"High School" Girls Now...

I'm so proud of these girls I could just burst.

Not only are they beautiful on the outside, as you can see for yourself, they are truly beautiful inside too.


Today they "graduated" from eighth grade (although we have to laugh, as they still have three days of final exams to complete!)

They have worked so hard this year, making excellent grades and serving others in many ways. Not only are they excellent students, they work after school one day a week in the long term care section of the local hospital, helping entertain the residents there. These are really nice girls.

I know I'm just the teensiest bit prejudiced, but I think these girls are pretty darn special!

(Okay, I've tried and tried to make this font a little LESS OSTENTATIOUS but it just won't edit. Sorry...)

75 Years Young

Last weekend we celebrated a big, big birthday! (Uncle Dave, Jacob, David, Uncle Drew, Brian, Maddie, Julie, Allyson, Susan, Sydney on Aunt Karen's lap, Ally, Grandma, Nathaniel, Aubrey, and Tyler.)

We made Grandma a Memory Quilt so she'd never forget us :)


We went swimming and BBQ'ed in Grandma's backyard. (Hey, that's what she wanted to do!)


Uncle Dave, Aunt Karen, and Jacob came all the way from Utah to attend. (Uncle Dave really was here!)


Uncle Drew and his s0n Nate were here too.


Sydney had some serious "cake" (frosting...)

We missed all the family who couldn't make it: Aunt Arline and Aunt Betty, Jeff, Loretta, Amy, Angel, David and Ryye Lynn; Lauron and Rachel; Elisabeth and Jared, and Stephen.

Happy Mothers Day

We had a nice day at our house.

Jeff and Maddie cooked egg-tacos for breakfast.

Maddie made me a beautiful card from the two of them.

David brought me roses. Aren't they gorgeous? The photo does not do them justice. What a nice surprise. I love them!


Allyson made me a cookbook full of recipes from the Josi Kilpack culinary mysteries. It makes a matched set with the one she made me before full of Diane Mott Davidson recipes. She also made the pretty blue card in front. I love them!

Brian and Susan gave me a Mickey Mouse tote bag that Susan stenciled. It had hot pads and dish cloths inside. I love it!


I made a few lavender sachets for Mothers Day. They are sewn from some of the handkerchiefs in the collection I inherited from my Grandma D. I love the hankies SO MUCH. I remember getting them out and looking at them with my grandma when I was young. I still love to look at them. Every so often I can part with some, but only to share with people I really, really love. So if you got one this week, know that you are one of my favorite people! (I had already given five away before I took this photo...) (Also, if you did not get one this week, you still may be one of my favorite people! I made some that I haven't given out yet...and I have a lot of favorite people!)

Happy Mothers Day to you!

It's "Shabby-Sheik," Okay?

It's not like we have a trend going, around here, okay?

It's not like the men in this family are home decorators, okay?

It's not like they need to get "in touch with their feminine sides." (Although my husband did take some flak at the post office yesterday for returning a "pink tutu" to Discount Dance...but that's another story.)

It just so happens that they like the "shabby chic" look. Or "shabby sheik," as Jeff thought it was. :)

It just so happens they are not afraid of their own creativity, okay?

Think David and cooking--"Chupa Queso," right??? (Okay, maybe that's another story, too.)

But we inherited this bed from our friends, Jen and Dave. I wish I had taken a "before" picture. It was cute, but looked a little used. Painted off-white, including the brass flowers. Brass was tarnished. Needed a little TLC.

I was going to polish up the brass a little and spray on a coat of white paint.

Jeff spent a week, a LOT of elbow grease, some research, several attempts at "shabby chic," (eventually deciding against it) and came up with this. I think it looks GREAT in our Disneyland room. Thanks, honey!

Dad and Grandma Rose

This weekend we had a fun visit from Jeff's dad, Larry, and his wife, Grandma Rose. We haven't seen them for NINE years. That's way too long. They are living in northern California and drove 29 hours this weekend to visit the grands- and greats-.


Saturday we had a nice picnic at the splash park. We never thought the water would be turned on yet, but it was. Luckily, Tyler and Aubrey had a swimsuit to share with Sydney!
(Thanks for the photo, Allyson. Yes, I blog-lifted.)

I felt badly, as Susan kept saying we needed to get a group shot and they were the only ones who didn't end up getting their photo with Grandpa and Grandma. :(


David's family came for dinner with them Sunday.



Ally, Sydney, and Jimmy were here a little later. (Obviously, Jimmy--even a little later than this!)



Next to seeing the kids, I think the highlight of the trip for Dad was seeing the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge. He and Jeff enjoyed talking "engineering" and Dad recounted stories of when his dad worked on the Grand Coulee Dam many years ago. (Jeff's mom's dad worked on the Grand Coulee too.)

It was a treat for all. Thanks for making the effort to come and see us. We love you, Dad and Grandma Rose!

Who Got New...

SWIMSUITS??

That's right.

Sydney...


and Maddie...


the two little mermaids!

Not Only is she Smart...

...she's an athlete too! (Maddie is in front on right.)

Maddie decided to join the short-season junior high school track team the past two months and she is really enjoying it. The 6-8th graders in the district practiced for a month, then had a meet today in Las Vegas.


She was quite nervous waiting in the stands.


Maddie ran the 400-meter, anchored the 4-X-100 girls' relay team, and did the standing long jump. She came in second in the 400 meter! Guess she'll be competing in the Championship meet in two weeks! Then they have one more sponsored meet in May.


Maddie volunteered Dad to run in the parents'/coaches' relay event. It was kind of funny. With all the schools there, they only had two adult relay teams - both from Maddie's school! Dad's team came in second :) . (But they were not far behind the first place team!)

Way to go, guys!