pink forget me not

Casserole carrier for Joyce and a cute little cherub!

2012-01-16T13:46:00.001-09:00

I just love this photo--I caught her a little late, she was peering into the console table and that was so so cute!

OK, here is the casserole carrier: I am not impressed with the way this blog uploads photos. One day it will put the first photos I upload on last and vise versa--uuuurg!!
This is the finished project minus the ribbon that I need to string in so that the center closes up.
Go to the bottom of the blog to see the progression of the carrier.

I decided to use the larger dotted fabric for the binding for the handles and ran out of fabric, should of just used the same binding as the rest of the carrier.

Cut out 2 1/2 inch handles and quilt them together

Put the top section on top of the bottom section which has been quilted

quilt the top fabric to the bottom fabric which has thick batting or interfacing sandwiched between

Cut 2 inch strips all along the tube you sewed.

This is what it looks like sewn together--it has a lot of stretch because of the diagonal cut.

turn one diagonal cut over to the other and sew along the top edge

Cut the square on the diagonal

Cut out a 22x22 inch square to start making the binding.

2012-01-06T09:03:00.001-09:00

This is a site that I like to check out on a regular basis. Sometime the photos are so very weird looking but, hey, they have cameras that can capture some amazing stuff! God has created such a vast expanse out there that we can only dream of knowing about in this life. In our next life we will know all about this amazing creation. http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

Christmas deocrations gone

2012-01-04T09:53:00.000-09:00

Finally, an all day job of putting decorations down the stairs--whew!! Now I have to get back down there and get all the boxes into the storage room. I did manage to downsize for next year!! It is a good feeling.
I have two of my precious little dolls with me for a couple of hours today. They are such a blessing to have around. We just do a lot of singing and pretending.
Tes just came running to me with a book. Saying it was her favorite and wants me to read--so off to reading!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2012-01-03T09:46:00.001-09:00

I hope and pray that this year brings health and happiness to you and your family.
The past year brought trials that the precious Lord helped me through. He is always so faithful and gracious! Something that I started and am continuing to do is a survey through the Bible. I'm doing it online with Chuch Swindoll at http://www.insight.org/broadcast/library.html I would like to encourage you if you would like to just get an overview of the Bible.

I just have to share the fact that our dog, Harvey is alive and well. He has been living with our friends in Alaska since before we left. There was no way that we could of kept him and are so thankful that they took him and gave him a loving home. He is about 19 years old and a beautiful silver color.

Here I am with four of my beauties!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-07T20:23:00.001-09:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I had a lot of fun getting photos together of my grandchildren for our annual Christmas card. Thanks to their parents, we were able to get a few--whew!! You can probably tell that the kiddos in Florida wondered what in the world was this thing that Mimi Jo wanted them to put on--lol! Enjoy the candid photos.

They all are growing so fast and Jim and I feel so blessed to be able to spend time with them.

Corduroy jumper

2011-10-19T20:19:00.002-08:00

Here is the dress I just made for Kenze. If you enlarge it you can see the trim that I put across the bodice, around the neck and around the arm hole. The fabric is very fine corduroy wale.

Precious little Dawson-yes, she is growing soooo fast!

2011-10-19T17:18:00.000-08:00

Fun times!! I'm sharing this photo for my aunt and uncle. We spent our 6th anniversary at their house in King Cove, obviously, many years ago, since we are now married for 37 years. We had a 3 layer cake and they did also. When I saw this photo of their recent anniversary I just had to share this photo with my aunty Shirley. I don't like the shadows on my photo and I think it is so funny that we had candles on our cake. I think Glennora had something to do with that. lol

Birthday Party for Tess

2011-10-17T11:11:00.000-08:00

WAY UP there!!

2011-10-12T17:05:00.000-08:00

Teslin and PaPa watching the progress of the tree removal---the guy climbing the tree, WAY up there!!

trees next to our house

2011-10-09T20:15:00.000-08:00

Today is October 9th and tomorrow the tree man is coming to remove trees off our property!!!! We will finally get to see the sky and possibly sun when it is out. :)

Our little cherub taking a break from sweeping the deck!

Disney World

2011-09-19T15:58:00.000-08:00

Here we are: off to three days of fun at Disney World--good thing we brought 5 adults to help with the kiddos. :)

Now, these little darlings are traveling in comfort!!

A trip to Disney wouldn't be right without race car driving and to make it even better, having an uncle to help with the driving. :)

A classic ride that the kids never tire of.

She's trying to decide, who is the most handsome! Somehow, I believe, Dad won!!

We are on the train ride-just to try and to stay dry--didn't happen but luckily it was warm and I didn't get chilled and sick!! :)

Luckily, this only happened in the morning on only one of the days.

The BEST part of the trip---a large sucker!!

Precious little ones

I really enjoyed this idea for gardening and hope to use it when I landscape our place!!

Prefered mode of transportation!

A most definite ride, especially for a 22 month little one!

Let's go and rest up for another day!!

Sampling of a day at the fair

2011-09-19T15:03:00.000-08:00

Jim and I enjoyed a day at the Puyallup fair on Wednesday of last week. The "air"show was nerve wracking but didn't deter us from watching. lol I was so inspired by all the food preservation displays and the other displays. I found the MOSTEST BESTEST chocolate cupcakes at the fair! So I had to buy a "few" to enjoy!!

Going to miss my private chef-Ginny

2011-08-27T14:24:00.003-08:00

Breakfast was leftover Fruit and Berry cobbler with a delicious sauce. Ginny told me what it was but it was a french name and I can't spell it or say it for that matter. :)
Our dinner last night was an Italian Bread salad--it was fabulous. We got some sort of fig to decorate it with. I had never eaten a fig like that before and it was great! This salad was loaded with fresh herbs from Ginny's garden, lettuce, broccoli, zucchini, parm cheese, green onions, small yellow tomatoes and Ginny's special sauce!!

The coin purses was a project we finished in between cooking, eating and field trips. lol

I bought the mostest beautifulest strawberries from Central Market so I decided to get some and made Strawberry Pear preserves today.

The finished project!

Ginny's Apron

2011-08-25T09:14:00.002-08:00

My friend Ginny is spending a couple of days with me and learning to sew and I'm enjoying her cooking!!!! She cooked Thai food for me last night---FABULOUS as usual! I decided to journal her journey to a completed apron after it was almost finished. :( We promise a beautiful finished product.

