Update on my crazy busy life

Almost three months and not post?  And I haven't even done pictures today either.  ugh

I finally completed the wallhanging for the living room (one of two that I want to do).  I'm getting a hanger for it and will take pics of it up on the wall later this week.  

I am almost done quilting the littlest ones quilt.  Then its on to her next biggest sister and then the two big girls.  I should just do a quilt machine quilt for the big girls, but I hand pieced their quilts together when we lived in the fifth wheel and don't feel right about machine quilting them.

Reasons that I haven't keep up with much quilting and even less blogging:

• hubby was home for almost three weeks at Christmas time.  He managed to get several of his honey-do list items completed
• still homeschooling
• became an Explorer unit leader with American Heritage Girls
• treasurer for the Boy Scout troop
• volunteering for our after school program at church one day a week
• chauffeuring the teen to taekwondo
• chauffeuring the oldest two to our teen church program Friday nights (did I mention that I will be totally thrilled this summer when he gets his driver's license this summer!!)
• teaching at the homeschool co-op
• taking training sessions with Tapestry of Grace (a homeschool curriculum) for their advisor program
• working on all the paperwork for entrance into a master's program which I hope to start in March (y'know in my spare time, lol)
• laundry......seriously, who bought these kids that many clothes and why do they have to change them every single day?  Can't they wear the same clothes over and over and over again?  lol
• and whatever else I can find the time to do 

So you see, I really am busy although my hubby thinks I sit around and eat bon-bons all day long while watching Soap Operas.  

I'm off to complete some files that need to be updated because in the midst of all of my running this week, my desktop decided to die on  me.  Well, in fairness it was running.........just smelled like it was burning and about to start on fire so I turned it off.  

Have a wonderful and blessed week!

Just checking in

I have a bunch of projects I'm working on and trying to get done for Christmas.  I hope to have them completed before Thanksgiving.  I just found an adorable snowman flannel panel that I'm going to make some quick lap quilts with to save some money this year.  No problem, I have tons of flannel to make borders and lots of backing.  Except that apparently my box of flannels is still in storage in CA so I will have to go and pick up some yards of flannel.  Oh well.  It won't be too much though and I'll get several gifts out of it.

I have plenty of fat quarter Christmas fabric that I plan on making into table runners and placemats also.  I have enough batting to be able to do all of this and enough to baste the next twin size quilt that I'm working on for one of the littles.

I also need to quilt my son's quilt for his room.  I finished the top for his birthday in July and still have to quilt it. 

I hope to have pictures up later this weekend or early next week.

Happy quilting!!

Lots to do!

This summer was full of things to do.  Lots to do around here on this little homestead.  I still have another bed to clean out of weeds and its almost winter!

I spend the summer taking kids to playdates and of course, swimming.  I worked on some projects inside and outside of the house.  The garden kept me busy, although it was small and didn't really produce a lot with all of the rain we received this spring.

My dad came for two weeks and he worked on a lot of projects.  He put up motion lights outside the barns (it gets really really dark out there without any outside lights), fixed the leaky shower, and power washed the deck. 

My mom was here a few weeks ago and we went to Walnut Grove MN to visit the Laura Ingalls Museum.

So all of this plus working in the garden has kept us really busy.  I was able to make 20 batches of spaghetti sauce and 6 batches of chili.  I was really disappointed with the cucumbers.  I only got 8 pints of pickles.  I have enough tomatoes to make some salsa so that's on the list this week.  My pumpkins are really small but I may be able to save the sugar pumpkins and get some pumpkin frozen from them.  I also got enough apples off the trees for us to eat quite a few, although I have no idea what kind they are.  I think one tree may be macintosh.  I didn't spray them and they  have never been pruned, so although we got a lot of apples, they are tiny.  I made one batch of apple butter and another is going in the crockpot tomorrow.

So, my sewing has been little.  I also got a job teaching online to high school history homeschool students.  I have to write the curriculum though and I've been so busy I haven't really started.  So, that is my project these next few weeks.  I hope that I can about sixty lessons done in about four weeks time.  I have other things to do!!

Feeling lazy

I have pulled out some items to work on for the living room wallhanging.  I just found out my dad is coming in a few weeks so I need to try to get the living and dining room painted and wallhangings done so that he can help me hang up some things while he's here.

