The Beach

     We just got back from a quick trip down to California to visit family. We went down to see Jeff in beautiful San Diego and went to the beach while we were there. I haven't been to the beach for a long, long time! When we parked the car and got out and walked around the shops near the boardwalk (which, in California is not made out of boards at all, but is cement), before we even got that close to the beach, the way the air felt and the coolness compared to inland was heavenly! As we got a little closer I could smell that beach smell and hear the ocean and it was just wonderful! It made me feel so nostalgic for all the time I spent at the beach!
     When we were little, my mom took us to the beach each week, even though she hated the sand. She would plant a big pirate flag in the sand, so when we got to playing and drifting a little in the current, we could look up and see the flag flying and get back to mom.  She would lay out a big sheet and we were not allowed to step on it and get it sandy! We played for hours and had lunch there and just enjoyed ourselves!
     When I was a teenager, so much of my social life revolved around the beach, I would take a carload down nearly every Saturday and we would work on our tans, swim, play in the sand, and of course, flirt with boys - I remember us taking turns walking up to the lifeguard to ask him what time it was - so subtle! We had lots of church youth group activities there too, the men would fill up a big metal trashcan with ocean water, put it on the fire and fill it with corn on the cob, I don't know how sanitary it was, but it was delicious!  We also did some camping at the beach when I was a youth.
     When I became a mother, and my kids got a little older, I took them to the beach often, back then, gas was cheap and parking was free if you knew where to go, so we'd pack lunches and take off! It wasn't super relaxing, keeping my eye on all those little rascals, but it was fun.  As my kids got older, and got more involved in their own lives and friends, we didn't go so much, then when I was 40, we moved to Utah (nearly 9 years ago). Even though I go to California to visit several times a year, I surely don't get to the beach much. It was fantastic to go swimming and dive under the water and just be at the beach, the weather was perfect, the water was perfect (warm for California), I got a little reading done while feeling the warm sun on my pasty white self!  So glad we went and a big Thank you to Jeff (and Vanessa) for being great hosts!

         Here is a blast from the past, a cruise to Mexico 10 years ago with all of our kids!

What I did on my Summer Vacation...

     The last of my wonderful houseguests left yesterday morning!  It was a fun time around here for sure this summer! We had Brooke and her whole family here, my sister and niece, Jeff was here from California and all of the "close-by" kids were here hanging out with the "far-away kids".  Party on!
     We got a picture of all 6 of the grandbabies, although they were not all cooperating: Beckham cracks me up, lying there in the front where he was placed, not moving or smiling. Natalie had just woken up from a long nap and I believe a couple of the kids had thrown up this morning - ah well - life!

    
                   They did do a bit better with Grandma & Grandpa there to steady them. 

     A week into their two week visit, I decided that Natalie-Bear needed a twin sized quilt to go on her bed, now that she is in a bunk bed, so I whipped this baby up and managed to complete it before they left.  Of course, Brooke  completed 4 quilts out of my scraps and got them all quilted and bound and the binding sewn on before she left and she was only here for a week!(She was in Hawaii the first week). The funny thing was, she was digging in my scraps/stash and managed to use my new Block of the Month fabric that I had left sitting on the cutting table, she was mortified, but I just get to buy more fabric! No problem. Natalie was so cute, calling it her "qweelt", she  was super excited - very gratifying for this granny!

 

     I also managed to complete this throw for a friend's birthday, it worked out very well, the legos were downstairs in my studio, so the kids played down there a lot and I got some quilting done! Win-Win for sure!

     While my sister and niece, Katrina were here, Brooke taught her how to quilt, so she made a quilt from my scraps and her mom bought her a backing and batting and she completed her quilt - mind you they stayed up until 3 and 7 a.m.!! My sister's remark "Quilting is expensive!" (She bought her minkey for the back) In my frazzled state, I did not get a picture of her cute quilt.

     In July we had our family reunion, as mentioned and I got this picture from my sis-in-law:

    August is almost over and it is going to be Quilting Season!!!!!! My birthday is coming, 3 quilt retreats and cooler weather, could life get any better????

Mr. Rooster

     I finished the beading on Mr. Rooster tonight while enjoying the Trunk Shows at the Springville Art Museum this evening.  A big thank you to Mr. Handsome who took care of not only 3, but 4 of the precious grandbabies! They went to the "Splash Pad", then home for waffles for dinner.  Poor Natalie who misses her nap everyday while she is here got a little over-tired, but she is fast asleep now.

     Even though I am a bit bleary-eyed from early wake up nudges, I surely enjoyed the quilt show! It was so nice to just sit and drink in the beauty of the quilts and mingle with my fellow quilter friends. I have actually gotten a quilt quilted this week, will post soon when I get it bound.  Lucky for me my quilt studio is in the (cool) basement where the Legos also live, so the kids have been down there quite a bit, so I just join them and work on my quilting.
     Mr. Rooster is bound for the September Quilt Festival for the mini-quilts fundraiser, after I bind him and sew on his label.  Off to the community pool tomorrow for a relaxing hour or so before I dash off to work!