Here she gathered the top part.

Just a view of the progress so far. Both of us are excited .

What is this?!!!!!

2011-08-24T08:19:00.002-08:00

What is this?
This is my friend, "the massager" ! Ok, am I going crazy or what? I know that for many years, I have told a number of you about my massager. I got this at the request of my massage therapist, Pat. It was her massage therapy that I was able to walk and dress myself again after a period of not able to lift my legs. I was in a lot of pain to say the least. Well, after one session with Pat's massage, I was able to lift my legs with some success. A huge answer to prayer!!! I had the deep muscle massage periodically for a couple of years. Pat told me to get a massager to help massage my leg and hip muscles when I wasn't able to get in to see her for one reason or another. Since then, it has been in regular use around our home.
Obviously, my grandchildren see me use it and Julie has been having problems with her back so I massage her when I can. Mackenzie wanted me to try it on her back a while back and she just loves it! I don't know why, but it makes her laugh like crazy and in turn, I get to laughing. It is a fun time.
Anyway, the other day as I was massaging Julie's back while she was lying on the floor, both Mackenzie and Teslin dropped to the floor right beside their mom and begged to have a massage. Mackenzie automatically squirmed around and laughed so much. Teslin begged me and I gently put the "massager" on her back. The look on her face was priceless!!! She was looking at her mom in a look that said, "What is all the fuss about--please rescue me from this mess"!!!!!

My foot is in the photo to give you an idea as the size of this thing.

This little mess got into the "Moses basket" and I couldn't resist taking a photo!

A fun time at the beach, at Point No Point lighthouse!

Castle Birthday Cake

2011-08-13T18:08:00.003-08:00

Mackenzie's 5th birthday party-she was Tinkerbell! I made a few boats to put in the moat because there were boys at the party and I figured they would appreciate the thought. :) It was so much fun watching the little girls go up and dreamingly look at the cake!!

I can't figure out why my photos turn out blue sometime.

After the party the girls kept coming back to take frosting samples!!

One happy 5 year old!

Baby Dawson was dressed for the cool outdoors. Her eyes were definitely blue yesterday!

Teslin had to make sure she was included!

My little darling "Tinkerbell"!

2011-07-26T18:46:00.000-08:00

Let the games begin!! There was a great turn out for the 4th festivities!

If you enlarge this photo you should see the string of marathon racers going up the mountain!

The anniversary couple!! Congrats!

Mom and daughters

Awaiting the lucky ducky!

2011-07-26T17:32:00.000-08:00

Aren't these glass balls beautiful? Some even have water in them. My Uncle Seward made a number of glass ball displays in his yard.

The bike parade comes back through the viewing area to see who wins prizes---the kids are all filled with excitement!!

The anniversary cake my sister, Shirlee and I decorated for our parent's 59th wedding anniversary that we celebrated on July 4th. Their anniversary is in June but I wasn't able to be there at that time so it was postponed.
We four sisters. Don't laugh at my wind blown hair--we just had fun and couldn't complain--at least it wasn't raining. :)

Seeing the two beautiful Pavalof volcanoes towering above the fog means I was close to being back to my home land of King Cove! :)

Leaving the Cove

2011-07-26T14:54:00.005-08:00

I don't know if Tommy was worried but I was. I didn't want to be stranded in the middle of this creek with water almost up to the window. Well, we made it as usual and had a fun fishing time. (From the looks of Tommy--he looks delighted to be this deep in the water, he probably had visions of wading in it with his hip boots on) :)

Beautiful lupines lining the rugged road to Mortensen's for our fishing adventure.

Now this is the scene from the front window in the small airplane ride from King Cove to Cold Bay. Not my idea of fun.

I looked and saw all this fog and said to myself, "Not again"!!!! The last time I did this trip we circled in this bay because we could barely see any land. All I could say, is that I was thankful that it wasn't also windy. But, if there would of been wind then, there would be no fog. Just can't win. :)

Now this is some lovely scenery!!

Good bye to King Cove. Was nice visiting as usual. Sort of disappointed that I didn't see a bear around with all of the driving I did.

Girls, Girls, Girls!!

2011-06-24T08:10:00.002-08:00

Frilly Frilly Frilly skirts

Baby blanket for Tes since big sister doesn't like to share hers. :)

Burp cloths made from old towels and new flannel!!

Even frilly socks :)

And you know that a baby NEEDS shoes!

An afternoon with the "girls"!!!

2011-06-13T21:26:00.001-08:00

I love my baby sister!

Reach for the stars!

Why does Grandma make me wear this thing on my head?

HI EVERYONE!

God is soooo Good!!

2011-06-06T12:32:00.005-08:00

This edible fruit arrangement was such a blessing to me as well as the rest of the family in Florida. Although, it was like a message right from God at the time for me. It was sent from the church they attend to congratulate the family on the birth of Sage Montego. Ok, to explain: Jim and I along with the two little ones were getting ready to go grocery shopping and at the top of the list was fruit. The little ones eat fruit all of the time and pineapple is their favorite! Just before I head out the door we get this gorgeous fruit arrangement delivery! It was beautiful and DELICIOUS!! (especially the pineapple) I was just in awe at how God always pulls through. At the time I was struggling with worry about baby Sage as she was admitted into the hospital with a fever which was unexplainable. (she was born at home and was only 4 days old at this time) The delivery of the the arrangement was a message to me from God that He knows what was going on and He was going to see that all was going to be just fine. I had a peace in my heart and a thankfulness that humbled me. God is just sooooo good!! Baby Sage was in the hospital for 4 days and all of the tests came back negative. She is at home and doing well.

Arrival of precious Sage

2011-05-22T14:37:00.009-08:00

Proud Papa Jim!!!

Proud Mimi Jo!!

Giving baby Sage some time in the sun!!

Handsome little James!

Little princess beauty!

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T12:44:00.003-08:00

Searching for eggs while grandpa picks weeds. :)

I just had to make summery kuspuks for the girls.

Just lounging with the bunny.

Tes just loves this buggy

2011-03-30T14:26:00.000-08:00

hand work

2011-03-24T08:45:00.003-08:00

I found this fabulous shop on Bainbridge Island that sells yarn and teas and of course everything else that goes along with both of them!! I found this yarn and pattern that I just could resist. I get home and had never seen "provincial " stitch. Well, after reading it over a few times I finally figured it out! I had to crochet a row and start my knitting with that row so that after I finish the length of the scarf I will go back and knit the ruffled edge!! Back to the yarn: it is mohair and sooo delicate and yummy-can't wait to wear it.

