So just a quick note to let my friends in Oregon know that we all survived last night's tornado. We were in Todd Park watching our nephew play baseball when they called his game due to the lightening, so we drove to the other side of the park to watch Serena's boyfriend Phil play his softball game. Rich's whole side of the family was there including his ex and her new husband. Well the weather really started to turn so we left along with all the kids. Jassmine went with Serena to her grandma's house, and Rich and I took Alli and started for home. It was less then 5 minutes from the time we left the ball park when the tornado was on the ground in the park they estimate that there were 150 mature trees uprooted. So Rich and I and Alli are about 5 minutes ahead of the storm, but luckily it was only moving at about 35 mph, so by the time we got home we were about 20 minutes ahead of it. Then while driving the guy on the radio said there was another storm heading toward Le Roy form the Iowa side which is only 7 miles from our house, so I was really starting to freak. Driving away from one storm straight toward another. Luckily the Iowa storm stayed just to the south of us, and even though there was damage that had the road into town closed there was no real damage here in town. My garden has some hail damage to it, and a few of my tomatoes are really sagging right now, but I won't prop them up until after tonight because they say that tonight we will get hit again and it could be even worse. For about 2 hours last night I was really wondering what I was thinking when I asked to transfer back here, but all is well and everyone is safe.

This is the dress that Alli picked out for RJ's wedding. I think she will be adorable. It's big girl enough for her, and little girl enough for her dad and I. lol. We spent 8 hours on Sunday dress shopping and it turns out that Jassmine will wear a dress she already owns, and I am not crazy about the one that I picked out so I just may wear one that is in my closet instead. Being the step mom of the groom makes dress shopping really stink. You have to make the bride happy and worry about not over shadowing the mother of the bride or the mother of the groom. I am so tired of this whole thing. We (Rich, his ex, her husband & I) put our foot down and said enough is enough, and the groom's supper is not going to be at the country club because we can't afford to do it. Now the bride's family is saying that isn't good enough, oh well. If we are paying the bill we get to decide where it is. I have been doing alot of sewing but no time to post. I will get pictures of projects uploaded this week, I promise.

I've always wanted one of the dark purple lilacs, and guess what we have blooming in the new yard. I wonderful deep purple lilac and next to it is a beautiful white one. I love to go out by them and just relax and take in their beauty and the lovely smell. I can meditate on life and remember those we have loved and lost in a peaceful setting.

On Saturday my sister brought my neice Morgan over and I helped her make her first quilt. She did a great job. I think she had a good time and may be a future quilter. She was really interested in all the fabric all around the room and kept checking out what was going on at my machine while working on her project. I started a quilt using the Swanky line from Moda. I really am liking these fabrics, so very well swanky.

Just a quick post to wish all my friends a Happy Mother's Day. Mine was very busy. I had to take Rich to his brothers Saturday morning at 6:15 so the guys could drive 6 hours, to see their mom for mother's day, then they had to turn around sunday morning and drive another 6 hours to be home with Mary and I. When I got home a friend of ours and I went to Rochester and bought the things we need so Rich can start a new hobby. He's going to try his hand at making wine. His first batch will be a Pomegrante zinfadahl. It's really ummy over ice. Since dad was gone the girls and I decided to go to a movie, Hannah Montana, it was actually not that bad. I enjoyed it more then I thought I would. Jassmine even said she would be ok with a move to Tennessee if she found herself a cowboy that looked like the one in the movie. lol Then we went and spent the afternoon with my mom and sister. When I got home Serena came over and Payton who is all of 3 months old now spent the night so mommy could work the night shift. Daddy is still very nervous about the night feedings, which is very understandable, after what happened 2 years ago. Saturday was also the anniversary of Olivia's death. She is such a good baby and didn't give me any trouble. Then Phil dropped off Lillie at about 5:30 this morning, and they stayed until about noon. Then the girls and I were off to pick up Rich at his brothers where we got to spend time with them and our son and his bride to be stopped. I got 2 new angels to join the colection and the soundtrack to Hannah Montana for mother's day. I will be back to post on the wine making progress. I can't post on the progress of my current quilt project until the end of the month after I see Shawn wouldn't want her to see her gift until I give it to her.

One of these mini-honeybuns will soon be turned into my friend Shawn's birthday present. The pattern looks simple enough and I'm very excited to try it.

Josh's birthday quilt. I hope he loves it as much as I do. It's even cuter then I had imagined.

These are some pictures of the quilt top and the components that went into it, I'm making for my nephew Josh. It's on my machine right now and about 2/3rds of the way quilted. I really need to practice my stippling. I get going good for a while then seem to loose my groove. I guess practice practice practice is what I need.

So how do you know that the rainy season has started in Minnesota? When you get up at 5 am and go to the basement to get the clothes out of the dryer and what do you find at the bottom of the stairs, but this:

Of course when I found it there wre many plastic totes sitting right in the middle of the puddle, and there are a few more smaller areas around the basement. rich spent his day carrying the totes up to the attic, so that the dehumidifiers could do their thing. This is actually quite good compared to what I found, and luckily there was nothing damaged by the mini flood.

It's Alli's birthday today. I can't believe she's a teenager now. All my babies are offically not babies anymore!!! Wasn't she cute 7 years ago when she was holding her new newphew Isaac, and she was only 6 then. Now look at her she'sgrown and a big old nut. There's a story behind the spongebob earmuffs, but lets just say she wanted them because Colton loved Sponge Bob. Rich and I are pretty lucky we've ended up with some pretty amazing daughters. Now lets just hope that we can survive the teen years of these last two. lol The top picture is of Alli and Kassidy. She was Alli" best friend when we lived in Oregon they still talk alot and Kass might get to come out for a visit this summer that would be great