Piles of Things

Piles of Fabric...

It has been many months since my mom and I have spent any time alone...just her and I.  But when she gets something in her head, I reckon it's stuck there until the task is complete. 

Her new favorite past time is quilting and I will have to say that she is getting really good at it.  So, she requested that just her and I take a day and go on a fabric hunt to try to find quilting fabric to make me a quilt.  Off we went in her little cruiser to several different towns, quilting stores, and vintage shops with the hopes of finding fabric that would fit my dreams of having a modern-vintage style, light gray, and butter-cup yellow with a splash of red quilt.

Now, I know nothing about fabric...cotton is cotton to me.  I can pressure cook some mean round steak or can a wicked jar of spaghetti sauce but Lord help me to sew on a button.  But mom has been at this quilting hobby for long enough to guide us through.

We happened to stumble across a table cloth that was PERFECT in a little vintage shop.  Then we built the rest of the fabric palette off of this amazing table cloth (I never thought I could fall in love with fabric.)  How lucky could we be? 

At the end of our excursion, mom's cruiser was full of piles of fabric...a good start for making a king size, butter cup yellow and light gray with a splash of red, vintage-modern quilt.  I will try to continue to post her progress with this insane project as the months go on.

Piles of Bikes...

"Let's go for a bike ride mom.." my kids have said over and over during the past few months.  They love to ride bike.  But I am not the most athletic person and I simply do not have the drive to be.  I work out enough to feel healthy...and...well that is about it.  A walk here, a stroll there, squats while picking up toys----yep----that is about the end of it.

So, time after time I have given them the same excuse to not go on a bike ride---"I do not have a bike."  How easy is that?

The thing about excuses is that sooner or later...a person is going to run out of them.

Especially when the husband is on a health kick and surprises me (in front of his entire family) with a REALLY nice bike and a trailer bike. 

Abram hits everyone up for a bike ride.  We have been diligently going for bike rides everyday.

So, now I do not have any more excuses looking at the piles of bikes that now grace our garage.

Piles of people...

Last weekend we hosted my brother-in-laws graduation party at our house.  I worked...literally...for three days preparing for this event.  My mother-in-law was too flustered to even function.

There were salads to make and places to clean and tables to set up and yadayadayada.  It was a lot of work.  But I love my brother-in-law, Braden, so it was worth it.

As a last minute ordeal, we ended up having my favorite brother-in-law and sister-in-law (Ryan and Heather) stay with us (this includes their three children.)  It was so much fun that I was really sad to see them go.

 My sister-in-law, Heather, makes the most amazingly delicious cakes.

This weekend our lives were filled with delicious cake, loving family members, and piles of people coming and going to and from our house.

Ahhh...brotherly love!

I am not usually the type of person to keep piles of things around but, these piles of things are priceless to me. 

"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life."-- Richard Bach