This is a quilt that I put together a number of years ago for Julie. Each square is from a scrap of fabric from items that I had made for her over the years. There are a few random pieces from the scrap pile that ended up in there including the spot of green in there!!! I have no idea where that came from. :) Anyway, I traced a heart in the center of the blank squares and hand quilted them with a light lavender color. Jim's mother helped to embroider the hearts while she was in Alaska the year I had finished the quilt. Well, after all these years of use, I figured we could enjoy this quilt longer if I would quilt by stippling it. So I finished doing so the other day. I quilted hearts all along the border!! I'm pleased with the outcome and know that Julie and her family will enjoy it for years to come.

Dawson and sisters

2011-03-20T16:14:00.003-08:00

Teslin looks like-"why is my baby doll making all of this racket"? Kenze is trying to smile for the camera while feeling sorry for baby sister. Baby sister is crying, "Take this hat off right now"!!!

March happenings

2011-03-16T20:58:00.003-08:00

Enjoying a leisure morning at grandma's.

"Do I really have to keep these things in my hair?"

Making molasses crinkles for Uncle Jonny!

Having fun in grandma's cupboards---hope she doesn't get her finger's jammed in the drawer.

She loves to put on her big sister's clothes. She came to the house with the tutu added to her outfit!!

Here are two pillows that I repurposed

This is a work in progress. I hope progress to the end result is soon. :) I took all of the pink satin off and decided that attaching the bumper pad to the basket with ribbon is going to be the best thing to do. More to come.

Feb snow day 2011

2011-02-27T09:25:00.002-09:00

Wearing big sister's boots

The cutest baby socks

Welcome Home Dawson Anne

2011-02-24T18:54:00.002-09:00

My precious little granddaughter, Dawson, got home today. She is a picture of peace. She has a couple of excited sisters at home. What a precious gift from God!

More Christmas 2010

2011-01-15T09:43:00.002-09:00

Christmas 2010

2011-01-14T22:03:00.005-09:00

This girl loves her hats!!

2011-01-14T21:52:00.001-09:00

Girl Talk

2011-01-13T13:36:00.002-09:00

I'm not sure that I'm going to be sharing my breakfast with you this morning but when we are finished let's go shopping!!

A peek at our first Christmas this year.

2010-12-26T21:28:00.003-09:00

Hope all this cash fits in the pocket!

This top has a clear jeweled smiley face on it with a rainy day skirt. :)

I was teaching Mackenzie how to take photos of Teslin with her camera. I offered to hold the jingle bell but she wanted to do it herself. :)

Telsin loved her new slippers.

Teslin had a toy for the cat.

Mackenzie loves her dresses!

Pre-Christmas 2010

2010-12-23T11:49:00.002-09:00

Here are a few pre-Christmas photos of our fun activities. This white tree is in my bedroom--I know it looks quite cluttered. I have snow globes with a photo of each grandbaby. My goal is to fill the top of the dresser--lol.

Shoes--still a tad too big for Tes. But they are adorable!

They were doing the advent candles at church with the "help" of the girls. :)

PEEK A BOO

Sister lovings.

Christmas dinner

2010-12-14T10:31:00.002-09:00

I just had to share this photo of the cake that I made for a dinner I had at our house. It is a white cake with 3 different flavors of jello and frosted with cook whip!! So easy and I was so pleased that it actually looks great. I had made this cake before but it never did look so nice.

OOOPS, a little santa's helper showed up!! :)

Christmas preparations

2010-12-08T21:18:00.003-09:00

Mackenzie made sure grandpa participated in the tree decorating activity!! She just HAD to put a few ornaments up high!

Making sure there were decorations on the back side of the tree!

My little ballerina came to help decorate the tree. I hadn't had so much fun decorating a tree in a long long time. She was sooo thrilled with so many of the ornaments. She would cradle some in her hands and be so thrilled asking if it used to be her mom's or not.

Making use of the storage containers as I decorated the house!

This little one just LOVES wearing hats. I made this hat for a friend and she found it. I think she did a great job modeling it!! :)

Thanksgiving blessing

2010-11-28T13:01:00.002-09:00

It is always fun to see what the Lord has in store for me. Thanksgiving day was no exception to His surprises and I wasn't expecting anything, I'm afraid to admit.
It was a couple of hours before dinner time and my son-in-law was needing coffee so I told him to go ahead and make some but I will get the coffee beans for him to grind. Well, I searched my freezer and refrigerator over and over again for those beans and couldn't find them so he resigned to the fact that he wasn't going to get any coffee. He took the girls downstairs to play and watch a movie. Sometime later, while they were down there, there was a knock at the door. I was surprised to see a neighbor out there with a couple of bags of goodies for us. Well, in one of the bags was a bag of coffee beans!!! with some cookies, of course to add to the excitement! I felt soooo blessed and so did my son-in-law. God is soooo good!!

One Year old Birthday Girls!!

2010-10-28T13:42:00.002-08:00

Teslin's reaction was typical of a girl turning 30---not sure what her reaction is going to be when that day comes!!! LOL

Skylar's reaction was---"just another day" Although, she knew it was very special!

Just had to share this photo!!

2010-10-13T11:16:00.002-08:00

Just had to share this photo! She just adores her grandpa Jim and decided that this was the look for the camera. :) She will be having a baby sister arriving in Feb. Something tells me that this is going to be fun!

Funny face I love you!

2010-10-04T22:04:00.002-08:00

I can make a funny face if I want to. :)

Spa at Grandma JoJo's

2010-10-04T21:57:00.003-08:00

Kenze picked out this sparkly purple polish today for her toes. She had a hard time waiting for me to paint her toes. She was more than happy to sit still to let the polish dry. I think she would of sat there for an hour if I told her to!!!

A day at Port Townsend

2010-09-26T19:10:00.003-08:00

Teslin hanging out with Grandpa.

Walking with Grandpa.

Kenze checking out the wooden boats.

We spend the day at Port Townsend a couple of weeks ago. The weather was perfect for walking around the coastal town. We only went into a couple of shops. I figured that I could go spend time in them when I'm not with the grandbabies.

