What would I do without angels?!!!

Angels come in all sizes, shapes, and sex.  I find them in my life both seen and unseen.  I can tell you much more about the seen ones, than the unseen - times I just feel something or someone there.  Now the seen angels many times don't realize they are coming as an answer to my fervent prayers.

So I was asked to be the quilt leader for girls camp - now really quilt LEADER - not just the one coming to do what she has been asked.  Called 2 months late mind you - after the overstock sales are over.  If you are a close friend you'll know this has been an interesting year over here at the Adams zoo.  Stuff has been piled high for cub day camp, wedding, shower, and of course the quilt material, yarn and batting.  The interesting point is that every month something major seem to crop up and when I asked God how it was going to get done someone would call, recommend someone else or drop presents on my doorstep.  God would keep the chaos one step away from drowning me.

While Wedding preparations were going on in April and May, JoAnn Carney showed Janey Bates and I how to sew up nine patches and change them around to make interesting quilts.  I told several people about my new calling and they literally handed me boxes of extra material (Lanette Hopkins and others).  It came in all sizes, colors with mostly flowers (lots of purple showed up).  I wanted to find a way to make it fun.
Then Jeanne Rumsey (a former quilter at camp) gave me 17 perfectly sized and matched ready to go quilt sets.  Wow, half of my quilts ready to go!  In May and June while the cub day camp started heating up, Janey Bates came up with the idea of sewing around the edges so we would only have to tie them when we got to camp.  She proceeded to sew more than half of the remaining quilts in July while I checked cubs in, assisted in a pie eating contest, directed parents to children and found lost articles. Did I tell you in July another son decided to get married?
 JoAnn gave us 5 beautiful sewn up quilts and told me two more for the men were on the way.  Jeanne Rumsey made sure I had a 50% coupon when I bought the batting on a roll (Jeffrey donated that) and I think Janey was the one leaving yarn and material on my doorstep.  We didn't have to buy anything for camp.  Everything was donated this year.
The wedding went off beautifully thanks mostly to Laura (and all those who so generously volunteered their time), a shower was generously donated by Janae Parkin with women who came when they heard about it just to support our family.   I've felt so lifted and sustained - warm and fuzzy.  The Adams family had a wonderful week-long family reunion in San Diego   that ended on Saturday and Monday morning Rachel and I were on our way to camp.

Some of the quilts at camp

Feeling like I'm on a water tube with the river of life rushing under and around me, Angels successfully helped me navigate to a beautiful finish at Rucker Lake where we were finished with all of the quilts tied up by Wednesday afternoon and got to  just enjoy the girls and the ambiance of camp.  I love Angels,  I really hope I can be one too.

Girls camp service quilt for
a Missionary in the Oakland Mission

I'm winning....I'm sure I'm winning......

So we had this nice adorable kitten that grew into a cat.  Nice mouser - also catches rats, squirrels, and birds - but at least he knows his job.  Well, there was a time we didn't have a screen in our bedroom window.  It was a nuisance because insects could come in at night if the window was open but it usually wasn't opened until late when we went to bed.   Welllllllll...... the cat discovered he could jump through the open window, but that was fine because I put a fan into it and he stopped jumping through.  But then!!!!! he jumped up onto the fan and into the bedroom - at 3 in the morning.  Sometimes the fan would unbalance and fall over then crash onto the floor and bed.  Not so fun.
So I put up a screen.  Got a kit from Home Depot followed the directions and then re-screened a few more windows that just needed it.   Wellllllllll...... that darn cat would butt his head (or whatever) against that screen -secretly I'd laugh --- until he got in after 3 months - the screen gave way from the spline.  Just a little gap.  A large cat can fit through a little gap!  Soooooo...... I rescreened it with an 1/2 inch more screen to spare on all sides taped down.  And then I wrapped the bottom of the screen in another layer around front and back and sewed it together (luckily the window's on the second storey of the house so no one can really see it).
Let's see who wins this round................!

