Family pictures

In December we had some pictures taken of all the families...here are a couple of my favorites.

April snippets

One evening we were playing outside when Savannah went into the garage and brought out these two 'soft' boards. Clara put one on top of her, and Savannah kept nodding emphatically when we asked if she was tired.



Savannah likes to run around the house with Clara's sword saying "Aarggg!" Then she added the eye patch...outfit complete.


Look at that face! I love this little girl.


On Easter they sat on the couch and compared their spoils. Savannah got little toddler snacks and devoured them on the spot. Clara was surprised how fast she gobbled them down.

February/March

My camera has been full of pictures and I finally have gotten them off..although there aren't many and it takes along time to upload the pictures to my blog. Savannah loves to dress up in Clara's clothes, bathing suits, and dress ups. She copies Clara all the time and follows her everywhere. They are starting to play better together, except when Clara is trying to wrestle Savannah, who is trying to get away. Still, sometimes Clara thinks her little sister is out to ruin everything she owns. They're such cuties.

Jason is almost done with third year, and has decided he wants to do dermatology. He had lots of areas he was interested in, but felt like he needed to decide and move on. We've started looking at residencies all over the country, which is kind of exciting! One one year left of school!

I've been working with the young women in our ward, which has been fun. I finally feel like I'm getting the hang of things. Clara is getting excited for kindergarten, which she'll start in August! I can't believe it...and I'm trying not to think about it yet. :)

Air

This is probably one of the coolest pictures I've ever taken. I love it. Good job, Lukas and Maaike! They put us, and Josien and Richard to shame. :)

Christmas present reveal!

I've been secretly working on Christmas presents since last June, and I'm excited to finally reveal the product of all my hard (and clandestine) work. I was bursting to tell my family, but I kept it secret! I'm so proud of myself. :)

This wall hanging was for my sister Allison. The wise men and star are paper-pieced. It's too complicated to try to explain adequately, but with paper-piecing, you sew the fabric onto the back of the pattern and then rip off the paper when you're done. (If you really would like to know more....you'll have to look elsewhere.) :) Look at the cute presents that they're bringing. I sewed them in last. Thanks to my mother-in-law for this idea.


This lap blanket was a wedding present for my sister Ashley and her husband Tom. I made the front and my mother-in-law quilted it on her quilting machine. I was so excited to give it to them!

Paper-pieced nativity for my sister Mauri.


Same nativity paper-pieced wall hanging for my mom.

I found this felt ornament tutorial here, and I made West Virginia ones for an ornament exchange in December. (The website is really cool. I've found lots of fun, easy crafts there.) I also made the other ones for the states that we've lived in together. I think they're so cute! And incredibly easy...trust me.


This spinning wheels project was the bane of my existence toward the end of 2008. I went to a class to learn to make this, and getting the spinning wheels to spin the right way was so hard. (Putting the right fabric in the right place.) So at the time, I made 9 of these squares, three of each color, and then couldn't bear to look at it until November of last year. Instead of putting all the squares together, I made a table runner instead. I gave one to a wonderful friend, and have 2 table runners left over to make! I think they turned out pretty fun. Whew....bring on 2012!

October Part 3

The day after her birthday, Savannah took her first steps. Now she always wants me to walk around with her. Always. It's fun, but she won't move anywhere without me! Savannah is in love with her muslin blankets and will lay down on the floor with her blanket if she's tired. She's such a snuggle bug.

October Part 2

Savannah's birthday was a fun day. My parents came into town, and we went to the airport where we saw a B-24, B-17 and P-51 Mustang. They were really fun to see! I tried to upload a picture of Clara shooting the gun at the bad guys, but it wasn't working. Clara loved climbing around in the planes and Savannah loved watching the other planes take off and land. Can't you tell how excited was about the planes?


Savannah enjoyed her banana muffin with cream cheese. Yum. I have a picture of me at my first birthday party, wearing this same bib. My mom brought it for Savannah. So cute.

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Clara always refuses to be in pictures, but I got one picture of her in a dress-up: her new ballerina dress-up. Savannah was a bear, courtesy of her brown coat with bear ears on the hood. What a cutie. I tried to take pictures of her just sitting in front of me, but she kept crawling onto my lap. So finally I stood her up in her bed, where she couldn't reach me and where the light is really good. Bonus!