One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish...

So we ventured in to new territory...I am sewing a lot of new things... and enjoying every minute of it. But I've never done a quilt. Nope not ever. That has always been my big Sis' territory. She makes BEAUTIFUL quilts. My favorites... the one she made me for high school graduation and our wedding present quilt.

This summer the girls and I have frequented a few fabric stores.  And we have had so much fun making plans and doing lots of craft projects together! And then we walked in to a new shop we hadn't been to (which has now become our favorite shop) and well we fell in love with some Dr Seuss fabric...Sweetpea dreamed up doing a quilt and well it looked easy enough. At first I relented in buying the fabric thinking "sure... we'll do that someday... well someday came... and there was no getting out of it.

Sweetpea picked out ALL her fabric, she sewed much of the blocks together, the rows of blocks together, and finally I did the quilting and binding. It was such a neat project for us both to work on together. I did A LOT (I mean A LOT) of research on quilting, tying, and the biggest part - the actual QUILTING. And what did I go for? Normal just stitch-in-the-ditch quilting... o no... I had to start with free motion quilting and... the result?  I LOVED IT!!!!

Well you tell me? How'd it turn out?

We sewed it together

Sweetpea organized the blocks

Here's her layout

All our blocks are sewn together

Sweetpea picked borders

Small border matches kite string of Thing 1 & 2

Pleased kiddo with it sewn together!

Almost done and LOVING how it turned out so far...

Teeheehee

She REALLY loves how it is looking (can ya tell?)

Really... trying... to Free motion Quilt... (forced smile)

True feelings...trying to quilt 3 layers...

LOVE the fun Free-motion quilting

Almost there!!

Last step - adding the binding on the quilt!!

So close (and had to finish before our vacation to SC)

My trusty helper asleep on the job...

DONE!

This pattern was one of my favorites!

Loved this one too... Cyndi Lou-Who reminds me of my sister!

Fun colors worked well with King Tut's rainbow thread!

What an extremely fun project to work on with Sweetpea, new material, new thread (King Tut - rainbow variegated thread - gorgeous), and just a crazy fun pattern... Not bad for our first quilt EVER!!
Now it's time to get moving on BooBoo's quilt - (what I do for one... I OF COURSE have to do for the other...). Only this time it's harder... PINWHEEL'S!! YIKES! Another learning curve!

Bunnies and Pinwheels YAY!

Exhausted...

Life's been rather exhausting lately. But I am not quite sure why I am more exhausted than I normally am... It seems like I cannot quite get past 2:30 or 3 without feeling like I am just going to fall over asleep. I am used to go, go, going and only getting a few hours of sleep. I think I may have depleted quite a few of my "banks" and am running below fumes...

There are a few med. 'people' I am supposed to go see and talk to... but I hate going and am procrastinating. Not a good thing... I know. Shame on me. I still haven't taken a test I totally forgot about...Double shame on me. I'm treading water trying to stay on top of everything else! (No excuses I know...).

On the up side... I've started running again. It's really addicting - I had forgotten how much I love it - once I get moving. It's a little bit of a meditation for me.  Right now I am running at home on the treadmill as it's so stinking hot outside. Apparently my pup (Moose- the Choc Lab) loves it too - he's so funny - he puts his front paws on the treadmill and "runs" along behind me! Mr Safety-Man videoed it but you can also see me (and it's not a pretty site) so we'll have to re-film him doing it! One of my goals for the last few years after getting my spine "fixed" is to run in a few races... the first being a 5k. I would REALLY like to run one of those to start... but after that who knows? I don't need to run a race - but really wanted a goal.

 It feels good to run again. I may need to increase the protein and eat a few more little meals. Perhaps that is why I am always so tired now-a-days?

Things just are not 'running' correctly right now...
I just think I need to do a major overhaul again with this body, mind, and spirit.

We made it! First Day of School 2011

We made it through the first week of school!
I've so much to catch up on here - but that will have to come soon... But I definitely wanted to get the photos of the girls up from their first day of school and their arrival home.

They both were a bundle of nerves the day before... it helped that we had a trek up to the airport to say goodbye to my parents (sniffle sniffle - I should say it was hard...but the distraction helped) and that we had a HOORAH to summer last fun activities planned for the day! Sweetpea came with me and we went to learn how to do a super neat "Twister" quilt (very cool way of doing 'pinwheels' in a table runner). And BooBooBear went with Daddy and got to go to the driving range!

Sweetpea did most of the sewing while Momma cut & helped

What a drive! 40yds...better than her momma!

I would have liked to do a "back to school dinner" and have a neat little evening discussing our "theme of the school year" an idea I loved from NieNie Dialogues blog and have been doing for a few years now. We did a really fun and good for you taco meal and discussed our theme, worries, excitement, questions, and what we did for our activity that day. It was a wonderful family evening.

