My Quilt

Finally! I have been working on or dreaming of this quilt for sometime now.... in fact this quilt has been in the process for 10 months! It took me a while to find the right fabric. Once I found the perfect fabric I cut and assembled the top in a matter of hours....THEN it sat in my closet, then in a tub, and then in the middle of my project pile. I finally pulled it out and threw it on my couch...hoping that it would motivate me and it finally did! I am so happy with how it turned out. This is my first quilt top....I have made several others since I finished this top in march....
Here it is spread out on my living room floor waiting to be tied. Once it was tied I sewed on the binding and then finished the binding by hand!

Here are two different pictures of my finished quilt! I love, love, love it and am excited to be able to snuggle under it while reading a good book! My Mother-in-law asked if I was going to give it to somebody....my husband tried to claim it as his...Sorry guys! I am going to be greedy for once...this is mine and only mine!

Fairbanks Alaska in Pictures

Here are the pictures from our trip last month.


Jillian! She is so cute, so big and so sweet! She cut two teeth while Cameron and I were there and was a bit fussy but didn't complain other than that! I loved spending time with her and holding her...too bad the trip didn't cure me of the "baby bug".

Shannon was such a great tour guide. She made sure Cameron and I saw all of the important things....Here's the Alaska Pipeline.


Cameron had fun with Uncle Adam. He liked to talk his ear off...I sure hope he didn't bug Adam too much!


We went on a Riverboat tour of the Chena River. One of the cool things we were able to see was a makeshift native village. Cameron had fun walking through the little cottages....they were just his size!


One evening we packed a picnic and went to a park...this is pioneer park. Cameron loved the train and told us all where to sit! It was good for him to get out and burn some energy....we happened to have a couple of nice days it seemed like half the time we were there it was raining!



Cameron is getting sooooo big! This picture was taken as we were leaving the pipeline. Cameron didn't want to leave...he told me he was going to stay on the bench...I reminded him that it would be cold that night and he would have to sleep there! He said that's okay, he had a blanket....I reminded him that his blanket was at Aunt Shannon's house and that he wouldn't have it that night if he stayed....He finally decided to come home with us!


My Handsome Little Guy! Can you believe He'll be three in just a couple of weeks?



And last but not least...my Favorite picture from our trip....This was taken at the Santa Claus house in North Pole, Alaska! Cameron wasn't too interested in Santa...but we got to sit in his sleigh and see his reindeer.

We had so much fun visiting with Shannon and Adam! I enjoyed getting to know them better and having the opportunity to experience a little bit of Alaska. Someday we will go back...maybe as a family to live for a while. Thanks, Shannon, for thinking of Cameron and I.

Summers over, already?

So much has happened, I don't even know where to start! Can you believe we are already 11 days into September? Fall is nearly upon us and I am loving every minute of it....although I do miss the late summer nights and the warm mornings....

Cameron and I were lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit Cole's oldest sister Shannon and her wonderful family in Fairbanks Alaska last month. We went for 2 whole weeks and enjoyed almost every minute of it. The minutes I didn't enjoy were the ones closest to bedtime near the end of the fabulous two weeks. We were able to take care of Shannon's adorable little girl while she trained a new gal at work. In the evenings and on the weekends we were true tourists. Shannon took us to Santa's House in North Pole! We got to see the Alyseka Pipeline and a moose. Cameron's favorite was the Riverboat Tour of the Chena River. Grandma and Grandpa Evarts made a long drive from Homer to Fairbanks to see us! Cameron and I even ventured out on our own with Jillian in tow to the local farmers market (Cameron loved this part too, he bought his own carrots!!!). I have tons of pictures that I will post soon, I promise!

Before leaving for Alaska, Cole's mom and I came across some local peaches for 20 cents a pound...YES, TWENTY CENTS A POUND!!!! You will think I am crazy when I tell you we canned 300LBS!!! Amounting to 176 quart jars of peaches! .....While I was in Alaska they bought another 150lbs for 10 cents a pound!!! Amounting to 64 quart jars of peaches.....I will sound even crazier when I tell you that when I returned home we were able to pick another 50lbs of peaches...for FREE!!! I'm not crazy...and yes it's all true! We've also been making bread and butter pickles with the pickling cukes from our garden, canning home grown tomatoes and freezing peaches, plums and strawberries to make jam with at a later date. This week we have pears ripening and grapes that need to be picked and juiced or dried! It's harvest time folks and I am loving every minute of it!

