This past month I have gotten back into sewing. I really do enjoy quilting and working on projects but sometimes the long term energy required stops me before I even start so when I saw some cute table runners on Pinterest I knew they were just up my alley!

I did one for my sister, Sheila's birthday. I got the pattern from a site called allpeoplequilt.com The pumpkins were ones she made for me years ago. I love them! They are one of my first fall decorations to come out each year.

Then I got together with my friend Ezzy and we both made this runner. Which I have really enjoyed. Runners are nice because they can be easily removed before eating and dress up a bare table in a casual way. 

Otherwise I've been varnishing treads for our stairs. Each piece of wood has to be stained 3 times to get just the right shade and then varnished 3 times as well.
This is only the first half of the treads. Do you ever have a home project that feels like it never ends?

Finally we started on the stairs. That carpet was nasty! 

We got to the landing that night only to discover there were issues with the height due to the fact that we were replacing carpet with hardwood. 

It took us the entire week but finally they're done!

Now onto painting the walls. Their time has come.

Ambition

The other day a friend of mine made a remark that caused me to think quite a bit about my life,

who I am, and how I define myself. 

Actually what she said got under my skin and irritated me quite a bit. I know she didn't mean it the way it came out and it wasn't directed at me, we were in a group setting and it was part of a discussion, but I let it affect me personally. Which in retrospect wasn't a bad thing because it's caused me to appreciate my life quite a bit and realize just how amazing it is. 

The remark was "if you are a woman with ambition, then staying at home is really difficult."

Hmmmm. (These are some of the things that went through my mind.)

So if you have no ambition than being a stay at home Mom is a breeze?

Women who chose to stay at home lack ambition?

I could go on for quite some time but that was more of the negative part of this experience- on to the positive. 

I talked to Emil and vented a bit. 

He quietly listened and wisely agreed with everything I said. 

Then I pondered.

 I thought about it throughout the day and began a mental list of  all the things I do. Things I've learned to do, things I've taught myself or have been taught by other women who also have chosen to stay at home. People I help or can be a listening ear to because my schedule is more flexible. I thought about all the field trips and volunteer hours I have contributed, both for my children and for our community. Skills I have had the time to develop to better our families life. 

I paint, I knit, I crochet and sew. I have put in tile flooring and wood flooring. Taken up carpet and helped install a transmission. I can work a chop saw and I'm handy with a level. I can veggies and plant and harvest gardens. I bake, and bake and bake. I plan meals and take them to the sick. I schedule appointments and manage the lives of 4 other people. I'm a travel agent, an accountant, a life coach, a maid, a cook, a therapist, a nurse, a mediator, a historian, a photographer and blogger. I plan summer camps and coordinate leadership. I create and invent. I exercise and sell concessions. I love and nurture. 

Some of these things come easy to me. Some I enjoy and others less so. Cleaning bathrooms isn't my favorite nor is ironing or dusting.  There are days when I get to relax and have my own mini marathon of a TV show I enjoy and then there are days when I am going from the time I wake until my head hits the bed at night. My job doesn't have office hours. I'm always on call... There are days I'd love to go to an office and get paid to work, have people tell me when I've done a good job and get bonuses.

And yet I wouldn't change my life for anything. There were years that being a stay at home Mom was very tiring and difficult but I wouldn't have had it any other way. Especially now that my children are almost grown. The time passes so quickly! Because I have been able to be at home these last 20 years I think my children's lives have been richer. I know my life has been. I've been able to develop relationships that I wouldn't have had time to if I had a full time job. For me, this has been the quality of life that has been most rewarding. I believe our relationships are one of the things that we will continue after we leave this life. That learning to love others and live well with them is one of the most basic lessons we are on this earth to accomplish. That the Savior not only came to earth to save us from our sins if we will repent and come to him, but also to show us how to live together and love those that aren't easy to love.  

