In His Grip

Pray For Those You Love

Grandma Prep

Happy mail today. Two “jelly rolls” of quilt fabric to make fun quilts for Grandma’s house.  #grandmaprep #sewingitswhatIdo #pobletepartyof4 #stitchesbysturman

Family Fun At The lake

Our family, or some part of our family, has spent time at Lake Vermillion in the summer for over 25 years.  This year is no different.  With 17 of us here, our family brought along our own personal vacation home to make way for more comfortable sleeping for all. 

Our little vacation home is sitting up in the woods above the boat house with a great view of the lake.  We have a hammock to take naps in as well making for a homy place just feet from the lake house.

This is the first year in a long time that all of our kids have been able to make it to the lake at the same time.  Ryan and Paula have not been up here for 4 years.  So good to have them with us.

Although we have get to hang with these two a lot at home, they always make for a good. time.

This is Kyle’s first trip to the lake and we always enjoy bringing someone new along to experience the lake fun.  I’m not sure he knows what he got himself into, but he is stuck here for a whole week, after all he is 10 hours from home.

My kids and the people they have chosen to hang out with make me smile and my heart is full.  If these people were not our kids, we would still pick them to do vacation with. 

Happy Easter Morning

Happy Easter!  Our family has been celebrating Easter morning for generations.  I have been blessed to be raised in a Christian family, so Easter morning was always a big deal in our home.  This picture I am guessing was taken around 1972 when our family lived Tulare, California.  Yes, our dresses, shoes, and accessories were new for this special Sunday.  My memories of Easter morning are full of baskets full of trinkets and candy, going to church, coming home to Easter Sunday dinner and the knowledge that Jesus not only died for my sins, but rose again on Easter morning.  I am thankful for my heritage and the parents that brought our family up with a faith that each of us live out today. 

2013 Spring Break Recap

I know that I said I was back to blogging, and I have been thinking about it.  During that thinking time here are some things that I have been doing.  My girls are both teachers so for the last five years we have gone out to the desert near Palm Springs for Spring Break.  My Mom has a snowbird place there.  She calls it “the spa”.  When she and my Dad first went there the park was called Imperial Spa because of the natural hot springs that make up the pools and hot tubs.  So each year we travel to “the spa” to drive back to Kansas City with my Mom.  These two beautiful gals were my travel companions and they are a hoot.  We have the best time together. 

We spent the entire day on Saturday traveling from Kansas City to Palm Springs. I have to say for an airport, Palm Springs airport is the pretties one I have ever seen. 

We spent all of Sunday shopping around Palm Spring.  In the middle of down town we came across this giant statue of Marilyn Monroe and the girls had to have a picture taken with her.  Yes, she is wearing panties.

We left Palm Springs and headed to the middle of the desert.  And when I say middle of the desert, that is exactly what I mean.  Once inside the park, we are perfectly happy sitting by the pool.

Although we are in the middle of the desert, there are hot springs everywhere.  This lake is just across the road and over a little hot spring stream from my Mom’s, it is full of tropical fish that live in the hot spring fed lake.  The water coming out of the ground is 160 degrees.

Out in the desert you come across all kinds of things that have just been left behind.  We have seen this truck off in the distance for years and decided to check it out.

Like I said, there all kinds of things that you find abandon in the desert.

Friday was Anna’s birthday so we wanted to do something fun and adventurous.  We rented this little vehicle and headed out off road into the desert.

One of the places we went on our off road adventure was the “bat caves”.  This is a large pile of rocks in the middle of no where. 

From the “bat caves” you can see for miles.  The large body of water in the distance is the Salton Sea.

Another place in the desert is your typical oasis.  Water is literally bubbling from the ground in several pools with all these palm trees.

After a week of fun in the sun, we began our 22 hour trek back to reality, Kansas, and about 6 inches of snow.  Seriously?

