Jan-April Review

Well, I seem to be due to write a review of what we've been doing as a family.  Here goes:

January:

Brian took the boys to an alumni event -- dinner and the University of Utah basketball game.  They had a great time.  Glad I still have a "Y" fan in there.  (Can you see Andrew's "Y"?  It took me a minute to figure that out.)

Each year the National PTA holds a "Reflections" contest.  Tanner entered this year with a stop motion video he made with a Nintendo 3DS. The theme was "What is Your Story?"  Tanner's video was made with Playmobil Soccer players.  His brief statement explained that he loved soccer.  The video was only 10 seconds long, but for a kindergartener that was good enough.  He won awards at the school, district and council levels.  The Region competition was held at Jordan High School.  Here he is posing with his medal and certificate.  

February:

Andrew turned 12 this year!  His birthday fell on President's Day, so Brian was home and we all went to In and Out Burger for lunch. Andrew likes shoes and is always noticing other people's cool (expensive) shoes.  This year he got two pairs of converse shoes and headphones for the Xbox 360. Brian also got him tickets to go to a Real Salt Lake soccer game.   

April: 

We went to Rexburg for a few days to see Grandma and Grandpa and the Larsen cousins.  One day we took the kids to Fat Cats and bowled and played Miniature Golf.  Tanner was especially cute cool as he danced to the music.

We took Andrew to the Rexburg temple and also went and played basketball at the church.

Happy birthday to Eric!  He turned 10.  Last year he was way into Basketball.  This year it was all Football.  Rather than a party with friends, he just wanted to hang out with his buddies.  And can you see what he is holding up in that last picture?  A Fidget Spinner.  This was a super popular toy -- for about 2 months.  :)  

Near the end of the month, we also celebrated April birthdays with cousins.

Easter - we had a nice easter at home.  Decorating easter eggs, having a little hunt in our yard, eating chick cupcakes, and attending church.

Andrew and Brian went to a Kansas Concert.  Not Andrew's favorite music, but he enjoys attending concerts with Brian.

Lastly, Tanner discovered skate parks.  He has been watching Shonduras videos on Youtube -- well, since Shonduras is a skater, Tanner wants to be a skater.  He doesn't skateboard yet, but he is pretty good on a scooter.  Here he is with his best friends, at the skate park.  I am typing this in the summer and sure which the sky was cloudy and grey today!  I remember that, even though the boys are in shorts, it was nice and cool that day.  I love that weather!

Lastly, we were so pleased when the middle school called and said that Andrew was going to be recognized as the "Patriot of the Month."  The teacher's nominate one boy and one girl in each grade to receive the award.  It is based on citizenship and academics.  They presented the "Patriots" at an a school assembly.  Nice job Andrew!

Finish-a-Long Goals Q3

Last quarter I missed the Finish-A-Long date for posting my goals for 2nd quarter.  I was disappointed and so I'm going to make sure to post something this time!  My goals are lofty -- my batting is not.  ha ha.

My favorite part of the quilting process is piecing.  Quilting is more challenging, and really dislike basting.  So that means I have a few quilt tops waiting to be basted and quilted!  So for this quarter's list, I am only including completely pieced tops that need to be quilted.  So here's the list:

1.  Mystery Quilt

2.  Summer Sampler Quilt-a-Long

3.  Persimmon Quilt

4.  Holly's Tree Farm Quilt

6.  Space Quilt

7. Teen Quilt

8.  Orange Scrap Quilt

9.  Sports Quilt -- no picture, but it is also a finished top, ready to be quilted.

10.  Fairytale Quilt -- this and the following quilts are also pieced tops, ready to be quilted.  So old that any pictures I took are buried somewhere in the dusty corners of my hard drive.  😬

11.  BOM Cowboy Quilt

12.  Clementine Quilt

I am linking up to the Finish-A-Long linky party at She Can Quilt.

Spring Wall Hanging

I've finished another wall hanging for my stairwell.  This one is for Spring.  I wanted to use bright colors, so an Allison Glass Sun Print charm pack did the trick.  Now that it's finished, it kind of reminds me of striped easter eggs -- if I imagine the rectangles as ovals anyway.  :)  I have seen a few striped quilts similar to this -- some wonky, some not.  I have liked them so I just went with it.  No pattern was used, and I can't give credit to any one source. 

