Oops! My Bad!

Today Laura and I were wondering if MK was going to get anything at the 8th grade awards ceremony this year. I vaguely recall getting an envelope in the mail from Thoreau the other day, but it didn't occur to me that it was anything but the usual newsletter. Well, duh. As it turned out the letter was to inform me that my child was to receive something and that I should get my booty to the ceremony which I obliviously didn't do. She ended up with 4 awards which, incidentally, when added up is about equivalent to the amount of awards her 6 siblings got combined. Fortunately MK could not have cared less that I wasn't there. And was I ever happy not to have to sit through the 2 1/2 hour ceremony. She got math and science awards plus a character award and the Presidential fitness one. MK rocks!!!!

T-shirt quilt

Laura cut up @ 40 of her fave old t-shirts, I slapped them on some fleece with wonder under (an iron on fabric adhesive) then sewed around the edges. It turned out pretty cute:).

Waxing Nostalgic

After 30 years of exclusively using this singer featherweight for all of my sewing needs, it is finally going into retirement! The machine is actually @ 60 years old and it still works-- just needs a little tweaking. I used this to make tons of clothes for myself and my kids-- I even sewed my wedding dress on it! Classic seersucker suits I made for the twins: Check out Laura in this little jumpsuit: But quilts were what really put old featherweight through the paces. Here are a few of the ones around the house:I made this one in 1987 in honor of the Boston Celtics when they won against the Lakers in the final that year. True story. The pattern is even called an Irish Chain.

Memorial Day Weekend

This weekend we enjoyed and expressed the freedoms for which so many brave patriots have served, fought and died. Without them and their sacrifices, great weekends like we had, not to mention our great country and our freedoms and opportunities, would not be possible. We remember and thank all those who have served -- especially those who died or were injured -- and their families and friends for their service and sacrifices.














Bright and early on Saturday morning, Bruce, Laura and Mike, along with several young men and other adults, rode their bikes 50 miles on Saturday morning, from our house to Leesburg and back, on the W&OD Trail. (Mikey and Bruce have now gone over 150 miles over the past couple of months.)

They stopped several times along the way, including at a yummy bakery in Leesburg, and got back to Vienna in the heart of ViVa! Vienna, where they met up with me and Mary Kate and feasted on chickens on a stick.

On Sunday morning, we walked to the corner of Nutley and 66 and watched the Rolling Thunder group that starts at Patriot Harley Davidson in Fairfax get on to the highway to join the overall Rolling Thunder ride downtown. Quite a sight!

We went to church Sunday and had Seminary graduation Sunday night, which was nice.

This morning, MK and Dad and I went to ViVa! Vienna again, where MK and her friend Sarah Stevenson rode some rides and we got a little food. It was hot. Mikey was at Michael Nokes house. It was over 100 degrees in the sun when we got back from ViVa! Vienna, and Dad and MK rode our bikes to the pool and spent the rest of the afternoon there. Laura joined them after a while, as did a lot of youth from church.



























We cooked out burgers and dogs on the grill for dinner and enjoyed eating it on the deck tonight. A memorable Memorial Day weekend!

Two Peas in a Pod

This is what happens when Laura and MK get goofy with my camera.


Proof that Laura has finally (sort of) learned how to do french braids.

Jeff & Krista's VA Open House

What a great par-tay! Only wish that Nathan and Steph and Tom could have been here!

Grandma directing traffic:
Laura made a lovely bridal bouquet out of white roses:

The food:
Yummy lime-ade. We also had several varieties of coke, and bottled water.
Can't go wrong with lots of shrimp!

Chicken salad sammies.
Brownie bites:)Always popular meatballs in grape jelly and chili sauce.
Edible Arrangement. Next time I'm going ALL chocolate. Here I am the night before rolling fondant for the cake:

When I went to bed it looked great, but the next morning it had slipped all over the place! We had to use real daisies to hide the boo boos, but in the end it looked OK, and happily it tasted even better.


Even though it rained, it wasn't hard enough to really matter:)
Don't let this picture fool you. They were on their feet greeting people for a solid 2 and 1/2 hours.G-ma and G-pa chillaxin.

The CopansKrista's parents, Craig and Sylvia, made the trek from Utah:)
Dad with his former secretary, Lorett.
Our lovely young women who I hired to help with the photos and the food:) You rock, Jill, Syd and Leslea:)

Nick was our great bartender.
Beautiful Nielson girls:)
Laura and her exploding coke.