Sunday, August 28, 2011

Tea Party

On Friday afternoon after a very busy first week of school that was also extremely HOT (with temps in the high 90's because of a broken AC Unit at school), I decided to take the grandkids to the park for a tea party. They needed to get out of the house and I needed to relax so I grabbed the tea set, a quilt, the grandkids, a few goodies and some very cold water to keep us cool.


The kids brought along their stuffed pets to join in the fun.


The grandkids really had fun eating snacks
and drinking water from our tea cups.


Animal Cookies at Number One!!!
Yummy!


Don't you just love the head tilt?
I just adore this little sweetie pie!


Don't you just love the miniature bridge?
It's actually my favorite part of our neighborhood park!


I don't know how I captured this picture.
My grandchildren are in perpetual motion.
They never seem to sit still!



I love the precious look on his face.
He starts kindergarten on Tuesday and we are all super excited!!!


Have a great week!!!!

Monday, August 22, 2011

First & Last

It's hard for me to believe that it's the FIRST day of 7th grade for my LAST child and it's the LAST day of Summer before my FIRST day of School tomorrow.

Where we live the 7th graders have a day all to themselves before joining with the 8th and 9th graders on Wednesday. I think it's a great idea so they can all get started without the pressure of the older kids. They get to find their lockers, their classes and have lunch with their old friends and their new friends.

As you can see from the pictures Kenna is a bit nervous and anxious. I was happy that she went to sleep before midnight and seemed to keep it together. This morning she was pretty nervous but did a great job getting ready early and off to school on time.

She wanted me to hurry and take pictures before she left
but, I only got a few because she was so nervous.

It was sweet walking with her up our hill to the light by the corner.
I will miss walking into school each day holding her hand.
That thought made me cry inside.
I was staying strong myself!

She's my babe!

I stood at the corner watching her run off to school.
ALL by HERSELF!!!

Tears started welling up in my eyes. . .
but, I was felling extremely happy because. . .

This is a Monumental, BIG HUGE Step for Kenna!
Makes me PROUD!

Well, I'm headed downstairs to get in some sewing on my LAST DAY of SUMMER!!

By the way. . .
Where did all the time go?????

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Quilt Lover's Heart Winner

And the Winner is. . .

Anne from Anne Writes Here said:

"What wonderful women they were. My late mother was much like yours. She was always helping people. She loved children and the elderly. My mom died in 1995 at the age of 63. I miss her every day.

I phoned my sister and my dear mother-in-law and told them how much they mean to me!

Thanks for hosting such a wonderful giveaway."

Anne just send me an email and let me know your mailing address. Congrats!!!!

I want to THANK everyone for entering the giveaway and tell you how much I enjoyed reading all of the comments about your mothers, your sisters, your aunts, your friends, and those that you love. It especially touched my heart how many of you who have lost your mother's and how much you miss your mother's. They will always have a place in our hearts and I'm grateful for the women in my life who provide a shoulder to cry on, a kind word, and a comforting hug whenever I need it. They are always there!

We as women have the privilege and capability of comforting and lifting and blessing each other's lives through serving our families and those in the circle of our day to day lives.

Since every day is Mother's Day I wanted to share this heart warming video of young people talking about their mother's and wishing them a Happy Mother's Day.




Here's another video on Marriage called:

"Expressions of Love"
I really enjoyed watching this video!

Sunday, August 14, 2011

One Day • Two Days


In ONE DAY we are welcoming HOME, our daughter, Ariel from New Zealand for the 2nd time. She loved it so much when she went last year that she saved her money and went again, although, this time was different!! I can't say much because I'll get in trouble but, I will say that I'm sure she'll be going back soon! Very soon!!!

I can hardly wait to see her and we are all SUPER EXCITED to pick her up at the airport tomorrow night!!!! Yippee!!!