We were all ready Monday! Sweetpea was excited and nervous for her first day in the "big" middle school. She came with Mr. Safety Man and me to drop off Boo. Boo was a little clingy and nervous but settled right in... after several "to do's before you leave Mommy"'s.  ("Mommy can you help me write my morning note, Mommy can you sharpen this pencil, Mommy can you help me empty my backpack) -it was hard to leave (I'd like to say on both of us... but I think more so on me) - but she's got the same teachers (2 years in this school) again this year - so she was ready and calm.

 It was good that we had to rush out and get Sweetpea over to her middle school. I think that helped me not feel sad to say goodbye to Boo. But I was nervous too. I still cannot believe my big, baby girl is in middle school. The three of us met our friends and followed them by car to the school - I think this helped Sweetpea a lot. She was really hoping to walk in with her bff and was able to! It was SO cute to see them walk in together.

Here they go

A little hand hold for comfort...

And there they go... 

I did Ok...a few little tears for me but Mr Safety Man was there and we were talking about all the details of the morning. I think the big kicker was the next day when she got out of the car and I was on my own after she got out with just a "Bye Mommy...(me:"have a good day") I WILL! (me: "I love you SWEETPEA") I love you too Mommy! BYE" and she was skipping off down the driveway. sigh. tear...tear... tear.

 

It was so neat to see them get off the bus after their first day's of school. I was really wondering how it all went... but their smiles and big hugs told me everything that I needed to know... 

Words to live by...

Just sayin'...

School Prep...

Ugh... I did it. I bit the bullet and did the school shopping and uniform shopping. I am so not happy with doing it. I wanted to stay in my SUMMER mode. DENIAL  that summer was coming to a close. But I did it. I spent a gazillion dollars on Sweetpea's new (gulp) middle school uniform. And than I spent another beaucoup bucks on supplies and a few more uniform pieces for BooBooBear... OH BOY... it hurt. A lot.  Not just because we spent so much money (although - that wasn't fun)... but I realized summer was almost over and I wouldn't have my girls all to myself anymore. It's becoming acutely obvious that I cannot avoid the fact that my first baby girl is growing up faster than I wanted her to...

I thought about sharing something she wanted to buy at the store - that just clinched it for me that she was getting so big - too fast. (But I think that one I'll just keep in the memory banks suffice it to say that she'd kill me if I wrote it out... hahaha).

I really wanted to do some more "learning" this summer with them, to keep them fresh. I know I am talking like the summer is completely over... and it's not.  I still want to have a lot more fun with my baby girls... and maybe do some reading and a little math... possibly some French in there as well! But if it doesn't get done... well I am deciding that I am still ok with it. Kiddos should be kiddos during the summer and I don't want them to lose that. We will still continue our reading and a little math etc here and there BUT...the last few weeks of summer  we're going to have fun just hanging out, playing, and doing fun things together.  We have our family vacation coming soon... that is ALWAYS the best time together as a family.

Hello August... I won't be sad of your arrival and what it means. 

I will embrace you and celebrate that it means to have the best 3 weeks before school.

I want to be with my girls for the rest of the summer and enjoy them.

Body Images...

Dear Kymmie's body,
I am very sorry.
I am sorry for what I put you through. I am sorry for the way I constantly find something to pick apart about how you look.

I am sorry for sucking my thumb until I was wayyyy too old and causing you to have braces that hurt your teeth not once, not twice, not three, not even four times... but FIVE... and stressing when I got them right before your wedding. Oh and grinding those teeth - from stressing - so they look like "man teeth". (And having what that dentist say hurt your feelings...)

I am sorry that I am so anxiety ridden that I take it out on you, so you feel that you have to produce eczema all over your face, ears, and head, get hives,  and get really bad tummy aches.

I am sorry I worry so much about what people think of you, if they like you, if you're too annoying - that you feel you are not worth anything.

I wish I took better care of your back and feet - you've survived three major spinal surgeries. It's not fair that you hurt every day one way or other & yet I still slouch...

I am sorry that my tension causes you to react and give such debilitating headaches you cannot move or think.

I am sorry that I abuse you by stopping to eat when I am anxious, stressed, or depressed. And I don't eat as well as I should when I do eat.

Sorry for talking smack about you...{blush}.

I am truly sorry that I just can't get out of my funk and that I take it all out on you.

I love you body. I love that you provided me with two beautiful children, that you hold such love for your family, that you truly care and adore your friends...That you sacrifice everything to deal with your family, friends and with all the demands that come your way.

I thank the Lord that He made you the way He did... and I will do better Kymmie's Body... I will.