Foggy Seattle and Sewing Room

2010-08-16T10:10:00.002-08:00

My sewing room is back in commission again. I had packed it up before we headed off to Ak so I had to unpack as soon as we got back. The only thing missing is the cord and foot pedal for the sewing machine. :) Jim had packed and mailed them from Alaska without me knowing. (big mistake) :)
Went to Seattle the other morning in the fog on the ferry. I tried to capture the towering cranes hiding in the fog. You can enlarge the photo to barely see them. The day was special having a wonderful day in Seattle with some dear friends.

2010-08-07T20:05:00.002-08:00

Jim, near the summit of Arctic Valley trail. It was a fairly steep trail with LOTS of beautiful flora!!!!

This photo doesn't do much justice for these beauties.

Here Jim is at the summit, although there was more rugged area to climb. We were just happy to have made it to where we did. :) It was pretty chilly up there--brrrr
Here is looking down at the main camp at the Independence Mining Camp at Hatcher Pass. Jim and I climbed all around and up into the fog.

Finished quilt

2010-08-03T11:00:00.003-08:00

Front and backing together

Finished product---almost finished--I still have to do the binding.

BUSY at work!

This is the pattern that I quilted on the quilt.

All rolled up, ready for quilting.

You can sort of see the design quilted.

I was in a rush when I posted these photos so they aren't in order. I'm just glad that this project is finished.

Some photos of our Alaskan summer

2010-07-19T11:03:00.003-08:00

You can vaguely see the oil terminal across the bay in Valdez. It was quite a site to see. We drove as close as we could but didn't take any photos.

Jim and I took a short hike at Sheep Mountain. It was such a beautiful day for a drive and hike.
We went to Valdez Glacier, it was foggy and erie but I wanted to touch the ice but didn't want to bend over I decided to at least touch it with my foot. :)
Here you can see the sea lions dining on the pink salmon at a dammed up area in Valdez. The seals were on the outskirts waiting for their turn.
With the fog lying so low in the bay, I couldn't help but try and capture some of the eerie scenes in Valdez.

This is a float plane either taking off or landing at Hood Lake.

Jim walking on the Thunderbird Falls trail--about a mile in from the trail head. Very gentle for the most part.

Some Devil's Club along the trail. It was so beautiful and lush green.

Times of Fun

2010-06-24T14:52:00.003-08:00

Mackenzie was enjoying her umbrella on the deck. And I just couldn't pass up these photos of Teslin the "firebaby"!

Black and white quilt

2010-06-17T09:27:00.004-08:00

I am posting this photo so that Glennora could see the pattern I used for this quilt. I am planning on quilting it very soon. :) (that has been the case for over a year now) Julie is quite tired of hearing me say that, I'm sure. :)

babies!!!

2010-06-01T20:10:00.000-08:00

See who can get there first!

I love you, brother!

I think this is the CUTEST picture!

Fun times together

2010-06-01T19:18:00.000-08:00

Who said that I couldn't sit still for a photo op? :)

Ballerina time!

Reading time!

I'm going to play it safe back here. :)

Jim's Birthday Party

2010-06-01T17:29:00.000-08:00

special visitors!!

2010-05-31T09:17:00.005-08:00

I love you!

Let me see, I think this would look better on me--don't you think?

Life is good!

Mackenzie drew a penguin for us to enjoy!

Playing tag with Uncle Kenny is the BESTEST!!!

We had so much fun singing karoake with Aunty Marlene. James III soaked the mic, so I think she is going to have to get a new one.

Waaaaa, I want to sing karoake too!

Grandbabies

2010-05-18T17:24:00.004-08:00

Seattle welcomed the family with fabulous weather!

Sharing with 2nd cousins, James and Nick (my niece, Summer's baby)

Picnicking at the park by the zoo.

Jordan's graduation from the University of Alaska

2010-05-12T09:38:00.005-08:00

Jordan graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage on May 2 2010. Here he is filing in along side one of the ushers that showed the grads where to sit. There were over 2000 students who graduated that day.

Anxiously awaiting the earned diploma! (he had a fever, so the ceremony couldn't get over soon enough)

YEAH---diploma in hand. Barbara, his girlfriend also graduated-here she is making sure that her hat is still on! :)

Lots of confetti floating down for the celebration!!

Great work --- congratulations!!

College Graduation

2010-04-30T11:41:00.002-08:00

The time has come our youngest son, Jordan to graduate from the University of Alaska in Anchorage Ak. We are very proud of him and this accomplishment. Jim and I are flying out of Seattle this afternoon to celebrate with him and family and friends tomorrow night. The ceremony will be Sunday afternoon and it will be so exciting!!! Life is so good and with God it is very good!
Congratulations Jordan!
Will post photos after we get back home.

Mexican Food Night

2010-04-20T20:43:00.004-08:00

This is the end result of a LOT of work! I got this craving for Mexican food late in the afternoon and proceeded to go ahead with the idea. It didn't take me long to figure out that I would need help. I asked Jim to help and he agreed to it. I think he knew that dinner would be at midnight if he didn't pitch in. :) Any ways his help was greatly appreciated even if he goofed off pretending that we could be doing a reality cooking show! :) So, we ended up with Spanish rice, chili rellenos and beef fajitas! I made homemade tortillas and guacamole. The cilantro was a super addition to the flavors. We were both delighted with the outcome of this meal.

Guacamole, not my usual recipe but it turned out pretty tasty.

The whipped egg yolks with flour all ready to mix in with the egg whites for the chili rellenos. I used pablano chilis and I will definitely use them again--they had fabulous flavor.

The egg whites turned out so fluffy!

Garage Sale

2010-04-19T08:31:00.002-08:00

We had a garage sale on Saturday and many people went away very happy!!! We are selling most all of my husband's late mother's treasures. It is a part of life and needed to get done. It is so much work getting everything unpacked and priced. The part that I enjoy about having a garage sale is being able to chat with the people who come to the sale. Since we are new to the community, it is a way to get to know some of the people here. We have a lot more to sell and hopefully I can set up again and the weather cooperates so we can have a sale again this weekend. Wish us luck!! :)

Safe trip!!

