Memorial Day!

Hey everyone, it is Memorial Day!!!
Now, I know Memorial Day is about our armed services and soldiers and country and everyone who works to protect our way of life as well as our loved ones who have passed on. I know Memorial Day is the day we visit gravesides and remember...
But,
I like Memorial Day because...
it is a time for gathering with my family
barbequing
playing volleyball
and croquet
watching a great movie
telling "remember when" stories
getting ready for summer and water fights
ice cream
smiling and laughing and giggling
staying up late
enjoying the summer break
no working
just playing
I really, really like Memorial Day--
and usually it is right around my birthday!
I plan on having...
a fantastic Memorial Day!

Cheesecakes!

And can you believe it? The cheesecakes are finished, delivered and mostly cleaned up from. The last time I did a big batch of cheesecakes (50), I had myself, Air, Marlo, Cliff, Hubby, Hoperdoo, and many others helping in the kitchen, we started early and barely finished in time.
Needless to say, I was a bit worried about the time factor this time as well. However, I also know this is my project so I need to deal with it. I asked Marlo to help me ahead of time (thank goodness I was that smart), and then Air offered to step in and aid in the process as well. When Tink and Hoperdoo came home a bit later in the morning, they also pitched in and helped as well.
It was great not having to transport and they all turned out well. They definitely need to be kept cold, but they were pretty. We really got started about 7:30 and finished up sort of around 12:30. We learned to juggle the cakes coming out of the freezer a bit better, but they did look cool placed clear across the hearth side by side and two deep; Marlo is a "pro" at cutting and has a very smooth rhythm; I can was dishes and did two or three times; Air is wonderful at spinning the cakes while they are being topped, she is real smooth, she is fantastic at making cool name tags as well; Hoperdoo is the queen of the microwave, she rocks at stirring and melting; Tink can definitely stir a pan for at least 20 minutes and not let anything burn (thank goodness) and she did so more than once; and blessed be the Hubby who allowed Briceman to be his little shadow all morning, including the DQ visit.
It also was wonderful to spend the time with the "girls" and we did really finish things quickly, 40 cakes. Done. Finished. Gone.
Thanks for all of the help and support and please let your tummy grumble when you check out all of these pix!

Two extra hours...

Yesterday was an amazing day...
Can you guess why?
That is right...
The cheesecakes are all baked!
Yipee!!! Whoot, whoot!, Hurray!!!
I'm so excited...
A morning without cheesecakes is like a morning with at least 2 extra hours in it.
Kinda like the extra hours you have with daylight savings time, for a while, you can be very productive. Then we adjust and things become the same.
So for now, I have a few extra hours every morning.
This is an example:
It is barely 6 a.m. and already I have started a load of laundry, gone over my Etsy happenings, and made this post.
So please....
put your hands together and clap!!!

In Becca's Closet: Best Birthday Ever!!!

In Becca's Closet: Best Birthday Ever!!!

Best Birthday Ever!!!

How can anyone begin to describe the best birthday ever?
I can.
I can begin by saying,
"my children listened to what I said!"
this is wonderful and fantastic...makes me happy...
Someday, I may become perfect, but right now...I am sadly lacking.
My focus is rarely on my home...
meaning the things in it, not the people.
I am most always focused on "the people of my home".
When asked,
"what do you want for your birthday?"
I responded (as I have in years past)
"My house clean and tidy".
Usually, my family doesn't listen very well.
This year they did!
Gives me big, big smiles...
I made cheesecakes in the morning with Marlo's help,
then Mom and I went to George for some Mom/Daughter time. I had a bunch of fun. We went to Ross, the dollar store, and Costco (we were going to go to a very nice lunch, but we ran out of time). Whoop, Whoop. Ross, looking for what I wanted to look for...
Smiles again.
I came home wiped out and exhausted and HOT. The very first thing I noticed was the dratted flower bed had been weeded and raked and the Mother's Day Zinnias had been planted in it and
I know that took many hours (Hope has the burn to prove it, I haven't seen Air to see how she is).
And the front porch looked as if someone actually liked to be there.
Into the kitchen for a drink of water and every single counter was cleaned and scrubbed, smiles again, all of the dishes were put away.
When I reached into the freezer for a chunk of ice, there was all of this room in it...someone had cleaned it out and washed the shelves and organized and thrown out all of the gross nasty stuff that likes to hide in there, Thanks Kater, (yes, I noticed).
I slipped off my shoes, (they were new, thanks to my Hubby), and the floor was smooth, no crumblies on it anywhere.
I think Tink was responsible for the smooth, freshly mopped floors.
A sigh of pleasure at the cleaned and vacuumed and straightened front room. Into the bathroom 'cause when you gotta go you gotta go,
for the moment while I was there...obviously Marlo had been to work.
Scrubbed out and polished shower, stain free toilet, and gleaming sink. A smooth floor and a sparkling mirror. She does bathroom really, really well.
Upstairs and Downstairs tidied and vacuumed. Oh what a heavenly sight, the vacuumer had taken the time to use the "sword" and get around all of the edges. I could actually see where the laundry room is supposed to be and there was a huge pile of folded towels just finished from the dryer.
Someone was even brave enough to attempt to vacuum the "vintage" mustard green shag carpet in my room.
The trash had been taken out.
And, I am still discovering things my children did for me yesterday.
I also know an attempt was made to repair the cooler so I could have a cool home when I came home, but parts can be difficult to find.
Thanks for a wonderful surprise.
Making this one of the "best Birthdays ever" I have experienced.
A few minutes to cool down and relax and off to dinner with my Hubby and
a show I have very much been anticipating watching.
Lovely, lovely, lovely.
Oh, how much I love and appreciate my family and all they do for me.
Thank you so very much for a wonderful day.