My First Christmas In Heaven - Repost

*This is a repost from Decdmber 17, 2010, my Dad's 1st Christmas in heaven.  In light of the recent tragedy in Connecticut, as well as the passing of a few friends and family, I wanted to repost it.

 

My First Christmas in Heaven 

By Wanda Bencke

I see the countless Christmas trees around the world below

With tiny lights, like Heaven's stars reflecting on the snow.

The sight is so spectacular, please wipe away the tear

For I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

 

I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear

But the sounds of music can't compare with the Christmas choir up here.

I have no words to tell you, the joy their voices bring,

For it is beyond description, to hear the angels sing.

 

I know how much you miss me, I see the pain inside your heart,

But I am not so far away, We really aren't apart.

So be happy for me dear ones, You know I hold you dear.

And be glad I'm spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

 

I sent you each a special gift, from my heavenly home above.

I sent you each a memory of my undying love.

After all, love is a gift more precious than pure gold.

It was always most important in the stories Jesus told.

 

Please love and keep each other, as my Father said to do,

For I can't count the blessing or love He has for each of you.

So have a Merry Christmas and wipe away that tear,

Remember, I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year!

 

This poem was sent to me from my friend, Donna.  Our family talks about what holidays must be like in heaven for Dad.  Seriously, Christmas with Jesus, angles, and streets of gold, how can our mere attempt at holiday decorations compare?

The Bay Opening and Skate For Change

We attended the grand opening of The Bay this past weekend in Lincoln, Nebraska.  The Bay is a not for profit indoor skate park whose desire is to mentor and empower the skate culture through a positive environment.  They are creating a space where skaters of all ages can creatively develop individual skills while cultivating an atmosphere of growth, love, and community.  Our son, Ryan, has been involved with The Bay since he moved to Lincoln three years ago and met the founder, Mike Smith.  They, along with a group of folks who care about the skater youth in their community have put a huge amount of time and effort in moving The Bay to its new location.  This new location will allow them to expand their organization and influence among the youth of Lincoln.  The passion of these folks is inspiring and makes my heart full.  We were able to get a real live look into exactly what it is that Ryan is so excited about.

The weekend was busy but I would not have missed it for the world.  Not only did we get to have our whole family together to celebrate what Ryan is a part of here in the mid west but my niece and her boyfriend from Seattle were able to join us.  The Bay has also started an outreach ministry called Skate for Change.  I have talked about it before here and then again here.  Skate for Change is a local group of skateboarders who skate around the inner-city and metro areas with backpacks handing out food, water, socks, toothpaste, etc. to the homeless and less fortunate in the area.  Jo Ellen and Jeremy are the founders of the Skate for Change in Seattle.  

Red Bull is a sponsor of The Bay and Skate for Change and they were out in full force with camera crews and one of their skater athletes, Ryan Sheckler.  Ryan Sheckler is a big name in the skating world and he definitely brought in the crowd and helped make The Bay opening a huge success.

Here is a video of Mike Smith telling about how and why The Bay and Skate for Change got started.  It really is worth the look.

Bringing You Up to Date

So clearly, I have not been blogging much during the past month.  My schedule has been busy with the week leading up to vacation, vacation itself and then the week following vacation.  Being self employed, these weeks take all I have to just to keep my head above water.  Now, mind you, I am not complaining or making excuses, just stating the way my life is around vacation time. Here is a pictorial update of what has been going on.

Lindsey and I ran in the Color Run.

Jeff and I went blackberry picking in Lindsey and Anna’s backyard.  Although I love blackberries, can I say they are evil, evil bushes.  They grab your skin, clothing, etc. and if you are not careful they will suck you in and never let you go.  I made sure Jeff knew as he leaned in to get those berries in the middle of the bush that I if he fell in I would call 911, because as far as me going into those evil bushes to recuse him, I was pretty much out.

We headed up to the north woods for our annual lake vacation. Our family cannot get enough of this fabulous place.

An afternoon of fishing.