2010-04-11T19:39:00.002-08:00

I want to take this time to thank God for the safe and fabulous trip we took to Phoenix and back. We flew down on Monday and started driving up on Thursday. We got home Saturday evening at 11:30, very tired.
The weather in Phoenix was fabulous--everyone there seemed to be dreading the next few months of hot temperatures! Well, it had rained there quite a bit lately and it showed! The grass was green, the cactus was in bloom and so was anything else that was growing-it just blessed my soul to see the beauty. Seeing the desert in bloom all the way up the sides of the "mountains" was just lovely!
The purpose of this trip was to go and take care of my husband's mother's estate. We packed up the moving truck in a couple of hours on Wednesday and did some shopping. We stayed with our dear "roommates". (Our cousin's, the Becks) They gave us some juice oranges to bring home with us which make the SWEETEST fresh squeezed orange juice.
Off we went on Thursday morning. We drove over to California--the beauty of the scenery and the weather were just plain delightful. The sight that blessed my soul the most was seeing the palm trees swaying in the breeze---just raising their arms in praise to God!! We drove thru the farmland (breadbasket of America), that is a sight to behold. You can also see the results of corrupt politics out in the farmland. Speaking of politics: we saw miles and miles of wind mills and I would venture to say that only about 1/4th of the wind mills were working. It is an amazing ugly sight to say the least. I don't think they can hire enough workers to fix them all. No wonder the state of California is broke, just wait and see what they are going to do to fuel all the cars that are battery operated. (which need electricity, btw, not to mention the rare earth metals needed for those vehicles, that need to be stripped from the earth)
Enough of that, the trip just had to have something to bring me back to earth!
I just can't say enough of the beauty of the trip: northern Ca was beautiful, Oregon was fabulous, going up in the passes was amazing, the foliage was all budding. We got into Washington in the dark so I wasn't able to enjoy the beauty except to see the water when we went over the bridges. Well, we got home safe and sound and soooo thankful to have my own bed to sleep in. We are BLESSED-thank you God for blessing my little soul.

Easter!!!!---2010

2010-04-04T20:04:00.004-08:00

We had a fun day today. Going to church to be with our church family then coming home to a dinner with our dear family and some of their friends. As you can tell, Mackenzie just loves me so much and I get so thrilled about that. Teslin gets sooo excited when she sees me but I think she gets more excited about seeing her grandpa--she just squeals with delight when she sees him!
This has been a wonderful day--I love Easter and the hope that it brings because of Christ's resurrection!

HAPPY EASTER!!

2010-04-03T21:22:00.006-08:00

Making kulich for Easter. Mackenzie was the main taster for the baking session--I guess she always is. :)

Teslin was so happy to be part of the preparations.

I hope there are enough sprinkles on this one!

Mt Rainer

2010-03-25T12:40:00.003-08:00

This photo was taken while we were driving, I couldn't believe that it turned out so well. It was taken while we were driving down from Paradise on Mt Rainer. It is a beautiful drive up 5400 feet on the mt.

Here at Paradise you can see how much snow is still up there plus, you get to see the mountain!! It is a sight to behold. It was in the 60's at sea level that day so I guess it was about in the 40's up at Paradise. Anyway, I was just so blessed to be up there enjoying one of God's masterpieces!

cookies for Jonny and Jami

2010-03-14T14:23:00.004-08:00

Springy cookies for Jonny and Jami's 5th wedding anniversary. Sorry, but you really cant make out the green glitter I put on the cookies--it just adds a whole different look to the cookies. Happy Anniversary, Jonny and Jami!!

Time with grandma JoJo

2010-03-13T14:18:00.004-09:00

I just love spending a few hours with grandma---she smothers me with hugs and kisses!!

Grandma will make just about anything for me, I love twirly long skirts!!

Hiking

2010-03-09T16:34:00.003-09:00

Our little scientist checking out the growth!!

Wearing grandma's scarf because of love!!

Guess who came along for the hike!

Technology

2010-03-05T06:14:00.002-09:00

Mackenzie is 3 years old and yesterday she showed me her "Cubbie" book that her leader had signed for her. She said, "Grandma, look, she "text" me." Took me a little while to figure out what she had just said!!
We took a walk yesterday and she was so excited about seeing "seed pods" lying on the street. "Look, I see "iPods", she said as she bent over to check them out---so needless to say, we saw a bunch of iPods on the street!!

My sewing nook

2010-03-04T08:33:00.003-09:00

This is where I enjoy spending time (and money I must add) :).

The Dress, finally

2010-02-21T12:47:00.006-09:00

Mackenzie and her wedding dress!! James III with Valentine balloon! And last but not lease baby Skylar looking lovely!

My Valentine Cookie decorator helper!

2010-02-12T07:18:00.004-09:00

As you can tell, the frosting tasted pretty good!!!

The many faces of Skylar!! ((hugs))

2010-02-09T13:25:00.003-09:00

These are photos of Skylar that were taken while I was in Florida. She was 3 1/2 months old. She is sooo scrumptous!! I love the funny face she has on the lower left hand side with her lips all puckered up!!

Love this saying!

2010-02-04T08:42:00.002-09:00

I just had to share this saying today:

Every evening I turn my worries over to God. He's going to be up all night anyway. By Mary C. Crowly

I just love this saying--made me chuckle when I read it. I can't really say that is what I do at times. At times I'm up all night thinking that I should try and keep God awake also---in all reality, I'm wasting my time and effort! But I'm just a human and thankfully, God knows that and is so gracious!

Hollywood Beach fun

2010-01-30T12:28:00.003-09:00

James III had so much fun in the water fountain with his blue bucket and cup. The water was cold but as you know it doesn't bother the little ones. His mom stayed clear of the splashing water, so did Skylar and me. :) We went down to the beach and I had to work hard on keeping James III from going all the way in. The water is shallow for a couple of feet and then drops to where he would go under. He had a good time with the waves splashing on him, though.

James III and Skylar

2010-01-27T03:44:00.005-09:00

These photos were taken on Sunday. James III was the life of the party---he's pretty much like his dad!

Time with the grandbabies in Florida

2010-01-26T04:00:00.003-09:00

I think, I'm captured!

Such a clean diner!

I think I have some cheeks!

Dad thinks it's funny but I'm just going to enjoy my view from here.