We will have her home for 8 days before she heads off to graduate school in Washington state. I will be crazy busy these next 8 days spending time with family and getting ready for school and helping Ariel pack her car with the things she'll need for the next 2 years of school. I really miss my kids when they are gone!!! Don't you? At least she will be closer than New Zealand. lol.

Now, Just a REMINDER that in TWO DAYS I will be picking the winner of the QUILT LOVER's HEART so, you'll want to make sure and leave a comment on my last blog post.

Go HERE to leave a comment.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Quilt Lover's Heart Giveaway

Today we are going to have a very Special Giveaway and as part of the Giveaway David and I will "PAY TRIBUTE" to our Mother's and CELEBRATE their LIVES by sharing bits and pieces from Dorothy and Adelaide's lives.

This is a long post but it will be worth it in the end. Thanks for reading!


(Left) Dorothy Mary Repia McKenzie Buss (February 1935-September 1992)

My mother was born in Maromaku, New Zealand in February of 1935 (North Island) born to Murdoch McKenzie and Isabella Heperi. She was the 2nd girl and 3rd child in their family. She followed in her older sister's footsteps and graduated with honor's from Nursing School. My mother met my father while he was serving an LDS mission for our church there in New Zealand. After his return to America he kept in contact with her and eventually proposed. Six months later she moved to America and eventually naturalized and became a citizen of the United States of America.

In December of 1957 my parents were married in Salt Lake City, Utah. Less than 2 years later they had to move back to Wisconsin to help his father on the farm because he had taken ill. During the 10 years they lived there my mother worked as a nurse and added 2 girls and 2 boys to their family.

In 1970 my mother received news that she had breast cancer at which time our family moved back to Utah where she received further treatment for cancer. During this time my mother continued working as a Registered Nurse at Utah Valley Hospital. It was amazing to me how many cancer patients she counseled and helped deal with their own mastectomies. My mother had a zest for life and loved people. One of my favorite memories from my childhood is remembering how she would bring people home that she had just met, either at work, the store, or the laundry mat. She didn't even know them but she soon learned that they needed help in some way and would bring them home for dinner. I was shy as a kid and remember being a bit embarrassed that she would openly approach people at the laundry mat. Our washing machine often broke which meant we'd have to go to the laundry mat. I think my mother loved it there because she loved helping people. I grew to admire this particular attribute that my mother possessed and have since tried to follow her example in my own life.

In September 1992 my mother's life on this earth ended after 3 weeks in intensive care resulting in complications from a routine surgery due to her intense medical history. It was her time to go and as a family we needed that time to figure it out and to let her move on. What a tender mercy from a loving Heavenly Father to feel such love and comfort at the time of her death and to reflect and to remember her life and how she lived it. Thanks Mom! I love you with all of my HEART!!!! She was very happy to be a grandmother and loved and adored each of her 8 grandchildren. We have since added 8 more grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren to her posterity.


(Right) Adelaide J. McNutt (Excerpt from David's mother's life history)