There was a new view at the dock this year too. Dan came for the first time to our get away in the woods and brought his boat along. Bringing with him lots of fun, fun, fun.

I can never quite capture the picture of him actually out of the water.

So it is easy to get pictures of Dan out of the water, the trick is getting the one of the actual flip.

This was the year both of our girls have become proficient boat drivers.  Lindsey was taught by her boyfriend Dan so that she could pull him as he wakeboards.  Anna was one of the boat drivers at Kanakuk this summer driving a boat 4 hours a day for 8 weeks.  Now, we have all kinds of people to drive boats around here.

There is always some of this,

and this,

and lots and lots of this.

Always ending our north woods vacation with the traditional rock picture.

Since vacation, I have been very busy helping Picture Perfect Interiors, move into their new location.  Not only have we needed to physically move the store, but it is part of my responsibility to make sure that our current customers know of our address change, as well as help get new folks to find us as well.

This past weekend our family had the honor and privilege to participate and volunteer in the first annual  Spencer C. Duncan Make it Count 5k.

Anna won a print of Spencer’s ride home at the volunteer dinner on Friday evening.

Lindsey took 2nd in her age group.  Seriously, she just shows up, runs and wins a metal.  Really, who does that? Being a part of this event has to be one of the most inspiring things that we have done in a long time.  Over the past year, my idea of America and the freedom we all take for granted has changed so much. I now know the real price that our military and their families pay and it is not all free.

After the race, last night we enjoyed the wedding and reception of a long time family friend.  Mallory has been hanging around our house for about 10 years.  Congratulations to Scott & Mallory Pearson.  Now you are totally, up to date as to what has been going on in my life in this last month of not blogging.  However, I have not even gone into the creative treasures that have been just waiting to find their way right here at In His Grip.  Stay tuned.

*Pictures from the Spencer C. Duncan Make It Count 5K courtsey of  Capture the Moment, Keri Fales

Skate The State 2 Starts

Today is the day these five guys Skate the State.  (That's my son on the right.) Yes, you heard me right they are going to skate across the entire state of Nebraska.  They will travel 430 miles by skate board in five days. This adventure is all about raising money for a nonprofit organization, Bay 198, that provides a positive and safe place for at risk youth.  Mike Smith, founder of Bay 198, said,  “This whole thing is a big what-if. The potential of what this can mean for The Bay and the kids back home is what this trip is all about.  It’s not supposed to be a fun trip, it’s to push yourself to do something to help others.”  Follow Skate The State on their blog as well as Facebook and Twitter.  You can also support them with a donation here.  Although this sounds like a crazy thing to do, it makes my mom heart full to see our son follow a passion and take a bit of a risk doing it.  

Answered Prayers: WOW

Over the last couple of weeks our family has been running crazy to events.  I finally had some time to sit back and realize all of the answered prayers these last weeks represent.  From the time my kiddos were born, I had prayed that they would all, make the choice to be followers of Jesus, graduate from college, and find a job that would support them.  The time spent praying is totally worth the blessing of  these answered prayers. The heart of a mom goes through so many high emotions bringing our kids through their growing up years, from things as small as the proud, full, heart of watching your child take their first steps to seeing them realize their dreams and take the measured risks to fulfill their passions.   Recognizing answered prayers has always been a big faith builder for me.

However, seeing the answered prayers of others can sometimes be even more of a faith builder.  Recently a friend of our family had a huge prayer answered.  Seeing the excitement and tears in his eyes when he realized that God was truley taking care of him in ways and through people that he was not even aware of gave me chills.  I spoke with the generous folks that were the answer to his prayer and they too had a faith boost when they realized how much their gift (small to them but huge to this young man) meant to him.  I think God enjoys WOWing us.  It wouldn't be God if there were no WOW factor.  I love being WOWed and feel so blessed for the all of these prayers answered, WOW.  

