Archive for the ‘Family’ Category

Last Home Gopher Game of the Season!

November 15, 2009

Last Home Gopher Game of the Season!

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

Over Dad’s right shoulder is our older son with the team. Wow, it’s hard to believe the home season is over. Our son was a Red Shirt this year. He met with the head coach Wednesday and was told if he keeps up the good work he has a good chance at starting next year. It would be a dream come true for all of us. They could have used his S*P*I*R*I*T out on the field today because it was a tough game. Oh my we missed a lot of passes. The scoring on both sides was by field goals and a defensive interception by the gopher for a touch down. The offensive line did not score one touchdown. Ouch! It was cold out there. I could have used 3rd pair of socks!

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We saw the game from a very different spot this week. We were up on the second floor behind the band area under the large screen. It gave us this great view of the city. Luckily I remembered my glasses this week. I didn’t have them last week but then we were a lot closer.

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Last week we were given tickets at the 50 yard line in the front row….handicap section….but great seats! The weather was the best you could ever have for a football game! The pre-game had two parachuters drop onto the field just as we were finishing the Star Spangled Banner. Then during half time they swore in  4 women and 3 men as new recruits to the Army. We were right there in front watching the entire thing. It was so great! We lost and it was a tough loss for the team. It still was fun. We went over to our son’s apartment after the game the sat around and discussed the game and school. He is maturing every day.

Today at the game I called a niece that was there in the student section and we met up with her for hugs and to talk. She is a freshman this year. She said school is lot harder than she ever thought it would be. Wow, she was just a little girl hiding behind her Mommy not too long ago.

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IMGA0284Someone had a really great time at the game. The highlight was the tatoos to the face. A quick second is the fact he got to bring his DS along. He played it constantly until the battery ran out!

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Goldy the Gopher on one side and the Gopher helmet on the other.

We didn’t have the camera with us last week. I’m glad we brought it today!

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I saw some pretty nice tied fleece blankets today. I would like to get some fabric and make some for Christmas gifts. We hope to have two more years of Gopher football. I already mapped out the 5 away games for next year. Three of them go through the Chicago area where my half sister lives and my niece. (The older sister to the one I saw today.)

If our older son get’s a starting spot or even second string he should get a scholarship for next year. It sure would be nice. He has worked really hard this season and has had such a positive attitude. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it has been to red shirt a year after playing two years. He has always wanted to be out there…..every play if possible. In high school he played….defense…offense…and special teams on the kicks and kick returns….he did it all!

Home with a sick child day…

November 2, 2009

Jan’s Quilts 47

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

I’ll be busy today being Mommy to a very sick child as soon as he wakes up.

We need a little sunshine in the form of a quilt today because I have one little guy who is running a very high fever. He’s still sleeping in our bed after climbing in at 1a.
It was one of those nights were he tip toes in the room and his shirt is soaking wet from the fever breaking. We changed it and let him climb in with us. Sometimes it’s the only way you get any sleep.

Daddy and I had a cup of coffee this morning before he was off to work. I went to feel the little one’s head and it is hot again.  Oh yeah…I suppose I better go call the school. Good thing I remembered! :-) You get so caught up in the moment.

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School was called and you know what she said “give us a call back if he get’s diagnosed with something”. I remember when my older son was in elementary school they sent a note home to advise us when someone had chickenpox in the classroom. I haven’t seen anything like that this year. An automated message did call before the school year started to let us know the children would be washing their hands when they came in the building each day and asked us to have them wash their hands immediately upon coming home. Our son does this each day without even being asked to. He immediately goes to the bathroom and washes his hands…..with soap. They apparently are getting the message across. At least to one child!

He has eaten a corner of toast and taken a spoonful of Ibuprofen. He is tucked in bed watching Ch 2.  We are going to do a crafting project today if he feels well enough. A load of dishes are soaking in the sink. One section of counter top is cleaned off! How is it things get so out of control? I have to plan the boy scouts night tonight. Dad may be staying home with a sick child while mom is out scouting! Off to finish the dishes!!!!

