From tape to stickers...

When Ryan was a tike and Scott was a toddler, I had to travel to Germany to join Ron for a 3 year assignment. The one thing that kept Scott occupied on that horrible flight was a roll of scotch tape. I would pull of a piece, stick it somewhere on his face, and he would spend between 15 & 30 minutes peeling it off, repositioning it, and wadding it up. I didn't mind; it kept him busy.
Since that time, I have tried to entertain the all other toddlers using the same cheap form of entertainment. It hasn't been nearly as enthralling for them as it was for Scott.
With the grandkids, I have graduated from scotch tape to the left over portion of a sticker page. Recently, Maggie was visiting and had used all the stickers on a sticker sheet when I started pulling off the remaining border material and sticking it all over my face. Maggie wasn't really sure she liked Mimi with all that stuff on her face. But, she enjoyed pulling it all off!

I hate my camera and I am blogging anyway...

I really don't like my camera. It was wonderful in its day, but with all the tech advances there have been since we bought it, the thing is like a dinosaur. Unfortunately, I have used it as an excuse to not blog. I know there are not unwritten laws regarding blogs and pictures, but I love seeing them on other people's blogs. It is my goal to go shopping with Scott now that he is home and buy myself a new camera.
Anyway, here is a quick run down on what is happening in the Searls household.
1) School is back in full swing. I have 19 curious, sweet, and relatively well behaved second graders plus a new curriculum to learn. Nothing like keeping the brain challenged. Still teaching RS on Sundays and hosting a gospel study enrichment group in my home once a month.
2) Ron is back from Phoenix and Little Rock, but on his way to Colorado Springs. While he is home, he helps to coach Seth's football team and stays busy with the "Old Geezers" at church.
3) The folks are great. Dad has been feeling fairly well lately and Mom says he is getting a lot of little things done around the house. Mom is still working on tons of quilting projects and staying busy with the bee and guild.
4) The kids are all busy: Ryan working and preparing to relocate to Costa Rica to teach English. Scott back from Iraq and considering becoming a fireman/paramedic. Becca & Ed: battling a mortgage company that has gone bankrupt. (Lots of worry on that front!) Leslie and G: enjoying a growing family and redecorating their bedroom.
5) The grandkids are beautiful and growing: Seth in 3rd. grade and playing football. Maggie: a big sister and chattering away in Spanish. Sophie: getting so round, plump and sweeter each day.
Now, that should hold me until I get a decent camera. Here are a few of the most recent pictures taken with the old camera.

Scott is home...

Yesterday evening Scott got home from Iraq. He had spent a couple of days in El Paso out-processing so he didn't come home right away. It has been comforting to know he has at least been on US soil. The National Guard had quite a few Texas troops that had demobilized and were traveling together on a charter bus. They dropped off troops in Austin and then came up to Killeen on their way to Waco. Ron and I picked Scott up around 7:00 yesterday evening then took him over to Leslie and G's house. He wanted to see the new baby and he ended up staying the night there so he could watch the UFC match. Becca is planning on having us all over for a BBQ this evening so that should be fun. Here are some pictures of Scot's bus, unloading his duffel bags, and a very happy mom.

I am NOT afraid of color...

When Ron and I bought this house, we traded a large master suite for a dinky bedroom with bath. Our bedroom is the only thing I do not like about this house. At first, I had it painted a soft green and used ivory sheers on the windows with an ivory bedspread. I accented it with a quilt I had made that had deep purples, greens and ivory. It was okay, but I never really liked it. This summer I decided to be daring and completely switch color schemes. I figured I better get my bed linens first and then build around those. I happened to find a beautiful, rich brown set on clearance at Sears so I had my foundation. The wall color was the next issue. I needed to find something that would pick up the rustic tones in our bedroom furniture (which seems huge in this room), blend well with the bed linens, and still feel warm and cozy. When I started painting it on the walls, I thought I had made a huge mistake, but I am such a miser, I couldn't see not using what I had already paid for. However, once I got the second coat on, found some rust colored iron work for decorative accessories, and threw together the fabrics, I was really pleased with it. Here is the finished product.