I machine quilted around the blocks and meandered the border of one of the princess ballerina quilts.  I'm going to hand quilt some designs inside the blocks.  My machine quilting skills are not good enough to trace things, but that's okay, I enjoy doing it.  I'm too lazy to whip out the camera and take a photo.  Maybe later, we'll see.

I hope today to baste and possible machine quilt the other princess ballerina quilt, cut out pieces for the Civil War wallhanging, and find all the pieces for the wallhanging for the living room.  It seems that I can't find the Debbie Fields book that I need.  Hopefully it will show up soon.

I'll be working on hand piecing the Civil War Wallhanging during swim lessons this week.  We're at the pond about three hours a day for lessons and some swimming time.

I haven't gotten outside to do much.  Its looking a little ghetto out there.  I need to purchase a weed eater because our trim is about two feet high and we have a few spots that the rider can't reach that are pretty tall too.  We did have a push but I burned up the motor.  In my defense, I thought Kevin had checked the oil level when he was home in May (he did tell me it was good to go).  I was using it to cut down the high grass in the ditch when it burned up.  Oh well, nothing I can do about it now.

Well, I'm off to pick up the kitchen and run and grab a few groceries.  I hope to come home and get this sewing done since its too wet to do any outside work.  We've have thunderstorms that last three nights that have dumped about three inches of rain on the rain.  Its even too wet to weed, unless I want to get all muddy and I really don't.

Take care everyone!

Finally!

With all this rain we've had lately, I've finally today decided to pick up my quilting and get some stuff done.  I basted on of the little girls' quilts and another wallhanging (just a panel).  I was hoping to get started on the quilting but then the sun popped out.  Its supposed to rain again tomorrow so I had to get out and get some of the lawn mowed.  TL did most of it, but some has to be done with the push mower.  I didn't quite finish.  The mosquitos were swarming bothering sucking out all my blood.

We got our chicks last Monday.  They are cute and have already doubled in size it seems.  They're starting to stretch their wings too.  I'm sure I'll open the door to the coop one day and they'll all fly out at me, just like in the movie The Birds. If you hear on the news of some woman running away screaming, it was probably me.

I finally graduated!!  I now am the proud owner of a bachelor's degree.  I hope to start my master's in the fall.  This is a big accomplishment for me.  I'm the first in my family to earn one and in my hubby's family too.  I'm pretty excited and happy to start on the next step this fall.

 

 

I had to add this photo of Monkey.  Isn't she adorable?  I'll think twice however about letting her apply lipstick to me!

Finally!!

I am finally done with school!!  All of my assignments have been turned in and I'm just waiting for my grades to be posted this next week.  I should be getting my diploma in the mail in the next few weeks.  I am finally a graduate!!  I hope to start working on my master's degree this fall.

We have had some crazy weather here.  On May 2nd and 3rd we had 20 inches of snow.  Hubby had arrived home for a ten day visit and was blown away; it was 95 in CA when he left there.  Thankfully it melted quickly and he was able to work on his honey-do list which consisted of hanging up tire swings and building a chicken coop in the corn crib. 

I've been setting up cinder blocks for a raised garden bed.  So far, I only have the fruit section done.  I hope to finish the rest this weekend and get the dirt and get some things planted.  Until that is done, everything else is on hold around here.  Need those veggies!

Here's some photos:

TL getting the tire swing ready

The two littles, they love their farm

Loving the tire swing and TL gives great pushes!

Waiting for the tire swing to go up

View out of the front yard.  The lower left is the cherry tree I just planted

A tornado came through here two years ago and twisted all of the branches of this tree around toward the south; none were broken, they were just twisted around the tree

Princess enjoying her new ride

Hubby building the coop

Chicken coop all done

Quiet and peaceful.....sunset

Still here

Been super busy with school.  The next six weeks are going to be really difficult, but I'll  make it if I can stay focused!!

No quilting to speak of.  It may be a while since I have to finish up this class and in the process we'll be getting ready for spring.  Garden beds to build, lots of fruit trees and fruit bushes to deal with too.

Take care!!  See you in about six weeks!