Above and Beyond the Call of Duty

Open House for Nate and Kelsi

Irony at it's finest, there were only 2 hours in the whole weekend that it rained on Ardenwood Court in Concord..........yes the half hour before the celebrations started till half hour before it ended.   So the pretty bows on the branches were soaked

 and the pretty flowers were dripping

 everything was rushed into the house

 and set up inside

 with delicious food set up

  vases  put on the mantle

 because I hadn't done as Laura suggested and found a place in case it rained.

 The open house was lovely, cosy, intimate and beautiful.

 Nate greeted friends

  

and introduced Kelsi

while music played in the background

 courtesy of Teemaree                                        
and friends chatted and ate.

Perfect!!

Thanks Laura.

Getting ready for the Open House

So my oldest son Nathaniel just got married!!!! Well he got married on May 21st but it still feels like yesterday.  On Saturday we are having an Open House at Laura's backyard and preparations are really underway.  She has been hard at work on the yard and friends have popped over to loan her trees and plants and the kitchen looks busy.

I should have taken pictures of the table filled with rising rolls.  Tomorrow there will be salads and more desserts.  Yummy!
At my house there is a hallway that I've been filling with the treasures I've been stockpiling for the last 2 months (that's the time Nate gave me to put this on - March 5 to May 28th).  I've always found it much easier on everyone (as in Jeffrey) if I get items a few at a time instead of all at once.  The pocketbook shock is just too much.

I hate to admit, but I have piles of girls camp quilts, and boxes with day camp boys scouts too.  It's a wonder my family still likes me!  I do try to have really good meals lately.  It helps the stress levels of all.

Laura's Camel

 Laura told me about a camel she sees every once in awhile, then one day (riding with her)

 we see this camel!!!  Now she tells me there is also a camel with 2 humps ---

maybe I'll see him too.

Construction to begin - well maybe in April or May

A few weeks ago Laura and I went visiting different Tile, pre-fab, and do-it-yourself stores to look up ideas on a new bathroom.  Water isn't staying where it should and right now we are trying to decide what we need.
 Jeffrey doesn't want to spend a premium amount of money because he says we would never get back what is put in because it needs to fit the other homes in the neighborhood, and I don't want so basic it isn't fun.
I sure like tile and stone.  I'm not really excited about the pre-fab at Lowell's, it just has tiny specs in it no marbling or veins.  I'd love a granite or marble look that is easy to care for.
It was very interesting to note that in the showroom at Ordaz the models were mostly in light colors.  The lady on the floor said most women seem to choose the lighter colors and men chose dark.  Sure enough Jeffrey chose the darkest sample I brought home.  Do more women choose what's in the bathrooms?
It sure would be fun to have a "stone or pebble" shower floor with sandy tiles and make it a beach theme.  Add some puffy clouds on the ceiling.
Probably it will turn out to be a normal looking bathroom - on the other hand, maybe I'll just invite Bonnie over like I've been threatening to do and listen to her advise.
I really love friends.

Something I love to hear

Thanks Mom that was soooo Good!

I was a hero last night with one of Laura's recipes.  Everyone liked it.  I served it with lots of fruit - blueberries, tangerines and grapes with yogurt on the side.

Chicken Casadeas 

Cook up some chicken - Laura will use a whole, some breast, or a package - just depending on how many you want to serve.  I put the chicken on with a can of chicken broth and simmer it till the meat flakes off.

Drain - I reserve this for soup for another meal - and add a bottle of Salsa and simmer the chicken down till most of the liquid is gone.   I like to make preparations for a few meals at once, so at night its a quick fix in between lessons etc.  This can be done whenever you're making preparation for dinners.  Set aside.

When it comes time to make dinner:

Cream some lemon juice (I got them from Laura's tree), chopped jjalapeno (I use half or a quarter of a chili) and cream cheese - at room temperature (just set it out before Rachel's piano lesson).

Thinly spread this on one tortilla, scatter around a heaping tablespoon or more (depending on size of tortilla) of the chicken mixture, and top with some cheese (I used all the leftover cheese - cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, and gruyere).   Cheddar works.

Place another tortilla on top and grill on one side till the tortilla gets brown, then carefully flip till the other side is brown.  I cut it in quarters and serve.  I had to actually use the oven grill as they wouldn't fit in my frying pan and I couldn't find the cord for the electric fryer.  Worked great - you can do more at a time.