As you can see, I'm having a wonderful time here in Florida with the family. The babies are so precious and delightful. I must say though, that James III looks older than his 22 months but I guess it just goes along with his brightness. :)

With Family in Florida

2010-01-22T10:34:00.002-09:00

I flew to Miami yesterday to stay with my oldest son, James and his family. It was about a 6 hour flight from Seattle. Flying directly down here from Alaska was a LONG trip, so this feels real good!! We were out and about this am and back home for a nap with the babies while mom goes out to get her nails done. I will be posting photos as soon as a get a few more. This is the first time that I've seen baby Skylar. She was giggling for me last night and cooing--she has a low voice. James III was so excited about seeing me this am when he got up. My goodness, they are beautiful!

LIGHTS OUT!!

2010-01-18T12:08:00.002-09:00

Last night about 9:30 we had a power outage in our area most likely because of the high winds in the area. The funny thing was that I had just gone into my walk in closet to look for a scarf that was stored away and I had to shut the closet door to get to the box. While in there I had a fleeting thought that -- I hope the power doesn't go out on me cause my hubby was down stairs and I'm closed in, in this closet. Well, guess what???? The power went out and it was PITCH BLACK!! I calmly got out of the closet and carefully went to my husbands side of the bed where I knew he keeps a flashlight. What a relief! In the mean time I had just found the long missed scarf just as the lights went out.
My hubby and I meet in the kitchen and find the matches and candles and lit a few and got a few things done before we headed of to bed. I took the battery operated camera into the bedroom with us and got ready for bed and tuned the radio to a station that came in clearly---that was all I wanted--clear reception. There is nothing like trying to listen to the radio and having a lot of static! Low and behold, I hear the music that belongs to the program, "Unshackled"!! So my hubby and I laid in bed with candle light listening to a wonderful testimony on how the Lord worked in the life of Saylor (not sure of spelling).
After the story I blew out the candles and listened to the wind HOWLING thru the trees. The lights went on and off a couple of times during the night. The best thing is that the wind has calmed down and I will hopefully get a good nights sleep tonight.

The big reveal!!!

2010-01-14T10:32:00.003-09:00

So sorry that there isn't a model for the dress today. She is at home sick and since I'm planning on a trip to Florida next week, I'm going to stay away from her.
The story on the dress:
I was soooo delighted when I saw this fabric at Joann's and promptly bought it. I had seen something very similar at Donna's in Soldotna and asked Donna about it and she said that she had had it for a number of years and was using it as decoration in her store. After hearing that I figured that I better just enjoy looking at it in her shop. :) It was some time after that when I spotted this at Joann's. It has been in my stash waiting to be used and I think I found a great use for it.
Well, the other day Mackenzie said, "Grandma, I want you to make a dress for me", and proceeded to give me all the specs for it including the fact that it had to be deep!! She bent over to touch the floor so I figured that she needed it long. Then she said, "Could you go and knit it for me now?" I laughed and told her that I would love to make a deep dress for her but I would have to sew it. She agreed to it.
I worked all afternoon on Tuesday and finished it other than the sleeves and buttons. When we finished dinner that evening, I told Mackenzie that I had a surprise for her in my bedroom. You should of seen her eyes when she saw the dress--PRICELESS!!
She walks around saying that this is her wedding dress!
I will post a photo of her modeling the dress soon.

Fabric!!!!!

2010-01-11T19:54:00.002-09:00

I am guilty of having a "BIG" collection of fabric and I must say that I'm glad that I have the stash!!!! Today I got out a fabulous piece and made something. I have a passion for creating and sewing. I have posted a photo of the special fabric and you can guess what I made. :) I will let you know in a couple of days what the item is and the story behind it!!

Happy New Year

2010-01-07T20:24:00.005-09:00

We had a blessed Christmas with family. Jordan came down from Alaska to spend time with us. Julie and Drew were busy starting up their new business but we were able to have a good time together with them and the babies!!
Now it is on to a new year and I pray God's blessing on you.
Enjoy the photos of the families here, Florida and Jonathan and Jami skating with her family in Michigan.

Grandbabies!!

2009-12-11T21:20:00.003-09:00

Here are my precious little grandbabies. Princess Mackenzie-3 years ols, James III-20 months old, Teslin-9 weeks old and Skylar-7 weeks old.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-05T16:39:00.003-09:00

Merry Christmas!
Jim and I moved to Poulsbo, Washington to be close to Julie, Drew, Mackenzie and baby Teslin. We are delighted and blessed to be here close to the grandbabies and hope that more family will move to be closer to all of us. :)

James, CJ, James III and Skylar (the newest member of the family) are doing well in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Jonathan and Jami are still in New York City living a much too stressful life for me, but they are way younger than me. :) Jordan is hopefully going to finish school in Alaska this coming May!!

This has been an eventful year for us. Jim and I rented a huge log fishing lodge this past winter in Soldotna where we lived 4 days a week. The other 3 days were spent in Anchorage at a condo we rented and Jordan stayed with us while he attended University of Alaska. Our 3 hour one way drives each weekend were mostly very eventful. I was praying most of the time with my eyes wide open helping the Lord guide Jim as he drove in whiteout conditions or icy roads! :) Jim worked at the Tesoro refinery the four days a week and I did substitute teacher aide/tutor jobs for kindergarten through high school. I also enjoyed sewing and visiting with friends at a sewing group in Soldotna while there. My cousin, Barbara and her husband live in Soldotna so she and I got together quite often to visit and sew. We certainly have a lot to be thankful for, especially for the safety of traveling the dangerous highway twice each week.

We took a few trips to Phoenix to be with Jim's mother. She was very close to death a few times but amazingly pulled through each time!! We feel real blessed that Melanie and her family took such wonderful loving care of Mel. Mel peacefully passed away on October 31st just 3 days shy of turning 93 years old. Obviously, no one can take her place but God sent us two beautiful grandaughters in October to bless us. God is so good.

Jim retired from Tesoro the end of August so that we could move down to the Seattle area. It has been an adjustment for both of us and I think it will take some time for us to get used to our new life down here.

You can scroll through the months of posts to see photos of our growing family.