Just listed this Polka Dot Stripe dress on Etsy. I really like the way the tiny polka dots in pink and red make "stripes" on the fabric and the bright red polka dots are way fun. The lace is fun for me. Invictus enjoyed sewing all of that lace on. Below is the link?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/74787460/dress-polka-dot-stripes-in-red-size-6

Finally...

I finally had a moment, it has been a fun filled crazy extended weekend.
So, I am in the process of listing some of the dresses I finished last week on Etsy.
I made a bunch of size 6 month dresses...with bloomers of course.
I found a dress I had started, so I finished it..
And I had a night of waiting so I got creative. I have some of these listed and hopefully in the morning while cheesecakes are baking I will be able to list the remaining dresses I haven't gotten to yet.
But, here is a bit of a preview...

Guess What!!!
Ticklebug and May surprised me with an early birthday present last night.
Never will you guess...
Oh, so you already know, and don't need to guess...
That's okay,
I am going to share with you anyway.
They are expecting!!!
Yipee, so wonderful for them.
I don't think I can stop smiling. I actually don't really want to.

How lucky for me... three new babies in one year.

• Kater and Rosco are first in July
• Chaser and Fall in August
• And Ticklebug and May in December
  

So amazing, so wonderful, so totally awesome.
I am so excited for all of these new babies on their way here...
I just can't seem to stop smiling.

Beautiful Day

Gorgeous, simply gorgeous outside.
Temp. is a teeny bit cool, but going to be a beautiful day.
Hubby has gone off on "baby" to play for a few hours this morning.
Hoperdoo is over the river working on her soccer skills,
Tink is still up North at the Track Finals (allegedly observing/supporting),
Marlo and Hiker are at Big Rock on their way home this afternoon.
Currently, News Flash, I am home alone.
Strange, being home alone.
Usually, this phenomenon lasts for about three minutes,
rarely longer.
My plans for the day are simple, cheesecakes.
I thought I was ahead of schedule so I slacked off a bit. Consequently, I just realized this wedding is next Saturday, so now I am behind schedule...
as Hubby says, "that's what you get for thinking".
Thanks dear.
Most definitely I will be taking pictures of the dressed cheesecakes this coming Saturday...
I will share a few with you
(pictures that is)
you may all appreciate my hard work.

What do you do...

What do you do while you wait?
Well, I made a dress...Just a simple little dress and it turned out quite cute. Then I took a shower and waited...
And waited...so I took my scraps and made another dress, smaller this time and still quite cute and waited...
I worked a Suduko puzzle and waited...
I then decided I would take a little nap.
Thank goodness I did...Ben and Katie came in with the two girls about 3:30 in the morning, tucked the girls into bed, Ben disappeared and
Katie had enjoyed an energy drink...she wasn't quite ready for bed.
So we chatted and chatted and chatted...then Katie says to me,
"What was that?"
"Hubby getting ready for work..." I replied.
"Really, I better get to bed!"
That's right 6 a.m. and Katie and I are heading to bed. Hoperdoo came and awakened me at 7:30 a.m. for the traditional school ride. And then, I waited for someone to wake up because I was sure if I went back to bed, they would be up and full of energy. So, while I was waiting, I picked up an even smaller pile of scraps and made a little, tiny twirl skirt. Yep, you know it, it turned out quite cute.
Ruby Gail came in as I was finishing it and informed me...
"Corn Pops are my favorite."

Cuties?