I had taken a break from quilting this summer with too much to do outside....now that things are slowing down and the nephews are off at school I have started pulling it out again and am looking forward to letting my creative juices flow.

Cameron will be 3 in a month and a half! I can hardly believe it! He is talking like a normal 3 year-old....I was worried there for a few months when he was still grunting at 2 and a half. He is potty trained....has been for a few months. We took his pacifier away in May or June. He really is a little boy now! I can't believe it!

Cole has worked like a crazy man for most of the summer. He is loving his job. He has worked over-time most weeks and is just now starting to slow down. We are serving together at church as cub scout leaders. I love watching him with the boys, he is so good with the youth!

I'm sure I am missing things, but it's late....Cameron didn't nap today so it's off to bed for us!

Summer Time Fun!!

Hi Friends!!! It's been a while. Life spiraled out of control for a few months and I am just now getting caught back up. Here's a list of all the things we've done...

Cole finished his 5th term of school.
Cole got a great job!
Amber quit her job.
Continued to work in the garden.
Made my first batch of Bread and Butter Pickles with Home Grown Cucumbers.
Had an incredible Fourth of July!
Cameron at Zucchini and LOVED it!
Amber has lost 25lbs and is wearing clothes she never thought she'd wear again!
Cameron is talking like a normal 2 1/2 year old! Yippy!
Church.
Calling.
Milking goats.
Swimming.

I'm sure I'm missing some. But, now that I am home again with the little one I will have more time to keep up on this.

Wow, it's been along time! It seems that every so often I get to wrapped up in the day to day that I forget about the little things that don't mean so much! I apologize for slacking off and not keeping this up, but with work and school (Cole) and Cameron and all that those three things entail, at the end of the day I am exhausted and ready to collapse.

We are good though, in case you were wondering. Cameron has continued to learn new words and has an interest in all things dirty and grimy. He love any type of animal, any type of insect and Popsicles! When he opened the scripture this morning and pointed to the picture of Jesus Christ and said "Jesus", I couldn't help but get teary-eyed.

Cole is almost done with his fourth term of school, only two to go!!! No time to hunt for a summer job, maybe out of state?

And like I said, I am working. and being a mom. and a wife. and a den leader for our wards cub scout program. and trying to find me time!

Yes, Cole and I received another team calling. I guess Heavenly Father thinks we need to work on some things...team work? our marriage? Patience? We are the den leaders for our wards wolf and bear dens. Wish us luck!

Our niece Harmony, and our nephews Caleb and Jared were baptized this last Friday. It's so hard to believe that they are eight! The baptism was incredible, I caught myself thinking of my baptism and remembering how I felt. What an incredible day that was for me and them!

Now on to start my week! Ciao!

Rain? Rainbows?

While I was driving the other day I saw a reader board with this message: "Without the rain, there would be no rainbow". I'm embarrassed to say, I started crying! Granted it was a bad day, but it wasn't so much the badness of the day,but more the hope I was given by that little message.

As a mother, a wife and most importantly a child of god, I know that we must go through trials. I know that in order to achieve anything in this life, or the life to come, I must learn and grow. However, sometimes for brief moments of time, I forget this important part of the plan of salvation! I know, I know, how could I forget. But I get so wrapped up in my day to day life, so wrapped up in the every day trials, that when a big one comes crashing down around me it's all I can do to pull myself out of it! In fact lately, more often than not I have been caught saying that I wish it would all just go away!

Now I could list off all of the trials that have brought me to tears in the last two weeks, they would range from work, to home, to marriage, to child, to friends, to family,and even to driving! But at the end of the day, I am alive, I have a roof over my head and I have a family...even if they are the cause of some of my trials! I am blessed to have a child, a husband and a job.

Without my rain, I wouldn't have my rainbow at the end of the day!

Happy Mother's Day!

To all of my blogger friends and family, Happy Mother's Day!

I personally think we should have Mother's Day once a month! Wouldn't that be something?

It's been pretty crazy hectic around here again! I will post some pictures of things we've been up to soon!

Lot's of love!