My friend Judy and I had a good time together. It's the first time we had met in real life. We have been friends on the Quilting Haven forum for some time now. So it was fun to get to meet and spend 3 days together.

We spent Wed doing some geneology stuff for Judy and we went to Kalona to the Quilt Museum there. It was fun and interesting.  Then we went to Mt. Pleasant's (Iowa) Old Thresher's Reunion. We watched horses pulling equipment to thresh wheat and one horse pulled the drill to drill water. Another horse walked on a wooden tread mill to power another thresher machine.  We toured the craft barns and rode the ground train all the way around the grounds which are extensive.  It was tiring and it got hot before we left but we enjoyed ourselves.

Judy has gone on home now after spending a few days with her daughter in Decorah Iowa. Hopefully we will be able to get together again one day and do some other site seeing.

Hope you all are enjoying cooler weather. If not it shouldn't be long now as fall is almost upon us here in Iowa anyway.

Wishing you sunshine and laughter!! God Bless~~

I'm looking forward to my friend Judy from the Quilting Haven to come today to stay for a couple of days. We have never met in person so this will be alot of fun!  We are going to meet up with another member tomarrow morning and go check out some local quilt shops none of us has ever been to. Then we are headed to Kalona Iowa so I can show them my favorite quilt shops there. Also we plan to stop and see the quilt museum in Kalona too. I used to sell my stuff to a local gift shop in Kalona for 12 yrs but I have never taken the time to stop at the museum. So this will be a first for me too!

I should have lots of pics to show you all when we get back.

Well back to my cleaning. Having company means I have to stop ignoring the dirt and clean it!!! LOL

Wishing you all sunshine and laughter today!!  Rhonda

I joined Pinterest several months ago and I really enjoy seeing all the beautiful things people put on there. 

Here is a quilt that I just had to share. It is soooo beautiful!




                                  

                           "Summer's Sudden Shower,"
                                 by Delaine Gately.
  

                          You can find this quilt and lots more on Sherrie's blog
           http://sherriequilt.blogspot.com/2011/11/more-from-artistry-of-quilts-in-gig.html

Busy Week

This last week has been a busy one. I had grandson Zach staying with us for a few days. He is 11 and a high functioning autistic.He is so smart and funny he keeps us in stitches alot of the time.  He is unusual for an autistic as he loves and craves the hugs and touching. He will tell you Autistics are Awesome!!! LOL He is a great kid and always tuned into if his loved ones are sick or hurting. He wants to make you feel better.

He loves youtube. He finds his favorite shows on Youtube and pauses them and then prints off the picture which he then draws himself and his family into the picture. Or he uses his well developed imagination and creates a whole story around that picture.

He is a happy go lucky kid most of the time and enjoys playing with his brother and sister.

                                                      Zachary with his Papa (my husband)

He went home on Sunday and then on Tues the twins Daymon and Devon(8) and their little brother Colton (19 mos) came to stay for 3 days. Then I met my DD in Mt. Pleasant and picked up Rachel (10). They stayed until Thurs.

  They are busy kids! Devon is the dark haired twin and he is really good at helping with Colton. He changes diapers and is constantly aware of what Colton is doing. He is a really good big brother. Daymon likes to play with Colton and Rachel enjoys watching over Colton.  They play really well together.

I love to listen to their play and love the giggles and laughing that goes on.
At bedtime we always have a story and song time before bed. Colton likes to hum along. Devon's favorite is a silly little thing I made up a long time ago.
 It goes -- Hat hat I have a hat
                I have a hat on.........
                Colton's big toe(each person puts a silly thing here when it is their turn)
Then each kid takes a turn and we go around a couple or three times. Devon thinks this is the funniest thing to do.  Rachel loves a variety of songs. I have a couple of songs we sing that are only about 8 bars and then each time we sing it we get faster and faster and see if they can keep up with me. It is something I did with my daughter when she was growing up. The kids love doing it.  Daymon loves to start a story that then is passed to the other two until the story has gone around a couple of times.

The end of our story/song time is always Silent Night. The kids snuggle down and I sing Silent Night as a lullabye for awhile til they are all settled for the night. I love it as much as the kids do.

So this last week has been a busy busy time. I will get back to normal routine once school starts here soon. Then I have Zach for 2 weekends a month with Joey (13) Zach's brother) coming with him one weekend. I have the twins Rachel and Colton one weekend.  My grandson Jake comes for a weekend when he wants to come. He just turned 14. 

I enjoy them all! We are blessed with a large family and they all live within a half hour of us with the exception of our oldest granddaughter and her family who are an hour away.

Wishing you all lots of sunshine and  laughter!  Rhonda
      (rain for those who need it !!)