TGIF!

Hi Y'all!  It's been a long week.  Cold weather isn't helping motivate me to do anything.  I guess it's something I am out of bed, kids dressed and off to school and now home and fed.  This morning my buddy and I went to Walmart to return jeans that we bought for him.  He dislikes wearing jeans, pants or anything past his knees. He only wears pants to church.  I told him yesterday morning that if it snows he can't go out in shorts, so he let me buy him jeans.  They fit to perfect. If I washed them they would have shrunk and not fit.  The ones I bought fit great, but a little long in the legs.  He about had a fit trying them on.  I got the ones with adjustable waist band in them. Ahhh, now if only I can get him to wear them!  Oh back on track, so I am telling you this because we have a fabulous view from the parking lot to Mount Rainier when it's not too cloudy or rainy out.  Too bad there are utility lines and poles in the way!  Here's a pic I snapped looking towards the mountain.

Beautiful isn't it?  I think I need to start carrying the camera around in my purse till I get a new cell phone with an awesome camera!  I love the clouds! The whole view is stunning and relaxing!

Here's one that my husband took this past summer.

Maybe I should borrow his cell phone!  It takes better pictures than mine! Beautiful isn't it!?! This pic is my background picture on my cell.

Okay now on to other stuff!  I've joined this craft swap group thru a friend in Georgia.  I've been working on this the last few days and wanted to share a few pics of my quilt that I am working on.

These I sewed right before Christmas for a Valentine Day Theme Craft Swap.  They are being turned into...

TA DA!!!

Here's a close up!

I made the cowboy boots years ago for a queen size quilt.  These were extras; I thought they worked perfect mixed up with the hearts.  It's still being quilted so when I am done I will take pictures and post them.

Have a great weekend!  What are you doing this weekend? Going anywhere? Anything fun?

Miles Traveled

The end of this last year my gas guzzler, the family wheels, turned over 175,000 miles!  I look back to see how my family has grown, the laughs we've shared, what the struggles have been and see what the future holds for all of us.

 



We traveled miles in this car

as family to many destinations

some with hubby, mostly kids

to see the sights of home.

From Amicalola Falls Georgia

to sunny warm Arizona.

Tillamook Cheese Factory and Oregon Coast Beaches.

Finally home in the Pacific Northwest,

settled in again, where will this year take us.

 

Where will you go this year & how and what are your goals? 

 

The Lucky Pennies

My youngest is always excited to find spare change. He really likes quarters and gumball machines!  One day when I found a few pennies I told him to pick them up and he would have a lucky day. He picked up the money and told me he was going to have three lucky days since there were three pennies!  Anyways I started this cup of change last month.  Whatever I find in the laundry, grocery shopping etc...it all goes in the cup!

This is what the cup looks like!

Kind of sneaky with all the stuff in there too!  I got almost ten bucks in it!  I told my hubby about my hopes for this money cup.  He said it can be an emergency gas tank fund.  I told him vacation or maybe emergency preparedness fund money.  I really want it to be vacation money!   If the money isn't enough to go out of state on an actual vacation for spring break we'll at least be able to have a "stay cation" and do something fun.


Do you have a money cup? Swearing jar? Cup fund of some type?   What do you do with the change you find when out and about in the community?  Please comment, I would love to hear from you.

BBQ

My husband loves to BBQ.  He cooks up some pretty good stuff.  Sometimes.  Sunday I came home from church to BBQ hot dogs for the munchkins with pasta shells and big shrimp for us.  He BBQ'd on Christmas Day, New Years Eve and Day.  He loves his grill probably more than he loves me, on the days he gets to use it!

 

Shrimp cooking.  Bought from The Butcher Boys Shop.

 

 Yum yum!!!  Sunday Shrimp.

Getting the meat ready to grill.

 

 

Yum Yum again! He bought this a few weeks ago and has been dying to cook it.  He got tips of how to marinade the meat from his lil bro Mike.  Next time he is going to read his cookbook on how to make those bones you see into their own tasty dish of ribs!

 



One more pic of steak and lobster cooking on the grill.  New Year's Eve dinner.  I remember this because I had to run teenagers to a dance and by the time I got back the steak was, um, over cooked. Well done is a good way to put it!

 

 

 

So there it is! My hubby's recent BBQ creations!  He'll be so happy I posted about his food!  Maybe he'll cook more often.  Pics are courtesy of his cell phone done by him.



 
What do you like to BBQ? Do you leave it to the spouse or do it yourself?

The Pink Scarf

This last summer I bought a bunch of yarn marked clearance, $1, $1.50 & $2. YES! This is what I turned the pink into. 

I am not big on crocheting. I wish I could be, but I can't do anything that is not a straight line.  A granny square, is unfortunately not a straight line!  I really wanted to make something useful out of it. I searched YouTube videos to find this simple pattern showing step by step how to make it.  It's easy and simple just like the video says! Just go to YouTube and type in easy or beginners crochet scarf and this should come up.  I made this in December and can't remember the name of the lady, might be Tracey.  I used the whole skein of yarn!  It's an extra long scarf for staying warm on those cold days!

The above picture is the scarf folded in half and the ends looped thru the bend part where it halfs.

Here's a close up of the crochet.  I hope you like it.

What do you like to crochet? Are you a crochet geek?

Mount Rainier

This morning as I am standing at the bus stop with my daughter, I turned and caught a glimpse of Mount Rainier. It was breathe taking.  Usually driving around town we see it here and there when it's not raining.  This morning I was rather surprised to see the big mountain, of all places the bus stop!  Right between the main street trees and the first house in the hood stood this breathe taking view.  Now I know I need a new cell phone, but this doesn't even capture the beauty....

For some reason I can't post pictures....what's wrong....it's been an issue all day! Help! 

I guess a picture less post till I figure this out.  I'm upset.

Okay, Saturday morning, never mind, early afternoon and the teenager helped me!  He's so talented! Hopefully I will be able to remember how to do this, the non easy way! Thanks kid!

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a Happy New Year! I stayed home with 3 kids and the hubby, the fourth one went out with friends.  We watched the different celebrations around the country on the news and then just before midnight our time the Seattle Space Needle firework show started on TV.  It was so fabulous I want to actually take my kids there when the youngest is a little bit older!  I want them to really enjoy it!

I've been really thinking about goals this year.  With all the violence happening in the world I've decided to keep a journal. I do have a journal online that I write in, but I have an actual book that I am going to use.  In this book the pages are going to be filled with funny things my kids say and do. Maybe I'll venture out and write things that nieces and nephews do too.  Family, that's the focus, something positive in these trial times.

I'm also going to set a craft goal a month.  This month is to finish my daughter's quilt for her bed!  I know if I share this goal with my readers I will actually get it done!

Happy New Year Everyone!  How did you ring in the new year?  What are your goals this year?