Saturday, July 31, 2010

July 24th

Ok some I'm about a week late! Sorry.
For the 24th I was planning on going up to Cowboy Chirstmas at the Hill's with my dad and brothers, since my mom was laid up from her surgery still. But we had that big storm on Thursday which brought flood waters down all around the ranch, and messed up all their water and dams. So my dad and brothers thought it would be more fun to stay home and work on with their rented backhoe then come hang out with family. My sister and Megan didn't want to go, so I had no one to go with. I totally forgot about my Aunt Renee and her family probably going. So I changed plans and we went to the parade with Rashell and Alexis, then to a 85th birthday party for Koda's Great-Grandma Liebhardt. After that we went home and hung out. It was fun, but I really missed out on the true fun with my wild Chew family...
Oh well heres some pics from the day.

(Auntie Megan, Auntie Janessa, Page, and Daisy)

(At the Parade waiting for candy)

(Alexis What a cutie!)

(I really liked this fire truck)

(Waving to Smokey the Bear)




Friday, July 30, 2010

Happy Anniversary!!!


Yesterday was the four year mark of the day I married my prince charming. It has been a wonderful four years and I'm so grateful everyday that we were married and started our life together. It totally messed with my life plans as a ninteen year old and when the children came it changed them again. But I love my life, I love my husband, I love my kids, and I wouldn't change a thing!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Menu Planning


So back in October I started making dinner menus for two weeks at a time. Most weeks I do great at following that menu and it has helped lots in the grocery shopping department and the saving money department. Back in April I bought this book, What's for Dinner? by Jana Shonfield.

It has 30 weeks of menus. These menus include everything for a well balanced dinner, main dish, side dish, vegtables, salad, and dessert. I do not make everything! We won't eat it. I usually do just the main dish, side dish and veggies. We aren't big dessert eaters, so that hardley gets made but the recipes look great. They are easy recipes to follow and everything is made from scratch. I sorta follow it, as I still add in my own recipes that we enjoy.
So I have dinner covered, but as I was thinking last night, I should totally make a menu for my breakfast and lunch. Its so hard though knowing what to do, since Koda is a slave to his job and has absoulutly no schedule and it leaves me and the girls eating something. But I got to thinking I could still plan a menu, just make sure its something he can take with him, he usually can take the leftovers, but he needs other stuff. He is at work from 4am to 7pm, so thats breakfast, brunch, lunch, and a snack. If I was able to make a menu and be able to come up with stuff from scratch it would cut our grocery bill down some more. The stuff he takes for lunch is the expensive part, cause he needs something to eat, and its way to expensive to get stuff from 7-11 or Maverick every morning.
So I need some help know of any good things to cook for breakfast that can be ate cold and made from scratch (muffins is all I can think of), or some breakfast type cookbooks? I also would like to know what do you send or take with you for lunch? I'm at a lost at what to do. And remember he has to be able to eat it quickly somedays, so simple is what I'm looking for, and he doesn't always have a way to heat stuff up, although he mostly does.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

The Little Red Barn

I'm getting geared up to go and volunteer at the Little Red Barn on Friday and Saturday.
This is an exhibit that is all hands on and its free. Kids get to find out what life is like on the farm, as they plant a garden, feed cows and chickens, haul hay, pick an apple, then trade their produce in at the farmers market, and head to the grocery story to trade their money in for their food.
Because of liabilty issues all the hands on (like milking the cows) is all pretend, but they get the main idea. And ole' Festues is a lot easier to milk compared to ole' One Eyed Sally at home, no worries about getting kicked or swatted in the eye. There is real animals to look at though, chickens, a lamb, and some bull calves. It is a lot of fun and the kids love it. Check out pictures from last year here. This is put on by the Uintah County Farm Bureau and the Uintah High FFA.
It is a lot of fun plus I get to put in my volunteer hours :). Come see me I'll be there Friday from 11-1 and Saturday 12-2.
Stop by the indoor arena onThursday, July 29th 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Friday, July 30th 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. or Saturday, July 31st 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Mud Bath Time!

OH this girl of mine, could easily win the dirtest child contest hands down. This was Thursday, after we got home from our insurance shopping (which I still don't have any results ugh!) Luckily I was able to get her out of her clothes when she just had her hands and feet muddy. She had a blast though as you can see, and I remember well how good it felt on a hot day to play in the mud.


Then we come to Friday, we went to my moms house to visit her. Daisy found the grease can under the barbequer and procceeded to get it all over her not just once but twice. Thank heavens my mom has some heavy duty grease soap to get that stuff off her, cause I really don't know how else we would've gotten it off.
Now skip Saturday, we were able to keep clean (except for the candy drool from all the candy at the parade) for the most part.

(Page and Meagan)
Sunday we went to church, I taught my lesson, Daisy did really good in Nursery. Afterwards we headed back out to the ranch to see my family (Janessa and Meagan were there too) and thats was lots of fun to see them and talk to everyone. I even gave Ty and Carson a ride up to the Semi in Jensen for them to drive home, and I was let in on a wonderful secret and was asked for so advice, but I promised not to tell. :) Anyways we got home and Daisy went straight to the mud puddle and hopped in. I was able to get her clothes off in time again, but she once again looked like a mud monster. The thing that makes me laugh, is how she loves to play and get dirty dirty, but then when its time to clean up and come in she hates being washed off, even if she's been playing in the same water.

