What a day!

Today was quite the day! Amy and Angie had some appointments to go to so I had Miss Jenny and Miss Audrey. I think Audrey was here about an hour before she had to go into her first Time Out! Just look at that face...it tells you how she feels about Nana telling her she can't do something and can't hit and bite her sister!

Then after that we had fun coloring and then there was a big storm that hit and the girls ran outside in the rain.

Audrey of course was trying to drink the water that was coming off the deck above...yuk! 

Then before lunch we took time out for a short movie!

Then I had to tell her it was time for her to take a nap...same face as earlier...if you remember! :)

When Amy and Angie came home, we decided for them to stay for dinner. After dinner they decided to take a dip in the pool. Of course after that...Amy decided she mind as well wash their hair while they were in the pool. Audrey kept drinking the pool water...yuk again!

Sisters!!!

Then before they left, Amy hooked up the movie videos in the car..I decided to give them popcorn to go with their movie! That will make their Mom's life a bit easier driving all the way home! What a day!

I see Sunshine in your future!

Since we had the dryest July ever here in Seattle this year, you can imagine that some of us are sorta hoping for some rain. For those who are suffering from the fires, they are praying for the rain. it is all in the perspective isn't it?

I do know that we have a few friends who are going through so really tough times, I only hope that their prayers answered soon and that they can can hold on till times get better. 

Good Night dear friends!

Long, but wonderful week!

Well, the Shop Hop is over for me. I put in over 30 hours in 4 days and I am tired! I think what was most tiring, was that I was sitting the whole time. I did get up every now and then and stretch my legs, but I have a whole new appreciation for those who have a desk job, that's 9-5 each week!
I loved meeting all the new people every day. I loved telling them all the things we were giving them for free from the shop, that is a great way to make friends.:)  Some of the shops that people were traveling to, to collect blocks ...were giving out on a little bit of their block and then charging the people for the finishing kit. There were about 52 stores involved in the Shop Hop, so you can see many people had to pay quite a bit to by the time they hit all the quilt shops. But we gave out every thing for the whole block free, and also we even gave them a free pattern for another small project...and so they were happy campers to say the least.
Each day I had one or two people asked me to sign their patterns...when they found out that I was the designer. I was laughing so hard that I think I missed my few minutes of claim to fame:) But it was fun to hear how much everyone liked the block that Lauren and I created! ( it is the 3rd one over from the left, bottom row ) The shop named her Little Miss Sunshine! The quilt it's self is way too busy but we don't get to decide any of that. We just send in the block we designed from our shop and then they decide everything else
 
Since I don't work on Sunday, the 2013 Shop Hop is over for me, and it really was fun. A lot of work  but exciting to meet such incredible people! I am blessed to say the least!
Good night dear friends

Shop Hop has begun!

Shop Hop has begun, I am working 10 hour days so my blog will be short and sweet tonight.
For the shop the biggest event of the year began today... it is what we call Shop Hop. My daughter Lauren and I designed it! We will have over 2000 come to the shop these 5 five days. We will give out 2000 of our Little Miss Sunshine blocks. I love seeing all the women and sharing with them our newest creation. If you get a chance, come in and see us and all the new things we have in the shop. You can check them out here:

Too funny!

   Life is just funny sometimes, it seems if you don’t laugh and try to have a sense of humor then … reality will just make you cry. So I would much rather laugh than cry personally.

Today was a rainy day and my youngest granddaughter Jenny had new rain boots on, but she kept complaining about them and wanting to take one of them off. When Amy finally

decided to take off the boot for her to see what in the world could be wrong with it, she found a plastic baby spoon! The whole time Jenny had been walking on that spoon, as soon

as they took the spoon off, she began to smile!

    Life is so funny and so unpredictable, you just have to smile! I hope on tough days that you will try to see the funny side of the situation

and sit down and just smile!  And if you are a Mother…smiling or laughing is the best weapon you have to survive ( trust me I know from personal experience that this is really true)!

 

“If an article is attractive, or useful, or inexpensive, they'll stop making it tomorrow; if it's all three, they stopped making it yesterday.  ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960
Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe and he'll believe you.  Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he'll have to touch it to be sure.”     ~Murphy's Law

“If there is something you must do and you cannot do it, you cannot do anything else.”  ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

“How is it that our memory is good enough to retain the least triviality that happens to us, and yet not good enough to recollect how often we have told it to the same person?”  ~François Duc de La Rochefoucauld

“The odds of going to the store for a loaf of bread and coming out with only a loaf of bread are three billion to one.”  ~Erma Bombeck

Beautiful day for a wedding!

Not quite a year ago, a dear friend of mine lost her battle with cancer. She was my age and both of us had been survivors at the same time... twice. I have mentioned on more than one occasion how hard it still is for me to see her sweet family or go to their family events. But since I am so close to her daughter I just had to be there for her. I decided that probably it would be best if we just went to the reception, I don't think I could have handled the wedding. My heart still aches for her sweet family. Our friend looked beautiful, she was the perfect bride, I should know we have had a few of them in our family! :) Everyone looked happy except her Grandmother, she was crying most of the time. I tried to talked to her but I just kept tearing up myself. They say that for a Mother to lose a child is one of the toughest heartaches.

When we woke up to rain, I thought of this song as she was getting ready for her wedding. I feel sure that her Mom was close and watching over her and her sweet family. Yes, I believe Heaven is much closer than we think and I am grateful that it is.

