Hello All, It has been WAY too long since I've posted anything. My husband and I have been very busy for what seems like the last two years! I have been squeezing in some sewing and crafting though. Here are a few of the things I got accomplished since I last posted.
~Above: Burp cloths for friends who had little ones last winter.
~A baby blanket my mother-in-law helped me make.
I got to quilt it on her long arm machine! It was a little scary at first, but I got the hang of it enough to finish the quilt. It was an item donated to a fundraising auction, so some lucky little one must be dragging it around loving it. <3
~These are letters I made for my cousin's sweet little ones. It sounds like they will hang over each of their beds.
~My sister-in-law and I like to make a food craft each Thanksgiving when she comes to visit. This year we choose minions. They're just marshmallows and candy melts with googly eyes and frosting. But they were a blast to make. And the day care kids who got to enjoy some were pretty excited.
~ Each year our church hosts a Giving Tree of sorts, for our local Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch here in Bismarck, as one of our Pastor's is very involved with the youth there.
My mother-in-law and I decided it would be appropriate that each of the residents receive a pillow case each Christmas, as part of the "Million Pillowcase Project."
It is hard knowing some of the residents do not have much or may not have family who care, so the point of the tree at church is to make sure they each have a little something for Christmas. Hopefully the pillowcases are just a little something extra to remind them of the reason for the season, and that people they don't even know care about them.
~This is a blanket for a little girl. Her mom works with my dad, and she is also an engineer. So it seemed only appropriate it be girly on one side and engineering on the other side.
So much has happened in life since I last posted it is hard to know where even to begin, so bear with me and I'll try to stick to the big events.
Last fall my grandma on my mom's side moved into an assisted living facility and is very happy there. About that same time my grandfather's health took a turn for the worse and he moved in a nursing home, where he lived until he passed away the end of June. It was hard to say goodbye to him, but he was in a lot of pain and discomfort the last few months of his life, so it is comforting to know he is not suffering anymore and is enjoying Glory in the presence of our Savior.
My husband and I made a trip our to Washington state for my dear friend's wedding in Sept. We made a little detour on our way through MT to stop and see friends. As usual, the drive to Eureka is gorgeous and I just can't do it justice from a moving vehicle. ;-)
Then we headed to WA for the wedding.We had been through WA on a trip to OR before but not the region Wallawalla is in. So it was neat to see the vastly different geography.
We ate at an AMAZING Chinese restaurant (It sorta ruined Chinese for us, as nothing in the midwest really compares to it.) then I got to have some fun with the bride and friends at her bachelorette party at a neat little pub in downtown Wallawalla, WA.
The ceremony the next day was held outside in a gorgeous park, and the weather could not have been any better. It was a beautiful ceremony and I feel blessed to have been there to celebrate with them.
On our way out of town we had to stop and get some Wallawalla onions. :-)
After the wedding we had free reign to drive back to ND on a route of our choosing as long as we made it back for work in time. So we made a few stops along the way, meandering wherever we felt.
We stopped at "Craters of the Moon National Monument," where we saw lots of neat volcanic rock formations, climbed a volcano, and did a little cave exploration!
We also visited the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park:
Not only did we tent camp in Yellowstone in Sept (Brrr!) we also heard the male elk ALL night long, as it was mating season. We of course saw lots of geysers and the clay pots, we also took a short hike down down to one of the falls, saw LOTS of buffalo, and even a moose!
The last place we visited was Devil's Tower, a favorite of my husbands, as he grew up near there.
We had quite an adventure!
Since then we bought our own place, and are slowly getting everything settled in. We are down to just two rooms that need some major organizing. So it's getting close! We're both very happy to have a place to call home which is our own.
The holidays went by in a blur, as usual. And somehow it is all the sudden Feb. And today being President's Day, I'm off to work on some of the many projects I have waiting in my craft room. :-)
Blessings to you all!
~Kate
