These two guys....my two sons, shown here after competing in the Wild Canyon Games in Antelope Oregon this past June, moved in together in Cheney, Washington this past weekend.  6+ hours from our home they are making their new home.  My oldest, Tucker (on the left) has been on his own for the past 5 years attending college and going though military basic training, will now attend Eastern Washington University enrolled in a Master's program in Computer Science.  Mason will be joining the Washington National Guard and attending Eastern's undergraduate psychology program.  This past week and weekend was filled with packing, loading and transporting items from our home to theirs.  Bittersweet.  Remembering my youth and the excitement of  independence, i now experience this stage of life through the eyes of a mother.  I've raised them the best I could, following God's love and direction.

Today, being my first day home after an exhausting and emotional week, i have been blessed with the phone ringing.  Customers wanting quilts quilted.  I believe it to be God's way of keeping me busy and moving forward.

What a Memorial Weekend to remember...

I'm working on a Lady Liberty quilt...May she stand as a symbol for Everyone and for Peace throughout our world. Let us always remember and celebrate those who willingly sacrificed for our freedom.

This weekend my niece Shelby married Stefan. The most beautiful wedding I've ever attended.  It was held in Chehalis, Washington at Red Barn Studios

Uncle David made this road sign

I made this welcome ladder (just happened to have old chipped paint matching Shelby's wedding color) with candles flickering in 'Ball' jars (Stefan's mother's maiden name) My father, 'Poppa' to Shelby, picked wild flowers from our family farm in Oregon and brought on old pitchfork, adding to the display

 A pin made for me by Shelby when she was in junior high was pinned to an old cutter quilt i found,

and oh my gosh....was the perfect color....i added an old tractor toy of mine sitting on a vintage mirror

 Looking in

 Shelby and cousin Hayley

 Shelby's best friend Courtney, cousin Kendall and sister Chandler

 My two sons, Tucker and Mason

 Stefan and Shelby with Stefan's Grandma Carol.

Shelby's Grammy and Poppa

 (Poppa dressed in polished cowboy boots and shiny spurs)

Grammy made all the food. Pretzel bread sandwiches, Cesar salad,  meatballs...Auntie Lisa provided the spirits...

Stefan's mom Kristin, aunts Kathie and Kelly along with Grandma Carol decorated the barn with vases and vases and vases of beautiful flower bouquets tied with burlap. 

The groomsmen got a bit hungry just as the ceremony began... eating hamburgers....

 Shelby's brother Severin, cousin Mason, best friend Courtney and cousin Tucker

 This photo makes me cry... how the heck am i already at this juncture in life??  Tuck and Shelby were born a week apart...that was like...yesterday!

 Ending the evening....

 Love you both!!!

Stefan is currently in a ROTC program...serving our country...Shelby's cousins Tucker and Connor are also serving our country today. Many of Stefan's and Shelby's family members have served in years before.  THANK YOU!!!

Mountain Hood!!

My brother David would get soooo excited when he was little everytime he saw "Mountain Hood". Now, every time I see this mountain or spend time here, "Mountain Hood" rings in my ear.

This is where I have spent the past week and the weather was beautiful. My husband Pat and I took our youngest Mason, and 5 of his friends for their last opportunity to 'hang' before they head off for their freshman year in college.

oh, and here is my Lucky boy.

The view just steps from the cabin. This is the ZigZag river. It was running fast, but fairly shallow and the sand from the bottom makes the water a bit cloudy.

Mason's great friends...Brian, Nathan, Jordan, Katie and Addie .

I did do some customer quilting....hand sewing a binding on a huge quilt!! I had hoped to work on some appliqué of my own....oh well. I'll post pictures of quilts on Monday

Week Thirty Three: August 16th-22nd

1. Mountain Hood

Really...it's MoNdAy?

Last night was Mason's Baccalaureate service. This is my most favorite part of senior year. An all student lead service, worship band, testimonials, dance, soloists and an incredible guest speaker. Mason chose Matthew 7:12 as his scripture reading and testimony.

Here he is with his friend since 7th grade, Katie. They are both headed to Oregon State University in the fall.....Goooo Beavs!!

Towards the end of the service was a video presentation with the seniors talking about their high school years and the most influential people during those years....many said their parents or their teachers, Mason said it was his best friend since the beginning of elementary school, Nathan. I really have to agree. Nathan has been a constant in Mason's life. God sent us Nathan....and his parents! Nathan will be attending George Fox this fall. My very best to all of them!

Week Twenty Three: June 7th-13th

1. Finish this beautiful custom quilt for Martha

2. Celebrate my Mom's 74th birthday!!

3. Mason's Graduation

4. I would love to finish up my rug hooked nest....

Senior Prom

Mason and Brian heading out to pick up their Prom dates....

Mason and his mommy

Mason's bestest friends

Mason's beautiful date, Jen

Week Twenty One: May 24th-30th

1. Trip to Seattle

2. Senior Awards Night

3. Joey leaves me....boohoo

4. Farmer's Wife Sampler class

5. Quilts!!!

And a Happy Mother's Day it is!!

Aaaawww, my Mom and I in 1960. Thanks Mom, you are Wonderful, Brave and Funny!

I had a wonderful visit from Courtney this morning....I love her very much, I wish she was mine! Here she is with Tucker who called from school to wish me a Happy Mother's day with a musical phone call...

"Mamma mia, here I go again

My my, how can I resist you?

Mamma mia, does it show again?

My my, just how much I've missed you"

For those of you who know me...How awesome was that???

And here is Mason with Courtney...Mason called me from the park and asked me to meet him and bring my 'bravery'. So I did...He was sitting on the end of a fallen tree which hung out across the Tualatin river 15' above the moving water. This is where my 'bravery' came in! I sat next to him as he played a song for me on his guitar. After sitting together enjoying the warmth of the sun and the beauty of the river, I crawled back to the bank! That was a bit scary!!

I am a lucky mommy!!

Pressure is Good

Today I am working on a quilt for Tucker's bed. I started this...gosh, a year and a half ago? At least?? He is coming home from college in less than two weeks...nothing like a bit of pressure to get me motivated!! When he is away at school I use his room as my storage facility. Client's quilts stack up ready for machine quilting, unfinished quilt projects, my finished quilts lay out flat on his bed one on top of the other, packaged batting and whatever else I happen to throw in there!

I have all the individual log cabin blocks completed, need to sew the rows together and prepare for machine quilting next week!

Here are Mason and Tucker. Tucker broke both feet in a rock climbing accident a little over a year and a half ago. As of Christmas this past year he was walking with a limp, but unable to run. Yesterday he called to tell us he had finished a 7.5 mile race in Spokane, Washington. Completed it in 1 hour, 2 seconds; placed 2,548th out of 49,674; race pace was 8:02 per minute, the average for his age was 13:38; and placed 69th out of the 300 males his age. Unbelievable. Mason on the other hand, with no broken feet flew across the finish line at the local Elden Kellar Invitational on Friday breaking his personal record by 3.5 seconds in the 3000 meter.

Week Eighteen: May 3rd-9th

1. Finish Tucker's quilt top and backing; ready to machine quilt

2. Complete 2 customer quilts

3. Turn my storage facility back into Tucker's room