I was also grateful to see that the weather cleared up in time for the wedding and reception.

Title: Mark Wills - Holes In The Floor Of Heaven lyrics


One day shy of 8 years old, grandma passed away.
I was a broken hearted little boy, blowin out that birthday cake.
How I cried when the sky let go, with a cold and lonesome rain,
Momma smiled said don't be sad child, grandma's watchin you today.
<Chorous>
Cuz there holes in the floor of heaven and her tears are pourin down
thats how you know she's watchin, wishing she could be here now.
and sometimes if your lonley , just remember she can see,
there's holes in the floor of heaven, and she's watchin over you and me.
Season's come and seasons go, nothing stays the same.
I grew up , fell in love , met a girl who took my name.
Year by Year, made a life in this sleepy little town.
I thought we'd grow old together , lord I sure do miss her now!
<Chrous >
But there's holes in the floor of heaven, and her tears are pourin down.
Thats how I know she's watchin , wishing she could be here now.
And sometimes when i'm lonley, I remember she can see,
there's holes in the floor of heaven, and she's watchin over you and me.
Well my little girl is 23, I walk her down the aisle,
Its a shame her mom can't be here now, to see her lovely smile.
They throw the rice, I catch her eye, As the rain starts comin down.
She takes my hand says daddy don't be sad ,Cuz I know Momma is watchin now.
And there's holes in the floor of heaven, and her tears are pourin down.
thats how you know she's watchin , wishin she could be here now. And sometimes when i'm lonely, I remember she can see,
Yes, there's holes in the floor of heaven , and she's watchin over you and me.
Watchin over you and me
Watchin over you and me
Watchin over you and me.

"A hundred hearts would be too few
To carry all my love for you."
~Author Unknown

"Grow old with me!  The best is yet to be."  ~Robert Browning

Hope

Well, I slept in till noon today, and only woke up then because the phone rang. I was shocked when I looked at the clock, what in the world is wrong with me? I never sleep 12 hours and then still feel this tired. It was all I could do to take a shower at 5:00 p.m. and then have dinner and cake, to celebrate our oldest daughter Amy's birthday. Her birthday is actually tomorrow, but we celebrated it today.

I think she had a good time and I tried to stay alert and awake, still I am so very tired. I have to push myself to get anything done. I am thinking now that it isn't a cold coming on, but not sure what else it could be. I sorta felt like this when I had Mono, I pray that I don't have that back.

Anyway as you can tell, the last few days I have been pretty down, and also worried  why my body isn't staying healthy any more. I was on such a good healthy path, not sure how I fell off? Of course, whether I like it or not some of my old worries come back and haunt me a bit. But I realize I just can't go there. I was reading an article today about Hope and thought ...that is where I need to stay. There was a cute story and a few quotes that I need to put on my mirror to remember, that is what I will share (part of with you) tonight...mostly for my benefit! :)

   "Our family grew up in the high desert country of southern Utah. Rain is rare, and hope abounds that there will be sufficient moisture for the coming heat of the summer. Then, as now, we hoped for rain, we prayed for rain, and in dire times, we fasted for rain.
   The story is told there of the grandfather who took his five-year-old grandson for a walk around town. Ultimately, they found themselves at a small grocery store on Main Street where they stopped for a cold soda pop. A car from out of state pulled up and the driver approached the old-timer. Pointing to a small cloud in the sky, the stranger asked, "Do you think it's going to rain?"
   "I certainly hope so," replied the old man, "if not for my sake, for the boy's. I've seen it rain."

   Hope is an emotion which brings richness to our everyday lives. it is defined as " the feeling that ...events will turn out for the best." When we exercise hope, we "look forward...with desire and reasonable confidence". As such , hope brings a certain calming influence to our lives as we confidently look forward to future events.

   We should never let hope be displaced by despair. The exercise of hope enriches our lives and helps us look forward to the future."  ~ Steven E. Snow  May 2011 Ensign

This was the perfect story for me tonight. I just need to remember like the grandfather said, I have seen rain but the boy hasn't .  Like him, I have seen miracles, I have seen tragedy end up into a blessing. I have seen the Tender Mercies of the Lord in my own life, but I need to now... remember to stay hopeful and strong, so that I can help my granddaughters see it too, in their lives. I know things happen for a reason, I know that my Heavenly Father is well aware of my life, my hopes and my dreams. He knows what I have yet to accomplish here on earth, I just need to focus my energies in the right place! Thanks for  your concerns, thoughts and prayers!
Good night dear friends!

Sometimes a little rain must fall!

Well, today and last night were rough. I guess I over did it at Physical Therapy yesterday, and I didn't sleep much at all last night because of the pain. I have to admit, since I have been sleeping soooooooo much better, I am spoiled ...I want to keep sleeping! I was shocked at how most of the morning was over when I finally stopped hurting enough, to get out of bed. Half of the day was wasted...yuck, these are hard days. My hands have been bad all day too, even typing is really hurting so I will leave you with an appropriate photo to go with the appropriate poem. Sometimes a little rain MUST fall!  :)

 
" Be still sad heart and cease repining;
Behind the clouds the sun is shining,
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life a little rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary."   ~ Longfellow

 

"Pain is only valuable once you know that you've learned from it."

I say that trials and tests locate a person. In other words they determine where you are spiritually. They reveal the true condition of your heart. How you react under pressure is how the real you reacts.-- John Bevere

Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape. --Charles Dickens