Melting Beads: Kind of Retro

Today I tried a craft that I have never tried before and it is just the perfect thing to keep tweens busy this summer.  I know I do not have any tweens in my home any more, but I do have a niece, Judiann, and I just know she and her friends are going to love this project.  While browsing on Pinterest, I found this idea of melting plastic craft beads and making sun catchers and my personal favorite, artsy bowls.  These  melted bead bowls end up looking a little retro to me and remind me of the mixing bowls that look like this.

Which then reminds me of my other niece Amanda, who is just beginning a business call RETROspective by Design.  She is into creating and repurposing all things retro.  I made my bowls with mostly clear beads, but I am thinking if you use the solid color beads and split them into colors you will come up with bowls that even more closely resemble their old time counterparts.  Here is how I made retro bowls.

I covered a round pan with foil and filled the bottom with beads, making sure that there was only one layer and all spaces were covered with beads.  Place the pan in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until the beads have totally melted.  This is really, really hot.  I would suggest adult supervision for this part.  I know tweens think they can do it, but dang, spilling hot, melted plastic on yourself would probably require a trip to the ER and keep you out of pool for a couple of weeks.  Not a good start to Summer. 

You end up with disc of plastic which is what I originally found on Pinterest as a sun catcher.  But if you cover a bowl with foil, center your plastic disc on it, and place it back in the oven it will begin to melt down the sides of the bowl.

This does not take very long, so you can literally watch this happen.  It’s pretty cool.

This was my first try, I used clear pink, clear red, clear iridescent, plain clear, and a sprinkle of solid pink.  All of these colors turned out great except the iridescent, they kind of look yellowish.  I would not used them unless your color scheme was yellows or oranges.

My second try I used mixed clear with a sprinkle of solid white and instead of a bowl to melt the disc over I used a square tin can.  These are so fun, easy, and I love the end result. 

I am participating in the following link ups:  Somewhat Simple, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Gluesticks, Beyond the Pikcet Fence, Momnivore's Dilemma, The Shabby Chic Cottage, Blooming Designs, Bubble Nature Creations, Liz Marie, Addicted 2 Decorating, House of Hepworths, Stuff and Nonsense, Finding Fabulous, The Shabby Nest, Truly Lovely, Simply Sweet Home, Bubbly Nature Creations, The Answer is Chocolate, Sassy Sites, I Gotta Create, The CSI Project, Sisters of the Wild West, Boogieboard Cottage, It So Very Cheri, DIY Showoff, Natasha In Oz, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, Between Naps on the Porch, Skip to My Lou, Todays Creative Blog, Coastal Charm, Ladybug Blessings, Domestically Speaking, The Thrifty Home, Blue Cricket Design, Fabric Bows and More, My Girlish Whimms, Seven Thirty Three, Sew Much Ado, Someday Crafts, Lil Luna, Mama Hens Coop, {Primp}, Vintage Gwen, Frugally Sustainable

Vote For Skate For Change

Our son, Ryan is invoved in a community service project called Skate For Change. SFC has applied for a grant through State Farm Youth Advisory Board in the value of $25,000 to $100,000 to an organization or school that has a great idea for a service-learning project to impact student achievement in their community.  Here's where you come in and can help Skate For Change make an impact on thier community.  Click here and vote 10 times a day for Skate For Change through May 17th.  

Skate for Change is a local group of skateboarders who skate around the inner-city and metro areas with backpacks handing out food, water, socks, toothpaste, etc. to the homeless and less fortunate in our area. They are fully committed to helping better someone else's day. Even if it's sparing a few quarters to each person waiting at the bus stop to get to a job that they are about to lose. Or giving a few extra blankets or fresh milk to a family with a new baby living under a bridge. Instead of just walking by these people we are helping, sitting down having a conversation, making them feel special and cared regardless of their circumstances.

Getting more people involved is key. $25,000 would address the community's unmet need by providing more services, buying more socks, more food, and stocking up so we never run out. The lasting impact is more people getting involved in "Good" in our city instead of "Bad".