And who do these "cuties" belong to?

A few days ago Hoperdoo was complaining about her shoes being scattered all over her room. She actually had a fit. However, yesterday this is what I found in the basement...How can you resist?
Just too cute to be upset. My comment to Hoperdoo...get over it. Messed up shoes is worth this kind of fun!!!
Another solution for Hoperdoo, get ugly shoes!

Thinking about the day...

As I finished the "girl day" projects
I am kind of stumbling around this morning trying to decide
what I really wish to work on...
I have told my girls, now is the time,
keep cutting and I will keep sewing for them.
I do want to try a dress out for Hoperdoo, but don't know if I want to today.
And of course, I will be making another set of cheesecakes today, German Chocolate. Not my favorite, but way pretty when it is topped...
I am ahead of schedule with cheesecake baking,
however, I think I will need to literally clean out my freezer to find space for all of them. Currently, it is becoming a bit snug.
Rainy night and looks like a rainy day,
should be making noodles with chicken for tonight
and possibly a few rolls...my favorite rainy day food...
Now, off to make cheesecakes!

Accomplishment...

Accomplishments...
from yesterday with the "girlies"

• repaired a pair of boy shorts/pants
• two dresses for two granddaughters
• 5 skirts for girlies
• one maternity skirt and top
• two additional skirts cut out
• broken machine
• repaired machine
• two cheesecakes
• trip to George
• the last of Marlo's fun fabrics purchased
• cousin play time!
• girl time
• smiles all around

learned I need to better organize my "girlies", plan just a tiny bit earlier, and really make hay...
Also learned, shift the serger over to it's own place and assign someone to it...
Buy a left handed pair of scissors...
be certain to have something come from Invictus for the boys...
and insist on clean up before disappearing...
Also learned (perhaps most important lesson) I need to do this more often...

So...Sew

Sew.....
I have been feeling a bit selfish or rather self absorbed lately and decided to devote a day to sewing.
No big news there,
today however, I am sewing for my girls. Whatever they want, the only requirement is...
they need to be here, hanging out and helping and
they get to cut it out. Everyone knows cutting out takes the most time. If I missed you yesterday...this is when the big announcement was made. Please, feel included.
I anticipate a marathon of projects.
I even offered to do garbage work as well.
I must be losing my mind, I hate garbage work. So come on over and we will visit, giggle, laugh, and poke fun.
Generally, we will be having a great, fantastic day of "girl time".
I might even get crazy and put a quilt or two out to be tied. Need to go make cheesecakes right now...and I do believe the festivities will be beginning at 9 a.m.

Cheesecakes come in pairs.

At my house Cheesecakes can be made singly or in pairs.
When working for an "event" I prefer pairs.
Pairs is faster for me, a bit more work doubling the recipe, but essentially the same time in the prep, oven, baking time, cooling time, freezing time, wrapping time, etc.
And I only have clean up duty once instead of twice.
When I am visiting with and taking an order from a client
I always tell them, pairs.
You need to choose (however many 1/2 of their total is) flavors.
This seems to me to be a fairly simple process.
If you want 30 cheesecakes total, I am going to ask you to choose 15 flavors of cake.
Easy right?
I would think so as well. However, not this time.
Three seemed to be their number.
"How about Turtle Pecan?" I would ask.
"Oh, that sounds wonderful, how about 3 of those?"
"I know I already ordered milk chocolate, but can I have another one?"
Yes, you got it...threes...
We had already discussed three didn't work, in oven, mixing, the whole thing...
needed to be pairs.
Saturday I decided to try to make 3's...
I managed to break the whip on my mixer,
had to pay very close attention as the mixer was also trying to overflow,
and guess what?
My oven can not hold three.
Two. Only Two. No matter how I shift the pans, Two.
Then I end up with a minimum of an hour and a half in the oven baking,
two more hours in the oven cooling,
another hour or so completing the cooling process before
I can even begin to start to reheat the oven.
And you know your right, the whole process all over again. This time however, I only net 1. Not two.
So, I can make fours and save a few.
Which will be very yummy later, but not necessarily cost effective right now.
Or do the waste time thing and only cook one.
How come people don't understand pairs/twos?

