Just Call Me the Bag Lady

I've made several of these diaper bags for my daughter and daughter-in-law and a few close friends. 

 Recently, I've been asked to make some for a local shop. 

 I kept shrugging it off, for many reasons, but after being asked again I decided to give it a go.

I mean what can it hurt to try, right?

So I finally got four made and hauled them off to the shop.

I guess we'll see what happens.

I can't decide whether to go ahead and make more, or just wait and see how these do.

I'm a tad bit nervous about it all.

So which one is your favorite?  I'm a little partial to the one at the top, myself.

Great Memory App

Memorizing anything seems to get harder the older I get. I think it might have something to do with the fact that we hardly have to remember anything any more. As long as you have your phone or tablet near by you can google anything from how many cups are in a gallon to who plays first base for the Braves. Every phone number we use is conveniently stored in the phone itself, and unless you lose your phone it's no problem right?

However, somethings we really need to store not just in our phones or laptops, but in our hearts. God's word is "alive and active" and I want it to be active in my life daily, not just in church on Sundays. I've been reading a great book by Gary Smalley,

Guarding Your Child's Heart: Establish Your Child's Faith Through Scripture Memory and Meditation

and I've really been challenged to guard my own heart by replacing old negative thinking patterns with the truth of God's word.

Before I even started reading this book, I had been slowly trying, for the last several months actually, to memorize the book of James. It is a short book in the Bible, and one literally packed with practical wisdom. I was struggling, to say the least, to remember the wording and the order of the verses, and was starting to give up. Then a Facebook friend made a comment about an app that was helping her learn scripture.

I went right to the app page and found it was free on the computer. I think it was 1.99, or maybe just .99 for the app for the i-phone. I can't begin to tell you what a great help this has been to me! I don't know the person that made the app, and I have no ties to it whatsoever, other than the fact that it has greatly improved my scripture memory ability! It's called Scripture Typer and all you do is import the verse you want to memorize in whatever translation you want to use. Then, it brings up the verse and you type it while looking at the verse, for as many times as you want to, until you are ready to move to the next level. At the second level part of the verse is displayed and you type the whole verse filling in the missing words. At the final level, you type from memory. As long as you are correct the letters you type are green, but when you are incorrect the letters turn red. You can either go back and correct what you've done on your own, or you can hit the hint button, and it will display the next few words for you to get you back on track.

I love it! Go give it a try. It cost nothing to use it on your computer, which is what I prefer anyway, since I type much better with an actual keyboard.

Let me know what you think.

More Sewing Soon

You would think by my scarcity of posting that I've not been up to anything the last two months, but actually in between rocking sweet, precious babies I have done a little sewing. I, hopefully, will have some nice pictures of some of that soon. The weather has not been real cooperative with lighting on my time frame. There have been moments of sun, but by the time I finally get things together to take a picture the rain is back. I've made two more diaper bags, and a local business is asking me to make some for their store. I might give that a go. I have also made dresses for the four older girls. I have some poorly lit pictures of some of them, but I'm holding out for something better. In the meantime I'll leave you with another sweet baby picture. I hope you all are having an amazing weekend!

More Kisses From Heaven!!!

Within just 7 weeks we have been blessed twice with new grandchildren, what an amazing blessing! Here are a few pictures of our newest little bundle of joy meeting her family.

All of the children waiting anxiously for Mommy and Daddy to introduce them to their new baby sister. Just look at those eager faces!

She is finally here! Everyone crowds around trying to examine her closely!

Little Dino-boy doesn't want to leave her side.

Angel Eyes takes her turn holding her precious, newest sister. Of course, it's love at first sight!

Next it's Sweet Cheeks turn. We call her little Momma, because, well, because she pretty much keeps everyone in line, and she does love babies!

Dino is trying really hard to be patient, but he can hardly wait for his turn.

Scooter didn't want her turn to end, and on the way home she told me excitedly that her hands still smelled like her new little sister. Don't you just love that new baby smell?

Well, Dino-boy finally got to hold her, and doesn't his adoring face say it all?

We had to try to reel in Thumper's enthusiasm just a bit. She wanted to grab her and squeeze her just like one of her dolls.

