The quilt Part 1

I'm making a quilt for a lady in my ward who won a service auction item from me. She wanted flowers and stars. So far, I've got the flowers bit covered. Still working on the stars. She's legally blind and needs bold colors and shapes to be able to see them.

I decided to do the hardest part first and had all my applique work in the center block. It took quite a bit of time, but I think it turned out pretty nice.

Hiking toward Middle Rock Lake

We went backpacking last weekend. We were able to enjoy the beautiful colors of fall, but it was warm enough to shed jackets during the day. This little meadow was full of gorgeous reds, yellows, and every shade of green imaginable.

Having 26 lbs. on my back was bearable, because I knew it wasn't as much as Shonee had!

Here's our temporary home, complete with roaring fire. It did get mighty chilly once the sun went behind the ridge. We expended large amounts of energy searching for, hauling, and cutting our firewood.

This shows the whole setup. Tent tucked away in the trees. We even brought little pillows (aah!). Fireplace in the "living room", and beyond that, a pretty little lake set in a tiny valley all to ourselves. We saw 15-20 people the entire two days we were up there wandering around the ridge. It was a great little getaway that I'll be feeling for a few days yet in my legs and back, but soooo worth the time I got to spend alone with Shonee.

New Movie

Hey all you Tron fans out there, get ready for a new adventure!
There's a new Tron coming in 2010, sweet!
I can't even guess how many times I enjoyed watching that movie growing up. I don't know why it's so cool, it just is.

I Went Out One Day

This is a poem I wrote that I'd like to see made into a children's picture book.

I went out in the wind one day.
I whistled along my merry way,
Then the wind whisked my whistle far away.
And that is why the wind whistles through the trees.

I went out in the fog one day.
My mother’s veil upon my face,
Then the fog gently lifted the satiny lace.
And that is why the fog veils the air.

I went out in the rain one day.
I chuckled along my soggy way,
Then the rain washed my chuckle far away.
And that is why the water chuckles as it flows.

I went out in the sun one day.
I smiled brightly on my way,
Then the sun soaked up my bright beaming face.
And that is why the sun beams down on the earth.

I went out in the snow one day.
My breath sparkled as I played,
Then the snow took the sparkles far away.
And that is why the snow sparkles on the ground.

Sometimes He Lets it Rain

My Relief Society teacher read this song to us on Sunday, and it really struck me.

Sometimes He Lets it Rain by Tyler Castleton and Staci Peters on the CD Women of Destiny

She sees the storm clouds gather,

The sky is turning cold and gray.

She knows that something's coming

When she starts to feel this way.

She pleads for intervention,

But heaven offers no relief.

And she would understand if she could only see that -

Sometimes He lets it rain,

He lets the fierce winds blow.

Sometimes it takes a storm

To lead a heart where it can grow.

He can move mountains of grief,

And oceans of pain,

But sometimes He lets it rain.

When her heart surrenders

To the master in control,

Her spirit learns the lessons of the tempest in her soul.

When it's no longer raging,

She can see how far she's come,

Through the wisdom and the mercy of the son.

Weekend Visitors

We had a busy weekend. In addition to tending the neighbors three ducks, we had the fun of Madison, Brooklyn and Karsten visiting.The ducks were pretty self contained, but the kids took turns changing their water and feeding them. On Saturday some of us went to the Art Fair in Salem, and Shonee stayed home with the little ones. It was so hot, and the fair was mostly for grown-ups, but we did play at the spiderweb park for just a bit.

On Sunday, Season and Sara came to pick them up, but they didn't want to leave! A tire swing and fun cousins are hard to give up.

Table Rock Trail

Shonee and I left the kids with Grandma L. Saturday and went to Table Rock Wilderness outside of Molalla. We hiked 1500 ft. up to the top and were rewarded with stunning views of mountains on all sides of us. The valleys were stretched out below, looking lush and green. We were in the sun at the beginning and end of the trail for about 3 miles altogether. Otherwise, were hiking through a beautiful forest with wild rhodedendron growing on the hills. It was wonderful to be out hiking with my sweetheart, just talking and enjoying the time together.

When we were driving back through the canyon, Shonee decided he needed to stretch his legs, so we pulled over by the river and climbed down to some flat rocks to stretch. It was lovely and cool by the water and a great way to end our adventure.