Sunday Ramblings

Sundays can be so very wonderful...just a day to kick back and relax and visit with the fam.
(The very best part!)
Some Sundays, we just chill out at home, watch movies, CSI, play games or ...one of my favorites, sleep and then take a nap and, of course, we eat and snack and munch, munch, munch.
On other Sundays, I think about goals I have for the upcoming week...actually, I think I do that every Sunday. I kind of make a plan of things I want to accomplish. Sometimes I make it, sometimes I don't. Week before last my goal was to finish Blue flannel. I didn't, but I did finish blue flannel first thing Monday morning.
This past week has been fairly busy for me, finishing/listing flannel, finishing up 10 twirl skirts with Marilyn, picking up Mom from Vegas and also doing the shop till you drop routine, Thursday was a remember to pay the phone bill in George day, Marlo and I picked up the last of the tile and visited a quilt shop over in Clara. Marlo bought another 14 fabrics for a project. We also started seriously thinking about the "station" for Relay for Life.
Marlo, Hoperdoo, Air and I worked on it Thursday afternoon/evening and then again all day Friday. I think we all sighed a huge sigh of relief Friday night when it was all set up and wonderful.
Hoperdoo came home Saturday morning and said they had won something, she didn't know what. Hoorah! Some recognition for all of our hard work. (Mainly Marlo, Air and Hope). And throughout the week I made lots and lots of cheesecake.

Tink is Home!!!

After a full couple of days helping Hoperdoo with Relay for Life,
Gmama and I went to listen to Hoperdoo perform,
on the way back, we stopped for DQ and came on home. There was a guy sitting on the sofa, thought it was one of Marlo and Hiker's friends.

What a surprise waiting for me...
Tink sitting on the sofa with a big "surprise" smile on her face.
Wasn't expecting her for about 2 more weeks and
she scampered on home way early.
Yipee!!!
Thrilled she is home, thanks to her friend for getting her here safe and sound and way early.
I guess it is OK to go 72 hours without sleep to make people happy, especially me and my Hubby.

We have these stupid new phones
which I think are making the entire fam crazy.
We are just learning to use them. I took a pix of Hoperdoo and sent it to Tink. Almost immediately a pix came back to me of Tink with Hubby.
I glanced at the pix and didn't think much of it. I mean, I had sent a pix to Tink so she responded with a pix of her and hubby from Christmas.
I figured she knew I now had the pix capability on my new phone, so she was gonna load me up with her fav pix from her phone.
My big mistake--I didn't look at the number, cuz it is a new phone and I still am "phone dumb" and
haven't hardly figured out how to answer the dang thing.
So, if I had been "phone smart"
I would have realized the pix was from Marlo's new phone which would have "clued me in" on the surprise at home.
I probably wouldn't have stopped at DQ and Gmama and I wouldn't have stood outside deciding if she was coming in or not.

So happy day/evening/night Tink is home. Hurray!!!

thanks Ticklebug for giving me no heads up!

unfinished ramblings

I really think there are differences in language/meanings/definitions. I finally finished (yipee!) the blue flannel gown/sets, sent off my pix to confirm they were wonderful and...
they weren't. So, just what exactly is a jabot, a high collar, and a ruffle?
No worries, they are going to order again (yipee!)
Helped Kater with a blanket for the upcoming yesterday, I have now taught her the cutest one I know and also the most challenging. Way proud of you Kater!
Hoperdoo decided she liked being "nerdy" and brought home 2 student of the month awards for the month, I don't think I have ever had anyone do that before, new experience and... be just as "nerdy" as you would like Hoperdoo.
The project is rather at a stand still. However, as it is Tuesday Marlo thought she may go up and do the touch up paint. Hiker set the counter tile and cut all of the floor tile. Next time he is home to do something other than sleep...guess what?
I have decided to make my old toilet look new, any suggestions on paint? With the car repairs I am going to need to cut back somewhere on the remodeling. And Marlo informed me everything else in the project was painted, so the door I just varnished needs to be painted too...sometimes I wonder why?
The baby goats have lots and lots of new friends and there is a large pen filled with big chickens in the field now. And more cows next door... I wonder why this is?
Madi informed me there were ___ many days until school got out and Tink informed me there are ___ many days till she goes to the lake. I think Air has it right, Tink needs Brino to set up/take care of a fantastic zipline (way cooler than last time, don't know how), and Brino can't be without his family he will need their help and Brino and Air will need Marlo to watch their children while they are working on the zip line and then Brino will be hungry ...so that means I will need to go as well cuz everyone knows I make the best lake food. And if I go, then Hoperdoo will be home all alone...Need I say more?
Way excited about going to Vegas tomorrow. Going to go to fabric shops!!! and Ross and Target and Marlo informed me I need to sew up what is in my room first, then buy more. So, I am taking all of the "stuff/fabric" out of my sewing room and giving it away. Then I will have lots and lots of room for more cooler fabrics. Started on this project yesterday and hope to finish with some part of it today.