We have had a lot of company of family and friends since we moved here, please feel free to come and spend time with us or just stay with us and take in all that the Seattle area has to offer.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Jim and Joanne

Shopping in Seattle

2009-11-27T07:12:00.000-09:00

Ok, on this "biggest shopping day of the year", I stayed home! Actually, I was sick so I stayed home and did internet shopping. My have to say that in the past I have had so many fun shopping days after Thanksgiving. My best memory happened about 3 years ago. The whole family was together in a vacation home that we rented in Edmonds. We got up early and headed out in the 15 passenger van for the shopping experience. We thanked God that James knew how to maneuver this vehicle while in crowded parking lots! In a nutshell---we had a blast together! (and after it was all said and done--I ended up splurging on a pair of turquoise high heels, I have my daughter in laws to blame for them--but, I have used them for many occasions!)
So with this all in mind and since I didn't get to shop today, I decided that I would share the shopping experience I had with my sister Shirlee about a month ago in the Seattle area--enjoy! (I only wish that I had a photo journal of this experience) :)

On Tuesday morning Jim dropped me off at the ferry on Bainbridge Island and I headed off to Seattle to meet my sister Shirlee who is visiting from Alaska. She met me at the ferry dock and we took off in a very nice suv taxi to shop at the South Center shopping mall. We had such a fun time running from one store to another. After a few hours we got a number of heavy bags to carry so we took a coffee break and Shirlee said that she would need a suitcase for all of her goodies. So she took off down the mall and I thought that , Hey, I could probably use one also. So I yelled out to her, "Get two for one!" Anyway, I just made a big scene and she didn't hear what I had to say. She came back with this fabulous case on wheels that just scoots along with no effort. She packed that thing and we continued with our shopping experience!

While we were in a small shop one of the workers told us that if we spent more than $300.00 in receipts at the mall we could get a $20.00 card for a meal at one of the restaurants at the mall. Well, we were all over that. So we go to the concierge desk and get the cards and asked him if he would get us a cab after we ate. He encouraged us to take a bus downtown. We thought of all the money we were going to save by taking the bus!!!!!

We trucked the wonderful suitcase on wheels and my bags across the parking lot to the Bahama Breeze restaurant and had a fabulous dinner! Then we trucked the goodies back to the mall for last minute purchases before we had to truck back across the parking lot to the bus stop. It was dark by this time and we stood at the bus stop for a good 15 minutes and weren't too happy with the company we were in so we discussed the possibility that we weren't at the right bus stop. So we ran up the hill with our heavy loads and across the street to another bus stop and waited for a good 15 more minutes!!! We scrambled onto the bus lugging our loads and paid our dues and tried not to knock anyone out with our bags while finding a choice seat---which happened to be where the bus bends while taking turns!!!

This was quite the experience being on the bus but little did we know how much better it would be when we got downtown!!!!! The buses go underground downtown. (I had mentioned to Jim about a year ago that I thought that the buses must go underground because we didn't see many at all on the streets) The bus stops looked very nice down there but knowing that I was underground started to freak me out. After about 5 stops I just about lost it--I was ready to jump out at any stop and just get above ground but luckily our stop came and we scrambled out the best we could with our loads and after 2 flights on the escalator we saw sky! WHEW! NEVER again----not the shopping mind you but taking the bus at night downtown!!!

We hiked up the street about a block to Shirlee's hotel and I got a cab that took me DOWN to the ferry for a lovely trip across the water to Bainbridge Island where Jim picked me and my packages up!! I was so happy that I had been working out for a few days!!

There is nothing like a shopping day with my sister Shirlee!! I think both our husbands would agree to that!! :)

PS. OK, for serious shopping you need to wear the correct shoes! I wore my Sanitas which saved the day! Shirlee on the other hand wore the cutest flats that are just that! She did very well until about 3:00 but she persevered with more shopping because that was the main reason we were at the mall!! I am amazed that she was able to climb up the hill to the right bus stop after all the running around that we did. You know the song, "These Boots are Made for Walking"?---well, anyway, she might want to consider wearing boots for the next serious shopping trip!!! :)

One life for two

2009-11-11T15:03:00.003-09:00

This has been a very "busy" (I don't really want to use that word but I can't think of an appropriate word for what I want to convey-maybe it will come to me later) fall for our family.

We move from Alaska in September. Jim and I drive down the highway to the Seattle area to live close to our daughter and her growing family. We no sooner get our shipment of housing goods and we are off to Phoenix to spend time with Jim's mother. We spend a little over a week with her and we rent a vehicle to take stuff up to Washington state with us. It was a lovely and long drive. A few days later our granddaughter Teslin was born. We were just getting used to having another grandbaby around then granddaughter, Skylar was born in Florida eleven days after Teslin. They are sort of cousin "twins". :) Skylar was supposed to be born October 31st! God picked October 31st to take Mel, Jim's mother, to heaven. She lived a full life and died 3 days shy of turning 91 years old. Her legacy will go on thru her growing family! God blessed her with a long life. She accomplished many things including travel abroad to many countries, She was a blessing to all who met her.

So our family lost one dear family member but was blessed by the arrival of two. God has such a wonderful way of keeping families going and growing. He is the one who came up with the original "family plan".

Jim and I are still in Arizona because Jim ended up with pheumonia. We are hoping to get back up to the Seattle area in a couple of days-the 17th of November, just in time for visiting family members and visiting friends.

family updates

2009-10-31T08:34:00.002-08:00

Mackenzie loves to write lists so one day she was writing one and asking me what I needed on the list. She was writing things down and before I knew it, she said that she had drawn a picture of herself. I was totally surprised at what she had drawn. So I needed to share it. I think she was confused and put her grandpa Jim's hairdo on herself. :) I love the toes!

Baby Skylar is born!!

2009-10-28T06:55:00.004-08:00

I posted these photos in a small display mainly because when I tried to post the days after Skylar's birth I was getting fuzzy photos and I didn't like them. So this am when I did the post I figured I would try the small photos. (obviously I was ticked off by this problem) You can click on them for a larger photo and hopefully, you will get a clear picture. Enjoy!
Here is big brother, James III. This photo was taken the day before the big event. He was so thrilled to see so many pumpkins in one place!Baby Skylar was born on October 19th. She was safely delivered at an unplanned home delivery. Dad tried to persuade Mom to get to the hospital at the last minute but that didn't happen! It all happened so very fast and we are so thankful that all are doing well. Skylar is a little angel baby.

Teslin Mae arrives!!

2009-10-13T21:11:00.003-08:00

Beautiful Teslin Mae arrived on October 8th. She weighed 7 lbs 9 oz. As you can see, her big sister Mackenzie things she is pretty cool. All are doing well and grandma and grandpa are soooo delighted to be able to be around to enjoy special moments with the family.