Remember you can vote 10 times each day.  Ready, set, vote.

Stitches By Sturman is Under Water

 

Last week our family was out one evening celebrating family birthdays.  Our youngest, Anna, turned 22 and Jeff’s father, Jack, was turning 80.  We were all invited to enjoy a birthday dinner of Oklahoma Joe's Barbecue, my absolute favorite, at Jeff’s folks’ house.  Okay, so it was not about me, but it is Jack’s favorite too.  We always have a great time getting together for family celebrations and Wednesday evening was no different.  The whole Sturman clan are big Jayhawk fans, hence, Jack’s birthday cake, with Anna’s cupcake a sad purple, ha, ha, ha.  (Anna attended K-State fully knowing there would not be a lot of team support for her Wildcats.) 

The night was great until we came near our neighborhood and not only was it pitch black but there were utility trucks everywhere.  A transformer in the area had blown.  Here is Kansas we don’t just have rain, we gulley washers and that was the way it had been for about 3 days.  My heart sunk as the sump pump in Stitches By Sturman’s studio had been running 24/7 since the rain began.  All I could say was, oh crap, crap, crap.  Armed with our phone flash light apps, we descended the stairs to the studio to find about 3 inches of water.

We immediately started frantically getting everything off the floor, unplugging equipment, and freaking out.  Luckily, I have been at this for over 20 years and learned to never leave any customer projects on the floor.  I knew we were not going to be able to do this on our own so I put out a FaceBook plea for large fans and dehumidifiers we could burrow.  First thing the next morning, fans and dehumidifiers started showing up at our door.  You gotta love being part of a community of folks who will answer your late night cry for help.

We originally thought that the carpet and pad could be saved, but after a couple of days the pad started to smell and we realized we would be better off just getting it out of there.  So we pulled the pad.  Now the focus changed to getting the cement floor completely dry before we proceed.

Boy doggies do those carpet fans blow.  The carpet in the middle of my studio is completely lifted off the floor and the floor is almost dry.  But as you can see from the pictures, I am not ready to work.  Those empty cubbies are all stacked on my cutting table and I really cannot reorganize them until a professional says yes, the floor is dry, we can relay pad and re-stretch your carpet.  Until then I am pretty much at a stand still.

So, what have I learned from all of this.  My job is just window treatments and not life and death stuff.  It could be a lot worse.  My family might be right, I possibly could have a little too much trash to treasure items waiting for their moment of transformation in my creative mind.

Girls Road Trip

This week my girls and I headed out to Palm Springs for a couple of days in the sun as well as to help my Mom close up her little winter place and then help her drive back to Kansas City.  Girl trips are fun, in that we get to shop as long as we want, hang in the sun as long as we want, and eat chocolate and popcorn for dinner if we want.  We have been coming out to Palm Springs for Spring Break for the last couple of years and although Mom has her place for sale, we are secretly hoping it doesn’t sell so our Spring Break spot will be there for us for a couple of more years.  When I say that we are in Palm Springs, well that is really far from the truth.  We are near Palm Springs, waaaaay out in the desert in park called Glamis North KOA.  Okay, yes, we are in a KOA campground.  If you were to see it, you would laugh out loud, because it is far from the glamour of what you would think when you say “Palm Springs”.  But there is sun, pools, and a great view of the Chocolate Mountains.

This is the view off of my Mom’s deck and those are the Chocolate Mountains.  So yes, we are in the desert at a KOA but the weather is beautiful and the company is even better.

Here at the “spa” that’s what we call Mom’s winter place, they have great pools that are filled with mineral spring water that comes out of the ground at 160 degrees.  So you have your choice of hot pools or cool pools. 

We choose cool pools during the day and love to go to the hot pools after dark.  There is nothing better the getting all warm and cozy in mineral water before you head off to bed.

