Ending of the year 2009

As most of you already know... the end of 2009 is only days away.... a lot has happened this past year, and some things I will always remember, and others I will probably forget... but as for now, they are all still fresh in my mind, and so I am going to dwell on them a little.
The first wonderful thing was that our little Chloe was born to Erin and Stew. She arrived in May and has been such a wonderful addition to the family. Chloe is such a happy baby, and at this writing is sitting by herself, and is content to just sit and play with whatever she may find.
Next came Lauren's first day of school.... I can't hardly believe that she is 6 already, her birthday just falls past the deadline, so she is one on the older kids in Kindergarten...but that is okay. She seems to really like school, and is happy to be able to help the daycare lady do preschool in the mornings on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays for the little 3 and 4 year olds at day care.
Averi is still growing and still coming up with some of the darnest sayings of all times... The other night I was over to their house,and she was calling me bubble butt... I told it wasn't my name, and she instantly told me that is was my middle name.. she then started telling everyone that my name was Grandma Pat Bubble Butt ... It had us all laughing because about 15 minutes later, she couldn't remember what she had been calling me..

The next large happening of the year was in November when my Dear Sister Kathy passed away unexpectedly and very quickly. We had made plans to do lots of quilts this coming year, and she was also so excited for her new grandbaby to be born, which she was not around for. The little grandson was born however just last week, and baby and mother are doing great.

I am glad to be beginning a new year. I hope and pray that 2010 will be a year of happiness and fun.
I want my family and friends to know that I love them all... I think of them always and pray for their health and safety each day.

I can't promise that I will write in here more often this next year, as in all honesty... I am addicted to FaceBook and all that is has to offer.... like Farming

I am grateful to live in this country and have the freedoms that we have as a United Nation, and hope that our freedom will continues to be ours......

Happy New Year everyone that reads this post.

Holiday Season again

Wow...I find it hard to believe that it is the Holiday season once again. How time flies as I get older. This past 5 or 6 weeks have been very hard for me to deal with, but with time and the love I feel from my Savior Jesus Christ, I know that all will be well in due time. A time to mourn, and a time to heal is how I have looked at this past few weeks. Although the loss of my dear sister Kathy will forever be close to my mind and heart, I have to also understand that her time here on earth was over and our Savior needed here up with him to carry out the mission he had in store for her there. My love for my sister will remain strong, and I hope that her children will know of the love that I have for them. I want them to feel that they can call me anytime they might need a little support, or a question answered.
As I reflect on all the times Kathy and I have spent together these past few yaers, I smile, and am so grateful that we had that time together. I am glad that she was willing and anxious to learn how to piece quilts together, and I am so proud of her for the quilts she was able to make in the short time that she had been making them.

I hope you all have a very happy holiday season, and remember to hug the ones you love.

These are slides of the quilt I made for Jaclyn... The blocks are all machine embroidered and then put together with the ABC block fabric, and there is a striped flannel backing on the quilt. I was very happy to be able to make it for Jaclyn, and give it to her for her baby Hunter's shower on Saturday Nov. 14th....

Healing from the inside out

Today I am starting to feel like life will indeed go on. The hurt from this past week is slowly subsiding, but the memory of what has happened and how it has changed my life will remain in my heart forever...
Yesterday my 3 girls and I went up to Lehi to the baby shower for my nephew's wife Jaclyn's new baby due in about 6 weeks. It was a lovely shower, and I am sure that my sister was all smiles as the guests arrived and greated everyone with hugs and even some laughter.
I had been brought some fabric for a quilt that Kathy had started for the baby, and I was asked to finish it. I hadn't been told by Kathy that she was even making the quilt, so I had to just look over the project that she had started and this is what I came up with as a completed quilt... It was well received by Jaclyn and all the people at her shower...