AMMA’S LIFE JOURNEY

January 15, 1999 -- My Birthday Party at David’s and Rosie’s Lovely Home

Now I am here 90 years old -- what has my journey of life been? My family has wanted me to write something about my past. After my parents died in the early ’30’s, I wished that I had asked them about their past.
When you are young, you don’t think about that -- so here I’ve written some highlights to share with you.
As I was thinking, it occurred to me that the number “9” appeared to be significant -- I was born 1909, I came to California in 1929, my husband Ronald died May 9th and my room number is 109, and now it is 1999.
I was born in a log house in Manitoba Canada. It was so cold that the bed linen froze to the wall, my Mother told me. 1903 my parents immigrated from Iceland with 5 children: 2 boys - 3 girls - one is my sister Thora here now 102 years. They home steaded in a farming community 12 miles from Lundar town and not too far from Lake Manitoba where they could fish. My Dad’s sister and family had come a few years before and helped my parents get started with mixed farming -- it was a period of hardship for a while getting settled, but later things got better and 3 more children were added now 4 girls and 4 boys, now 3 of us are left.
Mother was a busy lady. She baked bread in a wood stove, sewed clothes, knitted from the wool of the sheep -- socks, mitts and even long johns. She taught us sisters all facets of homemaking and how to knit and sew for the cold winters.
Sadly, we all had a limited education as finances were not available to send us away to school. My Dad was a carpenter and cabinet maker, so after a few years, with the help of sons and neighbors, a new frame house was built. All of us children had farm chores to do according to age -- I had to milk 1 cow before walking 3 miles to school and when the weather was bad and Mother didn’t let us go to school, I cried. We all helped with the gardening and during haying season.
Mother was a Lutheran and Dad a Unitarian. When I was small, they had church services in our home and when they sang hymns, I cried, it must have been too somber!
At the age of 13 I was confirmed in Icelandic in a Lutheran Church 3 miles from home and I have remained faithful, now over 50 years in 1st Lutheran in Glendale.
We left the farm in 1927. Mother and Dad moved to town. At the age of 16, I went to work as a house maid in a grain growing district and after 6 months I left and went to Winnipeg to learn hairdressing. In 1929 my sister Thora and I came to L.A. to visit our sister Kristine who had lived here with her husband for 5 years. We intended to return to Canada, but got work and stayed on.
I got my California license and worked in a beauty shop for 35 cents an hour. Later I got part-time work in a restaurant where I met Ronald my husband. I used to take the street car to work, but one night it was raining and Ron took me home in an old Maxwell car, I was so grateful I kissed him on the cheek!! That did it!!
Ron came from Nebraska, had been working in different coffee shops and I told him I couldn’t marry him til he had a secure job. So he rented a small lunch counter and we were married in 1933. He earned enough to prepay the house we were renting - a small rear house that cost $15 a month. We furnished it with second-hand furniture that cost $75. Then the big earthquake hit and we watched the front house lose its chimney.
However the counter failed -- it was depression time. Then he found a job as manager in a hamburger counter where he fried hamburgers in the front window where passers-by could watch. That was right in downtown L.A. at Broadway and 42nd street. There he made enough money to prepay the Doctor bill of $75.00 as I was expecting our first child - our daughter Gloria, who had curly dark hair and weighed 10 lb. Two years later, son Kenneth came, not quite that big -- then some tough years followed until ’43 we acquired the Martha Washington Restaurant without any down payment -- these were the war years, then our “bonus” baby-boy David was born. So now we were blessed with three beautiful children and business was good and now we were finally secure financially.
We sold the restaurant after 15 years of hard work -- soon Ron got a job with the IRS. It was ’58 when we drove to Annapolis to attend Kenneth’s graduation from the Naval Academy. We also enjoyed seeing Gloria graduate from Redlands University and David from Cal State L.A. So I’m proud of them and 7 grandchildren and extended family. And grateful to God for 58 years together with Ron.
I feel blessed in many ways and each day is a gift from God to be treasured from here on and at the present I am satisfied and happy among many friends at Windsor Manor.
So here I am by the grace of God and I am very thankful to HIM.

IN THE 12 1/2 YEARS SINCE SHE WROTE THIS, AMMA BECAME A GREAT-GRANDMOTHER 9 TIMES OVER. THE TENTH BABY IS DUE IN FEBRUARY AND WE ASSUME THAT THE BABY WILL ARRIVE WITH ANGEL KISSES FROM BOTH GREAT-GRANDMAS.

Now it's TIME for the GIVEAWAY
I was super excited when David told me he wanted to send me a Quilt Lover's Heart and I knew just what I wanted to do with it. So, I asked him if he wouldn't mind if I had a giveaway for all of my reader's. I really appreciate your wonderful comments and for checking in with me from time to time. Keep the comments coming. . . I love hearing from you!

Here's the Grand PRIZE
(1) Quilt Lover's Heart


Because this is a really really special giveaway I'm going to have to make everyone work a little bit but, remember that entering the giveaway is totally optional and you can do (1) request or all (5) requests for a maximum of (10) chances to win.

