Life..............

Dress A Girl Dress I made this week.  The top is crocheted by my daughter Karyn and I added the skirt.
This dress was sponsored for $15.00 about 20 minutes after I posted it on Face Book.  Thank you Katie Cunningham.

Dress A Girl dress I made last week.  I cut a toddlers T-shirt just 1.5 inches below the sleeve opening and added the skirt.  This dress was actually sponsored before it was made.
Thank you Claudia Cope

Looking North up the Swinomish Channel in LaConner Washington.  A sweet little town that is a delight to visit.

Looking South on the Swinomish Channel in LaConner Washington
The Rainbow bridge that crosses the channel in the background.

My Sister Jacque

A very favorite picture of my family.
Taken in December of 2011.  We knew Kris was sick and had a very short time left with us.

It seems once you fall out of the blogging groove, it can be difficult to get back in.  I am posting a few pictures of my life in recent days.  Of course they have been filled with caring for grandchildren and great grandchildren. I have squeezed in some sewing and spent one day cleaning my house with the help of my friend Rebecca.
My sister Jacque who is suffering from cancer has been at my house for the past week.  She generally lives in Seattle with one of her daughters. Last week she went to the hospital for a transfusion and they discovered she had pneumonia. After a couple of days in the hospital she came out here. This is the third time she has come and stayed a week with me because she has difficulty breathing in Seattle. She was very weak when she came out, but she seems to gain in strength. Having her here isn't any problem at all.  She can do most things for herself, spends her time in her bed or in the living room on the couch. The only added work is the small meals she needs through out the day. She will be returning to Seattle on Tuesday as she needs treatment again during the week. She was getting a bit stir crazy (a good sign) on Saturday so we took a drive North and West to the little village of LaConner.  It is a fun touristy town. It was a warm day and we took a very short walk along the shore of the Swinomish Channel. We both were pretty tired by the time we got home.
The web site for my Africa trip is up and running. http://www.netturtlestudios.com/evy/   I have about 100 dresses I need to take pictures of and get loaded onto the site. The sponsorship program is going very well.  Since I announced it in early August, I have received $1000.00 in sponsorship.  Only $14,000.00 to go. I will be doing a presentation at my church this coming Sunday.
I included the picture of my family because it makes me so happy every time I see it. The way we were. It was a happy bittersweet day.  Knowing we would never have a complete family photo done again and being together as an entire family having a great day together.

Lunch bags my daughter Gina and I made for her children.

One I made for the neighbor girl for her birthday.
Now I have one in process for granddaughter Olivia.  Can't make one for Kate and not for her.

Isabella not appreciating in any way taking a bath in Gramma's sink.

A bag I made my friend.

It folds flat and to about the size of the little brown pocket on the front so you can tuck it into your purse for when you go grocery shopping.

New couch.  You can see where I tuck my laptop when I am not using it too.

So, probably I should head to bed as I know I have another very busy week ahead of me this coming week too.  Gotta get some much needed rest.

I will leave you with...........................................................

The obligatory shot of Pepper.
She lost her perch on the big comfy green couch.  I tried to make her comfortable on the table but she will have nothing to do with it.

JULY 10, 1965

Today

Peek-a-boo toes.

The owner of those peek-a-boo toes.  Miss Isabella Katherine.

Napping on the couch while Gramma knits.

Jayce David showing Great Gramma he can almost stand alone. Mommy encouraging him.

Getting the hang of it. He even managed a couple of steps. Jayce will be one year old July 1.

I was in the Garden while the dew was still on the roses.

God gave us memories so we could have roses in January.

To day Miss Isabella and her big brother Darius spent the day with Gramma and Pops while their parents were at work. We started our day by going to Church. Stan and I go in separate cars because he stays afterwards for choir. Good thing today because Miss Isabella decided she did not want to be good. She and Gramma wound up going home mid service. Darius stayed with Pops which was good because we had a visiting Pastor and part of his service was a puppet show.  I enjoyed what I was able to see of it. Glad Darius got to see the entire show.
We really did not do anything special for the day. Stan does not like having a fuss made over him for any reason so I have quit trying. Took me lots of years because my family always loved to have parties and make a big deal out of things.
Miss Isabella's daddy has not been working for several weeks so he has stayed with the kids. Consequently, she does not like to stay with her Gramma. We had a pretty fussy day, even though the pictures do not depict that.  She is a nursed baby and does not take a bottle very well. It is a struggle to get her to take one at all. Since Daddy is back to work and will be busy all summer, including a job in Alaska, she will be getting used to spending time here. I am thinking I might need to get my stroller back from daughter Gina so we can do some outside time this summer.
After Miss Isabella and Darius left and I caught my second wind, Pepper and I went out for a walk around the block. She loves her walks. I just have to ask her if she wants to go and she nearly beats me down the stairs to the door. I have been so inactive all winter, my knees hurt constantly and my ankles are always swollen. It is a vicious circle, you become chronic because you are inactive and you are inactive because you are in constant pain. Stan and I are planning to take a trip to Southeastern Alaska in just two weeks. There will be lots of walking so I started trying to get some walking in to build my stamina. I was able to do one more block than usual tonight.
After I got home, my daughter Angie and her family came down for a few minutes. The live just 6 or 7 houses down the street from us. We got to enjoy watching Jayce practice standing up. He even went from sitting to standing twice on his own.  Of course with all of the cheers and encouragement, he was having a great time. I am sure he will be walking by the end of this week.
I also managed to squeeze in a few moments of knitting. Trying to get my special order hats done. I do not want to have them hanging over my head for too long.
Now it is time for me to do just a few more rows and head to bed. Four wonderful grands will be spending the day with Gramma tomorrow. I am sure it will be a very busy day.
Hope you all had a blessed day.

