All Aboard!

As hard as it is to believe, my baby turned three last Friday!  To celebrate, we took the boys (Thane and Gunnar), along with Annabel and both sets of grandparents on a train ride along the Pend Oreille River. 

The scenery was beautiful, especially along the river.

We even got held up by some local bandits led by the infamous Ma Cutter!

And while the great train robbery was exciting, the best part of the trip was the kettle corn that Mamma bought for us all to share.

Safely back at home, the kids enjoyed a train-themed birthday party, complete with sugary cake and loud, shrill train whistles (what WAS I thinking?!?).

Happy Birthday, little man.  We love you!

A Labor of Love

One of the quintessential symbols of country life is the quilt.  While I appreciate the artistry of every quilt I've ever seen, it is the love, time and energy poured into each that humbles me.  Being wrapped in a homemade quilt is like being enveloped in an embrace.  When I look at an old quilt, I don't see a tattered bunch of rags.  No, I only imagine the stories it could tell:  of infants swaddled against chilly weather; of family picnics on river banks; of "forts" crafted over furniture during dark winter evenings; of comfort provided during times of sickness and loss. 

I am no seamstress.  While I can do a small bit of embroidery, sewing a straight line on a sewing machine is beyond the scope of my abilities.  I do, however, desire to leave behind a quilt for each of my children.  I have ordered some quilt patterns, and I am going to attempt to hand sew a couple for my kids.  These quilts will most likely not be completed until Annabel and Thane are in college, mind you, but I'll finish them one day!

In the meantime, Jordan's mom and I collaborated on a quilt for Thane's vintage-cowboy bedroom.  (And by collaboration I mean that I picked out the fabrics and she did all of the work!)  Thane eagerly watched his "queelt's" progress, and he was beyond ecstatic the day we brought it home and placed it on his bed.  The underside of his quilt is a soft flannel, and he cuddles up under it every night with a contented smile.  Thanks Mamma!

My sister is also a sewer, and she has created many beautiful quilts, such as the one in the top photo of this post.  She made this throw to be used in our cabin, but I'm not sure my family will ever let it get moved up there - they enjoy it too much at home!  I am in awe of my sister, and not just because of the quilts she has created for us.  As many of you know, Kim has a set of 14 month old twin boys. Yet, she has spent most of the exceedingly miniscule amount of spare time that she has had in 2011 crafting one child-size quilt a month for kids in Haiti!  Twelve displaced children will sleep warm in their beds next year, wrapped in a blanket made just for them.  I can't think of a more tangible way to share love.

Arizona -or- Bust!

Last weekend we tearfully waved goodbye to Jon, Kim, Lucas and Cody, who have moved to Mesa, Arizona.  Family, friends and neighbors all gathered Sunday evening to dine together one last time and to wish them all well.  It was a bittersweet evening, brightened by the entertainment provided by the antics of all of the "cousins" (pictured below in a rare moment of immobility).

I, for one, have savored the opportunity to reconnect with Kim after living apart for the majority of our adult lives, and I know that Jordan has enjoyed hanging out with Jon.  Of course, we will all cherish the times we have been able to be with play with the boys!

While we were very sad to see them go, we are excited about their future prospects in their new home outside Phoenix.  May God bless their new life in Arizona!