The quilt

Ahhh, I love waking up in Colorado!  I didn’t have time to post before we left on our trip, but since I am sitting in the hotel here in Grand Junction with internet access and waiting for the little man to wake up I will try to get this post up.  The raffle quilt is 95% done, I just need to tie it after I buy some green ribbon.  I am no quilting expert, but here is how I did it.

 

Take a piece of muslin or other fabric for the backing and cut it to size.  I marked an X across it from corner to corner to mark the middle and keep my lines straight.

Put the middle piece on the fabric.  Then lay a strip over the top right-side facing down and sew it on.  Then cut the strip to be even with the middle piece and iron it out.

Keep adding strips around.

I fold the strips back down on themselves to make the cut.

And here it is:

I had 14 of the squares done from back around 2000.  I had to whip up 6 squares, put it together and put on the back.  The back is the same as the green around the border, I used a full sized sheet and folded the edges up and sewed them to the front.  The final dimensions are 50”x61”, so a throw sized quilt.

I also sewed a “quillow” pocket to the back so you can fold the quilt down and tuck it in to make a pillow.

Front

Back

In all the craziness of getting packed and ready to go I almost left it in my living room, but remembered it before we got out of town.

Five Question Friday

I am trying out a new meme this week.  If you want to participate head on over:

1. What is your favorite Easter tradition?

When I was a kid we would go to Red Rocks Amphitheater for sunrise service.  We don't really have too many Easter traditions yet as a family.  We live in an area where our religion is way in the minority, so there are not a lot of options.

2. Are you a "shower" or a "long, hot bath" kind of person?

I shower daily, but love a good hot bath once and a while.  I have a garden tub, but my husband got me a spa mat that I love to use.

3. Can you parallel park and if so when is the last time you did it?

I don't really see the big deal, it's not rocket science.  I can, but don't have to since I live in a tiny town with a pop. just over 1,000.

4. What is your favorite Easter candy?

Reese's peanut butter eggs.  LOVE THEM!

5. Easter: do you go all out with the Easter Bunny or focus on the religious part of the holiday?

Austin is only two so this is his third Easter.  So far we haven't really taught him much about the religious aspect other than taking him to Church.  I am not anti Easter Bunny so we will have both, but definitely emphasize the importance of Jesus' sacrifice and glorious ascension.   I did order a Veggie Tales video about Easter, but it may not get here in time.

Show me the Money!!!

I had a training at work all morning, but I stopped off at my desk to check email/messages before I left for the day.  My EPA Project Officer called to tell me that my project was selected for grant funding!!!  It's funding to renovate the tribe's fishing pond so that it has better water quality.  It's something that tribal members have been talking about since I started here, and I landed the money to get it done.  I am so exited, it is such great news!  It is a national competition for the grant and limited funding, so I am very grateful.  Not to mention how great it will look on my resume that I landed over $200,000 in grant funding for one year!

Yeah Spring!

I have been feeling much better and keeping super busy. 

I am working on a quilt right now and on a deadline so I have been trying not to spend too much time on the computer.  I will post pictures of it when I am done.  It will be for a raffle for my sorority anniversary celebration.  One of the founding members of my chapter has a son who at 3 months of age started experiencing SIDS.  They were able to revive him and he survived, and now at age 8 has some physical challenges from that.  They are trying to raise money to have a ramp installed on their van, so we are trying to help the cause and thought our celebration was the perfect time to do it.  So I have to have the quilt done ASAP!  I'm almost finished with the top and I'm keeping the quilting super simple.  I hope to have it done by Wednesday. 

I had a great weekend.  The weather was SO NICE!  I went to a baby shower for a girl in the tribe I work for on Saturday.  All these people around me who are pregnant are starting to really give me the baby bug.  It's just hard right now because we would have like to have moved before trying to conceive so I am not preggers and stressed about moving.  So I will wait, hopefully my day will come and I will get to have one more sweet baby. 

