I thought I could post pictures of the latest Quilts churned out by Charisma's Corner

These were all made by Dotty in NEw York City...Dotty and I have been working together for quite some time! She is always a pleasure to work with!

HI Everybody

Well I have had so many changes since my last post!

I have started another blog on a website...I post to it pretty much everyday....Pictures of a majority of my work..kids stuff and all of my daily thoughts.

But I am thinking it is so specific that maybe I should start posting here again as well...It can't hurt.

so I may also try and post some of my pictures....

Here is the link to the other blog... so you all can catch up...LOL

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-28188-1.htm

The first page is the oldest..the last page is the newest entries....

I am going to try and keep up on this daily as well..and hope I can get you all up to speed.

Basically......

I am in school full-time..I am in my senior year at WSU!! GO COUGS!!, I own my own quilting business...which has flourished.

All of my kids are in school..various activities...and my DH (Dear Husband ) "The ROb" is working hard at National Frozen Foods.

We attend Bread of Life Christian church..I am a youth group leader there...and I attend a Women's bible study.

We are gearing up towards getting a play ready for our youth group...a Christmas play....Other than that you will have to catch up on Charisma's crumbs...and I will keep a daily entry here...Have a great night!
Blessings!

Oh...How times escapes me......

Well here we are already in the middle of January. School has started and I am excited about some of my classes...but have not gotten all of my books..so STRESS! because we are in week two of classes.

I posted some pictures of recent quilts on some forums that I am part of and got a HUGE response..my quilting machine should be paid off in no time!

We are going to re-arrange the house in the next couple of months so I can have a bigger studio and the kids can have more room. We re converting my garage into my studio. It should be nice to have so much space.

Rob is having surgery next week...I am also have oral surgery next week. They are going to knock me out..thank GOd!

The kids are out of school today and tomorrow..it was 45 degrees outside today and all the snow is now melted. It will probably snow by the weekend? Weather has been so strange this year.

Well I hope you all feel the blessings for the new year. I will post some pictures of my most recent quilts.

2011

HI All,
I am in reflection of everything that has happened this last year. Many trials and tribulations...celbrations and accomplishments!..I am looking forward to this new year with so much angst and wonder.
Rob and I celebrated 8 years of wedded bliss (LOL) Yesterday....by going out to dinner after I worked at the shop...That is more than we usually do.
My new business is going off with a bang for the new year which is a great thing..I feel so many blessings and compliments coming from complete strangers in regards to my quilting. It gives me much confidence..I know GOd is paving teh way for me.
We have 8 days until our pre-op appointment with Rob's surgeon. The surgery is on Jan 25th. Who knows what this year will bring by this tiem next year our house may have a new member.
School also starts a week from tomorrow...I will be in my second semester at WSU...life is so amazing! All my dreams are coming true and thinsg are coming aroudn full circle...it is amazing to see and feel.

We have been talking with all the kids about their life plans and what they want to do in teh future..it always makes me happy to hear them talk and know that we ( their parents) will all work together to help provide them with the means and skills to accomplish their goals. Some of my boys want to join teh military at this point (you know we have a few yers ..they could change their minds)at first this always scares me...but in truth...I would be so honored and proud to have them join...if that is their dream I can't crush it by worrying about them. If they run off to college it is just as scary..partying, drinking..drugs....Things are so scray everywhere.

So far they are all thinking college or military....none of them are saying taking a yar off and backpacking through Euprope....so We are good.

Clarissa is definatly coming out of her shell..she goes from not talking to anyone..to just spitting out exactly what she is thinking to everyone around here...although funny at times..she is amazingly RUDE sometimes..and I need to work on that.

Bryce is a very insightful young man...but also so rough around the edges...adn roughly hormonal these days.

Carl is exceptional...very kind, thoughtful...wants to please everyone. Very good young man...still insecure..hoping he can find himself..as he is such a good guy!

Cole is emotional a bit still..likes perfection...struggles in our imperfect world....matches all of his clothes ..organizes his things and hates to be slighted in the least bit...he is going through a very vulnerable stage. Very soft child.

Preston is "highly capable". very thoughtful..antagonizes most situations and loves to be the center of attention! He is excelling on every subject in school..his sense of accomplishment rules his life.

Jeri is sweet! she is still struggling in school a bit...has one close friend...compromises herself to much and is still thinking of owning her own beauty salon someday. We push her and tell her how smar adn beautiful she is..so she can believe it. She loves tv and talking on the phone..and TTWILIGHT! I have never seen the movies or read the book..I don't care for Vampires..scary.

I hope many blessinsg upon you all for the new yer!

End of the year

Well it has been quite some time since i have posted..weird. Time just escapes and before you know it a new year is approaching. This happens the older I get the faster time goes...and that is why alot of changes has happened since the last posting.

First ..since is has come and gone I should post pictures from Halloween..cause I so wanted to post the pictures of the kids in their Costumes...I actually got that weekend off from work..and we went to Spokane to spend Halloween with the MCgees...one of our favorite families. It was such a highlight of our fall ..we carved pumpkins...spent an afternoon at Wonderland...watched Despiciple me at the Garland Theatre and trick or treated. The Mcgees always welcome us with open arms and let us invade their house..it is always a pleasure and comfortable....we don't have to worry about being messy..or breaking things....or that my kids will eat to much....they are the best Hostess'.


