She has my smile!

I agree that feature-for-feature, Josie looks a lot like Allan. But you've GOT to admit, when she smiles---it's all me!
PS. I realize this is a really crappy photo of me, but I'm taking one for the team in order to illustrate a point.

What's new with me?

Well, for starters, I've got this growing fetus in me. That's pretty new. About three months is all. I guess she/he is only about 3 little inches long, but you wouldn't believe how this kid eats!! I'm not kidding. I've got to eat constantly to keep him/her happy. And guess WHO is due the EXACT same day as me?! Again, I'm not kidding. I was destined to never be pregnant alone. Small world, when you're having babies. (May 2, since you're all too lazy to do the math). Also, my two sister-in-laws April and Katie are both due at the end of February/beginning of March. Both boys. My parents have done quite well for themselves, in their grandparenthood. The youngest Tribe will be numero TWELVE!!

Let's see, I'm teaching sewing lessons now. It's been great! I get to stay in the comforts of my own home, and enjoy PAID crafternoons! Thanks Trine, for opening my eyes to the possibility! Besides being fun, it is much needed income, as it fuels my ever-depleted craft fund.

(My quilt progress)

Also, Merritt and April were just in town, and we had ourselves a heck of a good time together with all the family. I can now say with confidence that 25 people CAN fit in our basement. It was a bit of a squeeze, but it since we consumed nothing gaseous, it was nothing but fun.
Check out the murky water!! What can you really expect from a tub full of cousins! (Or gudgies, as we refer to them. Gudgie: Noun that refers to the title cousin, neice, nephew, and grandchild all in one convenient term.

We also attended a party of special magnificence. I don't want to steal from the post that Eirene will no doubt write ( well, at least I hope she writes it), but we all had a marvelous time at her costume ball. The atmostphere was magical, the decor was breath-taking, the food was good, and the costumes were brilliant. It was a wee bit cold, but the blazing space heaters added to the general splendor of her backyard. If my newly-made-mother-of-two-sister does not post about it, I'll show photos of everyone, but for now I'll give you sneakiest little peak of my little clan. Who were we? I'll give you a hint. I wasn't autumn. I was Peter Pan. Accompanied by a really attractive lost boy, and an irresistible little TinkerBell.

YES, that IS a gutted teddy-bear on Allan's head. Brilliant, I know.

Helllllooo!!! Can you even HANDLE how cute little Tink kissing her neighboring woodland fairy is?!

Allan is taking the GRE this Saturday. Wow. That's a beast of a test. He's studied a lot, and I'm proud of him. We're both excited for this test to be behind us. WOOHOO!

I'm in charge of our ward's primary program this year, and it's been....awesome. SO much work! Do women all over the world REALLY do this EVERY year?!? I just can't wait for this Sunday to be over. I've put a lot of work into it, and I really do hope it all comes together, and that it helps these special little kids feel the spirit as well as their families. Despite the chaos of putting it all together, I really did enjoy spending time with the kids one-on-one, and hearing their sincere and simple understanding of the gospel. Kids now-a-days are soooo smart! I've actually been kinda blown away with how much they know, and how much they have to teach me.

So yeah, it's been a good Fall. p.s. I love the fall. Changing colors....crisp air....my birthday (oh, by the way it was GREAT, with a big fat BESIDES the fact that BYU lost)....
But anyway, I'm feeling pretty lucky. Actually, blessed is a heck of a lot better word.

Peace out.

Who needs Target?

Not me.

I take that back immediately. EVERYONE needs Target. But what I meant to say, is sometimes, when you're poor, but REALLY sick of the baby-doll style shirts that you're STILL wearing from the pregnancy of your first-born, and simply have to have SOMETHING new, you can look at Wal-mart's dollar fabric and find some fun knits, and whip up some shirts for you and said first-born.

That's exactly what I did. It opened a whole new world to me to. And I'm talking a WHOLE new world......a dazzling place I never knew.....
that now I can make myself tee's, and don't have to depend on Target for my future staples.

I had a lot of fun designing these too, I just made up the pattern as I went---snip, snip, snip, and then razzledazzle boom, I had a couple new shirts. I'm excited to make more.

PS> have I mentioned how I've been pretty much sewing without a pattern for a while now? It's so liberating! It's so fun to go to Forever 21 just to shop for ideas. Well, I should clarify. I make my own. MOST of the time I draw out the pattern first on my examination-table paper. It's only been these last few months that I just lay out the fabric and go for the gold. Eirene's always done it that way, and for that I solute her.

Anyway, here they are:
Can you see the neck detail? It's like....a sun.

Here are some other things I've sewed lately--I never know if I'm boring you all with things I sew...?





But, I'm kinda sick of sewing. I'm gonna get back into my quilt. I want to get it done sometime before I'm dead. It's real fresh, isn't it?
Here's some of my fabrics....mmmmm...
So yeah. Hey, I do other stuff too, guys...
I read and stuff....
and you know, other mom stuff...