Well Monday we went and helped set up the Little Red Barn for the Uintah County Fair that goes this week. She got all covered in sand, straw, and corn dust. Ha the life of a farm girl who isn't afraid of getting dirty.

Another note, a couple of months ago I decided to make this blog private and do a seperate public one for my quilting and sewing stuff. Now I'm thinking of just going back to this one and making it public again. Its kinda hard keeping up with two blogs. What's your thoughts?

Friday, July 23, 2010

New Books

Got these in the mail the other day. Yep so happy love them both. I really like the Farmer's Wife one. I love reading the letters.



What I've been up to

(August Sew Bee Wonky~Kelli's)

I've been busy with my crazy life. I've become addictted to these quilt bees. They are so much fun. I think I enjoy them so much because I get to try out a bunch of fabrics that I never thought to use and I get to try different blocks. Like the one above I'm not one for house blocks but I think these are turning out so cute, that I might want a quilt.



(July's Bee in my Bonnet blocks~Candi's)

And then there is the 3X6 Group, and these are the blocks I did for my beehive. This was a fun one and I'm doing another quarter, but I think I prefer the more traditional style bees.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Insurance

Oh man have I had a day! I've been going to get quotes from all these different insurance places just to find out if I can get something lower etc. We've been insured through Farm Bureau and I knew they was on the high end of the spectrum but wow, what I have learned.

First off I am a Farm Bureau member and I believe the organization is wonderful and does a lot of good to help protect our agriculture needs. But the insurance is RIDICULOUS!!!!

Finally today I went to five different places to get quotes, only two gave me automatic quotes on my trucks and one place for everything. They all had to sit back a momement and think about it since we have a farm and mobile home (guess its unique) so most said they'd call me, since they have to have someone higher up do the farm stuff.

Well just from the two places that gave me info on my truck insurance I can save $1,000 a year! (actually a bit more but about that). I was flabbergasted! The place that quoted me the farm and house insurance already was still competive but was still $60 less then FB. I'm shocked, so we'll see how the other places compare, but one thing is for sure I'm changing companies, I have to save money where ever I can.

I've told my dad about the difference and hopefully he can help get FB insurance more competitive (he's on UT State board of dirctores so he can hopefully get the ball rolling) and maybe one day we'll go back.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

I need some crafty help

Santa

Ok my crafty friends I need your help (ahem Candace and Chelsie...) If you want the link click(Santa Wreath) and let me know if you can figure out a way to do this guy, or if you know how to find the pattern, I'm out of ideas and I really want to do this guy or something similar Thanks!

**Edited Post**

Found it! Its not out of print. McCalls #M5205. I know they have it at Amazon and I ordered mine from Etsy. Sure its elsewhere! Thanks for your help!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Slang & Faith

So in my post about the fourth I mentioned two thoughts that have been circultating my mind. Well here's what I think.
(Disclaimer: This is just my personal thoughts and the terms are just apart of my culture, not trying to slam anyone else's cultures)

~Thought #1~
Afro-American Engineered.
OR Jerry Rigged
OR Nigger-Rigged
OR Rednecked
OR Hillbillied
OR you get the point.
~Thought #2~
Without faith they are just two sticks tied together.
I really like this thought for it explains exactly what Faith is {believing without seeing}.
Faith does not just apply to religous aspects; I believe we need to have faith like this in order to get us through all the trials in our life whether they be big life changing trials or smaller ones, we have to have faith that the outcome will be the best for us, cause we don't know what the outcome is going to be in anytime.
Here's another quote that I have recently found that I'm quite fond of:
Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not. ~ Oprah Winfrey.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

A Pile of What???


Mending??? Yuck!!!!

Oh well guess I have to do it someday might as well be today and then I can have my machine back to do what I want to do.


Hey at least I have these cuties to help me out.

Right?

The thing I love



So having two children I never thought/expected this to make my breath catch, my heart smile, and tears to come to my eyes because of the simple happiness it brings to me. That thing is the interaction that happens between Daisy and Page. Its unexpected moments like when we are driving in the car and they start talking to each other. When Daisy sits next to her and reads a book to her, or like this picture, when Daisy is showing her something. Its so sweet and I love it!


Friday, July 9, 2010

A Favorite...

So I realized today that I haven't shared an actual quilt for a while so I looked through my pics and here is a post about a favorite quilt of mine. The Monticello Log Cabin Pattern. I haven't named this quilt, I don't know what to name it, so if you have an suggestions let me know them!
This quilt is one that I did in high school, in fact if I'm remembering correctly It was my second one I did or it might've been the third, IDK, Anyways I know it took a semester and a half to complete it from cutting to binding. I also did a lot of fancy quilting on it and each block has a design and the borders all have different designs. You can kinda see the quilting in the pic below.