Still traveling

2009-09-16T10:14:00.003-08:00

Well, of course I had to share these photos of Mackenzie. She loves shoes--I think she takes after her grandma JoJo! My sister, Bonnie gave her money to buy shoes for her 3rd birthday and Mackenzie chose the tap shoes. She is learning how to tap using "youtube". Last week while we all were at the dinner table, Mackenzie's dad asked her a question and she told him that she couldn't answer the question because she was invisible. The things she comes up with are way to funny. As you can see from one photo, she used the guitar as a violin and sang along with the tune playing, La Cucaracha, using her own words of course but kept on tune!
Jim and are in Phoenix for the week. I thought we would come to very comfy temps but believe it or not it is gradually getting hotter this week--up to 105 on Tuesday when we leave. Hey, I'm not complaining, I get to get out of here to a more moderate climate. We are here spending time with Jim's mom. Her end of life is approaching but she is comfortable and is cared for very well. We sang, "Jesus Loves Me" with her last night and she amazingly was able to sing along. Not for the whole song but she did very well considering the fact that she is hooked up to oxygen all of the time. She was also able to help Jim with John 3:16. :)

A Quiet Book

2009-08-20T06:34:00.006-08:00

I made a quiet book this past winter for my grandbaby boy. I sent it to him for his first birthday. The challenging part of this project was in finding the right fabric for each page but it was a fun project.

Who is this again?

2009-08-06T09:05:00.004-08:00

Mackenzie loves her shoes!! Here she is posing with her new bed that she loves!
Here we are at a fun time at the Pikes Place market.

Posing with Baby James!

Miss Mackenzie

2009-07-30T21:58:00.006-08:00

Mackenzie couldn't wait for her 3rd birthday party to begin!! She and her guests had a FUN time, her mom and I did also. With it being so hot outside, we were lucky that she decided to wear her tutu at least.

We got Mackenzie this high chair for her "Baby James" doll. She was so delighted to get it. We were at a lake this evening and she got chilled so she had on this jacket. It was slightly cooler at under 100 degrees today!
Mackenzie has been enjoying the heatwave by wearing the "bare" essentials. :) At least she had on the tutu that I made especially for her.

She loves to shop!

My fisherman son

2009-07-24T20:53:00.004-08:00

Jordan is lying down on the job! The halibut measured 90 inches. YUMMMMMMM! Jordan did commercial halibut fishing for about 6 weeks this summer on my brother Kenny's boat, the Shonna Jacole.

Basket weaving

2009-07-17T07:03:00.004-08:00

Here are a couple of photos of my first attempts at basket weaving. I attended the Aleut Culture Camp and learned the Attu style of basket weaving. This basket is tiny and it is tedious work. I have come to a great appreciation of my ancestors workmanship at this skill. It is amazing, the work that they had done, especially the weaving of mats-totally unbelievable. I started this basket a week ago and haven't had much time to work on it.
I had been busy with teaching a 2nd grade boys class at Vacation Bible School. There was an average of 700 kids each night in attendance! It was a sight to behold with high volume and activity levels!!! I had a class of 12 boys and it was such a great experience. I had 3 EXCELLENT helpers!!! I think the boys had a lot of fun. I must say that just before the VBS started I got a little scared, wondering what I was going to do with a bunch of 2nd grade boys but we all had a great time. The secret is being prepared with non stop activity. A lot of prayer went into it also, which I believe was the most important aspect of the successfulness of the week. I thank the Lord for blessing me with the helpers, students, and results.

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-04T21:19:00.004-08:00

Happy 4th of July. My hubby and I and my brother spent the 4th of July together. We had a very nice breakfast at the Noisy Goose restaurant in Palmer then we went up to the Independence Mine up at Hatcher Pass. We hiked up to an alpine lake. I had not hiked in a long time and this hike up the side of the mountain wasn't too long. Actually, going up wasn't as bad as going down. I must admit though, that I was glad to get to the top but very apprehensive about going down. It was steep and we had to climb some huge rocks. I just got freaked out about the whole thing. After it was all said and done, I feel like I conquered this fear that I had.
After our hike we went into Wasilla to find a place to eat an early dinner. Well, we found a place that fit the bill and had a wonderful meal out on the deck where we watched the boats, jet skis, and people playing in the water. It was very enjoyable. The most fun thing though, was the snow machine that we heard heading to the water on the gravel boat ramp!!! It raced toward the water and flew over the top of the water for about 5 minutes as he successfully ran around and came aground with no problem.

Birthday celebration

2009-07-03T21:48:00.000-08:00

My sister in law, Marlene, turned 5o (that's what the birth certificate says but we all think she looks 29) on the 3rd of July, so I got a "fireworks" party together! I had to put SOME black in the mix so I found these black silk flowers and leaves to decorate these sugar cookies.

start of quilt

2009-06-29T21:03:00.003-08:00

I'm in the process of piecing together a quilt for my daughter and her husband. It's going to be their anniversary present this August. I think I will probably get it done.
Living in a condo and having no outside duties I will have the time to work on it. I will, of course, spent ample time outdoors. I have a couple of outdoor walks that I enjoy, mostly during the evening.

James III's First birthday party

2009-06-13T09:28:00.003-08:00

The happy family, expecting a baby girl in October!!

One happy little guy--YEAH, he knows where his head is!!!

YUMMY!

Day at the Beach

2009-05-30T08:48:00.002-08:00

What a beautiful day to be at the beach with the family. Jim wasn't feeling very well but good enough to pretend that he was a javelin thrower. :) Julie is looking pregnant, 4 more months to go. Drew did all the cooking-yummy chicken kabobs and corn on the cob!

Mackenzie May 09

2009-05-28T21:54:00.003-08:00

Mackenzie watching the mixer mix the dough for the pita bread we made together.
Look at her tippy toes!

Mackenzie and me on her "magic carpet"!!

Our shopping trip to Target.

Two baby girls!!

2009-05-21T12:08:00.002-08:00

I have to announce with joy and happiness: Jim and I will be the proud grandparents of two baby girls in October. Julie and Drew are expecting Oct 5 and James and CJ are expecting Oct 30. So it will almost like having twins in the family!!
We are now in Poulsbo, WA. (in the Seattle area) with the family and having a blast with Mackenzie. She cracked us up today when we took her to the park. She spoke into a speaker and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to say." Too funny. She will be 3 in August. It is much cooler here than the 100+ temps in AZ. Both places are so beautiful.