Matt Redmon, 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)

Hemming for the Band

I volunteered to hem uniform pants for the high school band. This was a fun and challenging project.

A small (about 4 feet long) Costco table is my new project surface and was a huge help for laying out the trousers to measure and pin them. Each pair had a piece of masking tape on them stating how many inches or "snaps" should be hemmed up.

I used the big hat pins or corsage pins that I bought for the wedding flowers for pinning. These big pins are so nice. I prefer them to the small straight pins. They look nicer and are much easier to handle.

Notice the snaps running up the insides of these trouser legs? The theory is that one could snap up the length needed to fit the student but they really aren't secure enough to hold through normal wear and tear. They were good length markers. Some of the pants said "up three snaps". So, I snapped up three and then hemmed everything by hand. Pressing with a steam iron did wonders to smooth the new hems down.

I did all seventeen pairs of pants and hemmed one jacket at the cuffs in two and half days. This project was a joy to complete as I had the materials for two weeks before I could get to them. They were delivered to the high school with a day or two to spare!

Jump Start

My niece, (who approved this picture because it shows her frustration!) has been staying with us and has experienced more than her share of car trouble!

When her battery died, AGAIN, she knew what to do!

Sam, who is interested in auto mechanics, was her assistant for the jump start off his car.

Immediately after getting her car started, she made the road trip home without stopping, to have her Dad fix the problem!

Bear's Den

It was too pretty of an evening to go home straight after church. Larry suggested a hike on Bear's Den.
We stopped by the house to pick up my niece, and also the boys' good friend, Robert.

I have never been to this scenic vista before. It was really special!

Large rocks are everywhere and are good for climbing.

This beautiful lodge is open to the public for restrooms and to spend the night if hiking on the Appalachian Trail. There is a nice fireplace inside that would be wonderful if the weather was cool. We looked into renting it for a certain holiday and although it was cheap and available- it was too small for our needs for that particular day. No matter- I hope to go back to hike some more when time permits. I can see what folks love about this place!

Sunday Barbeque

Jon and Meg spontaneously invited us up on a Sunday afternoon for a barbeque. Jon can really cook on a grill and meg made some wonderful sides. Fruit of the Forest pie, which Jon now keeps fresh in the house at all times topped off a lovely meal.

This was a perfect Sunday afternoon.. Everything tastes so good when cooked on a grill! Just being outside on the porch together was relaxing and fun.

Good-bye Sweetheart

A week after the wedding, we said good-bye to another daughter. Natalie packed herself up and was leaving as scheduled to move a distance away.

Natalie is such a happy person and brings a great deal of joy to our daily lives. She and I have worked together for seven years with a special concern. This was pretty monumental for us.

Our loss however, is Jeff and Chelsea's gain!

We said good-bye and then Juby and I cried all evening. By the next morning, I was actually excited for her new adventure! She is doing well, by God's Grace and is very happy in her new home!

Last Duty

Natalie's departure was imminent but before she could go, she had to give our pony some medicine.

It was challenging and that is why we asked her to handle it!

Mission accomplished and an entertaining show it was.

Oyster Man

Tori and John returned from their beach honeymoon with dozens of fresh oysters to share.

Unfortunately, they got no takers!

I've never seen anyone eat fresh raw oysters. John demonstrated how to open one up.

They kept them on ice for a day or so and shared them with folks who could appreciate them!

Lego Friends

Juby took some pictures of her Lego village which I found when I uploaded my camera.

The Riding Academy,

the cafe,

and the city swimming pool are some of the Lego Friend kits she owns and plays with.
Most folks agree that Legos have been terrific toys for boys.
No doubt, the Lego company is thrilled that they created this successful line of toys for girls!

Baby Elegance

By God's Grace, Cindi Lou-Who gave birth to a little baby girl who looks like a doll! She did exceedingly well and she and Greg are delighted to have a daughter.

Elegance sleeps with her hand up to her chin. She is nursing well and growing.

Her big brother likes her so much that he stops his play often to swing by and give her a soft kiss on the head.

Rehearsal Dinner

The Rehearsal  Dinner hosted by John's Dad and Rox was fantastic! The venue, the same place we would use for the wedding was historic and gorgeous!

It was great to meet the young people in the wedding whom we didn't know.

We practiced the ceremony and got an inkling of what to expect from the officiant the next day!

Jeff and Chelsea worked together to assist Aunt Wendy in photographing the whole wedding.

Dinner was amazing! We had pork barbecue and BBQ chicken with all the sides. It was really fun to get to know the close friends and family members from the groom's side, including his Mom, Jill. The evening was a great success and a wonderful start to the wedding week-end.!

Making Corsages

My dear friend Erika used to work in a flower shop. I arranged with her to come over for an evening to help me make the corsages and boutonnieres for the wedding.

We ordered two dozen white roses, a bunch of baby's breath and a a package of assorted greens from Costco. Spools of ribbon in coral and ivory I had picked up at Hobby Lobby as well as stem wire and lots of flower tape.

Erika showed me how to cut the rose stem and take off most of the leaves around the bottom of the bud. Then she inserted the piece of stem wire through the stem and folded it down on both sides, twisting it together. Green leaves are then added in and the whole thing is wrapped in stem tape.

Working with the fresh flowers was lovely!

By the end of the evening, we had put together five corsages for the Moms and Grandmoms,  and nine boutonnieres for the groomsmen, Dads and  Granddads. I have to say that they turned very well! While spending the evening with my good friend, we accomplished our task and she taught me a new skill that I will be able to use for any other wedding in the future! Many thanks, Erika!.
The next morning I picked up the five bouquets for the wedding party and the flowers to make Tori's bouquet. Everything was cut down to hand carrying size and the stems were then covered with gorgeous coral ribbon, ready for the next big day!

Little Cake Bosses

Our new favorite Netflix series is "Cake Boss". I really like the main star, Buddy, because he is such a nice man with a tremendous love for his entire extended family. It is really entertaining to watch his large Italian family interact and work together. We usually watch one episode or sometimes two per night. Watching the show always makes me want to have a piece of cake!

The kids above worked together to bake and frost this Blue Velvet cake that was delicious. The adults didn't have to participate at all. They did a great job preparing a treat for the group!

Pippi's Afghan

Pippi's afghan has been completed and it turned out well. Meg likes this pattern and this blanket matches her sister's exactly except for the mint green color. It is the right size to fit a crib with some to spare. I hope that she enjoys it as much as her siblings do theirs. With all the babies expected, I have a line up of three more to go!

Deck Building

John has been building a deck for his father and step-mom to enjoy the outdoors on. The boys had nothing planned for the day so they showed up to help.

Many tricky cuts are involved here as the floorboards are being placed on an angle.

I was thrilled that this soon to be brother-in-law was willing to share his time and his extensive home handy knowledge with these fellows.

Bachelorette Brunch

The ladies in the wedding party, planned an elegant brunch for Tori's last week as a single girl.

What fun it was to sit outdoors on the walking mall and eat a leisurely brunch together!

Tori was a good sport and wore the little mock veil I made for her to show the world what we were celebrating!

 To our delight, Logan joined us as well!

Leigh, Cindi and our girls were there, and ...

Baby Precious!

The food was amazing,

the weather, perfect, and the company wonderful!

Did I mention that this was an all you could drink champagne brunch?
Designated drivers were in place for some of the ladies to indulge on their day out!
Yes, that is a slice of bacon in the mixed drink above!

After the meal, Tori received a gift from her sister.

Congratulations, Beauty! We wish you every happiness!