100,019

A little over five years ago my sister, Sue, infected me with the indexing virus! What is the indexing virus you may ask?

Family Search Indexing is a program that allows volunteers to view a digital image of vital public records, for example; the US 1940 Census, and create a digital INDEX of that record. Then those who are looking for their ancestors are able to search these indexes using their home computers and find their loved ones.

I was instantly hooked! (Hey, a habit that isn't expensive, although it is VERY addictive!) For years I've felt the need to participate in Family History work. I've yearned to be able to find my loved ones and the valuable pieces of information about them, but because of my dyslexia I am research-challenged! After looking at random bits of information for five minutes I feel like my head will explode!

Ahh, but I'm quite good at reading a digital image AND recording the information! That is something my dyslexical-brain can do!

It wasn't long before the fact that I was a wiz-kid in the *new* indexing program came to the attention of the Stake leaders and I was called as an assistant FREP (Fam... mumble, mumble! Oh wait, Family Records Extraction Person!). With that calling came an additional responsibility... ARBITRATING.

In a nutshell Arbitrating is quite simple. Each batch (digital image that one indexes) is indexed by two indexers. If all of the information matches the system accepts the information as correct, but if there are differences between Indexer A and Indexer B then that information, along with the image, is sent to an arbitrator who tries to figure what is the most correct information.

All of this is a very long preface to state...

I JUST FINISHED INDEXING MY 100,019th record!

YAY LITTLE JOANIE!

I'm so grateful that I am able to be part of such a great work... that I can make a difference in someone's life when that have the thrill of finding their great-great-grandmother! What a blessing.

It's Official!

BOW... TO THE QUEEN! (Said with an English accent!)

Yes, that's right and if you don't believe me then look at my new thrones!

A week ago I had to take my Elna sewing machine into be serviced (is it just that I use my sewing machines too much or does everyone have to have them fixed this often? It went from a squeak, which I've had it in for numerous times, to a gronck!) Gordon and I (ok, I) noticed that Cotton Shop was having a *Warehouse* sewing machine sale... so I HAD to try them out...

Nope, I didn't come home with a new sewing machine but the chair I was using was so nice Gordon asked if I wanted it for Mother's Day. YES! It feels like a memory foam seat (Gordon says all of them get your bun-prints sooner or later!). Of course he was thinking a new sewing room chair. I'm thinking... where do I sit the most? The office.

So then he found this one (at, where else, Office Depot)...

Which truly is an office chair! So after 15+ years of sitting on the same old-bun-printed-chairs I have TWO new *thrones*.

I'm not spoiled... just well taken care of.

Baby Jude

I'd like to introduce our newest little angel... Jude McNeil Lewis. He was born, yesterday, May 6 at 4:27 am. He weighs 7lbs 2oz and is 20". He joins a very happy brother, Christian- who's been hoping for a brother! and sisters Ashton, Roxie and Sophie. Doug and Jessica are his proud parents.

When Jess brought out this owl hat I was so pleased and surprised! She'd seen the photos I took of baby Bronx last month and was crazy about this little owl hat (well, all things owl!) So her sweet sister made one for baby Jude. I love it!

As you can see, we didn't let him get more than a few hours old before we had our first photo shoot! I told him to get used the the sound of Grammie's shutter clicking!

You may recognize this fabric from Spencer and Deborah's wedding quilt and my party skirt! When I mentioned that I still had fabric leftover after the skirt Jessica hinted that she really liked green and brown too! (Who doesn't?) I also used the Chenille-It on the quilt. I'm in love with this product...

As I was quilting I saw this perfect 4-patch! And I just happened to know the perfect 4-letter word to go in it... J-U-D-E!

Last evening, after dinner, Doug caught me doing my FAVORITE of all Grammie-duties! Loving my babies.

I'm so blessed to have my family! I love them so much.

"I Made My Purse... Like OK?"

Back when Bek's boys were little and she would come visit at Grammie's house frequently we, Camille, Rebekah and I (also known as Cabekah and Remille), would go do fun girl things in little Beatrix. One day we were getting out of the car at our latest shopping stop and Camille said, "I got your purse!" But I quickly added-

"I got your purse, like OK?"

We all laughed at our funniness and that particular saying has stuck as a family quote.

So last month, when Camille's-kind-of-Kevin was in the hospital for back surgery, I saw a purse in the hospital gift shop that I immediately fell in love with! I WANTED THAT PURSE! So on our next visit I decided to go in and take a closer look. I could see through the window that it was leather so I'd prepared myself for an *over $100 price tag*... $240! Are you kidding me? Apparently I'm out of touch with the cost of purses!  I tried to convince myself that I should treat myself... but I just could get there! ($240 is enough for some poor girl in Cambodia to get schooling and free herself from poverty!)

SO...

"I Made My Purse... Like OK?"

Here is my inspiration...

and hefty price tag...

I took my iPhone photo into Photoshop, stretched and cropped it to make a template for half of the applique design. Then I needed the fabric. I had the turquoise and then hand-dyed the lime green. AND I got some turquoise and lime green Chenille-It (I love that stuff!) My original plan was to outline the design with the Chenille-It, but I didn't like the finished look so I just used it on the seams and the top of the outside pockets.

And since I was making a party-purse I needed party lining. I got this down at Corn Wagon.

Pocket are a must-have feature for me!




I get so much satisfaction from creating things! It just makes me happy! I'm so grateful that I have the ability to do this... and I will be so much happier carrying around my very-own-purse-like-ok and helping that sweet person who needs a helping hand!

Women's Conference Tradition

Oh, I do love traditions! Rebekah and Ann came again for BYU Women's Conference. I love being with my family and being spiritually fed.

The thought that stand out in my mind was quoted by Sandra Rogers-

“Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don’t judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet."   Marvin J Ashton

(I asked everyone- Am I really this short?  Apparently, YES!)

This year Rebekah drove out with some of her friends from her ward. They ended up staying in campus housing and enjoyed the convenience it gave them.

FUNNY STORY:

This is my 7th year attending WC. The first year I was alone and ended up parking at the Married Student Stake Center across 9th East. Since that worked so well I've just done that every year since, but this year I've noticed that the *construction-dudes* were parking there and I wondered if there would be adequate parking. So I decided to park back by the Creamery. It wasn't until I was committed to the left turn that I saw the sign that said *NO EVENT PARKING*. BAH! But I continued back there anyway to see what they was to see. There was a fellow just getting out of his car so I rolled down the window and asked if I could park there. He said if I didn't have an A parking sticker I would get towed. So in my sweetest voice I asked if he had an extra A sticker. He said no but then turned around and got something out of his car. IT WAS A PARKING PASS FOR *ROCK-STAR* PARKING right in front of the Marriott Center! For both days!

Yes, it always pays to ask for the free upgrade!

Every year there are Make, Take & Return kits for various items- burp cloths, scarfs, mittens, fleece blankets, etc. for the sisters to work on during or between conference sessions that go to meet humanitarian needs. In previous years I've been too slow in getting one so this year we went early so we could get some. Ann made a pair of lovely lavender mittens and burp cloth. I'd gotten a mitten kit too but gave it to some sweet lady who'd missed getting a kit! I ended up making a couple of crocheted-edge burp cloths- but the twist was we used chenille yarn for the single crochet edge, only once around. It made this wonderful fuzzy edge. I'm going to have to make some of those for MY grandbabies!

This is only one of several piles of returned kits Friday afternoon-

What a marvelous blessing this Women's Conference Tradition is in my life.