So Much Sorrow and PAIN

This past week... well actually 6 days has been the most horrible week of my life that I can remember... My only sister suddenly and very unexpectedly passed away at the young age of 56. Although she seemed to be so healthy, and was at my house just 2 days before she passed, she never acted ill, looked ill, or mentioned that anything might be wrong.
There are no words to express the hole I feel in my heart knowing that I will not see her or her contagious smile again on this earth. I love her with all my heart, and hope that her children will know how much she loved them and worried about them. All she could talk about were her kids and her little grandkids, expecially the one that is due to join his parents here on earth aroung Christmastime.
I am glad that we have had the past few years to grow closer together and enjoy each other's company so much. She was so fun to teach how to piece quilts, and she was so excite each time she started a new one. I know that she would have made many many more quilts had her time here on earth allowed her to do so.
I miss my dear sister, but I am so grateful for the knowledge that I will be able to see her again in the next life.
MY suggestion to anyone reading this is to make sure you let your family know how much you love them everyday....I love my children, their spouses, and my grandkids. I also my step-children and their spouses and my step-grandchildren but unfortunately, I don't get to tell them all everyday how much I do love them. So I have to start making it a priority to let my children know everyday that I love them. I hope you do your family as well..

Hailey's Halloween

Here is the most recent picture I have of Hailey....she is getting so tall... but she is so fun to watch learn all her new habits.... including getting ahold of the house phone and calling 911.... no more playing with the phone for Hailey bug..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AVERI...

This is a post to express Happy Birthday Wishes Averi....She will be 4 tomorrow, Nov. 2, 2009 she has been such a fun little girl to have in our family... she is full of fun and mischief, but she is so loved....Her is a picture of her we took yesterday also..

Halloween??? GONE?????

Okay I admit I haven't been writing on here very much, but to be honest... FACEBOOK has taken me hostage, and I haven't been able to break away.... but I apologize...
Halloween came early for Lauren this year... Her school had their dress-up day on Thursday because they didn't have school on friday, so here is her picture in her costume....



Yesterday Saturday October 31, 2009 was such a beautiful day, that we decided to take the kids out for outdoor pictures.... 5 of my 6 grandkids were here to take pictures... Chloe wasn't feeling to well, so she stayed home with her mom while Heather and Megan were out taking pictures of the 5 other ones... here are just a few..

Where is the time going???

Man, I can't believe that time is going so quickly... Seems like I Just got finished tending Hailey, and now Erin has gone back to work and I am tending Chloe.... She is such a smiley baby... Only cries when she is tired or starving with hunger..... messy pants don't even bother her, so I have to be alert and check her often...... ANYWAY... I love tending her, and it will be exciting when I get to start taking Lauren to Kindergarten and pick her up the days that I tend them..... Averi is starting pre-school this year, so she will go 3 days a week to learn all that their day care lady has taught Lauren over the past 2 years.... SO FUN

Have I been slacking or what??

Wow... to start, I can't believe that it has been this long since I blogged anything.... guess I have to confess that FaceBook has been introduced in my life,and that has seemed to consume my time.
Chloe is doing great... she was 13 pounds on Monday and doing great... She is starting to make little cooing noises and smiles for everyone all the time.. I am anxious to be able to start tending her on Tuesday....

Lauren and Averi had their swim lessons, and they come and swim in my pool quite a bit... Averi will finally jump from the step of the ladder into the water.. she is so funny... amazing what swim lessons can do to build a child's confidence in themselves...
Lauren will be starting school this fall, and she also is going to sign up for soccer. She is quite the little runner, but whether she will be able to kick the ball and run at the same time is yet to be seen.. but at least she has the opportunity to expand her interests.... and that is something very important during a child's upbringing....
Ok I have rambled on enough.
Have a great day

Another month almost gone

Wow has time beein going fast for everyone or just me?? I can't believe we are almost into July. I haven't been updating this much, cause I really haven't been doing too much. I am nto tending Hailey anymore, but I will be tending her the week of July 6th, and then the first week of August I start tending little Chloe.... who as I write this is getting so cute. She smiles when you talk to her, and is just the best natured baby ever... Erin is still trying to get her days and nights turned right, so it is a challenge for her now, but she will be turned around and doing good by the time Erin goes back to work.
Lauren and Averi just love her to pieces... They always want to hold her, and they are always kissing her. Chloe sleeps through the loudest noises her sister can muster up, and that is a good thing... cause the two big girls can be pretty noisy...

Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer, and are looking forward to a wonderful 4th of July.. I just hope you have a safe celebration whatever you do.

MIddle of June Already.

