Ruby finally lost it!

After weeks of tugging... wishing... tugging... and tugging some more, Ruby's front tooth finally lost the battle.

Where do candy canes come from?

The real one come from Jerry Rowley at Logan's candies.

(Photos borrowed from npr.org)

Last night we took the youth of our church on a field trip to Logan's Candies in Ontario to see candy canes made by hand! It was such an amazing process to watch.  Jim worked for Logan's when he was 12 sweeping floors, at 18 years old he bought the company.  Now he and his family hand make the most beautiful candy canes you have ever seen.

I can't wait to take my girls back.

I'm a hooker!

It's true. 

I have been gathering supplies, reading books, studying websites trying to learn everything possible to become a good hooker. I finally felt ready so I purchased a frame on line a few weeks ago.  I even started stripping some of the plethora of Pendelton wool I bought on our road trip. I have drawn out an original design, but I really don't want to hook anything until I know I am doing it the right way. 

So today was the big day!  The big Southern California meeting for rug hookers was today.   Haley and I have been waiting for this day since May 17th when we 1st learned about and tried rug hooking at Art in the park. 

I registered Haley and I for the beginning class and got a babysitter for Ruby & Lucy (Eric's on call this week).  Haley and my conversation was hilarious on the way there, I wish I could remember it all but Haley was cracking me up talking about how all rug hookers are soooo old. She asked if this class was held at an old folks home.

It was held at a large old Episcopal church. The big room was full of women and rug displays. Haley and I walked around salivating at some of the most beautiful rugs I have ever seen in my life. 

(Sorry all my photos have blurry edges, that's what happens when you drop your camera)

This flag quilt by Polly Minick was AMAZING. I want to make it so bad I can taste it. They had a complete kit there with the book and all the supplies and I just picked it up thinking "I don't even care how much this is- I want it", then I noticed the $350.00 written on the top and slowly set it back down. Ouch!


The beginner class was held in a small classroom with only 4 of us in the class. Our room had beautiful stained glass windows that cast colored light on my canvas. I just loved being surrounded by such talent and beauty. Haley LOVED the entire day. All the old ladies doted over her and told her that they wished they started as young as she is. 

During our class our teacher would be telling a story and say "Oh Betty is an EXCELLENT hooker."... I could not stop cracking a smile about how often they refer to themselves as hookers, and they are so serious.

This was the sample of the pattern we were learning on.

We both learned a lot and got a lot done on our little rugs. We were invited by four local women that meet every Thursday night to hook with them.  We can't wait to go.

I did see a bumper sticker that said "Hookers do it on the rug" I would love to know what people think when they read that and see a sweet old lady driving.

Lucy's 5 year portrait

Even though Lucy's portrait was taken in back June, we just recently received it. 

Due to the lack of space on our palatial estate, all three girls portraits are hanging over my sewing table.  Hopefully they will eventually have a more prominent location in our home.

Happy birthday babe!

I love you!

(Even now that you're sooo old)

A whole new world

The girls had no school today so Eric took the day off and we went to Disneyland for his birthday.

 On the ride out to Anaheim Haley was complaining that that Grandma Natalie made them drink a full glass of milk with every meal.  I told her she was lucky, when I was her age My Grandfather took my Sister and me to the ZOO and was furious at us because we only wanted to go to the gift store and buy something. So he drove us home and locked us out of the house.  I realized the bathroom window was open so I climbed up and back in the house. I walked into his office laughing saying "You can't keep me out", so he locked me in a closet.  I told her that I would have rather been forced to drink milk then been locked in the closet so she had it easy.

While at Disneyland we saw an elderly couple trading pins with a Disney employee. I asked what they were doing and they explained the whole process. I have seen people wearing lanyards with pins but I had no idea the whole trading game involved.  The lady took off three of her pins and gave them to my girls- they were very excited.  Of course they wanted their own lanyard so one gift store later (and a long story about allowance and trying to be fair) they were all sporting a lanyard and some pins for trading.

I thought it was great because they were using social skills and communicating with and trading with every cast member they came in contact with. Eric seemed a little bugged so I asked him what was wrong and he said "Now Disneyland is just one big gift store to them... I wish I could find that lady that gave them the pins and tell her where to put them."

 

I assured them that they were having a blast and he just needed to get over it... and not drive home and lock them out of the house.

This morning when I woke up, Haley was on Ebay looking up "hidden mickey trading pins".

Disneyland will never be the same. 

Lucy and I waited in line for an hour to see Silvermist. Lucy was Silvermist for Halloween so she was thrilled to get to met her in person.
The big bummer was that I dropped my camera. My little camera that I take everywhere, HUGE bummer. I can no longer zoom at all, the more I zoom the blurrier it gets.

As always we packed PJs, toothbrushes and toothpaste and had the girls get ready for bed in the car. This is the best because they are always asleep when we get home and we can just carry them to bed.  I took this photo because I love that the lanyard is still on and part of her PJ's. 

Halloween

Haley and Ruby carved pumpkins on the garage floor.

Lucy and I baked the seeds.

Luckily all the pumpkins were finished in time for Halloween night.




Then I helps the girls all get into their costumes. They were all so excited and prancing around the house. I used a black spray paint on Haley's hair that said you should not use it on blonde or fine hair (she has both). I realized it was not the best gamble to take, but luckily it all washed out.

Unfortunately life has been too crazy for me to come up with costumes for Eric and I.  This is the 1st Halloween in a long time that we have not dressed up- It's so much more fun when we have costumes on too.

This was my favorite costume of the night. When he was walking around he totally looked like a real lion. It made me want to get a lab just for the cool Halloween costume- Eric said "OK, if you find a new home for Opal".

 
We went to a the trunk or treat at our church and then headed over to our friends Dan & Stephanie's.  They get tons of trick or treaters so my girls loved helping pass out all the candy.

The morning after... I found all three girls with their huge stashes of candy spread on the garage floor! I said "Why did you guys put your candy on the dirty garage floor?" to which they replied, "We didn't want Max and Opal to eat our candy". OK then.

3 days after Halloween all the candy was gone when they got home from school... they were really mad, but Haley threw a tantrum like I have NEVER seen. Clearly she felt very strongly about her candy.