Humanitarian Project

A couple weeks ago I was browsing around lds.org and came across the Humanitarian Center's 'current needs' link. Out of curiosity I clicked on it. The only need they have at the moment are 90"x90" quilts and I thought, I can do that.

After the earthquake in Haiti I texted my 10 bucks to my cell phone carrier and participated in the ward's quilt project. We got 3 quilts tied for the Humanitarian Center. Then after more earthquakes in Chile and tsunami's hitting islands, we donated a bit more money to relief efforts but I still had a nagging that I could do more... but what? When I clicked on that link that quilts were needed, I immediately thought of all the fabric I have. A lot of it I would never miss so I made a game plan and started cutting. A couple years ago I bought a bunch of little 8x8x8 open containers to organize my smaller fabric stash by color. Over the last two weeks I've gotten them out, one by one, and cut all the fabric to 10" and 6" sizes. The 10" sizes will take 100 squares to make a quilt, the 6" sizes 360. When I get the tops made, I'll figure out the backs. Anyone want to sew a top together?

My Latest Project

Material Girls is a fabulous quilt and crafting shop. They have patterns for all kinds of fun things besides quilts as well as what to do with quilts. (I'm going to have to ask about an afghan they have... I just love it!) I was there one day and up on their wall I saw a round quilt called Bare Feet Only. It was small and round like an area rug (but looked like an ugly pizza). It inspired me with what to do for some family members for Christmas 2010. I didn't like the pizza look so was on the look-out for a nice pattern that would make a pretty area rug. This picture is what I found. It's very easy and I have two tops of the four I plan to make finished. I'm planning to back them with a light-weight denim for durability. I'd also like to machine quilt them myself if I can figure out how.

The Aquarium

Saturday, January 23rd, I was tending the girls while Hillary was at her clinicals for her nursing course and Marc was in Park City being fabulous (filming at the Sundance Film Festival for Timberland). It was supposed to be a horrible snowy day but it turned out to just look threatening all day here in the valley so Sonia and Shawn came over and we all went to the Aquarium. It was way fun and I want to go back when they have the Penguins which are arriving in March.
All the girls were soaked from 'petting' the sting rays but amazingly enough, were mostly dry by the time we left for home. As you can see by the pictures, there were great photo ops all over. I don't
think the octopus tank was meant to be a photo op but with a little encouragement from 'Auntie', Tasha put her face up to the tank. I've tried to put the pictures in the order they were taken... Enjoy.

The Real Christmas

With our family getting together for Christmas so early this year (Dec 13th), I wondered what Christmas would be like with just me and hubby. It was a very leisurely morning. Although I missed having Roxanne and Leland over in the morning, I cooked breakfast and then hubby and I headed upstairs where the Christmas tree was to see what 'Santa' put in our stockings and open the gifts from extended family. These pictures are of hubby bringing up gifts that were supposed to be in the stocking and then me about to open one of them. This is traditional wrapping in our family! Most years I like to get something bigger that we need instead of a bunch of smaller stuff that gets put on top of the already mountainous junk piles. That's what we did this year but in our stockings/robes/shirts, I received a booklight, gloves, hats and Lindor chocolate. Hubby received a book, a CD, lip balm, his favorite bath gel and chocolate.

Later in the morning we went over to visit Grandma and Grandpa Moseley. Then Hillary's family came by since they were down visiting the Gingell clan. I made a ham for our dinner and then for the rest of the evening we watched movies.

MTC Drop

Back in the day, when you took a missionary to the MTC everybody went in through the big lobby they have and into a large auditorium style room. If you were early, you had time to chat before the meeting started. Then, there was a lot of speaking going on and a video. The meeting lasted about an hour. I did this kind of missionary drop off a few times with nephews and nieces who left on missions. It's all different now.

We heard all about the new MTC drop off system and I envisioned something akin to dropping off a person at the airport. There are the similarities, you drive up, pull up to the curb, drop the person off and then leave. The airport could learn a thing or two from the MTC though. The differences are these, first off they mail you information on showing up and what time you're to be there. (If the airport did it like this, they might not have such crowds and long lines.) A-D this time, E-G that time, and so on. Our time was 1:15. They also mail you an auto pass to put on the dashboard as you're allowed only one vehicle so if you have a lot of family that want to go, better rent a big van!

As you drive in, there are volunteers in yellow vests or jackets to show you what to do and where to go. There was a first one asking us if we were dropping off a missionary and directing us to follow these two up ahead. There was one for each lane and they seemed to be directing all traffic to the left. As we drove along there were volunteers in their yellow jackets every few car lengths to tell you to keep going or to pull up to the curb. There were sign posts all along the curb, a generous car length apart, numbered 1 - 22 or so. Our post was #9.

Here is where it gets back to being like the airport... everyone jumps out, pulls out the luggage, hugs the traveler (missionary) goodbye and the traveler goes into the building and the driver and any other passengers hop back in the car and leave. But unlike the airport, there are a bunch of young men along the entire length of curb all dressed up so fine who wave and are welcoming and ready to help. One of them will even help your traveler/missionary get to the correct place inside the building and helps him carry his luggage... free!