This isn't what I thought my life would be like when Emil and I got married. It's better than I ever imagined it could be. It's been harder in ways I never would have thought and I've had to be stronger than I believed I was- but I've learned so much about myself and in the end, I'm proud of the life I have. I'm so thankful for people in my life that have helped me along the way and a Heavenly Father that has sustained me, forgiven me and blessed me with more than I deserve. 

Ambition is described as 

"a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work."

So I guess I do have ambition although I wouldn't have thought to describe myself that way and I do think that staying at home is really difficult at times, though not in the way my friend meant. Making a house a home is a ambitious goal. One I hope I've achieved. 

Wanderings: Part 2

One of the best parts of my trip was spending some time with my sister Sheila. I am so blessed to have her as a sister. Sheila is fun and we spent lots of time talking, laughing and just listening to each other. 

Every so often her husband, Mike, would walk by the door to the room where we were chatting and just watch us and smile. Time was limited so we rarely stopped to see if there was something he needed. We just figured if it was urgent he'd let us know but I think for him it was more like seeing the wild animal in it's natural habitat.  

This was the view from Sheila's street. So beautiful!

Sheila generously opened her house up to host a family dinner on Sunday, where I got to visit with my brother David and his family. 

Kathryn, David & Sheila

Logan Blue! So cute!

The boys beta testing a game.

 On Monday I traveled down south to my parents in Hurricane. Where I got to visit with 2 more brothers.

Me with Dad and Mom

Mark, Me and Paul. My "little" brothers! Ha

Tuesday I was back on the road to Vegas where I got two more brothers.

Me, Autumn & Frank

John & I

(Having looked at all these pictures I think it's official. I'm she shorty in the family.)

After seeing everyone I could I flew back home to NC from Vegas.  I missed seeing Michael and James. I guess I'll just have to plan another trip!

Wanderings: Part 1

At the end of August the kids started school. I didn't get a picture of Kirstin before she left for the day since seminary started the very first day of school and I wasn't up that early but I got Noah before we left. He got glasses this summer. He's following in his big brother's footsteps of always having his jacket with him. I think they do that for the pockets to store things in. 

The kids were only in school 2 days before Emil M. and I left for our drive across the US!

We decided to send him back to school with the car this year. He's a junior at BYU and we thought it would be good for him to have it to get around. 

Since I haven't seen my family in a while I was going to visit my siblings. I wanted to make something for the kids I'd see so I decided to do sock monkeys. Here's one I made for the girls. They were so cute but lots of hand sewing. Not my forte.

I made these little stuffed Dino Taggies for the babies and for some of the older girls I did dolls.

Off we started on a Wednesday making pretty good time. The mountains of West VA were rainy but so beautiful and green.

We pulled into Jasper, IN at about 7pm. totally exhausted but safe. It was a quiet little town with lots of German influence. This was a beautiful church we saw while passing through town to dinner.

We tried to get up and on the road every day by 7am and then drive just stopping for gas. Each time we filled the tank we'd switch seats. Taking turns driving. It worked pretty well. It seemed the mornings would go fast but the afternoons seemed to drag. 

I love the wildflowers.

We passed through Kansas and Missouri on Thursday. They were flat. We did catch a glimpse of the Gateway Arch!

The next night we stayed in Kearney, NE and I definitely felt like we were in the west. Our last day of driving was Friday and it was through, WY, NE and a little bit of CO

The vegetation was sparse but we did see tons of these flowers. I'd call them black eyed susans because they were small but Sheila said they called them sunflowers out there. 

And cattle, there were LOTS of cattle!

I understand why they call it big sky country!

We finally got to Sheila's on Friday night at about 6:30. It was good to know the worst part was over and actually the driving wasn't as bad as I remembered it from when Emil and I drove my car back home from college in Ut. after we were first married. 

On saturday I was able to attend the sealing of my niece, Sheila & Scott to their newly adopted son, Max. In the Draper Temple in Ut. It was such a sweet and tender event. He is a great little guy and I know Sheila and Scott will make wonderful parents.

Sheila, Max & Scott

Mike & Sheila

That afternoon they had over friends and family and I was able to catch up with Mike and Sheila's kids and their families. 