I also made a couple of pillows that were donated to an auction in behalf of some friends.  My offer was for a custom made pillow -- any letter, any color.  I had hoped I could make something new for some fan out there that cheers for another college.  No luck, just the Y and the U -- the only other ones I've made in the past.  Oh well, it was still fun.

And for you, my 2 sisters who read this....here are the boys on Easter.  Without even trying, they went to church matching nicely! 

Fly Fishing Quilt #2 - 2017 Q1 Finish

Last year I made a quilt for my dad.  I bought the fabric at an incredible price, and I bought plenty.  So I made a second quilt.  Actually, I made a second quilt top, didn't like it, so I chopped it up and made a third.  I like it so much better!

This was my first layout, just pieced in the middle with some big rail fence blocks.  Didn't like it so then I swapped the outer most fabric for a solid brown.  

Still didn't like it so I unpicked the blocks and chopped them up.  I took this layout idea from a quilt called "Sugar Pop n' Change"  by Melissa Corry.    Aah...  Much better.  And it was easier to quilt because it was much smaller.  :)

Here is the back.  I actually took the original quilt's outside borders and added a strip of leaf fabric in the middle.  And now I've Reduced (the size) and Reused (the fabric.)  ;) 

I may have shared some similar pics on my other quilt, but I just had to show these again.  They remind me much of my dad.  He's never had a mustache like the fisherman on the fabric, but he did have a fishing rod, fish basket, and net.  This guy's is only missing the hip waiters and float tube!  :)

I am linking up to the Finish A Long at Elven Garden Quilts.

Cross Stitch Heart Quilt - 2017 Q1 Finish

I finished binding this quilt last night.  Hooray for a little love and brightness in this little corner of my world!  The smog here has been horrible.  So between gray skies, cold temperatures, and frustrating news stories, a little more love is in order.

I saw a similar quilt with this block some time ago and found a good tutorial for it.  I was toying with the idea of using several different cream colored background squares, but then decided on gray.  Then, I realized I might not have enough gray, so I alternated gray and white.  I think it turned out pretty cute.  

The quilting is all straight line with my walking foot.  It went pretty quickly since it is a small quilt. Once again, I used a lot of different fabrics from my scrap mess, I mean, scrap basket(s).

I am linking up to the Finish A Long at Elven Garden.

Tree Quilt - 2017 Q1 Finish

Here is my first finish for the year.  Yay!  It is a wall hanging I plan on putting up each December.  I based it on a quilt from Vanessa Christensen's book, "Simply Color: Green."

Our house is quite dark, particularly during this hazy, cold winter.  So the white background really brightens up the stair landing.  I quilted it with simple wavy lines down the quilt -- kind of thinking about snow drifting down.  All the fabric is some I had in my stash, including the backing.  I didn't take a picture of the back because it's pretty ugly -- all my least favorite green fabrics I had on hand.  Since it'll hang on a wall, nobody will see it.  :)

I am almost finished with another wall hanging for this same spot, to be hung in February.  (I know, I know, it's already February.)

I am linking up to the Finish A Long at Elven Garden.

2017 Finish-A-Long Goals Q1

Here are some goals for this quarter's Finish-A-Long.  (In re-reading this, I see I did not claim these goals.  They are not "my goals," but instead they are "some goals."  Could this be an indication of my confidence in actually accomplishing them?  haha.  All I can do it try. ;))

1. Summer Sampler: This one keeps popping up on my list.  I decided to reconfigure the blocks into a different setting -- I have unpicked, re-sewn, and the top is almost finished.... again.  

2.  Trees Wall Hanging: I would like to be a little more selective in my making.  Sometimes I see something cute and so I make it, but I don't really have a plan for it.  Instead, I'm going to try and make things for which I have a plan.  I am starting with some more seasonal wall hangings for the wall in my stairwell.  I am nearly finished with this top:

3.  Heart Wall Hanging: Plans for another wall hanging for that same spot in my stairwell.  I have a plan and some of the fabric cut.  No pictures yet.