MY, how time does fly. What a fast month this has been. On saturday we had our Clark Reunion, held in Lehi again, and it was such a nice day. Although the clouds were threatening, they held off until we were through eating, and mostly done with the silent auction. As Erin and her girls, Kai and Talon and I were loading the van, the rain started coming down quite hard, and by the time we actually took off from the park, the downpour had started and continued until we were almost back to Orem. We stayed in Orem and had a BarBQ at Heather's house, then we all went over to Mary Closs's house to sit on her lawn and watch the Orem Summerfest Parade. After the parade the rain once again came down, but luckily Erin had the van around the corner from Mary's house, so she ran and got the van and came back to mary's house to pick me and Chloe up along with Heather's boss' wife and her new baby.
Back at Heather's it was a big question as to whether or not the city would do fireworks, and after as long of day as I had had, Megan agreed to bring me home, so Erin was left to bring home all 5 kids alone.... THANKS ERIN for being such a GREAT DAUGHTER. Also THanks Terry and Heather for hosting such a fun BARBQ for your family and friends on such a rainy day...

Updated pictures of the boys.

Here are the newer pictures of the boys.

To go with the previous post, here is a family picture I found of my son Chris with his wife Joann and the two boys. Shay gets to have a picture all of her own.....

Forgotten Grandsons

It has been brought to my attention that I have posted nothing at all about my two little grandsons Kai and Talon. I apologize for not having mentioned them before now, and promise that I will try to keep updated on their life's progresses as I go through my blog.
Kai is going to be turning 12 in August and Talon will be 9 in Septemer. They are both doing really well in school and love to play with friends.
Unfortuneately I don't see them as much as I used to since they moved across town, but if they are reading this blog, I want them to know how much I love them and am proud to be their Grandma Pat.....
I was emailed some more recent pictures of the two boys, but I accidently deleted the email, so I will have to have Megan send them to me again and I will post them at a later time......

SORRY Kai and Talon for not posting anything about you until now... please forgive me.....

Let me just say that I also forgot to mention their big sister Shay. Shay is Joann's daughter from her previous marriage. She has graduated from High School and is working... Welcome to the world of being an employee Shay... Hope all goes well with you in the future.

New Baby has a name..

The new baby girl that Erin had on the 7th is going to be named Chloe Delraye Seely. Mom and baby have been home since Sunday and are doing good. WE are so glad that she is here in our family.

Where does the time go??

I can't believe that it has been so long since I posted.... anyways, Erin got her new baby girl on Thursday, She was 7pounds and 10oz and 20" long. As of this morning at 8:50, we have yet to hear of her name. They have had a hard time deciding on what name this little girl should have, so hopefully by this afternoon, we will be able to let everyone know what her name is.
I am just happy that she is here and healthy, and that baby and mommy are doing well. Erin thinks she will come home sometime tomorrow... then the fun will begin, but I am grateful that Stew has taken all next week off work to help her with the girls and then I will be around the following week so that if she needs me, I will be close.
I have been doing quite a bit of hemstitching lately, so that has kept me somewhat busy in the evenings, but I still have some more to do today and then put a quilt on, so I need to get busy.
Until next time.... HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL MOTHERS.... and keep smiling everyone..

April is flying past me....

With april now on a full roll, I am almost embarrassed to not have published before now...
A big THANKS again to Tracie for my wonderful April name banner.... did I ever ask you what I would do without her??? well I am asking you all now.......

Answer... I would be lost and back to hum-drum headers for my blog.....

HAILEY turned ONE year old on Thursday... She has grown so much. Unfortunatly, she wasn't feeling too well yesterday on her birthday, and so it wasn't too happy for her... luckily Heather and Terry will celebrate her birthday tomorrow along with Terry's birthday which is tomorrow the 11th of april....

I have not been knitting as much this past few weeks... I got out my old Nintendo console and have been battling to get through a few of my old favorite games.... If anyone has been a Nintendo junky over the years it has been ME.... I even bought the Super Nintendo when I was divorced and living alone to help pass the long lonely nights when I was on days off....glad I never got rid of it, but I regret not having the Original front loading Nintendo console with the fun games that I used to play on that one... oh well, time moves on, and so must I....

Have a Great Easter weekend everyone... and stay safe... and dry.. it is supposed to be rainy for most of the weekend...

