A chip off the old block (both blocks)

This is Dillon sleeping with his arms behind his neck (like Mom, Caleb, Grandpa Salisbury, etc), and sucking on his tongue (like Dad). 

Caleb, Dillon, and Matt the cat

 

Merry Belated Christmas Mom and Dad!

I just quilted my first quilt since moving. My machine worked great and the tension was fine. Whew! My poor mother has been waiting a long time for this quilt. The fabric is really stretchy and it has made it really hard for her to make the bed. Now that it's a quilt, it will be a cinch. Thanks for your patience, Mom! I call the design on the quilt a "feathered vine". It reminds me of something old and antique which I thought would work well in Mom and Dad's room.  

Back of Mom and Dad's quilt

 

Meet Charlie

This is Charlie, our new kitten. The local paper came out today and there was an ad for FREE FREE FREE kittens. I've been wanting a "farm cat" to catch mice in our pasture, so we called and an hour later we were the owners of two cats. Our other cat, Matt, is bigger, and has already taken up residency in the back pasture, which is just fine with me. Matt is orange and white.
 

Dillon and Charlie

Charlie is a bit scared of Dillon--for good reason. Not only is he covered in sticky red popsicle, but he slobbers (must be getting another tooth), and he thinks that Charlie's ears and tail were made for pulling.

Dozen Roses by Julie Popa

I was just surfing the net and saw that my friend, Julie Popa, is releasing her first quilt book in September. I met her right when I started my business in 2003. We got together a few times to try designing as a team, but we both got pregnant and had difficulties with our pregnancies. We were both so busy that we just sort of gave up. The two quilts below are quilts that I quilted for Julie last year. I have also quilted several things for her mom. Here is the address to check out her new book: http://store.martingale-pub.com/catalog/index.cfm?fuseaction=product&id=776

Antique Garden by Julie Popa

I quilted this for Julie also. 

Deprived Kids

Tonight we sat on our front steps and enjoyed the neighbors fireworks for free. The kids loved it, and we loved that we didn't have to buy any. Just before we came inside, Caleb looked up into the sky and asked, "Dad, what are those sparkly dots in the sky?" The poor kid had never seen stars before. So, next week, Todd and the boys are going to camp out in the backyard. I think I'll stay inside and take a bubble bath :)

Dad, are you going to bring that extra screen door next time you visit?

 

Loa's Ark

The man who lived in our house last year runs a little "pet daycare" called Loa's Ark. (very clever name, if you ask me). Anyway, we wonder if that might be why we have so many dogs visit each day. The black one likes to sit in our window well. Luckily, they're both friendly. 

Dillon eating a Popsicle

Dillon asked for this popsicle in sign language. He is finally starting to use all the signs we've been teaching him. The other morning he signed "hurt" over his tummy (meaning his tummy hurts), and then proceeded to poop four times before noon. Such a smart boy :o) 

Come on, Dilly. Let's go on a snipe hunt!

 

Brayden, Caleb, and Dillon at Capitol Reef

It's funny to me now, to think that when we first heard of Loa, we thought we were moving to "nowhere". This place is beautiful! You should all plan a vacation here. You might want to plan around rush hour, though. Between 8:00 and 8:03 AM all three cars pass by our house to get to the power company. 

Brayden's sunflower

Brayden planted a sunflower in a dixie cup at preschool, and at the end of the school year, he brought it home (to Grandpa's house) and planted it near the sandbox. Grandma Salisbury just e-mailed us this picture. Wow!  

Home Sweet Home

She needs a little love, but we're very grateful to have found this house. Many of the homes in this neighborhood are either a hundred years old and need to be gutted, or they're mobile homes (not easy to get a loan on these days, and definitely not compatible with my quilting machine). This home was built in the 70's, obviously, but has been used as a vacation home for several years, so it really hasn't been lived in the whole time. The basement is unfinished, so there's room to grow, and we're excited about doing some of the work ourselves.
The tree is a crabapple, but there is one branch that grows apples. Todd wants to cut it off, but I won't let him until I see if I can get apples next year. Nobody around here got any blossoms this year, but the neighbors tell us that the branch was full of apples last year. 

Our extra lot

This is a picture of the corner lot next to us that we'll be trying to sell as soon as we close on the house. We already know of some people that might be interested, so hopefully it won't take long.  

Todd's project

One of the things that bothered us about the yard was the fact that we couldn't get to the front door from our driveway because of this wall of shrubs. Todd picked one that was part dead and pulled it up, then added some "local" red rocks to make a pathway.

White Trash view

This is the side of our house that needs the most work. We'll get there eventually. We hope to put siding on the house next summer. Right now it reminds me of all those Bremerton houses that need to be painted :)  

Aspen trees

The best part of our yard here is these Ginormous (as Caleb would say) Aspen trees. I've never seen any so big. 

Back Yard

Ahhh! Lot's of running room for three hyper boys. The downside is mowing it with our pleh-pleh lawn mower (you know, the kind w/out the motor that you might see on Leave it to Beaver).  

Back Lot

This is our lot out back. There is no access to it, so we really can't sell it. We hope to someday put in a garden, a playground, and a fire pit. The fire pit may come really soon, so we can burn our boxes :) There's no recycling here in this po-dunk place. I guess we could also get a couple of cows, but I don't know if I'm ready for that yet. 

I just found the coolest toy!

OK, so check this out. I just discovered "mini-missionaries" which are toy missionary companions that go with the Fisher Price Little People sets. I can't think of a better way to help my boys, ages 4 & 5, prepare for a mission. They're perfect for Family Home Evening lessons, or Sunday toys. Here's the site: http://www.minimissionary.com/main.htm

Thought you might like a tour of our house. Since it's dark I'll have to get the outside and the yard another day (basement too)

 

The bathroom. Todd says the sheers have to go. I like 'em 'cause they let the light in during the day. They do need to be hemmed though.

The boys' room. As you can see, they are sleeping right now. That is why I am able to take pictures of my house without the typical mess.

Master bedroom--this is what I've been working on all day. I'm not finished yet, but at least we can walk around the bed w/out tripping on boxes.