Music Fills The House...

Spring is a very busy time around here.  We are wrapping up our more formal school session and moving on to work outdoors.  We spend a part of every day weeding and caring for our garden.  One day a week is devoted to mowing.  It usually takes about 3 1/2 hours to mow it all.  I make the kids stay inside when I mow because there is always something hidden in the grass that the mower ends up throwing from one side of the yard to the other.  This courtesy of the dog and the kids.  It is getting easier than it used to be.  Since I have kids old enough to watch the babies I don't have to coordinate everyone's nap schedules while I mow as much.  We have a no t.v. on weekdays policy around here that is usually broken when I need the kids to stay inside on beautiful summer afternoons.  They don't seem to mind.

Spring also seems to be a busy time musically as it is a season of recitals.  We were fortunate to be involved in two last week.  My sister invited us to participate as guest musicians in a recital for Mollie's Music Studio.  A couple days later our violinists enjoyed an afternoon of chamber music as they got to play with all their teacher's students.  To round things out the kids played and sang Sunday morning during church.

It was Max's first recital.  He awoke that morning very excited.  When his brother proclaimed to him it was his big day I think what was about to happen sunk in.  He became a bit reticent.  He is the sort to worry that people will laugh at him.  It was a teachable moment to focus on the reason he is learning to play violin.  He is honing his skills to bring glory to God.  If he is doing his best for the Lord it doesn't matter what others think.  He did a fantastic job!  When he was done he came up to me and said, "I kind of like everyone watching me!"  We've got another humble one on our hands...

After their guest appearance for Mollie's Music Studio recital

Max and his buddy Cole

Maliah and her piano teacher-Nana

Madigan and Big D.  Born to sisters 3 weeks apart. For a long time these two thought they were twins.

Mollie of Mollie's Music Studio and her biggest fan.

Chamber music violinists.  Holly (right back corner) is their awesome teacher.

They looked a bit uptight so I told them all to jump for this picture. 

Have you seen The Alamo with Billy Bob Thornton as Davy Crockett?  We caught it on youtube...Davy Crockett violinist

Runners of the Unathletic Kind...

Most of the things I make are for gifts.  To say I truly enjoy the creative process would probably not be a strong enough statement.  I need to create.  It keeps me sane.  But the act of making something for someone else to enjoy ramps up the activity to another level for me.  While I am making things I like to think about the person who will receive the gift and pray for them as I work.  There are a lot of days that, due to my occupation,  I spend my time correcting and discipling tomorrows adults.  Conversing with the Lord and thinking about "recipients" makes me feel like I am involved in adult type relationships.  So anyway, creating keeps me sane.

Here are a couple things I can finally show you as they have found their final and heartfelt homes.  This first is a runner for my mom.  We bought the "fruit ladies" on a trip to the fabric store together a few years ago.  After I brought "the ladies" home I couldn't think of one appropriate thing to do with a textile covered with broad bottomed ladies at the beach.  It finally occurred to me that it would be just the thing to make my mom smile.  One of the most heart wrenching things Mom said after Dad died is that she couldn't smile.  Mom is from Fun Country, so the fact that she couldn't smile was ground moving stuff.  Here we are a few months down the road and being from Control Country I decided maybe I could help her out a bit.

Yes, those are my feet standing on my island.  I was having a hard time getting the whole thing in the frame.

Right under Miss Cherry Bottom I quilted "to make you smile".  It worked!!

I had to add this shot of the back.  I pieced together some pink "scraps".  I think they look like cotton candy.  I didn't bind the runner.  I serged the edges, made a ruffle- of course!- and placed raw edges even right sides together and sewed on the ruffle.  I top stitched using a wavy stitch.  

Last week we went to visit my Aunt Diane and Uncle Chuck.  It was Aunt Diane's birthday at the end of April so here is what I took to her.

This technique is a modified log cabin.  Start with a wonky square in the middle and keep adding rhombuses -I think that would be the correct geometric term- of varying lengths and widths.  I wanted my finished blocks to be 9'' square.  When I was done sewing I made a template and trued them all up.  This is a great use for leftover pieces you love and can't bare to throw out.  Also a great project for new sewers.  My girls both have a runner in progress.  It is nice not to have to measure!

I used my new circular sewing attachment to quilt the runner, that is why the circles are sew concentric!  I am looking forward to using it again soon.  Breadwinner gave it to me for Christmas and I wasn't sure if he hadn't wasted his money on the suggestion of the sewing saleslady.  Turns out I LOVE circles.  Fun way to play with all the different stitches on my sewing machine as well.  

You can see the circular stitching very well from the back.  Finished once again with a ruffle!  Long live the ruffle!!

Easter Finery

Easter, as I may have mentioned before, is my favorite holiday.  In an unheard of move I had every one's clothing pressed and ready to go the Tuesday before Easter.  I knew time management would be important in order to attend the rehearsal of the cantata my sister was directing (and in which my mom had a solo and my brother and niece were also taking part) an hour away.

My mom singing a solo!

My awesome sister, Mollie, and my marvelous mother.  They heart choir.

I also had the privilege of making 96 cinnamon rolls (Pioneer Woman's delicious recipe!) for our Easter breakfast at church.  I made up the dough on Friday and baked them fresh Easter morn.  I was on potatoes for Easter dinner at my mom's and I took them in a crock pot to the cantata rehearsal for mom to plug in that morning.  When I got home Saturday afternoon, we had to make a couple stops one of which was to replace our Resurrection Eggs which I had apparently put in a very safe place last Spring, we made up 60 or so hot cross buns for Easter dinner as well.  All our planning paid off and we were out the door and to our destination on time!  Hooray!

Before breakfast at Harvest Baptist Church

Our Easter celebrations all went swimmingly.  We left home at 8 AM and returned back again at 8 PM.  We must have overdone it a bit as everyone was sick all last week.  So that is why it has taken so long to share a photo of our family all spit and polished!  Every year we put on all of our finery and then escort our young children to eat breakfast at church.  They did very well at keeping themselves clean!  At my mom's all are required to remain dressed up for dinner.  I was surprised to find that the boys kept their ivory sweater vests free from blemish!  The kids ate in the basement so the chances are the only thing they actually ate down there was the contents of their name card basket.  I choose not to care!

The traditional Easter photo on Mom's deck.

As ever, Mom had a beautifully set table.  The name cards were delicious chocolate truffles with white chocolate flowers on a dipped pretzel stem.  The bunny napkins were adorable.  I admired the fabric so much I came home with many napkins that you may see here in the future made into a quilt.