4.  Holly's Tree Farm Quilt:  The top is finished.  Need to prepare the backing, baste (ugh), and quilt.

5.  Dad's Fishing Quilt part 2:  This was another quilt I didn't love once it was finished.  I've chopped it up and recreated it.  I like it much better!  I need to prepare the backing and quilt.

6. Mystery Quilt: This is a big one -- I'm not very excited to quilt it with my little machine. So really, I'm not sure I'll do it this quarter (or year) because I don't have a plan for where it's going to go -- but just in case I figure it out, I'm putting it on the list.

7.  Persimmon 4-Patch:  I might add a border to make this a little larger, but otherwise the top is finished.  Again, I am not sure I will attempt this this quarter.  I don't love how this quilt turned out (I really wish I would have used a cream and navy for the 4 patch squares).  But just in case I find some motivation and decide to finish it up, I'm putting it on the list.

  

Nov-Dec Review

November started off with a couple of fun school projects -- the ever popular native american home and our first "bottle buddy".

Not everyone is lucky enough to go swimming on Thanksgiving Day.  Especially in Idaho.  We went to my brother's for the day and had a great time.  The food was delicious, the company enjoyable, and the pool was a lot of fun!  I am always so grateful for the older nieces and nephews who play so nicely with my boys.  They played keep away with the football, jumped off the diving board, and squirt each other with squirt guns.  It was also fun to see cousin Savannah in action as she taught her college friends how to swim.  All the while we sat by the side and watched.  

The boys also went to the park and played Kickball with their older cousins and friends.  Brian and I took a walk, hoping to work off some of the meal before diving into the pool .... I mean, pie.  Haha.  On our walk we saw this cool bike/lawn mower.  I guess the neighbor really uses this to mow his lawn.  How cool is that!  The only thing better than seeing this would have been seeing the man actually using it.  

Jumping ahead to Christmas day!  We spent it at our house.  The boys patiently waited until 6:45 to wake us up -- here they are marching in place while waiting for Dad to get up.  

Santa brought games for the boys -- Fifa 16, Madden 16, and Lego Jurassic Park.  Andrew also got a pair of wireless bluetooth headphones, and I am already tired of asking him to remove them so he can listen to me. :) Last year Eric got a bunch of basketball stuff, and this year it was Football -- cards, pajamas, football.  And Tanner, of course, Ninja Turtle toys!

The boys also got a fun snowboard (for sledding) from Grandma and Grandpa.  It conveniently snowed 10 inches on Christmas, so on Monday Brian took the boys out and they all tried it out.  I don't have a picture of that, but I heard it was pretty great!

Speaking of sledding, Tanner has had a great time sledding with his twin friends.  There is a park with some good sized hills for these Kindergarteners.  I love those rosy-cheeked boys!

Sept - Oct Review

Fall started off with more soccer for Andrew (and us.)  His season included going to a Salt Lake Real soccer game.  Brian and the boys went and had a great time.

In September, Tanner turned 6 years old.  He and his buddies play Ninja Turtles almost every day, so of course we had to get some Ninja Turtle toys.  He also had fun with his new remote control truck.  The boys creatively taped a small flashlight to the roof of the truck so they could drive it at night.  

We had gone to the grocery store on Tanner's birthday, and he wanted a store-bought cake.  I usually make the birthday cake at home.  We ended up compromising and Tanner chose a cupcake for himself and his brothers.  His early September birthday is close enough to Halloween (I guess) so the store had eyeball and spider cupcakes.  Yum.

Also in September, we celebrated Brian's birthday.  The man who is impossible to buy for usually gets plenty of "work snacks."

Eric, our basketball loving boy, is now loving Football too.  So he played his first season of Flag Football.  He has a great spiral throw and is an excellent blocker.

And then came our (least) favorite holiday, Halloween.  The kids enjoy it, Mom and Dad tolerate it.  Here is Tanner's pumpkin he and I carved.  Not sure if he's trying to copy that pumpkin's grimace or what.  ;)

Costumes this year included Eric as a "nerd", Tanner as "Messi" the soccer player (and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle at the school party,) and Andrew was a boy with a black outfit and a cape.  Costumes certainly get harder the older the boys get.  Cant wait until next year!