Here's what you need to do. . .

FIRST: I want you to write, call, or email your Mother and tell her how much you love and appreciate her. This counts for (1) entry. Now if she's passed on like our mom's then maybe you could call, write, or email your sister, your aunt, your grandmother, or even your best friend and then tell them how much you love them. This would be a SWEET way to spread the love.

SECOND: I want you to go to David's Website, look around, and then come back and leave me a separate comment telling me which heart is your favorite for another (1) entry. Click HERE and then once you're there click on the bottom bar of hearts that says Lover's Hearts.

THIRD: You can Blog, facebook, or twitter about the give away for another (1) entry. Just remember to come back and leave me another separate comment. Thanks for your help in spreading the news.

FOURTH: If you ARE or you BECOME a Follower of my blog leave another separate comment for another (1) entry.

FIFTH: Now, here's your BIG CHANCE. . . if you decide to make a purchase on David's Website you will be entered an additional (6) times. Just leave me (6) separate comments telling me you purchased any of his Lover's Hearts. I will then verify with David on purchases made. Think of this as your bonus chance to win a second heart that you could keep or give to a friend.

The Giveaway will be open until the 16th of August at midnight. I will then pick the winner through random.org the next day and post about it soon after.

GOOD Luck to EVERYONE!!!

Now go out and SPREAD the LOVE!!!!

Thanks for visiting!

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Quilt Lover's Heart

While I was on facebook recently my eye caught an ADVERTISEMENT for a Silver Heart. I LOVE Silver and I LOVE Hearts so when I saw the AD I had hit a button on my computer that would move my screen to the next page. When I finally got to the next page I hit the back arrow on the browser, hoping to still see the AD and sure enough, there it was! I was relieved!!!

I clicked on the AD and it took me to the website where I started looking at all of the wonderful SILVER HEARTS. I was SUPER EXCITED and even took the time to contact the artist by email hoping to get permission to share a few pictures from his website and to look into buying my own HEART. I told him that I wanted to do a blog post about his work and tell all of my Quilting Friends about the Quilt Lover's Heart. He happily gave me permission.

So, Let me introduce you. . .

David McNutt is an emeritus professor, graphic designer, painter, book author, jewelry designer and babysitting grandfather.

In 2003 his passion for art led him to create the Art Lover’s Heart® a sterling silver pendant that sells nationally in museum stores. This success led to his design of hearts containing words that reflect the passions of David’s family, friends and people around the world. The Family Lover’s Heart, Hope, Friends, Nature, Music, Peace, Dance and many other Lover’s Hearts. The perfect and unique gift or your lifetime personal treasure. (Bio taken from his Website).

It's been fun conversing back and forth through email (and now by phone) with David about his work and giving him lots of ideas for getting his designs out there to the thousands of women that quilt. I also learned that the Quilt Lover's Heart was inspired by the LOVE he has for his Mother and her passion for Quilting. His mother recently passed away at the age of 102 years old and I know how much he loves her. It's been fun sharing stories about our mothers.

We are joining hands in his first step into the quilt blogging world. So, please join me in welcoming David to my Blog. This is a trial run for David in checking out other avenues of advertising and selling his designs. I will also be keeping a permanent link on my sidebar so you will be able to come back and link to his website whenever you want.


For your information: Each heart has been designed by David using Sterling Silver that has been cast and hand-finished in the United States. The HEARTS come with either an 18" Sterling Silver Chain or a 7" Sterling Silver Bracelet in a black jewelry box and includes free shipping. I've provided links in this post or just click on the picture of the Quilt Heart above to go to his website, then click on the lower bar of pictures (on his website) to see the rest of his designs.

Get this. . . He also does custom work. That means I could get a silver heart with each of my grandchildren's names designed into a Silver Heart. How cool is that?

I hope you will take the time to visit his website and look at all of his wonderful works of art.

I will be posting a very special giveaway in the next few days.