Of course I called Grandma too. To let her know her Grandson is sick. She is in the middle of a home perm. She said it saves her 50 bucks. She’s right!

Lunchtime of Campbells chicken noodle  soup and peanut butter crackers and then a game of Junior Monopoly. Mommy won and that didn’t go over too well.

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A little pouting so off to bed to read a story.

The Last Of The Wizards by Rona Jaffe.

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Here is the row I did on an exchange quilt

November 2, 2009

Here is the row I did on an exchange quilt

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

I am home and it feels good. I just spent two days with my family and I am familied out. When our oldest son was little  Daddy would come home from work and I would occassionally pass the child and say “I am so babied out!” Well tonight I am familied out and a bit stressed because my youngest spiked a fever at around 6pm tonight 99.8 and by 7p it was up to 104. Not good. He slept the 1 1/2hrs  it takes to get home laying down in the back seat of the car. He went straight to bed after a bit of children’s medicin.

My mother is just starting to feel better after two weeks with a bronchial infection. Now she was just in the same room as my son the past two evening.  Ahhhh. Drives me crazy to think she could get sick again.

My sister’s two younger ones are usually always sick and of course this weekend they were healthy. So now if they get sick it is my fault! And her two grandchildren were there….ahhhh two more who could also get sick….

I woke at 530a this morning and spent a few hours on the computer playing with Galleries on Flickr for the 1st time. I really enjoyed putting together clusters of interests I have.  I can now put photos in catagories of interest when I see something I really like.

But of course they all jumped on my case after a while for being on the computer. Even though everyone was watching the Viking beat the Packers in football. Yesterday the Gophers won too. We have had a great weekend of watching football. My Mr was at the game with his buddies and my older brother and wife were there too (up in one of the specialty rooms) If the Gophers win one of their next 3 games they’ll go to a bowl game.

I was able to hand sew on a few blocks for my diamond quilt. I’ll try to post photos this week. I did about 10 blocks last weekend. They are all hand sewn. It’s nice to have a hand project to work on.

Off to bed….may have to stay home with a sick child in the morning…….we’ll see.

Halloween at my sister’s.

October 31, 2009

Halloween at my sister’s.

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

This is a shot of inside the trailer behind the tractor.View the hayride here.

We are at my sister’s today to go trick or treating on a haywagon behind a tractor. My sister has been having this gathering for over 6 years now. It is a great time because so many friends and relatives come that we only see one time a year.

My GREATniece Elysia

On the drive here I stopped at a few two antique stores and two quilt shops. I picked up 4 fat quarters of white on white and one bundle of sunflower fabric. YES, for my sunflower quilt. I also purchased a Sun Bonnet Sue quilt that was $32.00 on sale for $20.00. There are 3 blocks that have mold spots on them. I could try replacing the muslin fabric on the blocks or I could reduce the quilt down to a crib quilt size and replace the 3 blocks with the mold. The quilt is currently 4 blocks across and 5 blocks down.

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I love this. My nephew just took this photo on his cell phone. Sent it to my yahoo and then we downloaded onto this site. It’s amazing what you can do these days. The video of my GREATniece was done the same way.

This is my nephew. He is also my Godson and the oldest of 10 nieces and nephews. He has his 3rd child on the way. Tomorrow we will celebrate his son’s 9th birthday. His son is a year older than mine…..funny how that works. Pat made the link piece under the chestplate. He has been working on it for a few years and finished it today. It is made of thousands of metal links that he put together with a pliers.  It weighs over 30 lbs. It is really a cool piece.