I started my long arm quilting business and put in notice at my job. My last day will be January 1st at the local quilt shop (LQS)...but I will be doing long arm quilting for them at least until spring. I am going to get a website up and running to get a wider audience...but so far I have been up almost everynight burning the midnight oil this Christmas season with all of the orders that have come in ...and I am so thankful to God that he is blessing me in this new adventure....it is so surreal that people are paying me for my art.....I took in almost every quilt that was offered or inquired about...had to turn a few away because I just knew I wouldn't have time..But Rob thought I still took in to many..I got sick from the lack of sleep and late nights...but I did it!
At this point I am not really making any money because I have payments to make on my industrial machine and frame....so I took a part time job at the school to compensate for the payments in case I don't get quilts in regularly.

SO my new job is a site coordinator for school tutoring..I am in charge at the middle school site and I fill in at the otehr school where needed..when I get more students I will work at the middle school full-time..but I just started the site two weeks before winter break....It is a great program funded by the federal Government..great incentives for the kids to stay in the program and keep up ontheir studies. I like that I work less than 2 hours a day M-Th and I get paid a good salary .....and I get all the same holidays off that the kids do ...and it covers my Innova Payment....so everything works out beautifully.

I finished my first semester at WSU last week....with everything that was going on..I am surprised to say..I am a B student.....but I am happy with that considering everything....I had going on..I thought I was going to collapse at one point. School starts again JAn 10th.

I am anxious to be home with the family and spend more time with them rather than running around on Autopilot getting everything accomplished.

ALl the kids are doing well......all have good grades except one..of course. ALl the birthdays went well..Carl had his 13th LIMO party. ROb got to go with them this time...and of course dinner was at the China Buffet (Carl's Favorite) and he had a good turn out. Hard for me to believe he is 13 and I was weepy all day. OF all the kids he really appreciates everything we do for him and I am so blessed to have him in my life....
Bryce turned 14 in November..and Bryce is Bryce. Need I say more? He invited two friends over for dinner and a movie...they met up with some girls at the theatre and I had to leave them there by themselves without a chaperon.....I am in counseling trying to let go of my children... and this is what I have been advised to do..I did tell my Counselor is something bad happens I fully hold him responsible..He laughed at me?? I wonder why I pay him? LOL I guess I have to let go at some point ..but it doesn't seem like they are old enough yet. All those boys did was talk about girls..hormones.

I keep telling my boys that I would like them to let me at least live in some sort of denial about some things because they insist on talking about some personal issues that I can't or should not hear...and they don't listen...so I have learned to kind of make it a serious "talk" if I possibly can with out the rolling laughter and it usually seems to work.
However, dinner time in our house is a honest real talk time and although I wouldn't trade those times..sometimes I think other people sitting at out table would think we are weird.


Anyway...as CHristmas time draws near and all of the thinsg that we are thankful start to appear more vividly.....I woudl liek to list some:

GOd, when dreams come true, therapy (for when dreams are delayed), pink, minkee...it always feels so good!, my children, My husband,my friends!, my home (even though I see all of it's flaws), the snow, laughter, apple cider, quilting, and a good book ( not a text book!). Those are just a few of course. I try to see the good thinsg in my everyday...because without those life just wouldn't be worth it! I hope you all have a fabulous new year and a Blessed Christmas!

Sept. 21st 2010

Today is a sick day. I came home from my trip with a bit of a cold and it has progressively gotten worse. Carla called last night I told her I just haven't the energy to even quilt...She said "Now we know you are really sick!"
Yeah..I actually did other things because when you leave home for five days and Rob gets to rule the house..well I came back to filth! SO I can only stand it for so long even being sick..have to do something about it.
I need to get some homework done today and I called into work..nobody wants to catch my virus anyway...so very good.
We had a family meeting last night to once again discuss chores..I have tried teh finance plan...awards...punishments and everything in between...nothing! These kids are killing me!
SO now we are using different tactics.....I will let you know how it works.

All of my classes in Tacoma went well last week..I didn't learn as much as I had hoped....but it was a good experience none the less.
I have lots of samples I need to put together for the shop...for my classes no time!
The kids all have dentist appts coming up..we are waiting to hear the results of Rob's MRI on his back..maybe another surgery in his future and things just keep truckin along.
I feel fall in the air.....LOVE fall...but hoping that I can stp and smell the cider in these times..because time just keeps getting away from me.
Well I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Sundays......

Today was a relaxing day....I think. Last night I was so exhausted from the anticipation of "Charisma's Corner" a class I am teaching monthy at The Fabric Patch...yesterday was my first class..it went well..and I am so happy that it did and that everyone loved it. But I was exhausted.....I have no idea why?? But I fell asleep at 8:00 pm..weird for me..adn I slept until 6:30 ish?? then got up and made breakfast for my family and started doing homework....fell asleep again..tntil just after noon..really weird!
So now I am trying to get homework done before I leave for Tacoma and get training from all the best quilters in the USA!! WOOOOHOOO!
Things for this week:
1. Jeri had her first kiss ( found out after Labor day...she kissed a boy at Rim Rock Labor day weekend)

2. Getting in the swing of homework again is hard..but I can't let go

3. My husband is teh most supportive man on earth and I am glad to have him in my life...even if I have to hear about grid kids football every day ...every hour and over and over again 6 months out of the year.

4. Sometimes we just have to deal with things....even if it is about the principle..just give in..it makes everyone's life easier..Dang Laundry!

5. Carl has decided for his thirteenth birthday he wants a LIMO party....he hasn't decided if he wants dinner at the CHina Buffet or the Golden Corral buffet..tough choices..LOL.

6. Clarissa finally decided she didn't want to lose her art supplies so she miraculously cleaned her room in one evening ...although it took her parents two weeks to realize what privledge to take away from her that would make her do it..who is the smart one here?

7. Cole and Preston won their first football game yesterday by the skin of their teeth apparently and I got the play by play from Rob..I will hear it ten more times as he tells everyone around us within the next week.

I hope you all have a great week!