The piecing itself took FOREVER! I didn't chain piece it, but strip by strip, so each strip was pre-cut then sewn all individualy. One this is for sure now, I know how to do it much quicker now! Another interesting tidbit, your suppose to base your quilt around the corner triangle piece fabric, but when I bought my material I didn't find anything and so I bought the blues and pinks sewed the block, then when it came time to put the corner triangle in I went and found my fabric. I think it turned out wonderful.

I think it turned out wonderful and I just wish I had a wall or a guest bedroom that I could display it on. I don't dare put it on my bed with the little children I have and you know what they say about children, "when you have children everything will eventually end up with puke, blook, or poop on it." So for now this quilt is in storage. *sniffle*


Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Bee Quilted Block

Haha I'm totally a sewing nerd!! I got the fabric for Tracy's block today in the mail. Got home and laid out the fabric, contempleted it for awhile, cut it up, sewed it back together, fixed a mistake (well actually I just didn't like it so I changed it), laid it out and quilted it. The only way I was able to do this, both girls had a nice long nap, at the same time. Absoulutly AMAZING!!!

This block also went together fast for I already knew exactly what kind of block I was going to do. You see I did a practice one a couple of days before just so I could make sure I had the size diminsions right since I cut it down from a 12" block to a 10" block. I actually really like it and I'm glad I made the practice block, for I forsee a quilt being made maybe just from practice blocks all in this color scheme, hmmm, don't know....

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Happy 4th and a blessing somwhere along the way


Well this past weekend was a fun weekend as well has an interesting one.

Friday started things off, it was payday which equates into bill day and shopping day. BLAH! Shopping with two children is an experience (and I'm sure it gets even more interesting the more kids you add to the mix). So I went grocery shopping and household shopping aka diaper shopping. I also was able to purchase siding to go around the bottom of our house, but the nice lady didn't give me the 10% off so that was something I had to go take care of today.

Saturday I cleaned house and then headed out to the ranch and had dutch oven lunch with my family. My sista came out and it was great to see her.

Sunday I woke up got the girls and I both ready for church then at ten forty loaded them up and started to leave, when I was like something is not right. Sure enough I had a flat tire. Well everyone else that I knew to call all had church from 9-12 so I waited around till 12 then began calling people NOBODY would answer so I decided to load my girls up on the 4-wheeler, strapped my diaper bag on the back and drove up to Grandma Southams house. I'm sure we made quite the site to see. We borrowed her car and drove to church got there about 12:30 singing time in Primary. So I take Daisy to nursery and I stood outside the door for a bit it was SOOO quiet. I opened the door and there was just the one nursery leader in there with her granddaughter. Daisy was the ONLY nursery age child there. So odd. Well Daisy only likes the menfolk in nursery seriously she screams bloody murder if they aren't in there. So I take her with me to primary. To make a long story short I ended up sitting in Nursery with my two girls (they wouldn't behave for anybody! or for me!) till closing excersises in primary went to that, got in the car and drove back. I know I didn't get anything out of going to church since I just sat in nursery, but I suppose theres a blessing in there somewhere.

Monday I cleaned our camper for a guy was going to buy it. Last night found out he wasn't going to buy it after all. So If you want a camper we have one for sale and its cleaned out!

Tuesday (today) I went and got my flat fixed (couldn't yesterday Utah celebrated the 4th then) went to Lowes and got my 10% off my siding, stopped into get my window resealed and that has to be done tommorrow morning so lucky me I get to go back up town again tommorrow and the day after that I get to go help Grandma Liebhardt...Oh the joys of grownup hood.

But I have found some new interesting thoughts to think about
1. Afro-American Engineered...(think about it)
2. Without faith they are just two sticks tied together...worth thinking about sure I'll have a post on it sometime soon.

As for the rest of today I'm off to do some laundry and work on some quilts. Have a good day! And I'm so gratful to live in the land of the free!

Friday, July 2, 2010

NewBee July Blocks

Here is July's Newbee blocks for Colleen. She wanted halloween house blocks.

This is the first one I came up with and I totally messed up I Feel Terrible! Ok heres the story....

I recieved the fabric on a thursday, was so inspired I sewed this up on a sunday, was so proud of my accomplishment and how it turned out (my first house!) Well has I got on here to post my finished pic I re-read what she wanted and guess what.... The black was supposed to be the background like a spooky starry night, I was like well no duh! That makes sense. I feel horrible I read and read what she wanted and I never seen that part till just then, UGH!!!!
Well couple of weeks later I was looking through a quilt block book when I found this block for a house, and I realized I can do that for her, she will just have to add the black on the top two strips thats all, four seams she'll have to sew.
This picture is with some black material behind it just to give an idea of what it will look like finished. All in all I think they turned out cute, even if the one was disastourous.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Society


Summary: “ I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

This was July's Book Club book. It was quite a delightful book. It does take a few pages to grasp a hold of who the characters are and how the book is written.

It is written as a series of letters from different people to this lady Juliet. She through these letters you see how she discovers more about herself and has changes to her life that couldn't happen anyway else. I'm really not good at writing reviews so if you want to know more about this particualar book check out Booking Mama's Review of it.

You should check it out, its defintaly an interesting and different read.
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