January Sunset

Lasternight, as I was driving home from Orem, there was the most beautiful sunset. Only problem? Yeah, I was driving!

So this night, as 5:15pm approached, I grabbed my camera and went in search of the sunset. There weren't as many clouds tonight so there was near as much color. But I'm never one to turn my nose up at a medium sunset.

Joy in the Journey

I know there are folks who would rather get *a whack on the nose with a rusty poker* than sit down to a sewing machine. But that doesn't describe me.

My project this day was to work on Annabelle's blessing dress. My hope is to have it finished before Deb goes into labor so I can take it with me when I go down to do Grammie-duties.

This dress will be very similar to the one I made for baby Fiona. I just love the ruffled skirt!

As a teenager I was very much results driven when it came to sewing. I would get home from school and think, "I want something new to wear tomorrow". I'd dig into the *material* drawer, ferret out a pattern and have a new outfit the next day. My favorite *epic-fail* story was the time I didn't have quite enough fabric so I had to cut the two front pieces separately. I went to great lengths to match the plaid only to find out I'd cut two left fronts!

Quilting is what has taught me to enjoy the journey. So as I was sitting in my sewing room this morning, pinning the gathered. ruffly skirt to the bodice I was struck with how satisfying it is to see all of those even little gathers and lined up straight pins.

Silly me... but, there you are.

Primary Breakfast

Today was the annual *meet-your-new-Primary-teacher-come-in-your-jammies breakfast*.

Bob-viously, the kids met their teachers on Sunday, but this was the first Saturday in the new year that we could use the chapel! Since this is an annual event and previous Primary presidencies have kept meticulous notes we didn't have to make it up as we went. There was lots of direction on how much to buy, how much was used and what to do after the eating was finished.

Tradition is that the Bishopric cooks the pancake-ree-ous-es for the group. We are so blessed with our new Bishopric. They jumped in just like they were old pros! I suspect that years of Scouting taught them a lot about flippin' flap-jacks.

Brother Hicken, Bishop Bown and Sister Witney

I witnessed one of the sweetest things. All of the children have just moved up a class, but when Sister Hancock came into the cultural hall her *last year's* class mobbed her with hugs and love. They honestly KNEW that they are loved by the Hancocks!

After the children were all served and had mostly finished Bro Hicken motioned for me to come over.

He'd made me my very own Mickey pancakereeous! Yum!

Sister Emily Lewis organized an activity for the kids to do when they were finished eating. She had a coloring sheet for the younger classes and a word search and crossword puzzle for the older kids.

Sister Crook told the children that she had treats for those children who were sitting and finishing their activity sheets.

Have I mentioned how much I love working with these ladies?

I am so grateful to be serving in Primary again! What's not to love when you get to be with darling children like little Jack, who wanted his picture taken?

Polkie-Dotties Make Me Happy!

I love all things polkie-dotties and I can't believe that I DON'T have a label for that until today!

I've been wanting to try this pattern of polkie-dots for almost a year. So today I did! I've enjoy using CND Shellac* so much. My manicures last about 10 days so I always can try something new.

As I was painting my nails (which isn't a fast project for me) I remembered that, lo, many months ago, I told Debra Munn that we needed to do her toe-sies before Morgan and Macey were born (guess we missed that window of opportunity). So after some errands I packed up my little rolly-rolly cart and went down the street to spread the polkie-dottie cheer. (Can I just say I love going down to visit with them?)

Since I'd just pinned some new ideas on Pinterest Deb choose one of them and I got to try out another fun design.

And Mama Crook DEFINITELY needed happy polkie-dottie nails to pull her out of her funk!

It's amazing what a new coat of paint will do for your spirits!

Let The Sewing Begin!

When Stuart and Stephanie got engaged last month I offered to do sewing for their wedding. Tonight was the shop-a-thon for bridesmaid dress fabric and pattern. Stuart, Stephanie and I all met at JoAnn's. I've been saving up my 50% off coupons for this occasion.

Stephanie had a good idea what she wanted for the dresses so we just needed to find a pattern that fit the bill. Without much trouble we found one; then we had to multiply times 8 and special order the fabric. Yep, and got to use one of those coupons!

We called Gordon to come meet us for dinner at Joe Bandito's!

Yum and thank you for dinner, Stuart!

Elsie, Fiona and Spencer- Family

I got a text from Camille just as we were walking into the house from our Temple day. It said,

"I keep forgetting to tell you but occasionally Fiona looks like Spencer these days."

And you know the funny thing? As soon as she said that I knew the exact look she was talking about. Those photos of Spencer where he looks like my Mom, the original Grammy!

So I went ferreting in my digital photo files (thank you Cindy!) to find this photo of my Mom, Elsie Louise, taken in 1913. Now here we are 100 years later with her little great-grand-daughter that very much has her great-Grammy's eyes.

I love how these family resemblances pass down from generation to generation. The funny part about Spencer is that for as much as he looked like my Mom as a baby he morphed into my Dad as he became a teenager! Weird how that works out sometimes.

Baby Fi-day

So we've all heard of Friday. But this is not Friday this is Fi-day. Starting this week I get to go spend Tuesday and Thursday afternoons with Fiona.

I love that I get to have this time with her.  

The Morning Breaks...

... the shadows flee.

That is how I feel this morning as I walked up to the Provo Temple. Seven weeks is just too long for it to be closed.

I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve here as a patron and an ordinance worker. What a wonderful blessing in my life.

The dawning of a brighter day...

Are You Kidding Me?

Sadly, I've been a migraine sufferer for decades and it's time to make this complaint publicly. I realize this is a powerful Rx medicine...

BUT, REALLY?

Migraines frequently affect your eyes, kinda like a poker in the eye.  And then I'm supposed to open this? This whole blister pack is smaller than a nickel!

That is all...

Annabelle's *Under the Sea* Quilt

The first thing I want to say is this: I am so grateful that we are able to know the gender our little babies before they are born. I love that when these little ones get here, where we can see them, we already know them. What a blessing.

That said, this is baby-Annabelle's quilt.

Annabelle will be arriving sometime around her Daddy's 30th birthday in just a couple of weeks. Spencer and Deborah have waited very anxiously for this little girl. We've witnessed great blessings from our loving Heavenly Father where this little darling is concerned. (And since I am already crying we will leave it at that!)

Deborah said she wanted to have an under the sea theme for Annabelle's nursery, but not cartoonish. I was just about to despair of finding anything like that when I came across some wonderful foundation-pieced patterns.

As soon as I found these patterns I made a mock up of the quilt using PhotoShop as I envisioned the wonderful melting colors from the lighthouse in the upper left corner across the quilt to the deep blue sea in the lower right!

I started with the lighthouse, enlarged 200%. Yes, I liked that very much. My very second block was the *baby* dolphin. He measures 3" by 6" and is comprised of 58 teeny, tiny pieces. He was just too little to be allowed!

I certainly didn't want teeny, tiny whales. I ask you, have you ever seen small whales? So the grey whale is 200% and the orca is 150%. (I also enlarged the sail fish and a mama dolphin)

As I played with ideas on setting the blocks I dug in my stash and found this great fabric that was *just made* for the back of this quilt. Frankly, I've had it for so long I have no idea what I originally bought it for. I had 4.5 yards and bought it when we still lived in Palmdale! I love that there are little smiling fish and sea anemones floating among the sea flowers.

And, serendipitously, there was just the right spot to personalize a label. I will add her birth date once she arrives.

Now Mr Octopus waits patiently, just like Grammie (and Mama and Daddy), for Miss Annabelle's arrival.