Camouflage

A month ago I posted here about what I had planned for my dear dad's Christmas present.

I am nearing completion finally!

 I ordered the fabric, cut it, and made this pile of 9 patch blocks. 

I cut all the 9 patch blocks into quarters. 

Then I sewed all of those squares into strips and then of course sewed all the strips together.  

I added a border to make it a bit bigger for my tall dad to cover up with in the recliner at night while he watches the news.  

 This pattern is called a Disappearing 9 Patch because you begin with 9 patch blocks, but they turn into something else -chaos maybe?  The pattern I bought actually called it 'Camouflage.'  Same thing I guess!

 My 3 year old took his very first picture yesterday and did a pretty good job.  He was so excited and I think since I am in the center of the picture and he got at least half of the quilt, he did a great job!

I have the quilt sandwich out today; the front, the batting, and the backing, and I hope to get this baby quilted early next week!  YIPPEE!

This is the original picture of the quilt that made me want to make it for my dear ole' dad.  Maybe its the fishing stuff that makes me like it! 

I am so thankful for . . .

 We had a great Thanksgiving feast at my sister Tori and her husband Jared's house.  They were wonderful hosts and went beyond the call of duty.  I only have 2 siblings, so there isn't a huge crowd to get together, but it still doesn't happen that often unfortunately.    We have 9 children all together, and here they are:

 Emmitt, Brogan, Waylon, Presley, Kendal, Kenna, Kelsey, Taylor, and Brig

This is Tori my sister, Glen my brother, and myself.  Tori and Glen always have contests on who is the tallest, and this photo captures my sister's crazy face as they were vying for height positions! 

Since I get to reflect on the gratitude I feel every day, but get to express around Thanksgiving, here it goes!

I am so thankful for my incredible parents, all they have taught me, continue to teach me, and for their wonderful examples.  I love them more than I can say.

I am so thankful for my sister and my brother, and their families.  I love being with them and making new memories and as well remembering old memories.

I am so thankful for my hard working and good husband who is also a fantastic father to our children, and a good good man.

I am so thankful for the four little ones that call me mom.  They have blessed my life in ways I didn't know were possible.  They bring me more joy than I can begin to explain.  I hope I can be the mother they need me to be to them.

I am so thankful for good friends.  They understand me and love me for the person I am, and forgive me for the person I should be, but often fall short.

I am so thankful for extended family.  They bless my life by just being 'my family.'  Their love and support is so appreciated. 
I am thankful for all the people God puts in my life.  I hope I can learn from them what I am intended to learn from them, and become better by knowing them.

chess-ters

The girls had a chess tournament over the weekend.  It was a long long long day, but a good day.  We started at 8:30 and finished around 2:00.  Emmitt and Kenna had to attend as well, and did great considering the long day we all had couped up in the school's gym.  Kelsey played in the 5th & 6th grade division and ended up at 4th place.  Kendal played in the K-2 grade division and won a sweet medal.  She was a little devastated when she didn't win a trophy.  When she asked me why she didn't win one, and I told her "You have to win the chess matches honey, not just win pieces when you play."  Kendal said "You mean you have to beat other kids to get a trophy?"  The thought astonished her!  She cracks me up.  We had a good day together, me and my little chess players!

Snickerdoodles

We made some snickerdoodle cookies the other day when we were craving something sweet and special.  They were sweet and special, and hit the spot perfectly.  I love it when my kids want to help me in the kitchen.  It makes me happy to see them wanting to help and enjoying the process as well.  I hope they look back at our baking and cooking times and remember them as sweetly as I do.

Emmitt was more than willing to help me get all the snow and ice off of the trampoline the other day. 

Here comes winter - now I just have to get the mat off before another snow storm visits us.

Lela, Diantha, or Annie's bubblegum pink backing

 I am in need of some input.  This quilt above is the quilt my dad received when my Grandma Lela Ackerman Chappell passed away.  He thought my Grandma Lela had made it, but after a little help from my uncles and aunts, it is decided that my great grandmother Diantha Sorensen Ackerman gave it to her daughter, my Grandma Lela.  This quilt is remembered being folded at the foot of an extra bedroom in my great grandmother's home.  My uncle said that Diantha wasn't much of a quilter, and that possibly her mother, Annie Christianna Rasmussen Sorensen made it.  She was born in 1871 in the Salt Lake Valley.  I need to do some research!  I am so excited!

 Anyway, here is the quilt top I have made.  It is just the pieced top right now.  

