batting in it, it was the perfect weight as it was.
I spent a bit more time quilting it (by hand) simply because I wanted too.  I enjoy hand quilting, and although this really didn't need much holding together, I felt like it made it a little more "hand-made" and I liked the pattern that evolved.

That's all the sewing projects for the time being.  I've been doing life, scrapbooking and more cleaning STUFF out since then, but SHHHH, I looked at the pattern book again the other day..........

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Winter - In black and white.

Our second snow this winter. We had several really nice (in the high 40's) days and the snow from our first storm a week and half ago had really melted down.
It started snowing here again this morning around 7:45 when I was on the way to town taking the girls to school. By the time I got home, the gravel road to our place which had been totally clear and dry when I left, had a good layer of snow on it. It's been snowing pretty heavy ever since.

Out the window, looking towards the road South West.

Snow shows up well against the barn!

From the front porch




Again out the window--our drive way and looking South across the road.
M
From the upstairs window

From the front porch looking across the road to the  South East

More out the upstairs window.  Silly dog--go in out of the snow!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

The small things- Post 400!

I did it--400 posts! Not quite at the end of 2010--but it's a nice number for this tribute..

A year ago I came across this blog, shared by several other people.  I started reading it and have been "hooked" on it ever since.
Kelle is an amazing writer, photographer, and most of all, Mother.
In honor of her baby turning one today, I too would like to help spread her (their) story.  To share the love.
I'm amazed and often brought to tears on the posts she writes, and I have felt so touched by the difference in perspective that her story has made, not only to me, but I'm sure to the thousands of others who have read and shared in her blog.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year!

♫❤♫❤♫❤.•*¨`*•..¸☼¸.•*¨`*•.♫❤♫❤♫❤♫
╔═════════ ೋღ❤ღೋ* ═════════╗
❤❤~~HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE~~❤❤
╚═════════ ೋღ❤ღೋ* ═════════╝