One more thing to mark off the list...

One of the things I wanted to do during my summer break was make a scrap book for Sophie. A friend of mine had made one for Maggie and for Seth, but I decided to try to make one on my own. So, I used the one that I have for Maggie as a guide, and with some help from Leslie, I finished Sophie's flip book this afternoon. I still don't have the pictures in it yet, but thought I would post pictures of it anyway. Now remember, I am NOT a "scrapper'".

Updates on the family....

Ron: Left for Phoenix today; gone for 10 days.
Gwen: Shopping (yuck) for work clothes and school supplies.
Ryan: Still hoping the geology field will open up; exploring other options.
Scott: His footlocker is home; he will follow soon!
Rebecca: The pool is up; Ed is home; all is right with her world :-)
Edward: Home from Iraq for R&R.
Seth: Spent 2 days with Mimi this past week; fun!
Leslie: Still getting used to having 2 little ones to care for; not going back to work any time soon.
Gerson: Still working for Time Warner, playing soccer.
Maggie: Potty trained!
Sophie: Brown eyes :-(
Daisy: getting old.
Buddy: Missing Ron

Catching up...

The family has had a super busy month! Consequently, every time I sat down to blog I would get overwhelmed by how much there was to post. That would lead to no post at all. So, here is a whole bunch of nonsense.
Family Reunion Aftermath:
Once the reunion ended, I needed to start my annual summer cleaning. During the school year, I never have time for the heavy cleaning such as windows, baseboards, curtains, etc. It took me a whole week to get the house as clean as I wanted it to be. Now, the windows & curtains can collect dirt until Christmas break. It was also time to clean out closets, drawers, and files. I spent one day just shredding paperwork! Nothing feels as good as getting the house clean and organized.
Sophie Lyn's Arrival:
Leslie's doctor decided to induce her labor a few weeks early because her blood pressure was starting to get too high. So, on June 29th Sophie was born. She is a cute little thing. I don't really think she looks that much like Maggie, but then Maggie was soooo tiny and not nearly as chubby. Maggie and cousin Seth both adore her and are so sweet and gentle around her. We are just thrilled to have such healthy, beautiful grandchildren.
Baby Quilts:
I started a quilt for Sophie before she was born. However, once it was finished, I decided I really didn't like it that much. So, I decided to finish it anyway and give it to Leslie's best friend for her new baby boy, Owen. It worked out okay because I used bright primary colors in a pinwheel pattern. Then, I spent some time rummaging through quilting magazines to find some possible alternatives. I finally found a beautiful pink quilt that will be a bit of a challenge for me. It is made of batik fabric using circles so it has the illusion of large flowers. I haven't started it yet, because it is one I will need help from Mom with. The third quilt is for the neighbors across the street. They just had a new baby girl named Rebecca. I have taken picture of the Sophie quilt in the magazine and the quilt for Rebecca, but I have the quilt for Owen in the machine and it is at my shop. I will post a picture of them all again once they are quilted and bound.
July 4th:
Initially, we had decided we were going to spend the holiday at Becca's house. She was scheduled to have her pool up and running by then so we figured we would grill up some food, swim, and then from her back yard we could see the fireworks display being put on at the city park. However, several factors messed up those plans. First, Sophie arrived earlier that was expected. Second, the ONE day of rain and less than 100 degree weather delayed Becca's pool. Third, Ryan had to work on the 4th. So, we collectively agreed to not do anything. But, to make a long story short, we ended up having a spur of the moment celebration at Leslie and G's house. We threw together a meal with whatever was in Becca, Leslie, and my kitchens; spent some time in the pool, and then drove over to watch the fireworks on Ft. Hood. It was a bittersweet day though. Missing my sons in Iraq always puts a damper on things.
All in all, June ended up being a very productive month.