 Here are the two together.  You can see how much the white fabric has yellowed.  Either that, or she started with a bit of off-white fabric to begin with, but I doubt that.  Red and white quilts were VERY popular to make from about 1840 to the 1920s, with the biggest surge in the 1880s. I think the white has just yellowed with age.  

 So, here is my dilemma.  Do I really use pink as the backing fabric like my ancestor did?  I am not sure if it was Annie, Diantha, or Lela, but wow - pink?  It is not a red that has faded with time, it is pink.  Bubblegum pink. 

This project has been very enjoyable for me, and I have been trying to make a good reproduction.  I even put on two of the borders kinda screwy, like the original.  We add borders a little differently now, and it was hard for me to do the borders like that great grandma did, but I wanted it to be a nice reproduction, so I just gritted my teeth and did it!  So anyway, bubblegum pink backing or not?  

Before you answer, keep in mind that although I am making a reproduction, I am sending this off to be machine quilted.  As much as I would love to hand quilt it like the original, that is not going to happen in the next two decades.  If I have someone else quilt it, then it will be completed right after Christmas!  Maybe a nice little gift to myself!

Kenna

 Kenna Butterball Holland Crane had her 4 month check up today.  All is well with the sweet little lass, but I already knew that.  She weighs 16 pounds on the dot and is 26 1/2 inches long.  That puts her in the 86th percentile for both weight and height.  What a little goose!  Our doctor thinks I am so spoiled for having such a good little baby, and I agree.

4H turkey project

Okay, a quick turkey post.  We got these sweet little poults (I thought they were called chicks, wrong!) on July 21st. They were hatched out somewhere in Missouri and shipped out here ASAP.  We got them when they were a day old.  I had to pick them up at midnight thirty -  a day old honestly.  They lived in this little bin for a few days, then had to upgrade to a bigger box, and then a bigger box, and then a HUGE box!  Count them - 6 poults.

Here they are at 4 weeks old.  Kelsey was so great at feeding and watering them.  She was very diligent and did a great job.  They lived in our garage for that first month, then we got to move them to a real pen.  This picture of Matt and Kelsey cracks me up.  They used the wagon to move their "mobile home" across the street to the turkey pen.

We had 2 fatalities.  One actually died in our garage.  His legs gave out on him and the others weren't too accommodating to let him get food and water.  The other one had the same trouble, but later on - at about 6 weeks old.  That left us with 4 fantastic toms.

Kelsey did most of the feeding, watering, and cleaning because it was a 4H project for her.  She was great about doing all the work, but when that 5 gallon water dispenser was filled, it was a little too heavy for the sweet girl.  Mom had to step in and help a bit.

Emmitt and Kendal loved to help as well and Raider the dog loved to clean up any turkey feed spills very quickly!

This is Debbie and I weighing the birds last week.  Cracks me up - just a bathroom scale!  We had to grab those wings and legs really well though, and boy they were nice and plump!

Our neighbor Debbie is the one who invited Kelsey to participate and use her turkey pen.  Her son Derek raised turkeys for a few years for FFA and knew all the tricks.  She is the USU Extension Agent and amazing 4H leader, so that helped as well.  I guess being a great neighbor was a wonderful bonus too.

Kelsey became a great turkey herder and has learned so much doing this project.  We picked one tom out the other day to take to the state junior turkey show.  345 birds were entered in the show, both toms and hens.  We were very surprised to hear that Kelsey's tom won Grand Champion. 

Saturday we went to the Utah Turkey Show and Auction.  They auctioned off the 50 best birds of the 345, and Kelsey's was the first turkey auctioned off since it was the Grand Champion.

Our little family all went on snowy roads and had a good morning together. Kenna was an angel baby of course and Emmitt and Kendal enjoyed themselves very much.  Matt was a happy and proud dad.

This is the Wasatch County group.  They all did really well this year, with Grand Champion, a few heaviest birds awards, and a few Reserves as well I think.

Her tom dressed out at 29 pounds and it was about all she could do to keep a good hold of it during the auction.  It sold for $225.00.  She will get her check in the mail next week!  We have the Wasatch County turkey sale this week where 2 more toms will make it to the processing plant!  Hopefully we get to eat the last poor fella!

apple braid

I saw this picture on Facebook and found its recipe and other photos here.

I wanted to make an apple pie today, but I decided to try this out since I have these granny smiths leftover from this gorgeous wedding 

 of these two friends last month just waiting to be baked.

This is the result.  Not as pretty as it should have been, but still scrumptious!  Next time I will use a different dough than the one the recipe had me make.  But it was a nice treat and everyone enjoyed it!  I love this wintery weather just for the reason that it makes me want to bake.