Lindsey is training for a 1/2 marathon and this was her week to get in an eleven mile run so we headed out into the desert at 7 am to get her run in before it got too hot.  If you are wondering how I kept up with this 20 something, I was on a bike.  Eleven miles isn’t too bad on a bike for this 40 something.

Tomorrow morning bright and early we will begin our 24 hour trek across the country back to the Midwest and leave this desert beauty behind.

Third Sturman is Employed

Congratulations are in order to Anna as she has signed a contract with the Spring Hill School District. Yeah!  Our youngest child is now employed with a real career.  Where has time gone?  It seems like just yesterday that I sent this baby girl off to her first day of Kindergarten and come next Fall she will be teaching someone else’s babies.  When I look back at parenting our kids this day seemed so far off and to be honest I was not sure we would all come out alive.  But to be at this place and look back at those times that were hard, messy, and a bit unbearable, I would do them a hundred times over to feel the satisfaction and pride that I feel for what great adults our kids have turned out to be. This all despite of the mistakes that I know we made during those tender growing up years.  This proves that prayer and faith in God can be more powerful than any missteps two humans trying their best to raise the precious gifts God entrusted with them.   Yes, Jeff and I have successfully parented three babies who are now adults and contributing members of society.  Wow, really God? How did we deserve such blessings we find in our children?

Skate For Change Gets a Media Boost

Our son, Ryan, has been a part of a start up ministry called Skate For Change in Lincoln, Nebraska.  Their primary goal is to connect with the homeless community in their city.  Basically, they are a bunch of skate boarders that have a heart for the under resourced in Lincoln and are doing something about it.  This weekend they got a huge media boost with the visit of Ryan Sheckler.  Ryan Sheckler is a skate boarding icon, business owner and charity founder.  He was interested in what Skate for Change was all about and wanted to experience, along with the skaters of Lincoln, the act of serving the homeless.

To view the news video of the day click here.  The hope is that Ryan Sheckler will take this experience back to Los Angeles and start a Skate For Change in his own community.  Mike Smith, Skate For Change founder, is also the owner and operator of Bay 198, a nonprofit skate park whose desire is to mentor and empower the skate culture through a positive environment.  They are creating a space where skaters of all ages can creatively develop individual skills while cultivating an atmosphere of growth, love, and community.

Christmas in February

Our family finally was able to celebrated Christmas with Ryan and Paula last week.  It just seems hard to find a time when we all can be together.  Of course my fantasy as a mother is to have all my kids live close to me the rest of my life so we will always be able to spend every holiday and family event together and live happily ever after.  {Pop} goes the fantasy bubble and real life is where I am forced to live.  Darn!  Although, I cannot complain, Ryan and Paula only live in Lincoln, NE, just 3 1/2 hours north of us, its not like they are in another country.  But that distance, at times, feels too far.  The time we do have as a family is very precious to us and I will take all that we do get. 

 

 

To say that the wait for our Christmas presents was worth it would be an understatement.  Ryan and Paula out did themselves with their creative, craftiness.  Look at these great tables/foot stools/benches/what ever you want to make them, repurposed vintage suitcases they made for Lindsey and Anna.  Seriously, they are awesome and in super shaped on the inside too.

They made this fabulous “S” to hang on our front door.  They could not find an initial that they liked that was big enough so Ryan cut one out of styrofoam and then Paula decorated it.  Oh my heck, just look at those handmade flowers.  Does this gal fit perfectly into our family or what?  Not only that but she whipped up some homemade shower scrub as well.  She is a gal after my heart, I just have to say.  Making things pretty and smell good too, who can go wrong. 

We also received this set of tile coasters that they made using their wedding pictures.  I was trying to figure out how I would display a bunch of their pictures without making it look like some kind of Ryan & Paula gallery.  The girls already accuse me of having Ryan as the favorite, so a bunch of pictures on the wall, shelves, etc. would only perpetuate such a myth.  But coasters, now that is something that is very useful and if they display eight different wedding shots so be it. 