Lay off me, I'm starving.

Our Amazing Vacation to Oregon

I would do this post in parts like I've seen others do with their vacations, but let's face it--if I don't post it all now, it could be a month and a half before you get the rest. So consequently I'm about to put up a ton of pictures. You WILL scan through them all, and you'll LIKE it.

First of all, I've got to say, this is a funny story: Allan and I took the train from Portland Airport, and our stop was just a few blocks from our rental car place. Or so we thought, I don't know if the blocks in Oregon are just astronomically long, or if our luggage was just astronomically heavy. BUT WE WERE DYING. On our second breather, I was feeling desperate. I couldn't go on like this. Too hard. Too heavy. Too far. My eyes wandered and suddenly, to my utmost surprise and delight, I saw an abandoned shopping cart. Some poor homeless person had left it there just for us, I was sure. We piled up the cart, and happily walked the rest of the way with ease. We looked so homeless. Allan and I were ghetto from our early flight and I was packing Josie in a hiking pack. It turns out that our car place "always pick you up!" I hadn't remembered that, but it doesn't matter. I wouldn't trade our homeless moment for the world.

On the coast:

At the beach:

In the water:

At the Lighthouse:

At the dock:

Hiking around:

Cool tree. It reminds me of a the yoga pose

Collin, Jos, and Luke

At the tide pools:
Luke, my bro Merritt, his wife April, Collin, and us

The "stargy"
Afterward we were TIRED:(and dirty)

Fun. That's what we had. A lot of it, too. Thanks so much Merritt and April for treating us so right, and showing us such a good time. You guys win the hosts of year award. We love you, and Oregon!

Grandma Margaret's Art Work

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Catch up

Man, it's been a while. There's a ton I could talk about, and about a kazillion photos I want to show, but it's all been piling up worse than my dishes. Well actually, I've been really busy. Seriously. So let me just sum up.
We went to Aberdeen Idaho with Allan's family for a family reunion. It really was a lot of fun. I mean, that family knows how to have a reunion. You name it, we did it. BESIDES the tiny little two hour episodes BOTH nights that woke everyone and their dogs and their neighbor's dogs AND their relatives' neigbor's dogs up, it was a rockin' good time.

Allan's bro David

Melissa

the beach really does take it out of you

And also you should know that I just finished sewing my cousin Laura's wedding dress. Yep, that's right--her wedding dress. Didn't know I had it in me? Me neither. Of course I can't show you pictures of it just yet just in case that sneaky fiance of hers might take a peeky. And also it would ruin the general razzle dazzle of the day if everyone (or everyone who reads my blog) has already seen the beautiful bride in her beautiful dress. I will say this: it is gggggorgeous, and Laura looks ssssssssssmokin' in it. (Stuttering for emphasis). So look forward to those photos. For now you'll have to be satisfied with our (prize winning) paper dress that we (Eirene, Shauna, Marseille and I) created at her bridal shower. Marseille was our beautiful model--note her lovely girlish figure! I would show you the lingerie I made Laura too, but unfortunately, I couldn't get her to model it;)
This summer Eirene and I have both been in charge of several reading programs at the library, and I finished my last one this past week. It really was so much fun, but I'm SOOOO glad it's over. I spent WAY too much time making this puppet for a puppet-show we did.


We also had a little baby shower for Eirene on Saturday. Instead of playing games, we had a bit of a crafternoon. We had all the supplies and pre-made templates to make some pretty amazing aplique clothing. Check out these handsome little numbers:



As far as our little family goes, Jos and I have been having a super time. When I say super, I mean, super-fun-and-frustrating. I had that first "I must be doing something really wrong" moment today in Sacrament meeting when she threw a huge, FAT tantrum in the foyer. In my same line-of-view was another baby that was born within a month or so of Josie, and as my child screamed and kicked and writhed about, this little girl just sat there playing with her little cheerios like a perfect angel. I wanted to punch her. Who? The perfect angel, or Josie? Everyone. Ok, ok, not really. But the more personality she gets, and the more capable she gets, the funner it is, but also the more difficult it is to deal with the FLIP side of personality and capability if you know what I mean.

We went to the park last night, and it was a dream. She LOVED it. She's a really into the park scene lately, my Joe. She really digs all those slidy, swingy, tunnely sort of things. And I think having her Poppy there just made it ten times funner. Anyway, as I carried her back to the car, she slowly went in for a long and juicy kiss. And then she leaned over to give Allan one too. And then, she sweetly nuzzled her little head into my shoulder. It was like she was saying thank you in so many words. Touch my heart why don't you. I LIVE for little moments like that.

Can you tell I hi-lighted my hair? Nope, not really in this photo...

Ok, so I had to put in these fellows. They provided a LOT of quality entertainment for us. What a treasure, right?
Well, on that note, see you soon:)