Wordless Wednesday

MY FAMILY

I found this post in my drafts. I never posted it, so I thought I would tonight.

Saves coming up with a new subject tonight.
Our Love Story

I do not know that I have the fireworks type of love story, but I will tell you how we met.

July 29, 1962

July 10, 1965

July 10, 1990

We were 15 years old when we met. I baby sat for his sister who lived about one mile from my family. She and her husband owned a bodyshop in Lynnwood, about 15 or 20 miles from my home. Stan worked in the shop for his sister and her husband. Whenever I was babysitting for her, she would tell Stan she wanted him to come home with her to meet her "cute" babysitter. The night he finally did, my sister was babysitting. She delights in telling me she met him first. I gently remind her that I was the one he asked out. Since we were still 15 years old, I was not yet allowed to date, so we would hang out at his sisters house, with her. On my 16th birthday we went out to dinner and actually were inseparable from then on.

At some point in our relationship we realized that we were going to get married. We were married the year we turned 19. He was 19 on June 1st, we married on July 10th and I turned 19 on July 29th. This year it is 48 years.

Stan and I have had a very good marriage. We have actually been together for 3/4 of our life. We have had some very rough times and equally good times. Today, we fit like a pair of comfortable shoes. We like each other, we enjoy one another's company and we do not have extreme expectations of one another.

By saying we like each other, I do not negate our love at all. I have known many people who love one another yet do not like them. We have the best of both.

A heads up to my daughters and son who read this, it is only  TWO years to the big one. Time to plan a great surprise for your mom and dad:)

There is much more to write about us and our relationship. Maybe some day I will do so, but right now, this is our "Love Story" in a nutshell.

December 17, 2011

Do you have a love story to share?

And in no special order

A few more pictures of our Saturday Photo Shoot.  It was such a fun day.  Do not think I will be posting all 102 pictures, but there are more I want to post at another date.

Kris, Joe and boys with Rebel
Daughter #3, Child #4

Tricia, Dave and Boys
Daughter #4, Child #5

Stan and I

Karyn, Jon and Boys
Daughter #1, Child #2

Gina, Sebastian and Family.  Looks like one was not too happy at the time.
Daughter #5, Child #6

Angie, David and Girls
Daughter # 2, Child #3

Bryan, Darla with three daughters and one son
Only son, Eldest Child.

My Husband and I at the Beach

In West Seattle

Today, the entire family

Went down to a park in West Seattle near the Fauntelroy Ferry dock.  We went with a professional photographer who spent about two hours with us taking tons of pictures.  Some candid and some posed.  We had a great time and I am sure there will be many pictures I will want.  My son in law shot a few behind him.  This is one Jon took.  All of my Grands.  You can click on the picture for a larger view.

Rafting down the Tieton

Stan, Sebastian and some of the Grands made a final raft trip of the summer a couple of weeks ago.

They went down the Tieton river in Eastern Washington, near Yakima. The Tieton is fed by Rimrock Dam.  Every day water is released from the dam and sent down the river to be used by farmers to irrigate their orchards.  It's secondary use is:

The beginning of the trip.  Fairly calm, but looking at the upcoming rapids.

They are hitting the rapids here.  Everyone needs to be in their place and doing their jobs.

I am a little jealous of them, but do not go on these trips with them because although I enjoy the water, I am overly nervous when the kids are there.  I ruin all of the fun for everyone.  They go and tell me all about their close calls when they get home.

As they maneuvered their way through the rapids and between the rocks,

Brystan spotted the camera person who films the rafters as they go downriver.
He raised his ore in a sign of victory.  They had conquered the rapids.

His Uncle Sebastian had to tell him to put his ore back in the water and row.

It wasn't much later that they hit another rough spot.  Here Sebastian is flying out of his seat

As the rest of the crew flew about the raft,

Laureen went flying out.

Sebastian is checking on her and giving her instructions for coming back aboard.

Getting Laureen back into the raft.  As Sebastian helps her in, everyone else has a job to do to keep the raft  stable.

In the last leg of the trip, they hit another rough spot.

Stan was pretty sure they would all swamp this time.

The calm after the storm.

The tired crew.
Granddaughter Amanda, Grandson Brystan, Stan, Son in law Sebastian, Laureen, who is a Massage Therapist in Stan's office and Grandson Cannyn.

Maybe I will go on one of the trips.  But only if there are no children along.  I really am not any fun when I am constantly worrying about what might happen.