Ok, so I know I promised an update a long time ago. However, after my last attempt that didn't go so well I was no longer on speaking terms with Blogger. By the time I had forgiven it for wasting my kid free afternoon, Sean was back for a couple days from his month long out of town elective, and there was no way I was spending any of that time on a computer!

So now that Blogger is playing nice, and I'm once again husband-less I will be updating the blog! Oh, and my picture a day blog too! I haven't forgotten about it, really.  Stay tuned.

Kaden's Quilt

So it just dawned on my that I haven't written about Kaden's quilt yet. Shame on me. So here it is, if a bit late.*I don't know what is up with blogger, but some of these pictures are totally squashed! Just pretend they aren't*

---The quilt top all done and ready to tie---

--- My Mom got the backing and batting sewn in, then Grandma had it on the frame and ready to go when we got there Tuesday---

---This seems to be the spot that all kids end up when Grandma has the quilt frame out. I remember sitting under quilts like this while she quilted, watching the needle come and go and the pattern becoming clearer and clearer as she went. Makes me happy---

---Anise helping---

---All the ladies tying Kaden's quilt. Mom came over during her lunch hour to help. Good thing she did, because we finished it that afternoon!---

---All done and ready for Kaden to enjoy!---

I promise I will update with a real post about what we've been up to with pictures and everything soon, but for now, I thought this was really sweet:

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8
year-olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:


"Love is that first feeling you feel before all the bad stuff gets in the way." - Charlie - age 5

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." - Rebecca - age 8

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth." - Billy - age 4

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." - Karl - age 5

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs." - Chrissy - age 6

“Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don't yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings." - Samantha - age 6

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." - Terri - age 4

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." - Danny - age 7

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss." - Emily - age 8

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening
presents and listen." - Bobby - age 5

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate." - Nikka - age 6

"Love is hugging. Love is kissing. Love is saying no" - Patty - age 8

"When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still love you, they love you even more." - Matthew - age 7

"There are two kinds of love. Our love. God's love. But God makes both kinds of them." - Jenny - age 4

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears It every
day." - Noelle - age 7

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." - Tommy - age 6

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore." - Cindy - age 8

"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night." - Clare - Age 8

"Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken." - Elaine -age 5

"Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is
handsomer than Robert Redford." - Chris - age 8

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." - Mary Ann - age 4

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." - Lauren - age - 4

"I let my big sister pick on me because my Mom says she only picks on me because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her." -Bethany - age 4

"Love cards like Valentine's cards say stuff on them that we'd like to say ourselves, but we wouldn't be caught dead saying." - Mike - age 8

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars
come out of you." - Karen - age 7

"Love is when mommy sees daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's
gross." - Mark - age 6

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." - Jessica - age 8

"God could have said magic words to make the nails fall off the cross, but He didn't. That's love." - Max - age 5

So, I may have been listening.....

Overheard after dinner

Kaden to Anise: Don't worry, I'm not going to throw you in the garbage, I just need to put my stuff in there.
Kaden in a slightly quieter voice: Besides, Mommy and Daddy would never let me do it anyway

---------------------------------------------

Overheard in the van

Anise: It's a bug on my window! Are you going to sting me bug? (last year she got a wasp bite and ever since has been cautious of any bug) Are you inside or outside? I think you are outside, and you are coming for a ride. I bet you are saying "WEEEEEEEEEE!" 'cause going for rides is fun isn't it little friend? Bye bug! 

Infinite Power of Hope and Lifting Burdens

Just wanted to share these: 

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

Our family got a nice surprise today after church. We saw this as we drove onto our street:

The kids jumped out of the van as soon as it had stopped to check it out. They thought it was great - a giant Valentine stuck to our front door! There was also a big plate of heart cookies on the door step, which the kids quickly took care of. There wasn't a note, so we have no idea who did it, or when they did. It's possible our house was decorated last night - we park in the garage, so we didn't use the front door this morning. Either way, it was a wonderful thing to come home to. Thank-you whoever you are. I feel so loved :-)

Happy Valentines Day everyone.

This and that

Just a few pictures of some of the things I've been making the last little while.

First is a mini album I made two years ago. This is the first (and so far only) mini album I've done. This one is all about our family. Each person has a page with a picture and 5 things that I love or admire or want to remember about them. The last page is our entire family. I haven't done another mini album, not because I don't like doing them, but because I just haven't for whatever reason. I'm going to say life happened. I have plans for a few more, so if it doesn't take me too long to get to them, watch for them here!  

---Front on album---

---First Sean---

---Next is me---

---Kaden---

---Anise---

---The Family---

Next is the material I've just started cutting out for the baby quilt I'm making. It's a much harder pattern than I did with the other two, so we'll see how this one goes. I do have until May to finish it, so if things go terribly wrong I have the time to fix it! 

---The material is pretty girly, so lets hope the ultrasound was right about it being a girl!---

Last week I attempted to make pizza buns. We love pizza buns at this house, but they are a treat because they cost so much at the grocery store. So I thought I would try to make some, I mean how hard could they be? 

Turns out, not hard at all! I just made them like I would cinnamon buns, but used pizza sauce and cheese instead of cinnamon and sugar. They were yummy, and disappeared pretty quickly!

Anise and I have been on a crafting spree the last couple of days. On Wednesday we made these to hang on the wall of my scrapbook room: 

We're not done - according to Anise. She says the one on the right needs a birdie and some buttons, so I guess we have some more work to do. LOL.

Tonight we made this: 

While the boys went to see Avatar, Anise and I made her a clock for her bedroom - while listening to ABBA! We had fun cutting and gluing, and dancing a time or two. She picked out everything that you see on here, including the 50 bazillion buttons. She was so excited to get it done, she wouldn't go to bed until I had put it on her wall.

So that's what I've made,  how about you?