Clancy & Heather

Brier

They're adults now and have babies of their own. All so cute I could eat them up!

Grandmom Sheila & Star

Star Anderson

Sara with Brier sneaking up on her

It was so good to hang out with these guys they are all such great parents and it's been nice to get to know them as adults. Part 2 to follow soon!

Summer Round Up

This summer has just flown by. 

Girls Camp was tough but good. I've got lots of ideas for next year but am trying to find a replacement as Camp Director. I think it's important to share the opportunity and I feel like as many years as I've done it either as an Assistant or Camp Director it's time to pass the torch. 

I usually stay so busy that I don't have time to take pictures but someone snapped this for us. It was on the last day when Kirstin and I were waiting to head home. I love it. It was probably her last year at Girls Camp and I'm glad we got to do it together.

With Kirstin and Emil M. both working we've had more time to spend with Noah. This is Emil and Noah swimming- I think it may have been on Emil's birthday. 

I love the beach and we haven't been able to get there as much as normal this summer but whenever we do, I feel totally relaxed.

I'm so grateful for this earth and all of it's beauty that Heavenly Father has blessed us with. It never ceases to amaze me. 

Noah and Kirstin have been doing band camp the past three weeks. It's Noah's first year and he's done great. Although he's not a fan of the hours 8-5 each day is a lot for a 13 year old. 

 Emil and I have been helping out with band camp too. I've been there painting canvases for the field show which is based off of Alice in Wonderland.

There were 12 canvases that were 8 feet by 5 feet that took the first week. Then the last week we were issuing uniforms and warm-ups, cleaning out the band shed, and a million other things. Their Band Director took another job the second week of Band Camp and so that made things very difficult. One of the Middle school Band Directors was hired as the new HS Director. It just happened to be my first Band Director, Mr. Dale from Camden. Small world.

Emil has been contributing by making these PVC frames for the canvases to be displayed on as well as rolling frames that will hold 3 at a time to be turned on the field and a 5x8 foot table. It's been a big project and we were both quite happy to take the last of the frames to the band room last night. So glad it's done!

 Last sunday we were going out to Kai's when we happened upon this crazy storm cloud. I felt like we were going to be sucked into at any moment. 

It has been raining like there's no tomorrow this summer and every week the forecast is for scattered thundershowers which means you may have a perfectly sunny day. 

Or end up with something like this bearing down on you totally unexpected. 

Natures power- always impressing me. 

This past weekend Emil and I went to Buena Vista, VA for a Seminary Symposium at Southern Virginia University. Emil just got a new calling in church as the early morning Seminary teacher. We're all very excited. He'll get back to teaching and I know the kids will learn so much from him. He's a great teacher. It'll be nice for Kirstin to have him her Sr. year.

Buena Vista is just 10 minutes away from VMI where Emil went to college. While he was at his Symposium I hung out at Ben Salem Wayside. A park on the side of the highway by the Maurey River. It was beautiful. 

I kept hearing cows mooing. After some inspection I discovered they were across the river and they were just standing in the cool water. They did that for hours. I guess cows like to cool off in the summer heat too!

I haven't been baking so much. My shoulder is getting better but I'm still doing therapy and it's weaker than I expected. However it's mostly the busy schedule that's kept me from the kitchen. I did see a recipe I wanted to try called 4 cheese pizza with fresh basil and tomatoes. It was delish but I could have done without the ricotta cheese that the recipe called for.

I think my other favorite was trying gelato! It's a rich Italian ice cream. Let me just say, the Italian and French know their desserts! You start with 5 egg yolks, cream and sugar. 

Sometimes making your own desserts kills some of the joy because you know just how naughty you're being.

This next week is the last week of summer. Our kids start school on the 26th and I will drive across the country with Emil M. to take his car out to college on the 28th. I'll spend about a week driving and then visiting with my family out there. I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully the car won't have any problems since out handy mechanic will be here at home. He's assured me it will work fine. 

Enjoy the last of your summer!