TWO DARLING GRANDSONS

EDIT ANNOUNCEMENT:

4:00 PM  DS#3 just called to say that he is coming home instead of going to Iraq now!!!!  We are so happy.  Apparently, the ones in charge decided that no more personnel needed to go for the position he was to do for one year.  If he goes later, it will be for 4 months and would probably be in January - not as bad as a whole year.  Our DIL is very happy!  

The last leg of our trip we detoured to DS#3's home so we could see him before he deployed to Iraq.  Also to spend some time with our DIL & 2 GSs for the adjustment period after Daddy left.  The adjustment is hardest on Mommy and we hope we have been helping in some small way.  Tomorrow, both boys will start a Mother's Day Out program for 2 mornings per week.  At least this will give her time to shop and take care of some errands.  She is also looking for someone to come in to help in the evenings.

DS is actually in New Jersey for 3 weeks before he leaves for Iraq in order to get some training.

Saturday my DIL & I took the boys to the park for a little while - time needed for Jonah to run off some of his energy.  Of course, the only picture that turned out of him is while he is sitting down.  I can't believe the energy he has after supper!  We always go for a walk, but that's not enough.  We then have to hit the T-ball or throw the frisby.  Luckily, he chases it most of the time.  This Grandma is too tired by then!

Eli swinging at Park

Jonah digging at the Park

Big brother helping feed Eli

Grandma & Grandpa (us) are getting ready to go home next Monday.  We are looking forward to sleeping in our king size bed again!  The trip has been wonderful, but in the future, I would prefer shorter trips - maybe 5-6 weeks at the most.  We'll see, because I don't see any long trips in our future for a while (except to visit little grandchildren).  

Thanks for all the sweet comments.  

THE HOUSE I GREW UP IN

Since we are here I decided to do a short post about the house I grew up in.  My Dad, Grandpa and uncles built this house in 1948.  Some of the electrical and plumbing was done by contractors.  When I was five years old we moved in and I lived here until I got married.  It was a great house to grow up in and a great town - Villa Park, Illinois - just 20 miles west of downtown Chicago.

My sister bought the house from my parents and she has been working hard at fixing it up.  She has a real green thumb (taking after our Dad), loves to work in the yard to grow flowers and loves to have fresh flowers on the table when they are available.

I'm in town to attend my 50 year high school reunion!  Very hard to believe - Hee Hee!  I got in touch with one of my good high school friends and we went out to eat on Friday night.  What fun!  I has been about 47 years or so since we saw each other, so we had a lot to catch up on.  Her DH is very nice too - we double dated before we got married (and they got married one week after we did)!  BTW, today is our 49th anniversary!

I set up a sewing area in the room that was my Mom's.  Hanging on the wall is this cross-stitched Lord's Prayer.  It has been hanging there as long as I can remember.  I took it off the wall and on the back it says it was stitched by my Grandma's sister. She died in 1941, so that makes the stitchery at least 70 years old!  I asked my sis what she will do with it and she didn't know.  She didn't know if anyone would want it.

I think I'll have to talk my sis and let her know that I want to keep this - she usually reads my blog, so I guess she'll find out.

SHOP HOP WITH BETH

Yesterday, I got together with Beth of My Creations.  She is one of the members of the APQ blogging buddies!  What a fun day!  I drove to her house yesterday morning and we left right away in her car to visit some shops.  The first one was Material Girls in Crystal Lake, IL.  Below is a picture of us standing in front of the Civil War department with a scrappy civil war quilt hanging to my left.  Please notice that I am wearing my T-shirt from the Sisters quilt show.

This is a large shop with a huge selection of fabric.  I didn't want to spend all my pennies in the first store, so I just bought a couple small things.  

I saw the 2 table runners on the table next to the sewing machine and decided that I might make a couple of them.  They don't have any batting in them and go together in about 30 minutes.

Our next stop was at Pieceful Gathering Quilt Shop in this old house.  This shop specializes in reproduction fabrics!

I think Beth has been to this shop a lot, because she knew everyone that worked and shopped there!  This quilt is going to be a BOM and I love it!

This is a wool applique BOM that Beth is making.  It's gorgeous!

More civil war quilts and fabrics.  Why do we have to live on a budget?

Next was A Touch of Amish in Barrington, IL.  I saw this quilt store in the Quilt Sampler magazine and have wanted to visit it since then.

Again, Beth seemed to know everyone!  Hmmm, she must shop a lot, don't you think?  I love the log cabin quilt on the right (and the quilt on the left)!

Here's another log cabin with 1/2" finished logs!  A good way to use up those skinny strips.

Last was Quilters Destination in Arlington Heights, IL, where Beth works.  Must be tough to work one day a week in a quilt store, huh?  Very tempting.  This shop has lots of samples and a large variety of fabrics, but not many reproductions.  However, I ended up purchasing more from this shop than any other.  Of course, I hadn't planned to, but they had some fabrics that I really needed.  Here's Beth in front of the store.

I love the Flag medallion quilt in the middle.

This store really packs in the fabric and notions.

They have a large selection of batiks.  The employees were very friendly.  What a fun place to work!

Thanks so much for a wonderful day, Beth!  After the shopping we went back to her house and she showed me her sewing room, her projects, finished tops, etc.  This lady is a prolific quilter aka "quilting machine"!!!!!  I didn't take pictures of her quilts, but you can see lots of them on her blog.  She does beautiful work and has great taste.  I am very inspired to get busy.  I can't wait to get home so I can really hunker down and quilt, quilt, quilt!