About Me

South Louisiana
I have been married for 20 years to a great husband and we have 8 children ranging in age from 1 to 18 years. I am a homeschooling mom, which can be very challenging. I love sewing, knitting, reading, gardening and have recently started oil painting. I love to create. I really want to have a blog to show off some of the stuff I create, but I also want to share about my life and family. email me at ctrich8@bellsouth.net

Friday, March 18, 2011

The Big 4 0

happy to be outside

This Friday I am going to be turning 40 years old....it almost doesn't even seem real! How can I possibly be 40? My Mom was only 41 when I got married and at the time I thought she was so old! Am I old?! I don't feel like I should be any older than maybe 31. Most days I don't really even feel like an adult lol This birthday is kinda hard for me, and I am not someone who worries overmuch about my age, but 40 IS middle age and I don't see myself as a middle age woman. Oh well, I guess I should just embrace it because next year I will be 41, then 42, 43 and before I know it I will be 50!!!! LOL I know, just take one year at a time, Tonya! I will be celebrating in the Big Easy with my 3 best girlfriends and our husbands. I know we will have a blast, we always do when we are all together. It has been one of *those* weeks, so I will definitely enjoy the break as well and the kids will enjoy being spoiled rotten by my mother.

brother and sister
Samuel is such a good big brother, he is always tending to his baby sister.

I know the pictures have nothing to do with me turning 40. I took them the other day and had a post all written out in my head, but I have now totally forgotten what I was going to say lol A definite sign of age, if I don't write something down the minute I think of it, it will be out of my head in 30 seconds!

cowgirl princess lol
My little cowgirl princess, she wears this outfit most days.

so serious
serious

Sweet eyes
Giving us her *sweet eyes*

Have I said lately how much I love this baby girl?! She is at that enchanting age where she is still a baby but can do big girl things. The fact that she has hardly any hair makes her seem even younger than her 18 months. She has started talking up a storm. She says Mama, baby, door, poo poo, kitty cat, tv, Sydney, ninny, Daddy, drink, all done, eat, nana (banana), night night, eyes, and more that I can't think of right now. Also, she will repeat most words after us. This is such a blessing because Ava has a pretty severe speech delay/impediment and I was worried that Sophia might have it too. Apparently not, thank the Lord! Ava wasn't talking at all until after 2 and didn't say much until she was 3. Ava is in speech therapy and is steadily improving, but I am glad we don't have to worry about it with Sophia.
I am enjoying every minute I can because she will be my last baby and I have to soak as much up as I can to hold me over until I have grandbabies : )

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend, I know I will !
swinging

P.S. I am almost done with the quilting on my Mom's quilt! Like seriously, only about 2 hours left!!!! I really enjoy the binding, so hopefully I will have a finished quilt to show you in a week or two! woooo hooooo!!!!!

A QAL with Lily's Quilts

Lily's Quilts QAL


Lily's Quilts QAL

I recently came across a new to me quilting blog and it just so happens that she was starting a Quilt Along. I have never done anything like this before, because I am always pretty sure that I won't be able to keep up. However, this one seems doable. You don't have to make a full size quilt, one block gives you a 30" by 30" wall hanging or mini quilt. I can do this! Also, I have always wanted to learn how to piece a dresden block, so here's my chance. I chose all of my fabrics from my stash, I love aqua and orange together. I still need to print my templates and cut my fabrics. I am really looking forward to this!

Friday, March 4, 2011

child prodigy?

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Sophia has taken a liking to our piano and in my opinion she is very good for a 17 month old LOL Now let me say that nobody in my house is an accomplished pianist. I took lessons when I was in third grade and quit after a year (really wish I wouldn't have). My 14 year old Sydney teaches herself popular songs off of the internet. She does well, but there is no formal training. Mainly we all just play around on it. Before Sophia could pull herself up on the bench, she would reach that fat little hand up and softly touch the keys, but as soon as girlfriend could haul herself up there, she was playing away! And the funny thing is, she doesn't pound on the keys like I assume a baby would. She carefully touches the keys individually. I am just kidding about the whole prodigy bit, but I do wonder if maybe she has some natural talent. My piano teacher did beg my parents not to let me quit, because in his opinion I was very good. So who knows, maybe she got it from me ; ) LOL

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Just pretend you don't see the dust and fingerprints all over the piano lol

Oh, and in case you are wondering why we have such a nice piano when no one takes lessons? Well, we were blessed by some friends of ours (thank you Guidrys!) Their oldest daughter decided she didn't want to play anymore and they hated to see the piano not being used. Sydney would always play on it when she would go to their home. So, we traded an unused treadmill that we had for their piano. We definitely came out on the sweet end of that deal!

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Baby in motion!

On the quilting/sewing front, I have been sadly out of it. I am determined to get back into it, I think it really helps my emotional well being. And I am double determined to get my Mom's quilt finished. I know, I know, it is still not finished. I think we are going on 2 1/2 years now...pathetic, I know. Sooooooo, this morning I cleared off my cutting table (which is where I machine quilt). It was so bad, I had to dust everything LOL It is now ready to go, my goal is to have it done for Mother's Day. Really, there isn't much left, I don't know why I didn't finish it months ago.

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Now to show you the sad state of the rest of my sewing room. Crap is everywhere! My husband is painting some shelves that will help a lot with getting things organized, but let's be honest, not having extra shelving is not the problem lol

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It doesn't help that this room also doubles as the laundry room and my kids have their presence there as well. My daughter Sydney has taken over my chair in the corner to do her homework in the afternoons.

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Please don't call hoarders on me!

The stack of books on the stool is for her research paper. My stack of books is in my room on the bedside table where it belongs LOL

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