Kevin

August 29, 2009

Kevin

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

It was my brother’s birthday yesterday…and I miss him. He would be 46 years old now. My Mom just had to put her dog RJ to sleep on Tuesday. He was filled with cancer. He was at least 12 years old and the son of Ginger and Rascals. RJ is for Rascals Junior. The family of dogs has been with us my whole life. I was thinking on Tuesday after talking to my mom and wondering if it was so hard for her because of her being 81 years old and coming to terms with death. Now I realize it was because she had to make the decision to put RJ to sleep. My brother was in a coma after a motorcycle accident and after 3 days my mom and dad had to make the decision to take him off of the life support machines….. no wonder she is so sad.

I talked to her yesterday and usually on Kevin’s birthday we talk about him a bit. Yesterday we didn’t. My aunt Kay that lives with my mom said mom was having a hard day. I think she has been having a hard week.

On Monday we celebrated the quilting life of my friend Jan who died of cancer recently at the quilt guild that many of the women in my small group belong to. 8 of the woman went up on stage to present Jan’s quilts. I stayed back sitting next to Jan’s daughter Susie. The tears came down so lovingly from Susie. I rubbed her back and we watched as Jan’s first quilt she ever made was presented and then others with the stories… The presentation was lovely. I would say close to 150 women were in attendance.

The next night – Tuesday – our Quiltin’ Babes meeting was scheduledto be at Jan’s house. We went out to Jan’s favorite restaurant in honor of her with Susie and had a wonderful time.  Susie showed us pictures of renovations she is doing to the house.  At the end of the evening we went up to the rooftop of the restaurant and looked out over the skyline of the city. It felt like we were just that little bit closer to Jan up in heaven.

I hope souls reunite after death. I hope I get to be with my brother again. I hope my Mr gets to be with his mom and sister and brother who all died way too early in life.  His aunt who we are all very close to is battling alzheimers. A retired school teacher. What a horrible  fate for a teacher. We will go see her today and spend  some time together. I hope she remembers us.

Aging and death is so hard. My youngest son just spent 5 days with his auntie and grandma. He came home and that night he asked me. “Mom did it hurt when they cut  me out of you?” I told him I had medicine during the time that made me sleep so I didn’t feel it. Afterward they gave me pain medication to reduce the pain. He then asked if they cut me when his big brother was born. I didn’t want to get into natural childbirth with him so I said no I was only cut once. He then said “Did they take Kyle and I out at the same time?’ The boys are 12 years apart in age. My heart was so filled with love at that moment for my little one trying so hard to work through the questions of life. I told him no and just said Kyle was born naturally.  I rubbed his back as he slowly started to relax and fall asleep tucked undercovers. He had been away from his mommy for a few days and then thought about pain he may have caused me.

It’s good for him to be away for some time to build that independence.

His older brother was about his age when grandma Susan died of cancer. Kyle had all kinds of questions about death and started to worry that his dad and I were going to die. We had to reassure him we were young and healthy.

The finality of death is the hardest thing. There is no changing it. The person is physically gone. You hold onto memories and move forward slowly. Susie’s pain on Monday night was so powerful. I am certain she had a major cry on the way home. It was nice to spend the next evening with her and to laugh and talk and eat and see a smile on her face. It was nice to know we reassured her she is not alone.

Family Reunion 2009

August 16, 2009



Family Reunion Today

Originally uploaded by Q_uilted T_hrifted

My Dad’s brothers and sisters have great names. Each family had a different color shirt. My dad is Wilfred(red). His brothers are Sylvester, Roman (blue), Victor, Alphonse(orange) and sisters are Josphine (yellow), Marie(white), Carol(green), Delores and Valeria.
It was such a fun day. I tried really hard to get around and talk to every family. Of course I don’t know the younger children. Fun things about the family. The best t-shirts “The Roman Empire” Roman comes from a family of 10 children, Roman had 10 children and his 10 children had ,,,,well not 10 children but 3-8 children each.
All of Josie’s children have red hair and her grandchildren….almost all have….red hair! We rotate who hosts the reunion. It is nice because the host family usually has a majority of the family present. So each year or two we get to see different folks. The book towards the top is getting updated! Believe me we are a growing family. I will be a great auntie again twice before March.