My mom really loves being a great-grandma, and my dad is going to be a little jealous that she got to hold this bundle of joy before him. However, I'm sure his turn won't be far off.

Sweet cheeks is still swooning over her,

as we all are. Isn't she lovely?

Grand Time

We have had some sweet little overnight guest lately.
Each enjoyed their own special activities. Belle and I made brownies and had at least three tea parties. 

We also went to VBS.  The water day was a big hit!

Pooh Bear wanted to do everything.  He loves to go for a ride, and when ever he got ready he would bring my shoes to me and say, "Mimi, ride?!"

He also loves being outside, and playing ball.  He can be pretty serious about that ball now.

He found where the lead glass cast a rainbow on the floor in the late afternoon, and was fascinated with it.

He kept trying to get the rainbow to stay on his sweet little hand.  I think he thought he could figure out a way to pick it up and hold it.  It's so much fun to watch their little minds at work!

Scooter helped me bake biscuits on her day.  Then she wanted to take the leftover dough and add ingredients to make her own recipe.  She kept asking, "Mimi, can we add a little sugar?  What about cinnamon?"  She kept going with ingredients until she thought it was good enough, tasting the dough as she went.  She finally topped her creation with blueberries and asked if I would put it in the oven.  

Of course I did, and after baking it we gave it a try.  It was pretty good.    We got up the next morning and she wanted to try her recipe again.  So this time we measured everything and I wrote her a recipe on a card for her to keep.  We called it Scooter Pie.


I'm looking forward to the rest of the spend the night company headed our way.  No telling what we will be up to next!

Another Attempt at Quilt Making

I'm far from considering myself a quilter.  I'm more of a trial and error  (mostly error) home sewer.  I hesitate to even use the word seamstress, but I love to make things for my family, because no matter how unprofessional they are they accept them with all of the enthusiasm they would if they were perfect.  This is the quilt I made for my daughter's newest baby due to arrive in August.

At first she wasn't going to find out the sex of the baby, so when I started the quilt I picked colors that could be used for a boy or a girl.

I decided to try a coin quilt,  but wanted to incorporate a few vintage pieces that my mom gave me, probably when my kids were little.  Have I mentioned the fact that I never get rid of anything?  The pieces of fabric had scenes with Sunbonnet Sue and Farmer Sam, and they went well with reproduction flour sack fabrics I have picked up along the way.  I'm always drawn to those prints because they remind me of the quilts both of my grandmothers had, and some that I grew up sleeping under at home.

Here's the back.  I embroidered two little puppies  randomly on the mismatched backing. 

We now know that the baby is a girl, and to be honest if I had known that when I started the quilt I would have chosen something different, but I still think it turned out to be a sweet quilt.

It will be much sweeter when it''s wrapped around a darling baby!

Another Diaper Bag

I'm not even sure how many of these diaper bags I've made, but so far I've loved how they have turned out. This is the one I made for my daughter. She is due in the middle of August. If I remember correctly the fabric is Amy Butler's August Fields.

Kisses from Heaven

I can't even begin to explain the love that a grandchild brings into one's life!  It is beyond words, and each time I am freshly amazed at the instant flood of love that overtakes me upon sight of a new grand baby!  Adrenaline junkies should have grand kids, because it just has to surpass jumping off buildings and such by a mile!

This is our new little wonder!  Momma and baby are both beautiful, and doing great!

Pooh Bear getting his first glimpse of his little sister.

Bell just can't get enough of her.  It's all she talks about, and she wants to hold her continually!

Spidey is in love with her too, he told me yesterday that even her sneezes are cute.

Of course, her parents are smitten as well!  Daddy's still a little apprehensive about what to do with brand new little girls.

You've gotta know I'm over the moon for her!  

                                                  It is certainly no accident that we call them GRAND!

You Say Tomato, I Say Oh, Yeah!!!

-tomato sandwiches
-bruschetta

-oven "sun" dried tomatoes

- tomato sandwiches

- tomato salads

-salsa

-tomato sandwiches

-tomato lasagna

-tomato gravy and biscuits

-yep, more tomato sandwiches

Yellow, cherry, grape, roma, plain ol' red tomatoes, I love them all! Excuse me I think I hear a tomato sandwich calling my name!