A lovely night of almost uninterrupted sleep! About 2 a.m. I awakened with a yowl! Hubby had decided my little, tiny pinky finger was something to be destroyed! He had a good hold of it and in his dream it must have been a tiny twig or something. I awakened to a feeling of "hey, that hurts..." then I felt an increasing pressure...
I yowled, he woke up and immediately released my finger. We both rolled over and went back to sleep.
How important was this, the next morning while we were in the car waiting once again for Hoperdoo Hubby looks at me and asks, "Are you okay? Nothing hurts or anything?"
"No, I am fine?"
"Hmmmm, I must have dreamed it."
"What was that last night, you almost broke my finger like a twig."
A very sheepish "I don't know, weird."
What was really weird was Hubby thought perhaps I would forget being awakened by someone torturing me? Now, who is dreaming?

Wow

Last night Hiker started cutting tile for the counter...
imagine a sad face...the blade was pushing the tile over and not being very nice to the tile.
Hubby and I grabbed a couple of friends and hurried to George (I have been eagerly anticipating this event and wanted nothing to mess it up!).
Found and purchased a spanking, brand new blade
and a rubber gizmo
and a different type of grout
and these itty bitty tile spacers.
"ran" through the drive through at Sonic...we needed to thank the couple who "ran" with us and buzzed right home.
Result....Hiker and Marlo finished cutting the tile for the counter and installed it!!!

It looks fantastic
I think I will have a perpetual smile on my face all day long...

Sleepless in Hurricane

As we spend 30+ hours with two wonderful boys
we have discovered a couple of key facts...

Fact one...we are not as young as we used to be
Fact two...we are not as compassionate/understanding as we should be...key to this statement is lack of sleep
Fact three...blessed are the extras who filled in while Hubby and I "zoned out" (more often than I would like to admit)
Fact four...although there is no one like Papa/Grandma we definitely do not fill Mom/Dad shoes (effectively demonstrated by an "asleep" boy telling Grandma to "go away"--repeatedly)
Fact five...there truly is no place like home

Mistakes with Invictus...

Someone told me 2.3 seconds of Invictus machine time meant an entire movie of unpicking time.
So very true...

Monday I truly focused on blue flannel. Over 6 hours of flannel time and
I really whipped snakes.
I had so very much of the prelim work done. Yipee! I was excited.

Tuesday was my friend day and we worked on 10 twirl skirts she is donating to a benefit sale for Krones Disease. Lots of fun throwing fabric back and forth and tossing things together. Rewarding as well...
I was showing her all of the blue flannel prelim work I had finished and discovered a "big" mistake...

So this morning I spent almost 2 hours "frogging" and
redoing the stupid mistake I made on Monday.
When I do finish blue flannel I will be able to look at the clock and say to myself, "Gee, I could have been done 2 hours ago if I hadn't of messed up."
However, I am not complaining, I am back to blue flannel again...

happenings

Air is done with School...oh what shall Marlo do? This is where that song, projects, projects, projects comes in. Actually, we should say, Hooray for Air. And so we say, "HOORAY for Air!"

And we should also say you're getting closer Tink... but as she is so very far away, it doesn't feel as if she will be done until she walks in the front door. Hurry up and get home, we miss you...

Someone has an ooo-booo, they think it is huge... Sorry about that "owie"

Hoperdoo is becoming busier and busier with "Princess" stuff, the iron-man and relay for life so far this month...she is getting faster and faster at doing her hair.

Blue flannel is progressing...I accomplished quite a bit yesterday...devoted six entire hours and then some. I have huge piles of blue flannel everywhere. Will be a great big hooray for me when the flannel is finished.

Scissors can be so very fun to play with...great job girlies!!! It is wonderful people go to hair school so they can "fix" things.

Have you ever noticed there are some things that just can't be fixed?

It is amazing to me how much time can be spent working on a vehicle, even if the vehicle is perfect. I think all of my boys took lessons from my Hubby on how to spend time "doing stuff" to vehicles...

That is it for now, just a quick update on things I have noticed in the past few days...

The Week's Plan

I have a plan for next week...
or this week...depending on how you look at it.
My plan is very simple, focus on blue nightgowns, get them started and finished. Photos taken, paid for, and in the mail.
Invictus is very strong and extremely fast I am hoping he will make blue nightgowns just "fly". Invictus eats up fabric like he is starving and he is so very smooth. I have four pieces for Invictus to help me with and truly (keep your fingers crossed) plan on Invictus becoming a turning point, like a key player in a game. This is my focus... And...make four cheesecakes.
I will keep you posted on how my "plan" is coming together. And please keep those fingers crossed!