We went to church on Sunday and it was wonderful.  Austin does pretty good considering his age.  He mostly stays glued to me the whole Mass.  After church and the fellowship brunch we went to the park and played for quite a while.  It was a little akward as a bunch of people from our daycare showed up and were attending a birthday party.  We were a little miffed thinking we weren't invited until they gathered for a pinata and I noticed it was all little girls there. 

Awww- the grass is green and my tulips, hycinths and daffodils are all blooming.  I LOVE SPRING!!!  I need to get going on my garden, but haven't taken the time with everything else going on.  Maybe this weekend.

So now I am off to work on my quilt. 

Have a blessed Holy week to those of you who seek the light of Christ!

Emotional haze

I have been quiet over here for a couple of weeks and I guess it's about time to get back with it.  I know that I have it good and there are a lot of people in this world suffering and in really bad situations, and that in the big picture I am truly blessed.  The last couple of weeks have just been a bit of a downer and I am trying to pull myself out of it.  I hate to be negative so I have just been silent about it. 

This whole government shutdown was super emotionally draining for me.  Had the government shut down we would have been ok for a couple of weeks financially, but it was still scary none the less.  It also made me sick to see how so many people in this country feel.  I know there are some in the federal government who are basically unnecessary, and those who milk the system, but there are plenty of good, honest, hard-working people too and it really bothered me to see so many eager to have the shut down.  I heard people saying "well why should they have a job when we don't" and to that I think it's not like I don't want anyone else to have a job, in fact I really wish the economy would get going again and everyone would have a job and times would be good again.  It's hurtful that people would wish suffering upon others when there is no need or benefit.  My husband and I both worked hard and went to college to earn our degrees and continue to work hard in our jobs.  Both of us have received merit awards and recognition.  If people want to reform the government, fine, it could definitely use it, but realize there are many people who do a good job and truly earn their pay.  I am so happy they came to an agreement and averted the shutdown.  I hope and pray that they don't continue to hold up decisions in the future because politicians refuse to compromise.

I've also been frustrated with our house.  It seems like it is always something and there have been a lot of money sinks lately.  Some days it's wonderful to be a home owner and be able to make decisions and make it into your own, and then some days things break or stop working and then it is such a drag. 

Our visit with my in-laws was fine, I'm sure they enjoyed themselves.  We went on a hike and played outside a lot while they were here since the weather was so nice.  I have to admit though that it drains me when I am around them.  They are very different from me and we don't have a lot in common.  I suppose that should be ok, but I don't feel like they are mutually respectful about our differences.  Since we only see them a couple of weeks out of the year for now it is ok, but I know that if they had their way they would live next door to us, and plan to move accordingly when my mother-in-law retires.  I do worry about the future and what it will be like if they are around all the time.  They are good to Austin though and I know they deep down they do care, especially my mother-in-law.  I just have to remind myself to be patient and forgiving. 

I also have been really suffering from spring allergies.  It developed about half way through the in-laws visit and has not let up.  I am stuffed up unless I take an antihistamine, and then if I take one of those I get a dry hacky cough.  I hope that what ever is in the air clears up soon!

So to not end on a negative note, there are many things coming up that I am really looking forward to and will help greatly in lifting my spirits. 

• We are going to Colorado in three weeks!  My sorority is celebrating 20 years at CSU and we are having a celebration luncheon.  People are starting to RSVP on Facebook and I am exciting that we are getting a good response.  A lot of our members live out-of-state so we weren't sure how it would turn out.  We are also figuring on stopping at my brother's new house along the way.
• We got invited to an Easter brunch/egg hunt at some friends of ours.  It will be fun to spend the holiday with others.
• My friend Wendy is pregnant with twins after trying for over five years to become pregnant.  I am beyond ecstatic for her as it took 5 IVF procedures to get there.  She is about 12 weeks now and due October 18.  I told her that twins usually come early and that she should shoot for my birthday on October 8.
• I am going to a baby shower this Saturday for a girl that I worked with a few years ago. 

Now hopefully I will feel up to blogging more often.  I will try to post more pictures soon.

Grandma and Papa’s visit