BYE FOR NOW

March is zooming right by

WOW.. it is almost April already... and Hailey will be 1 year old on the 9th.... Where has that year gone??? man time flies the older I get....

Still been knitting, but not as rapidly as I was... got my sweater finished, but no pictures of it yet... now I am doing a little light blue sweater just in case Erin has a little boy.....She thinks it is a girl, but we can never be too prepared....
Erin's baby is going to be born on May 7th, so they are all getting excited to have a new baby in the house... and I am excited to get to tend another new baby....

HOpe you all are having a wonderful spring wintery week... and I hope more that Spring will come and stay warm, not just tease us for a few days and then snow some more...

MORE PICTURES for you to enjoy

I promised I would post pictures of Hailey's sweater and hats, and also the little stocking caps that I have been knitting for the NICU to use on preemie babies... so here they are..Hailey's sweater is a peach color with white, and the two hats are of the same yarn, one solid and one striped....




Here are the little hats. the picture on my hand on the one hat shows just how tiny they are, so that they will fit the tiniest of little preemie heads...

Promises Kept

Okay, so here are the pictures of the sweaters and hats that I have knitted for Lauren and Averi. What better way to display them than while they are modeling them for me...right?
Sorry that they aren't the best pictures, but I was too lazy to take the girls outside in the sunlight to get a good picture and besides, the girls would have been squinting from the sun.
Lauren's is the blue and light green stripes,and Averi's is rose and white stripes... as for the hats... I just started knitting and that is what came out... I also did a peach and white striped sweater for Hailey with matching hat, but I haven't got the zipper in Hailey's sweater yet, so I will post pictures of it when I get it done.... Thanks for looking.... and commenting..

A BIG THANKS

OK, another great BIG THANKS goes out to my niece Tracie for my new blog topper....I don't know what I would do without her.... Thanks Tracie, I hope you know how much I appreciate what you do for me..

I'm still stitchin, but in a different way this time of year.

I have been on a knitting frenzy lately. I was asked to make my friend Judy a stocking cap so her ears wouldn't freeze while she was out scraping her windshield in the mornings before she went to work...... so I did... and then I made a couple of little stocking caps for Lauren and Averi.... then I had a bunch of left over baby weight yarn and so I got creative and made a little tiny stocking cap for a little gal in our ward that is expecting a little boy, and I gave it to her. It didn't stop there... there was also a gal in our ward that was expecting a little girl, so we find pink yarn and make her a little stocking cap. Both were delighted when I presented with their little hats.... After doing hats for awhile, I found a pattern book that I had sent for to make sweaters from the top to the bottom in basically one piece... SOOOOO I got started making sweaters, and I am in the process of making Lauren a sweater and then I will do Averi one, and then I found a really neat looking long Kimono type sweater that the pattern comes in my size, so I am going to find some yarn and make me a long kimono type sweater... to wear next yaer probably.... Knitting relaxes me and while I am at Heather's tending Hailey 5 days a week, it makes for some great knitting time while she is napping.. I will post pictures of Lauren's sweater when I get it finished... enough for today... i'll write more another day....

Haven't posted lately... sorry

Sorry that I haven't posted anything lately, but I haven't really been doing anything fantastic... other than knitting.. so I guess I can admit that I am still in the process of knitting little tiny stocking hats to be taken up to the NICU at Utah Valley Regional Hospital when I get more done. I have about 12 or 13 done now, but gave myself a goal of making 30 before I take them up. I have been making them out of leftover yarn from projects over the years, so it isn't costing me anything except for the time that it takes to make one. If I stay with it, I can have one knitted in a day, but for now, I have been working on other projects as well, so I haven't made any at all for about a week. I need to get back in the swing of doing the hats and get them done... I will post pictures of them before I take them up to the hospital.. then you can see how dang cute they are..

Another Kaleidoscope quilt

I was reminded that I was supposed to post the pictures of the BYU kaleidoscope quilt that my sister did for her mother-in-law...... so here they are......


This is the close up of the Center square which was a block Y and Ielene's name was embroidered above it...




These are a couple closeups of some of the blocks......



This was the final whole quilt.. and word has it that Eileen loves the quilt and is so excited
to have it