Look how perfect this looks on my pink front door.  I thought that I would be changing the color of the door soon, but who am I kidding?  This “S” just made the decision, the door is pink for now at least through Summer. 

Christmas Stocking Challenge -- Post 3

I have finished the knitting portion of my Christmas stocking.  You can read about how this challenge started here then post 1 and post 2.  Wow, this has to be the most challenging knitting project that I have ever attempted.  But with the help of the ladies at the Knit Wit store, and the great notes that were taken by Barb, I has able to turn the heel and make the gussets as well as do the decreases for the toe.  Yeah!

 

 

 

Now I just need to sew the seam down the back, finish up the top edge, and put Paula's name on the Santa side of the top cuff.  Then there is the blocking that will need to be done as well.

This is my first sock ever, I am not sure that it really counts as it is very large compared to the socks I have half completed to the point of turning the heel.   I cannot wait to do all of the finishing work and show off the completed project and the challenge conquered.

My Christmas Stocking Challenge

These are the Christmas stockings that starting hanging on our mantel 29 years.  Ryan's was made by one of my husband's best friend's mom, Barb.  I remember the box coming in the mail and being so excited that someone would take the time to make such a special stocking for our baby.  We proudly hung it from a shelf in our first home as there was no fireplace.  When Lindsey was born, again I received a box in the mail that contained her stocking as well.  Since the birth of Ryan, Barb had lost her battle with cancer but her sister took up the tradition of making a stocking for our babies and then made one for Anna two years later.   Hanging these stockings have been part of our holiday tradition and one that my kids still look for every Christmas season.  The stockings have Santa on one side and the Christmas tree on the other.  If you look closely at Anna's, Santa has a couple of moth holes that I have been meaning to fix for a couple of years.

Now that we have a new member in our family since Ryan's wedding, I was thinking I needed to make a stocking for Paula too.  I started searching the internet and books for patterns that would be similar or maybe the same one, but no luck, so I contacted, Barb's son to see if by chance they had a copy of the pattern for the famous Christmas stocking.  He said they did and would bring me a copy of it.  

First of all the copy right on the pattern is 1948 and looks very complicated for my self-taught knitting self, but call me crazy, I am going to try.  As I have found in the past with knitting, you just start and work one row at a time and try not to freak out by looking ahead.  

What was really crazy about the pattern was the pages and pages of Barb's hand writen notes that she took on the pattern as well as a page of all of the names of the folks that have been a recipient of one of the precious stockings.  There are 163 names listed as well as the hand drawn graphs of each name.  Wow, I think I really just might be crazy to think that I would even attempt to knit like Barb.  But this is my holiday challenge of the year.  I will keep you updated as to my progress and we will see how this goes.  Today I am headed to my local yarn store, Knit-Wit, to pick up my supplies.   I might not get finished this year, but I am determined to do this.  

Wedding Post #4 -- Just Married

Several months before the wedding Ryan made one last request of his dad.  Could he and Paula use his "lil' red truck" to drive away in?  If any of you know my husband you know how much he cares about his "lil' red truck" keeping it in tip top shape. This request came with a number of problems first, the wedding was in Lincoln and we live in Kansas.  And then they really had to have a "Just Married" sign on it too, right?.  This was Jeff's only assignment of the entire wedding.  He has a great friend that loaned him a car hauler so he could tow the truck to Lincoln rather than drive it and get road dirt on it.  Yes, really, this was a worry. First problem fixed.  The next obstacle was to figure out how to get a sign on the truck without adhesive or anything that could damage the paint job.  This required Jeff to take a trip to Hobby Lobby.  He is not a big fan of the store, but he would do anything for his kids.  He found foam in the necessary colors and made his sign out of foam and tying it onto the tailgate with ribbon.  Problem solved.  There was concern about rain, but the weather cooperated and the "lil' red truck" did not get a drop, whew!  The "lil' red truck" was a great get away vehicle.  I cannot wait to see the photos.