~Faith, Family, and Friends~

Faith ~
This summer, 223 years ago, 55 men spent the summer sweltering in Philadelphia hammering out our Constitution. In the beginning, these delegates were arguing amongst one another, selfish, and were at an impasse on the form of government our country should have. Then, after 5 weeks, around the end of June, the most amazing thing happened. Benjamin Franklin arose and proposed they should begin each morning with a prayer, that they importune the Lord for strength, inspiration, and guidance. He said, "That God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aide?" After this simple, yet humble and acknowledging act of prayer began, these men worked with one another, not against. No man esteemed himself above another. They were being led by inspiration to build a government that to this day is the longest lasting in the World. This is a beautiful example of Faith.


Family~
I was able to pick up my young cousins from Alaska at the airport and deliver them to the horse camp van that would whisk them up into the mountains of Idaho. We had one brief night together, so we took in the Capital Building in downtown Boise. Sorry girls for being a little late at the airport - I was only following the security officers directions (long story)!






Family is SOOOOOOOO important- keep all your family members safe and hold them close!


Friends ~
I am blessed to have some wonderful friends! And I times I feel like I could go back in time and make more friends:


What a blessing we have in Faith, Family, and Friends, some of the most important ingredients of the summer, and all year long!

Blessings on your Day!

Shanda

Another Parent Payday.......

Being a parent is hard work. But parent paydays are the benefit! And you don't even have to pay taxes on that kind of income/blessing. Graduation is another in a series of our recent parent paydays. So glad she made it. Her future 'dream' during the slideshow for the graduation seniors said ' Sarah's future dreams include blowing bubbles off the Empire State Building.' And yes, she wore her red converse tennis shoes down the isle!!!!!!


You gotta love that smile....

She got a .22 for graduation. Her she is with her grandmother - she looks like Sarah Palin II....



And a quilt from grandma......


And then can you believe it - my camera died!!! Guess it is time for a new camera before David comes home and all the other family memories come upon us. We are truly blessed!!!!

~Aprons.......~

I begged my missionary son to send a photo - any photo - as I wanted to make a post about him. I received this - him doing dishes. I LOVE IT! It made me cry....... I now know how much he has matured because prior to leaving home in September of 2008, he would have never, ever, donned an apron! If Great-Grandma Siebrasse only knew.......

I love you Elder Lindsay!!!!! You make my life smile.......

~ Tis THE phone call, prom, and crafts!

Yes, I received a phone call from Elder Lindsay last night about 6pm. My, how he has matured! I only have about 4 1/2 months before he comes home, and it was very 'bittersweet' to hear his voice. 'Bitter' as that was technically my last phone call while he is out in the mission field before his return home, but 'Sweet' as I miss him so and it is so good to hear his voice. He will be sending some photos home this week, so hopefully I can get them posted.

Also, it was Prom for my daughter, also 'bittersweet' - This is her last high school dance as she is my baby and a senior this year. Again - where does the time go? As a mother, I still can't answer that properly! This was her 'silly' pose from the group she went with:



And what do we have here? I helped our own missionaries, Elder Watson and Elder Martinez create something for their Mother's Day gifts to be mailed this afternoon. They worked diligently on them...... tiles with vinyl sayings. Elder Martinez said they were 'stressful' while Elder Watson said 'this is gonna kill me.' Guess missionaries are not cut out for crafts!!!!


The missionaries worked on these early during my 'Finish It Friday Night'. For those of you who don't know, I have a finish it project night on the first Friday of every month. It is potluck, from 6 'til midnight, and you bring something to work on. We have everything from cards, scrapbooking, quilting, painting, coupon clipping, knitting, punchneedle, cross stitching, sewing, and the list goes on and on. I have held this faithfully in my home for nigh unto 2 years now, and if I miss a month, my friends faithfully hold me to having it twice the next month to get 'caught up'! Here is the group hard at work:

I couldn't even get the missionaries to look up for the camera - they were dead serious at their 'craft'. It is all really fun!

Gotta dash - time to get these 'crafts' in the mail. Mom Martinez and Mom Watson - look for something coming to a mailbox near you!


Blessings on your day - Shanda

~'Tis a sweet cover for a WONDERFUL magazine!~

Don't you think this is just the sweetest cover? This is one of my favorite magazines. Love it, love it, love it! And I have such a fettish for early lighting, so naturally, when this appeared in my mailbox, I was captivated. She is just the sweetest thing.........

AND

What is it with me? I found this listed on our local Craigslist. Spotty photo, sorry.....



I have always wanted a colonial four poster bed and an antique rope bed, and my patient shopping has acquired both within a year. This is not placed where it is going to be, my husband just put it up so we could look at it while deciding where to put it. (My log cabin quilt is laying out on the floor in the back ground.) I have only seen one other rope bed in person and that was in Illinois antiquing with my aunt one beautiful Fall day. I have loved them ever since. Then I stumble onto this one, complete with a newly manufactured 3/4 mattress. Me and my hair brain ideas! Rest assured, it wasn't $17 like my pencil post bed was, but still, compared to what I see on eBay and what these go for back East, I got a bargain. Maybe living in an 'antique desert' is a blessing for finding the real good antiques that make their way out West. Most people don't shop much for these kinds of things out here. Even though I am LUCKY to find this way out here in Idaho and I am grateful that it is now residing in our home, I am banned from shopping at thrift stores or Craigslist for awhile. My husband is afraid of what I will come home with next!

True Statements and Quilting for the Shop Hop......

A good friend bought me this several years ago and I have enjoyed this sign many times over! I laugh at and curse this statement both at the same time. I am so blessed to LOVE to know how to use a thread and needle, whether it be quilting, cross-stitching, embroidery, punch needle, sewing, mending, and the list goes on. I inherited this from my ancestors, and am so grateful to be able to sew on a button, which some women (and men) pay big dollars for at the local dry cleaners. But at other times, I get frustrated with either the materials I am working with or my limited patience. 'Quilting' and 'mending' are two totally different arts, but I am glad that I can do both, and everything in between.

This past weekend was our local shop hop for us 'quilty' people. One of my local shops asked me to quilt their shop's version of the quilt that all the blocks are given out for at each shop. It reminded me of Christmas, and I loved quilting a Christmas quilt when I wasn't rushed to do it, as I am around the holidays. So, without further delay, Ta Da...........

Christmas in April.... who knew! Could be a new trend.......

Blessings on your work, and find something to mend today, or better yet, learn how!

Shanda